The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-08-31
Names Decay,
Especial Correspondence of the Boston Post.

upon huge, grand ship, all beamed and
planked, and looming up loftily in the
sun, with busy workmen going to and fro,
broad, bright axes cleaning in the air,
and ringing blows and cheerful voices
making lively music. "Well," we say
| audibly, 1.-THE State of Maine isn't quite
dead, is it ?" ''There are signs of life here,
sure II wouldn't wonder if she GOT
well yet, with good medicine and a care
| tul Doctor "A pretty sick child" "A
pretty sick child, and nothing but Demo-
cratic doctrine can help her now," replies
| an earnest voice. And in moment more
we are clasping hands with 4 stout, broad
shouldered, honest-visaged man, with
| trankness, sturdiness and candor about
him truly refreshing. Such a man will be
always consistent. and speak and act in
accordance with his truest convictions. 1t
was no less a person than l.. w. HOugh-
ton, Esq, well known in Bath and Maine.
IN connection with his brothers, Us among
the Wealthest of active and successful
! ship-building firms. Their father before
them prosperously prosecuted the bust
ness, and protiting by his wealth and ex-
perience, they have been able to place
themselves i'll the front rank of American
shlp-bulders. Following the gentleman
into his cosy, comfortable office, we COM
menced conversation rs follows:-
THE CoLLoQUY.
Cores. Ii you ear spare the time, Mr..
lloughton, | would like to talk with you
q little while this morning about ship
building
Mr. lIoughton Ah then You are
"Percle, from the Boston Post, | sup
pose.
Cores. Yes, sir.
Mr.. lloughton. Well, don't know as l
have got anything to tell you. worth put
ting in he paper.
Cores. How am to understand that :;
that you do not feel this depression as
Your ncighbors do?
Mr. Houghton (quickly). Not by any
| means. I'm tied up as tight as any OF
them.
Cores. But see you are building &.
large ship here. How is that?
Mr. IIoughton That's because I'm
more foolish than my neighbors. am
satisfied that | should have been Il richer
man to-day had | stopped building two
years ago. | sha'n't build any more.
Cores. Then surely from your long
experience, your past prosperity and pre-
sent disaster you must have some facts to
give me.
Mr.. lIoughton. | conld give you facts
enough, but they would be the same us
you have already published. My expert
cncc is exactly like that OF Mcssrs. White,
Carter and Blanchard 1t is the same
| story of increased cost in building. sails,
rigging, chains, anchors. iron, copper
everything nearly double. Wages in
creased, enormous tonnage dues and Il
| general depression of business all through
the country on account OF this high tariff
and taxation.
| Cores. And these gentlemen, whom
You have Just mentioned, tell me that
their vessels are running behind all the
time-getting in debt.
| Alr. Iioughton. SO arc ours. We
should be Il great deal better of money
| in porkct-if We could sell our ships; but
we can't do even that, except at II great
| sacrifice.
/ Cores. | suppose you built u great
many vessels to sell before the war;
Mr.. Ioughton. Yes; we did, and
steamers, too. Folks were always glad
to get Il Bath-built vessel. We had Il first
| class reputation here for u long time
| for our handsome models and soidity
| OF construction. We never built here
IN America any such vessels as those
British fellows do. Why. if we were
mean enough to put such stuff as those
| Province vessels are built of we might do
/ q little better than we do now They are
nothing but hackmatack and spruce. Our
frames are of Southern white oak, finish
ea with hard pine, copper-lastened and
ok treenailed. AYanllee captain knows
what good ship is and won't have any
| other.
Finding upon further questioning that
M IIoughton only reiterated the sent-
mtnts Of those with whom we had prcvi-
ouSly talked, and knowing him politically
to have always been a Republican, we
next asked him how he proposed to
remedy this great evil
Mr. Houghton There is only one way.
Subsidies are worse than nothing You
can't prop this business. 1t isn't any kind
of use. Ship-building in the United States
has got to stop altogether or there has got
to be 4 reduction of the tariff and u stop
put to these terrible taxes. There has got
to be q clean sweep right through the
whole thing (''AND THAT MEANS ITAv-
ING \ DEMoCRATIC ADMINISTRATION, i"
said his brother, just then entering the
rom.) Il suppose so,' rejoined Mr.
Ibughton, smilngly. Here we thanked
Mr.. IIoughton for his kindness. bade him
good-morning and rode away to the other
end Of the city in search of lion. VIM. d.
Sewall, u staunch Democrat and we'll
known ship-builder. We could not see
the father but talked with the son.
ARTHUR SEWAII., ESQ.
lie is a tall, compactly-built, dark-com-
pleXioned man, frank, easy, but decided
in conversation young in years but evi-
IDENTIFY experienced in business, and APP
parenty q great favorite with all From
him we learned that the business was now
and had been for some years carried on by
himself and brother, Edward Sewall Esq.
Our conversation was as follows:-
Cores. Is this Mr. Sewall
4 Mr.. Sewall. 1t is.
Cores. Then [ would like to talk with
you if you can spare me u few moments.
| You neighbors have referred me to you as
the man best calculated of any in Bath to
give me some interesting items on ship
building
Mr.. Sewall. The items amt very in
tercsting to me. But [ suppose you are
'Percie." l have read your letters in the
Post, and shall be happy to give you any
information | can.
Cores. viii you please then tell me
how long your firm has been established
here?
Mr. Sewall. My father commenced
business in 1928, and built from that time
until 1854 twenty eight ships. In 1871 he
built the Rappahannock, Of 1888 tons.
She was the largest merchant vessel ever
built at that time Since then we have
built more and larger vessels.
Cores. | understand that you have
been in the habit of late years, here in
Bath, of building mostly large ships.
What has been the average size built by
you9
Mr.. Sewall. From COO to 1900 tons.
Cores. And other builders about the
same, suppose?
Mr.. Sewall. Yes; some have built even
larger ones.
Cores. How many vessels were built
i'll Bath on an average previous to 1860?
Mr.. Sewall. From thirty to forty.
Cores. How much tonnage would
ft,Sn,O