The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-07-22

on by agents, not by the prOprietOrS, and with
the neglect of the best economy not uncommon
to such management. The owners would not
sell, and had too much business elsewhere to
pay any serious attention to the manufacture.
1t is surprising that anything at all was effect
ed under such conditions. Mr.. o. w. Davis, a
citizen of Portland, the present proprietor, has
got possession of: the property on very advan-
tageous terms. Transportation by road is now
reduced to eighteen miles, and the extension of
the Pscataquis railroad to Brownville will
bring it down to twelve miles. Mr.. Davis has
had large experience in handling this sort of
property; is thoroughly versed in the science
of the business and looks with vigilant eye
after every practical detail. 1t is beyond doubt
that with his qualifications and ample means
great and permanent success will be attained
One of the heaviest drafts upon the income
of the concern will of course be for trans
portation. A few days ago a Worcester iron
manufacturer opened negotiations with view
to command the entire product of the furnace.
''Should this arrangement be made, and in any
events, said Mr.. Davis to the writer, ''the new
railway combination of the Maine Central and
Eastern railroads by which we shall have only
one line to deal with through from Bangor to
Boston, and which can give us through rates
and special rates, " i'll help us out immensely.
Hitherto it would take half of a mans time to
arrange rates; the difficulty of making equi-
table special rates increases faster than the
number of lines What we want now is, for
the combination to lease the European and the
Piscataouis road, and make it all one thing
from all Eastern and Central Maine through to
market" This seems to be the sentiment of
the manufacturers and business men in all the
region. At the Brownvile quarries the talk is
all the same way. Portland has the deepest
possible interest in all movements that tend to
reduce the cost to market from interior Maine.
1t is true the slates the lumber, iron, potatoes,
live stock and other products of this district
can find only small part of their consumption
in Portland. But just in proportion as these
products can reach the larger markets at low
cost, in that same proportion will population,
business and wealth increase here, and the
sales of Portland merchants, here and herea-
bout, be proportionately enlarged In this lit
tie settlement to-day there are thousands of
dollars worth of merchandise bought in Port
land. 1t does not mater SO much whether the
iron that bought that merchandise was sold in
and worked up in Portland or not Though the
Portland Company are now using the from;
the main thing is that the iron was sold some
where, and Portland got her profit out of it
sooner or later.
There is vast quantity of pine and spruce
lumber on the river above this point, hitherto
Lever culled, as the stream is difficult to drive.
They talk about five hundred million" feet,
but if there is half as much, there is enough to
keep busy the beautiful water power here
(which, by the way, furnishes all the power re-
quired at the furnace) for an indefinite time.
Should the railroad be extended to the Works
the lumber could go upon the cars direct to
Boston, Providence, Taunton and the other
markets without transhipment In addition to
this, all sorts of hardwood manufacture, shovel
handles, pitchfork handles, paper pulp, excel
sior spools, bobbins. shoe pegs, etc., would
find an endless stock of raw material and
abundant power. Here are great tracts covered
with white ash two feet through, and birch and
naples of equal size, and ship timber in i'm
,nense supply In connection with the iron,
there would be no better site for making agri-
cultural implements, and wood and iron ma
chinery of numerous sorts. But all this de-
ponds upon railway extension. The hope is
that the powerful organization now having SO
large an interest in the railroads and the pros
perity of Maine will push up feeder into this
valley. The soil is excellent. A small clearing
near the works yields hundred tons of hay.
To-day, July 10Th, potatoes are in blossom, and
cucumber vines are two feet long! A railroad
would carry out scores of thousands of bushels
of potatoes every year from this valley.
This is a famous resort for gunners and fish
ers especially after August has come in and black
flies have gone out. Six Somervile trouters
were here of late and caught 700 A party from
Boston brought in 400 fish as the spois of one
day. 500 partridges were killed in the vicinity
last autumn and were mostly consumed in the
hotel, which Mr.. Taylor, the landlord, keeps to
good acceptance. The strongest iron-sprIng
know of flows amongst the iron deposits. The
water is acidulous and chalybeate to the taste,
as good as lemonade and famous tonic. The
stage brings daily mail from the Milo station
on the Piscataquis R. R, In Short this is an
interesting locality to visit, and good place to
be in. 1 am sure it is to be the centre of q
thriving community. Gentlemen managers
of the Boston H alfax line, your earliest at
tention is respectfully Invited to the need of a
branch road to the Brownville slate quarries, to
the Katahdin Iron works, to the lumber tracts,
and the potato and hay fields of the Pleasant
river of the Piscataquis,
have only time to say that experts have de-
clared the iron ore could be used for red ochre
at far higher profit than for iron. There is
no question that copperas can be produced to
excellent advantage. Cedar ties can be got here
in prOfusiOn. C,