Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-08-26

habit Of giving to their own private affairs,
propose. in order to aid them in their delibera-
tons, to give some of the most prominent
points which have tended to influence the es-
Enlistment OF this industry in Hancock Coun-
~. which do ON my own responsibility, aud
without the consent or knowledge of the par
ties Interested in the enterprise. now readily
volunteer the information, from the conviction
that it will injure one, aud may perhaps
tend TO benefit parties, who msy in this part Of
the state, be as fsyorsbly situated for embark.
ing iu the business. IS the parties who have
ventured TO inaugurate 1t, in your up river
foi ests, to Wit:
LIST. II has been computed by competent
judges who have carefully explored No. 81.
that there Is hemlock enough on tn Township
10 produce one hundred thous and cords (I00. 0O0)
OF tons Of bark.-trbey will utilize the bark OF
the entire tree, that of the limbs rs well AS #
the body OF the tree. the bark being wrung from
the limbs after the foliage has fallen OF. BY
means Of an ingenious aud powerful machine.
which accomplishe. 1t with ease and great rx-
pidity.)
This bark must be peeled, in order 10 float
the logs 10 the mills at Ellsworth rs fast rs the
demand for lumber requires the hemlock to
make up the deficiency arising from the deple-
ting forests Of pine and spruce, (Which rapid
exhaustion has already excited the serious con-
sideration Of thinking men generally through
the country.
End. In order to render the numbering Of
their henlock profitable, they recognized the
importance Of realizing Lom the bark stripped
from The trees the gre Attest possible profit, con-
sistent with prompt sales, and steady and ie-
liable market.
Sd. The cost OF transportation Of bark In
bulk, or in its crude form, from their Township
to the tanners in Eastern Mass, (the best mark
ct in the United States for the sale OF tannin
materially leaving them small profit. in-
duced them to thoroughly canvass the merits
Of the different processes in practical use, in
different parts Of the country, for manufactur-
ing concentrated extract from hemlock bark for
! the use oftanners and commerce, and to learnt
by personally comforting with the most promi-
nent tanuers, in difieren nj parts Of the country
, who used extract Of hemloek bark in their tan
ners, in place OF the crude bark. the reputation o
concentr Ited extract as compared with bark
txnnin agent, and also to learn from them. by
Wuat. VI " Wuoet PfoSt-r, tiic W.T., anu tho>a
| popular brands OF extract were being now
manufactured.
4th. knowing from their familiarity with
| commercial usages. that the more article OF
merchandise is reduced in bulk, or lessened In
weight, without injury to its valued its cost
of carriage is correspondiugly lessened. hence
they reasoned, that If TO move u cord Of bars In
bulk, from their Township to tho tanner In
Eastern Mass. cost them twelve dollars,-(the
| lowest price 1t can b. handled and carried fyr')
when By extracting and concentrating its tan
min properties. they could deliver it 10 the tan
ncr in the ZANE plsce, at a cost OF one dollar
and GH! ccn;-. thu -a'ias 10 trcn,"lsc- in
/ the transaction. profit Of ten dollars and MY
cents. ON the single cord. which difference
would aggregate, on the one hundred thousand
cords, Itbe computed product OF their Town
ship saving in profit, OF one million and fiiy
thous and dollars, which SUN is the difference
/ in transportation Of the bark in bulk, aud -
TAM properties extracted, aud concentrated.
! This enormous saving. being the legitimate
/ profit OF the manufacturer, and not taxed from
/ the tanner. or the carrier. the tanner thu. get
| ting the same amount of tanuin for the same
money and is saved the expense OF grinding
aud Reaching the bark. while the carrier gets
has advertised Rates OF carriage.
9th. Their familiarity or knowledge OF the
magnitude OF the leataer trade Of the country,
and lis constant enlargement. " bile the sources
from which ii derived its supplies Of tannin.
were As steadily becoming exhausted. they
were lead TO the conviction thst the hemlock in
their township, IL not indispensable TO supply
the vi ants OF the leather trade in Eastern Mass.
would, At least. command ready sale - fast As
| they co3ld deliver it, aud in Whatever form
| might best suit their interests, and convent
| ence.
9TH. Their know ledge As TO the extent to
which the forests Of hemlock had become de-
| pleted 10 the New England States, New York,
and 10 Penn, enabled them TO comprehend,
what must be patent TO every man Of ordinary
intelligence and observation. who has given
any thought TO the subject, that the bemiock
forests in Hancock County and those in other
parts OF Eastern Maine, near the coast, are sew
eral hundred miles nearer tide water. and the
great leather manufacturing districts, along
and near the coast, than \ like extent Of hem
lock can be found elsewhere on the continent,
and the consequent advantages, in low rates Of
freights, which tide water iusures in supply
ing he tanners, which adv antax-s are not TO be
enjoyed by those in the trade, whose extract,
10 reaching the same markets, has to irayerse
long distances by rail.
These considerations, together with the fact,
that they own and control the hemloc. Of this
densely covered township, and are therefore
unaffected in the price Of bark. from the com.
petition Of the bush. or sole leather tanners In
the forests further north, constitute the princi-
pal reasons which prompted them to inaugu-
| rate the manufacturing industries In question.
and which considerations are respectfully rec
commended TO the careful investig stion OF those
in Eastern Maine holding like valuable posses
sions.
| ! am aware that this Is not the first time
the attention OF the people OF Maine has been
called 10 the adv ant ages claim ed to be derived
from the art Of converting the astrin2ent prop
critics Of bark into an imperishable extract for
shipment to tanners, in the leather manufae-
turing districts remote from the forests, in
place Of Transporting the crude bark TO the
| same market.
The advantages which such a process, was
claimed, would confer upon those largely in
tereste1 In the hemlOck forests in this part Of
Maine was too APPARENT to admit of question by
men OF ordinary business ability, provided the
merits Of the process by which it was to be ac-
complished, were meritorious and the extract
| as acceptable 20 the tanuer, rs the bark it was
to dsplace or substitute. Unfortunately for
those interested in the forest lands and those
engaged in the shipment Of bark to the Mass,
tanners, as well as to the projectors of the en-
terprise themselves, the attention of the pub
lie wa, called to it, before the process ha been
fully developed. aud though no extract factory
has yet ever been put In operation in this
state the failure Of parties outside Of the state
who had attempted to manufacture extract by
the use Of imperfect divers or impractical pro-
cesses, prejudices were created against the en-
terprise, which have prevented parties in this
state from embarking in the manufacture, who