Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-06-03
Granite at East Paris--Edrhatng'

Granite at East Pdris--Edr,htng.
A correspondent of the Lewiston Jour-
nal says:
|, is not very often that your CORES.
pondents hail from this part Of the world.
II is not city nor avilhge. 1t does not
possess store or mill. The country is
full OF hills and granite lcdges-gcnuine
granite. such as would delight a foreign
geologist to examine. and be surprised at
the stupendous forces necessary TO make
them. For miles in width, these rocks
form a belt peculiar to themselves.
Hard and unseemly as these rocks APP
pear, they are not without their uses
Here we are on one of these iarms-tbat
Of Mr.. Ichabod NJ. Thomas.
Ii is fenced in everywhere by heavy
double walls that were built blythe hardy
pioneers of the soil in clearing the land.
The soil is stony one surrounded by n
fence that will never decay. But these
rocks are not al granite. There arc mixed
in with these rocks veins of limo stone
Thy break up easily, decomposc easily.
and help form fertile soil. We picked
up boulder of remarkably pure quail
" which would turn well for lime.
This is a splendid country for orchards.
Trees grow rapidly and look healthy
The rougher portions of the land are dc
voted TO pasturage and woodland. The
wood is largely of hardwood growth,
and will sprout up very rapidly after a
crop is cut of.
Mr.. Thomas has sowcd well nigh forty
bushels of grain the present spring, chief
IL on a burn. As we went over the farm
we noticed the effects of the ice during
the winter ON the grass. We found the
land covered all over with small patches
OF ground where it was entirely winter.
Killed. We incline to believe that in this
section the hay crop will be light. Fruit
trees are putting forth their buds in pro-
fusion. and We may well anticipate an
abundant crop.
From the point where we write We
overlook large extent OF country
rough. but dotted with excellent farms
and occupied by IN intelligent population.
Il was a compliment we recently received
from gentleman who has Travelled eI-
tcnsivcly over Maine rs well rs else
where. II do not believe" said he.
There is another population m the globe
where there is SO much thrift, temperance
and happiness rs in the State of Maine
Your houses are all neatly painted, and |
have rarely known mi>crably poor
family belonging t. your native popnla-
ton" Such testimony is certainly =
ila,tering one. We anticipate very much
from our State in the future for this very
reason, that very large proportion of
our citizens are now in this condition.
By invitation we took ridet Hebron.
We soon passed through one OF the hand
soonest wood lots in the County. Il is
known rs the Deacon Ezra Bartlett farm,
and has recently been sold for six thousand
dollars to Fisk Il Holbrook of Oxford.
The roads here are billy and badly
washed out Nature is bursting out in all
her beauty. and We rode along enchanted
with the scene.
This town i noted for It's granite rocks
which are ofthc coarsc>t character; for
the almost spontaneous growth of the
apple tree which springs 10 everywhere 4;
for The quiet and moral character of the
people. and for the we'll endowed and
efficient academy under the direction OF
Mr.. Herrick, who has boon its principal
during the last nine years. The hope and
glory of our nation is conferred in just
such rural towns rs this, and we spent
the day in way that seemed to increase
this feeling of the stability ofour common
country.