The Republican journal., 1871-08-03
Plain Talk from Ship-buiIder--The Ruin
Gus Tariff and Ruined vilIage--Facts
and Figures Concerning Ships and Ship
ping--Prosperity Gone; Property Depre-
Ciated. ETC., Etc.


An hours ride over the Grand Trunk road
brought US from Portland to this once prosper
Gus village. A success sion of hills, sharply pro-
iecting rocks, extensive lumber yards, green,
far-reaching forests, wide and wildly verdant
fields, and over all a summer sky fringed with
1leecy white clouds. These were the pictures
that attracted the eye, whilst sharp above the
clanklng Of the rapidly revolving iron wheels
came the occasional click, click, of moving ma
chimes, and the loud halloas of the busy farmer,
borne to listening ears on the breath OF the frag
rant wind. Through quiet country towns we
rambled and screamed, stopping there and in
the midst of potato fields to pick up passengers
by the wayside And here we were at last set
down at neat little depot, in pretty little vii
lagc, with long afternoon before us, to find
out all we could pertaining to matters of interest
TO the readers of the Post. We had childish re-
collections of Yarmouth, as one Of the most
llourishng of Names many thriving ship-build-
ING towns, and expected to find streets metro
politan and busy with the unsurpassed hum
of activity and prosperity. On the contrary, its
two thousand inhabitants seem to have fallen
into a Rip Van Wrinkle sleep, and Sunday
atmosphere of stiffness and Quetude is upon
and over all. The dust is unsprlnkled and ui-
disturbed in the streets. On their grassy bord-
crS stand Scrious-faced oxen. gravcy chewing
the ''cltt of fancy; ut the village Post Office
are htched two or three dilaplated horses,
hanging their ruefu countcnancos, and going
quietly from door TO door are meek-looking men
clothed in black alpaca. Like the village de-
Scribed by Il certain learned livine, it had an
mir of being finished off and Shut up for future
use. We noted all these on long drive, in an
easy, Luxurious carriage, behind a smartly-step-
ping horse. And on quiet, almost untravelled
road, that wound close to the rivers brink,
found the solution to all this blighting inactivity
and dimishcd prosperity. Six deserted ship
yards, with the gray stains of time, weather
and long disusc upon them; their long, black.
plank ladders reaching appeansly toward
heaven; the tall, scattered gray posts standing
like grim scntinels watching the slow but sure
deradencc of their surroundings; the long,
black Stcam-boXeS. with rusty nails, dropping
unnoticed from their loosened holds: the closed
boat-houseS, the dilapidated pump-shops, the
mOccupied mills, the blacksmith's fire unlieht-
ed, his forge untouched, the bellows hanging
loose and idle. The picture was complete. 1t
needed no tongue to tell its tale of lepreSSion
blight and ruin. Musingy we rode on TO the
residence Of $. @. Blanchard, Esq. i pretty
tw0-storied cottage, tastefully ornamented with
porclIes, yerandahs and bay windows, and sur
rounded ith beautiful grounds, pleasantly di
versiied with winding paths, wel-kcpt hedges,
highly cultivated gardens, blooming flowers.
hot-hollScS and arbors.
MIR. BLANCHARD
is himself a fine specimen of the intelligent New
England ship-master. For three generations
his family have built ships, owned them and
navgated them upon the ocean. Always en-
terpriSing and successful in their business, they
have made tine names of BLANCHARD BRO
THEIRS well known throughout New England
rs one of the most prosperous Ship-buildng
firms within its limits. The representative of
the firm is a stout, broad-shOuldered, solid
looking man of about average height, with a
i,I ,,l' ,,i ,, io'
iuaV'G' t.u na" pGiluliathS eSes N pr'sh'
yh;rh means hnsiness chor,cteriln him Int
lie meets and treats one with true, genuine
country hospitality. assisted always by his most
inns ynr> ora..;o1sIy mi accontaiJv ni,ha,
hero in bnr ro,,nrv hone or bo. 5,tv resiJnncn
Il, poa,an C"n,tcrtnI,i,+ ,otnI il, L;t I il,
ritin naror nonynrso,ion en.ndI -. ii WIN Vr
pfam1hnrd ~ folInws.
coIroot-v
c
-. oofres. nave , come mere from foftlah.t
Ih'o Hteriiooll' Mr. bLlhenafG. 10 it'eeftllh' II
loHsH'ie' liow your toWN Is aileeteu hI lile oe-
riv,Ir'I u1ii " w ~ iPl,liiS .i'.eltst;
rn a,,t ~ m,nlo IT. oy ',n sIi' ~ ~ III ~
'''i '',lt illlNt ''iy allch tain ~ lhey uo nut
'', Snu t9'' ,o'i'e 9'l"'tte iat,S rom ~! oW
VNPCitp'c' Nilu liiG captain 4reW hill'eh
" ~ VIZ HESS III MS ooN anu
~ nl II nlFecH, T.. c.,..,;,,. .,,
@ :, ~ " ~ N'iiia' aptl Hi.,.
W. ~ llensG v tti 'eiI'iiS ~ nollcl1ilii
Vi m ir' ., yaS Pi'e IN iorlei , Sr'1S
,hIt f,,. Won tno ,ht n"t 81 i W. o1r ,,,' M
irnthar i,ut o,,,, f,bar o ,,'ir i,! H. 60 r
n. i,y,. bagn in tl,is hnsinss : ,nl ,y NAV ~,
I,nt # ,.',, ro,nn,lno. uh, y,,,,",,t a.
,,' I,,r, - ~ 49,, ,'i' - ;t .., e.
, mil'e, @ oa ,'n 1 ol a l'm I'l @
~ ,.lu 'n 'ooM ,.u,t
III ti . H., ,i',' ,,iIt ,iI
H., tu ,, t',1. ''''' ','i "' III H, i''ii' '
I",,oH ~ '''''V9 navy l'''''' '''N
rnro Vas 7 sl,oulI i,1,.a ,,Ivou,.
,,,, I,,;I li,. ..l';, ,r ,1,..t,I !; ~,
n- Of ail fbl '''' " - '''o
NJ " pi'i, i''. I'M. 1.,, ,,,;,,r :.
oa s in,l 49, ,,,a l,,iIf n. " Vivian ,.t
HIM n.o hn-i ,,,,hi,'e tn iii ,,nom ,''''
n''t ;" '',' ~ ~ ,
t''''S VI o'i'''' LOW "N III ''' N'e i''-
vi, ira 'tr NJ How, MANY ,os.als .,;I ,o h,i11
bnrc an an aycr,nn i,rio,. to 1sGo%
NJ nI,,,Lo.l ,Stnn, t;ftoo,, ~ ,,,.o,,,,- and
Nil vonr yn hni5 nnlv one That,s mora tb1n
d NJ NM ~ ~ TTo.o, ~, r,n,t ~ IL
n @ '', W ~ NJ, III ~
a,u' out ult'ne9 ~ tieti v! uo''iS t. W
~ vi t,','iS ~ IG W. ""t,' ="
iT ,i,tI tri , i,,
"ii ~ ~ = l''t' WI + f %
M ,toi M,i1m T. . nst' VII Iii IA ~
o.ra5 ,ro ,,om oniireI Win ,yhot
,1 Tt, tio,,'}.ro'a,, b, 1 "a, ,o'
''' u oit rhnro "i M
i' @ n; ~ ~, a. i,, ti ~ -
~ mn III our ulStrrl. wllo iiiS peei tIyl"2 ~
do so'nclhin@ p't Wlitl uneS II amount ~;
ohiN j. p'ah 10 hife S'lpltallsiS " p'lid SHIPS
ahd "tcI we We tu,iitu rotlhu ana ifolet,tu lnq
copper uealers ana IRON uraeis anu ail lhe resI
ol Them thc real cost OF lhe snip is no less
drawback, that would return ~ lhe custom
il'uSc j. percentage OF ne money w Pay oql
III hlltlcS' Would pe some hcip; n'it 'he ohIy
f,m WAY 10 itiP tne .lailt l'lI"I y ot an
anSotutc repeat M OF 1he i'rilI. tVergp2Hy Knows
,h our SNIP pui9eIs :,fe hot c'llltliStS' tn'H
buid ana Sc'i anu pti'i again. tnoS 're'tilhS
business ahl giving employ ihehl 10 EtlSe Grass
OF IaborerS. N times past ms mas been very
prol'labic' ana Ship,oulldefs nave nceh able 10
make some money hut It isn t so now.
CORES. on speak OF lhe abs3lit3 repeai OF
lhe taflii. May inquire Whit lhe feialiVG IN
crease oi dl'lleS upon Shlp-puidlng m:'ieflal Is
hr. hlanchafd' very nearly nollble, III some
instances more we pay IN dntles - cents
per pound on anchors, : l.: cents on chainS
tnd cables, % per cent. on wire Raging; Az per
cent. on hemp. ~ per cent. ON duck' ana ~ per
cent. on manila. The cost OF our IRON anu
copper is more than double.
CORES. Is 1t the increased cost, lhrh, OF
your ships under Inc present hlgh taflll that
occasions TINS trouble:
Mr. RIanchard. Not al1ogether. we nave
~ cNorbll;lll toilli;tSe uut 70 pay htShUS.
Then 1t costs us nearly double TO man anu sup
ply our vessels. Consequently we can COM
pete with foreign built ships, ana they take all
our business away from US.
CORES. How much is this tonnage due?
Mr.. blanchard Thirty cents per ton: About
J. month ago sent new shin OF l,'oo ions
from Portland, and 1t cost me S6lo III the Z US
lolh llo.Ise lor Clearance ., ana rnar?es, ,o-a 20