The Portland daily press., 1871-08-04
This side the Mountains.
FRyERURG AND ENVIRONS.

vast hills spring upward, confessed at thelr ioi
magnitude, and forming huge wall upon lne
west and north. In the very centre OF the
line, as seen from Fryeburg village, Mt. Pc
ouaket il planted, perfect symmetrical cone,
and taperipg to needle-like summit On
the left rugged front Of Chocorua is uplited.
In the rem ote north and west the hs ads are
seen of the giants Of the White Hills. The
beauty of the valley and the magnificence Of
the rugged highland are here blended in equal
proportion. "Jockey Cap a bold heudland
of bare rock looks down from its height Of hun.
dreds of feet almost perpendicularly upon the
village. "StaIks Hill at the other extreme is
a mountain mass clad in the deepest green of
forests. The Saco, as if loving to liuger among
scenes Of such beauty, flows through long
circuit to the north, then doubles upon itself.
and returning almost to the point of original
access, leaves the town within short distance
Of the point of entrance, after course of TWEEN
ty miles within the municipal limits.
The great alluvial plain which forms one of
the most striking features in this landscaps,
extends from the Great Falls in Hiram,
through Browpfield and Fryeburg, thence into
up the valleys of the Cold, Swift and other
rivers tributary to the Saco. 1t embraces sew
eral thousand acres of highly fertile and easily
cultivated land. 1t is made up of the tribu-
rated substance of the mountains brought
down from the heights and poured over the
great level in the freshets of unnumbered ages.
The greater part of the valley was uudoubted-
ly in former times a shallow lake "a portion of
it still being covered with water) which was
drained as the channel at Great Falls was
worn away, and the Saco cut its bed deeper
into the soil. There could not possibly be
finer example of the process of valley-making,
process here in tact still going on, as it has
been since long before the time of Adam.
This alluvium, as Just observed, is fat coun-
try. Its agricultural capacities are large. In
particular, grass is over a large extent of the
lowlanda spontaneous product. When the
farmers have had time to adjust themselves to
the new relations into which the building OF
the railroad has brought them, they will prob
ably discover that some thousands of acres
here ought to be turned into milk farms to sup.
ply the Portland market. Much of the inter-
vale land in the upper portions is still virgin.
1t will grow potatoes 200 bushels to the acre
with only one hoeing. Such potatoes will
bring 20 cents bushel at the railroad station.
Need then, the farmer go West to raise wheat
thirty bushels per acre for which he can real
ize not over seventy-five cents per bushel? Let
him grow potatoes rather in the Pequaket
country.
Now about the sweet corn packing business
Would not this delicious esculent thrive great
ly on these warm intervales? These river lands
ought to send hundreds of tons of food mate RI
al to market every year. 1t can be done now
without having the profits all devoured by
transportation. At one point on this railroad
gentleman received, at the station, 100 per
cent. more for his potatoes, the past spring,
than he could have got but for tho railroad.
Heretofore, ten bushels of potatoes suddenly
precipitated upon the Fryeburg market would
produce an utter glut They ceased to have
any money value. The disguised farmer went
home with his load and fed out to his cattle or
hogs potatoes that would have brought 80
cents in Portland
SWANS FALLS AND LUMBER.
Your correspondent has been this morning
to visit Swans Falls" on tie Saco,-the up.
per privilege in the main water-power section
OF the river. 1t is distant from the village
about three-f0urths of a mile A bridge is
contemplated at the Falls to bring the north
section of the town three miles nearer the de.
pot and village. The privilege is one of espe-
cial interest, in view of the vast amount of
lumber In the region and indeed in the imme-
date vicinity of the power. A low ridge ex-
tending athwart the valley is here cut across
by the river down to the solid ledge. Upon.
this ledge good log dam can be built for 3d.
600, ten feet head and fall secured, and mills
advantageously located. Timber can be held
ABOVE to any amount. In freshets the river
after having risen to given point flows back
over low lands, and hence no damage need ev-
er be incurred to constructions at the falls
On my way to the site, in company with Ma
1or Hastings, who finds time amidst multifa-
rious business to show civility to strangers, l
noticed large quantities of the pitch or "bull"
pine which covers enormous tracts in all this
region. This timber cannot be driven down
river for it sinks like stone. 1t must 90 to
market by rail or not at all. 1t makes the
best of headings and sugar boxes. Here then
is an opportunity to wear out two or three saw
mills on Swans falls. Vast quantities of birch,
maple and beech, considerable amounts of ash
poplar and eak could be worked up into spools
and bobbins, into paper pulp, exec sior, carri-
age stuff, etc., etc. The manufacturer and ar
tisan can live here as cheap as anywhere. Any
man OF the right stamp who comes here to set
manufacturers in motion can count upon CO.
operation amongst the citizens OF this am
assured by men whose word is as good as theis
bond. Timber in this town grows fast. 1t IS
estimated that two million feet of piEe can be
cut annually in Fryeburg without diminishing
the stock. At Lowell where lumber has been
sawed for years, operations on a greatly en-
iarged scale in the manufacture of headings
shocks, etc. are being entered upon, the pro-
ducts touching rail at Fryeburg On the
mountains and in the valleys of the streams
above Fryeburg for many miles the lumber re :
mains untouched, such are and have been the
difficulties of driving" it. This lumber can
be sawed on the spot by steam and marketed
by rail- Much of it, however. could reach
swans falls, the main difficulty of driving be-
ing encountered below that point, the timber
getting dispersed and lost on the low lands
about Bog Pond, and cut up at the falls could
then 90 upon the rail.
Tanning operations are carried on in this re-
gioh with unsurpassed advantages, and the
works hereabout are now being enlarged. The
hemiock forests in Conway, Chatham, Bart
iett' etc., furnish bark in quantities to suit,
and will do SO for half hundred years.
There is no reason why the Portland & Og.
densburg railroad should not have an impor-
tant business even in the winter season, espec-
Tally when it has reached the virgin timber
land above this point, aud that too from this
SIDE the mountains alone. How much it will
have depends in an important measure upon the
industry and enterprise of the resident popu-
lation. ,ie .-a9
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.
There is much to make this region of inter-
oct TO tho tourist, aside rom the beauty of the
scenery. 1t is replete with ancient memories.
L; was here the Indians warred with almost
unparalleled desperation for their hunting
grounds and their cornfields. The long reach
OF navigable water gave them easy access to
the one; the open intervales secured annie
scope for the other. One has stirring of the
Diood as he stands by the deep shaded inlet of
LoVewelrs pond, On the banks of which Cham.
periain and Paugus stood confronted, and with
cool and long-drawn courage washed out their
guns and loaded. disdaining concealment or
retreat, life or death hanging upon the dura-
tion OF powder FASH One might not be
ashamed to drop tear as he looks upon the
great rock deep in the woods, at the foot of
which the last survivor of her people, Door
Msll Locket, breathed forth her life It was