The Portland daily press., 1873-01-04

timber, locked and waiting shipment, both
to England and France. In 1777, mast
ship France was here captured by the
British A gun ship Rainbow. TIE wharves
were then lined with forests of West India
men. A. D. 1896, Rev. Paul Coffin Vas here,
and writes, ''Wiscasset then Pownalborol is
place of much trade and navigation. The
point has pretty wharves and is flourishing-
mas grown two-thirds within six years.
Situated in l.titude A degrees near the
business heart of Maine as related to co n
mercial transactions, with deep harbor,
landlockeds feom and near to the sea, moder-
ate tides, free navigation, no ice, summer ana
winter equally available for export and IN
port, it will be seen at once that IN the ST. on,
ton of Wiscasset as the depot OF tnen CO.
templated extensive lumber operations. HO ~
qi,s. Sprague & Co. have simply opeyed the
dictates of a sound business disel e'ion III sthe
TIE ancient trade in timber and lumber
bo,a for eynort and West India goods for inn
mort reached the K nnebec waters by way
IF the ssgirt'i, then so called, but now the
ssSasanoa river, an outlet o. the Kenhebec
| via. of the Sheepscot to the sea, a navigable
waterway eastward from and opposite Bath.
The site chosen by Sturgiss, Sprague &
Co., is technically known as Birch Point,
and was the ancient Williamson plantation.
The west margins of Wiscasset harbor are
broken Dy two peninsular projections halt a
mile apart, the one stretching south and the
| other morrill, at opposite points, with deep
| indente1 coves behind each, and an island in
| tervening. The island is already occupied
| with the extensive milling machinery OF
Isaac T. Hobson, Esq, who RATS his timber
| from the Kennebec by stealn and summer
| and winter runs his mills and ships his prod
ucts to the WesF Indies and the great centers
oftrade, while the Kennebec and Penobscot
are closed with ice, finding his profits and his
greatest business activity in shipments in the
winter and spring, and which must give a
great advantage over any interior location.
Vessels of the largest capacity load at his
mills. The Sturgiss, Sprague & Co.'s, pur
chase is the peninsular point Immediately
south, and the municipal authorities, are
casset to Birch point, over Hobson's milling
island and the flats, 50 as to connect the two
bya bridge.
| a Birch point is clay-fat of many acres
level as house foor-the space Ct a consid
cradle head-land forming the south-westerly
margin of this harbor overlooking it called
| ''Cushman's Mountain" This space ha
been fattened out by the intersection and a!
luvial deposits of a considerable rivulet, call
ed "Wood's Brook at its confluence witt
tide-water, and by double outlet, each 0
| WHICH, nave WOT leu Tue anu water vince
machinery, for numbering uses ITGt6t
The deepest tidv-waters of the Sheepscot
+ here divide as they fill the harbnr through tn
narrows, in their influx from the sea, "a con
siderable volume, being deviated isouthwar
toward the Kennebec inlet of ''Sass
noa river and the balance vheered mort
along the wharves of ''Wscasset Point
, The shores are therefore bod and water
deep on the harbor frGnt, and in and aroun
"Birch Point are extensive scovess and rece'
SEES for docking ard booming, any amount c
timber, summer or winter, with the ASSN
! ance of absolute safety, and handy for use.
! The peninsula is an incxhaustible clay dc
post, with fresh water, ever at hand, and an
an ample supply both for milling and brio
manufacture. The Knox & Lincoln railroa
: crosses Immediately in he rear, and. with
available reach.
The above facts will show the intrins
; value of the site secured by this company fi
| the business uses contemplated and the in
: pulse it must give to the commerce of tn
place.
e The New York g. Portland Exchange gra
f 4 lite Rquarries have passed into the til lie
Jno. S. Sanford, ESQ.,, of the firm Of La,
son & Walker, 81 Wall street, New Yor
! and it is understood that extensive operation
e in the manufacture of the beautiful and v;
: liable blue stone 'of the Edgecomb deposi
e are to be undertaken in the spring; al
j there are movements under, way quietly b
), surely tending to- assure the speedy compl
II ton of the KEN ebec & Wiscasset railroa
l These circumst noes conspire to quickt
/, prospective business interests at this point
:, an unwonted activity. S.