Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-09-24
For the Journal.
OF lfIt JVNT
VACATION.

BERLIN FALLS, n. H., Sept. l., 1872.
Il is a short ride from Gorham TO Berlin
Falls, mostly through a wilderness, with here
and there dwelling. Land suitable for cul-
tivation is rather scarce here. the hills rising
near the banks Of tn, river, and being too
abrupt and rocky for any agricultural pur-
pose except pasturage. The road follows the
Androscoggin northerly towards its source,
while the Grand Trunk railroad disappears
behind the trees, and only reapPears at Ber-
lin Falls.
This is a small village, picturesque but
rough and new. In front of it is the river
and the waterfall; and in the rear rise pre-
cipitous and lofty crags composed Of solid
rock perhaps thousand feet in height. Some
of them are too steep for feet of man or ami
NAL to climb This is a village of some little
business, having grist mill and two saw
mills In the saw mills are manufactured
spool stuff which is cnt from white birch logs
and sawed about an inch and half square
and four feet long, and sent to Massachusetts
where it is turned into spools for thread.
This is the work for winter, but in summer
the same mills manufacture salt boxes of va
rious sizes, from poplar and fir wood. The
several parts are made and assorted, and
packed in packages of a dozen boxes, to be
put together when used. These two branches
of manufactures consume nearly 1000 cords
year of white birch and poplar.
Berlin Falls shine to great advantage at
this time, rising to the height of water in the
river. We spent about an hour in viewing
the falls from various points. The rocky
banks of the river offer the greatest facilities
| for obtaining favorable views. The Andres
coggin, with its large volume of water, is here
confined within perpendicular walls of some
Il irty feet in width. 1t does not descend in a
single fall from great height but the de-
scent continued by succession Of cataracts
for quarter of mile, sometimes widening
and then narrowing again, and all the way
the water rushing and roaring with tremen-
dous force down its channel. A plank foot
bridge extends to a rock in the shape of an
island of an acre or more in extent, and
the most favorable points for observing the
fall. In some places the rock actually hangs
over the boiling cataract, and yet is so firm
that one may fearlessly stand on the edge of
the cliff and view the foaming pillows below.
The island and the banks of the river are
covered with growth of shrub pines and other
trees of moderate height, forming pleasant
and shady grove. The fragrant scent of the
pines and the music of the winds in their tops
reminds one of Winters lines:
There's vgor in northern breeze
Our pines are trees of healing"
We have never seen waterfall which af-
fords so many opportunities for viewing it,
and from such diverse and at the same time
favorable points for observation.
A mile or two below is wire suspension
oot-brdge across the Androscoggin, with a
long fight of steps up the steep bank on the
opposite side Here is path which leads
through the pine woods twenty-five or thirty
rods to the foot of beautiful and striking
waterfall called an "Alpine cascade" Here
a small mountain stream descends the steep
decliyity in a succession OF cataracts, in all
perhaps 200 feet in height. At this time the
stream was unusually full, and this added to
the striking beauty of the cascade. A small
fee is charged for crossing the wire bridge,
and viewing the cascades bat small rs it is,
the visitors are so numerous that the fee has
built for the owner very pretty new house.
On the road from Berlin Falls to Gorham,
we noticed several rough sheds containing
large piles of manufactured lasts, or rather
blocks of wood prepared for manufacturing
into lasts. They are of rock maple wood,
and about POO cords year are used for this
purpose. The blocks are taken to Massa-
chusetts to be shaped and finished.
SENIOR.