Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-10-25
ST. JOHN AND SURROUNDINGS.
ST.. JOHN, n. B., Oct. 81, 1871.

McAdam Junction, Is > miles; from thence to
Fredericton Branch Junction, Al miles, and
nearly the whole distance is through an I'M
developed country, but here and there are at
tractive spots where villages will eventually
spring up and flourish. Fredericton Branch
Junction is 1G0 miles from Bangor and ~
from the city of st. John, which stands on
bank of the estuary of
THE RIVER ST. JonN.
sippi, its length being about $50 miles, 2ll of
which are either in Maine or form the bound
airy between Maine and New Brunswick. The
river with its branches furnishes 1900 miles
of navigation, and drains IL 900, 900 acres, or
an area one-half as large as Maine or New
Brunswick; it is navigable for vessels of l2Q
tons to Fredericton, so miles from its mouth
and small steamers ply at certain seasons of
the year nearly 100 miles above Fredericton
Along this river from the source to its mouth
are lumber industries, and vast amount of
lumber in various stages of manufacture, an
nually passes out across the
BAY OF FuNDY
into the markets of the world. This cele
brated bay is an arm of the Atlantic that scpa-
rates New Brunswick from Nova Scotia its
average breadth is 80 miles, and its length
$50; it is noted for tides which in magnitude
are not known elsewhere on the globe; at st.
points farther up the bay, from GO to 10 feet
and at Annapolis, Nova Scotia, opposite st.
John, they have at times risen l20 feet! They
are occasioned by two tide-waves rolling into
the bay from the ocean by different channels,
and having no outlet, are imprisoned between
the uncompromising shores. This bay forms
about $50 miles of the coast line of the
Province OF New BRUNSWICK,
which on Northumberland Strait, Gulf of St.
Lawrence and Bay Of Chaleurs, aggregates
about 270 miles more. The area of New
Brunswick is about that of Maine; in 1861
its population numbered 252, 200, or 9.1O per-
sons to the square mile; Maine has abont 80
persons 10 the square mile. The province is
rich in minerals, one third of its surface be-
ing covered with bed of coal. Many of the
coal measures, however, are thin and impure
but the coal of Albert county, at the head of
the Bay of Fundy, is said to be the most val
liable deposit of bituminous matter on the
continent, and is apparently inexhaustible.
Enterprise has been lacking, and mining
has not yet become SO important a branch OF
industry as it may be. In the province are
copper, gold, silver, iron, gypsum, plumbago,
limestone, and a fine quality of freestone
All, or nearly all, the grindstones used in
Maine, are imported from New Brunswick
The resources of the province are absolutely
inexhaustble, and entirely adapted to the
making of a wealthy people. 1t may be sur
prising, yet it is true. that vast proportion
of the capital invested in developing the re-
sources of the provinces, is Yankee capital.
The four largest towns in this province, are,
Fredericton, the political capital, that has a
population of about 6000; Woodstock G400 !;
st. Andrews 5000, and I&#
THE CRY OF ST.. JOHN,
of rs, 900 inhabitants, which is located on the
north or left bank of the estuary of the river
of its own name. Opposite is Carleton, a
lumber manufacturing town of considerable
activity, and as large perhaps as the city. of
Hallowell. Between the towns is the harbor,
full of vessels, lying at the wharves which at
low water would be too high for the Great
Eastern. At low tide the vessels almost inva-
riably rest on the mud. A ferry-boat makes
trips between the two shores times an hour.
In Carleton on an eminence of high ridge
that seems to wall the town on the west, and
near the bay, conspicuously stands round
tower that once formed part of the defensive
armament of the harbor. Powder is now
stored in it. Farther north hospital for the
insane, and two or three elegant suburban
residences also surmount the same ridge,
the entire harbor and towns. The
city of st. John stands on bed of clay slate
that is considerably elevated on the west or
harbor side, but which slopes very gently to a
back bay or cove mile in width, that bounds
the town on the south and east. Indeed three
fourths of the.city is on promontory formed
by this back bay and the river that debouches
into it, On the north, the city between the
bay and river, widens like fan, until it tips
over the side of marrow but steep valley,
where it pauses and gives room to score or
two of
FINE RESIDENCES
with large parks laid out and handsomely fur
nished with foliage, fountains, statues, ar
bors and walks. This is the section-the
suburbs of the city extending two or three
miles east and west, and north of the valley
above spoken of where the nabobs reside in
elegant ease. The mansions and surroundings
are really admirable, yet by no means offset
the less than mediocre appearance of
THE CITY PROPER.
The streets are unfo rmily of good width and
in the southern half of the town generally
cross each other at a right angle; the side
walks are well laid out but on only few
streets have they been well built. The IL or
Is churches are nearly all excellent structures,