Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-01-19
LETTER FROM ROCKLAND.

The WINrER-RocKLAND MrD-BusINEss
DULL. OPERATIONS IN GRANITE LECTURES.
RoCKLASD, Jan. 10Th, 1874.
To the Editor of the Journal:
Remarkable winter this. First we have
weather the most delightful, mild and spring
like, then follows a succession of rain and
fog, fog and rain, till the snow disappears,
when 10 that is no sooner gone, than we are
visited by one of the most terrific snow
storms of the season, that of Wednesday last
The soft weather of last week, which seems
to have spread over large past OF New Eng
land, played the deuce with our sleighing and
left us mud of the most abominable kind
Add to that the cutting and strriag-up made
by the constant passing of heavily laden lime
rock teams, and you can imagine what mud
puddle our principal street presented. In
deed Rockland has already u local if not ma
tional reputation of being very muddy city
Apropos OF this is a little incident that
occurred few years ago that l can
not refrain from telling. well known
character of Rockland and driver Of one of
its accommodation omnibus (omnibuses OF
peculiar pattern anu btlGOn IL tNCI oCSh Out-
side of Rockand or its environs) took it into
his head to create a sensation by driving
boat instead of his ''bus" through Main street
This he did by hitching a horse to the bow,
and with boy in the stern to steer Cor appear
to) he drove from one end of the street to the
other, much to the amusement OF the assem-
bled crowd. 1t was during very muddy sea-
son, and the streets were perfect pudding in
Conscience. After the drive he was presented
with hat and cane, the usual speech upon
such occasions being made by young law
yer.
Business is not rushing in or around Rock
land this winter; indeed it is little dull,
withal, as 1 will show you. Work on the
new Custom House is stopped for the present
the lime kilns have "slacked up" (but this,
is not unusual at this time of year. and then
there is not the usual amount of work
being done on the islands, which as matter
of course affects Rockland. The busiest is
land this winter is Hurricane, where is being
cut and dressed, the granite for the ST. Louis
Custom House. 1t (the island,) lies about
ten miles east of Dix Island and is owned
and worked by Gen. David Tilson.
The work on the New York post Office at
Dix Island is not yet completed, about one
hundred cutters being as yet employed in
giving the finishing touches to the few re-
manning pieces. The U. S. property on this
island was sold at public auction in this city
Dec. LIST, 1873, to c. P. Dixon, Esq, of New
York, President of the Dix Island Granite
Co. Mr.. Dixon has contracted to furnish the
granite for the Philadelphia Post office at fifty
cents per cubic foot, low figure. This build
ing will be about two-thirds the size of the
New York structure, but of the same style of
architecture. 1t is expected work will begin
tIa nj
spending to the cry for retrenchmsnt, sees fit
to withhold any further appropriation (the
site having been purchased already by a sum
appropriately. Withholding of appropria-
tons for public buildings, in contemplation
throughout the country at this time, would be
blow severely felt, not only by the capitalists
interested in the granite business, but by
thousands of good, honest, working men who
depend upon this branch of business for liv
ing. II Congress wants to ecopomize, let it
not be by depriving poor man of a chance
to earn few dollars by his daily labor.
We are having two courses Of lectures here
this winter, as you are in Augusta. One I'M
der the auspices of the Rockland Literary As
ISOLATION, the other, which is to come, to be
called the Cooperative Course. The first
lures, TO be given respectively by Phillips and
Cough Bradlaugh, the English orator.
has iectured to US twice, bat the last time
with not the same good results These
lectures, so far, have been well attended, hav-
ing had an average attendance OF at least
one thousand night, the seating capacity of
the hal, being 1876.
Besides these lectures our clergymen, ever
willing and eager to serve the public good,
are each in turn to give a temperance lecture
at their respective places of worship. Rev.
Mr.. Chase of the First Baptist, gave the mi
tiatory lecture last Sunday evening to a
packed house. Rev. Mr.. Sweetser of the
Universalist, reviews John Bunyan's Pilgrims
Progress, in series of discourses yet to
come off.
There is a great deal of talk made, and no
little interest taken in religious circles, over
the conversion of young man of first family,
who has heretofore been considered hard
case. His conversion is attributed to the in
tiuence brought to bear upon him by certain
popular clergyman Of this city.
Yours, GERM"