The Portland daily press., 1870-09-20

l.
PIsCATAQUIs RAILROAD PRODUCTION OF
SLATE, PRESENT. AND PROSPECTIVE Ed
UCATIONAL.
DOVER, 18th Sept, 1870.
This county, like all other parts of the
State, has suffered severely from the drought.
Dust is gathering in many wells. The water
in the Piscataquis is so low that gentleman
very Justly remarked of the river to-day that
il showed good bottom but poor speed. How
ever, the various WOODEN mills aud other man
ufacturing establishments are busily at work,
while fair crop will probably be gather
ed from the farms. There are large fields CT
potatoes yet untouched. Mr.. Lebroke, a
member Of the legal fraternity, appears 10
take the lead in potato productions, raising
some four hundred bushels to the acre.
The people have great reason to rejoice, as
they do, at the advent of the iron horse. The
Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad, though not
fully ballasted, is in very good running con-
dition. The length of this road is something
more than fifty miles. 1t does not follow
the shortest line from Dover TO tide wa r at
! Bangor, but very wisely makes sundry devia-
lions in order to accommodate leading indus
trial points, as the prosperity of the new road
must depend largely upon way business.
Before the building of the road the trans
portaton of freight from this point to tide
water cost somo eight dollars ton now it
costs about four. Other towns along the
road are benefited in like manner. Cheap
locomotion is wealth.
There is already large amount of slate
quarried IN this county, which has 10 be car
ried over the railroad to Bangor Eight
quarries are in operation now, largely worked
by Welshmen. Perhaps two hundred men
are employed in the preparation of the slate
for market. Some 2500 tons were wrought
at the Merrill quarry last year. 1t is expected
to increase this amount by one third each
year, until the annual product reaches 10000
tons. The Bangor and Piscataquis Company
wrought 1000 tons last year, and purpose en-
larging the annual product to 5000 tons.
These are, at present, the two largest quar-
res. Their slate is delivered at the Milo sta
ton. There is no doubt that other quarries
will soon be opened, and ere long they will
be numbered by the score.
Large slate stories are afoat 1t is claimed
that slate mountain has been discovered in
Howard, at the head of Sebec lake, and that
the proprietor has been offered fifty thousand
dollars for one-half of 1t. An abundance OF
slate is probably there, while communication
with the outside world Is rather favorable.
Another slate discovery has been made in
Monsoon. The slate is of. excellent quality. |
A Welshman, who made the discovery. has |
got it under bond and counts upon making q |
pocketful. The slate supply in this county is.
to all practical ends, inexhaustibe. The |
slate improves with the increasing depths of
the quarries.
During the week the County Teachers In
stitute has been holding its sessions in Mayo
Hall in this town. Conductor Prof. Allen, of
Pa, assisted by Mr.. Stetson, OF Lewiston, and
the County Supervisor, Mr.. Knowlton. The
teachers in attendance numbered seventy
two, of whom fifty-one were examined and
certificated yesterday afternoon according to
law. The attendance was much larger than
last year, and the quality Of the teachers de-
cidedly better, which is certainly an encour-
aging sign. Everybody appeared to be high