Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-11-08
LETTER FROM NEV BRCVS WICK.
NEW CASTLE, M1RAMrcHr, n. B.:
Of,T ooh 1875

| A letter from this country may be of interest to
your readers. The writer will briefly note the gen.
eral character of the country, its chief wealth, pro-
auctions, industries, people, and such other mat
tiers as may have come under his observation.
A large tract in the northern part Of New
Brunswick is known by the general name OF
Mramichi, from the river which flows through II
and the bay on the coa.t into which the iver
empties. 1t comprises the whole territory drained
by the river and bay. All the lower section OF the
country is low and level. 1t is partially covered
by light growth of pine, spruce cedar ana other
| soft woods together with small quantity OF such
hard woods as are usually found IN such ocallt'es
| The pine is of the Norway AMI Princess varieties;
spruce, of black red and white varieties There is
A great deal of bog land and barren waste. In the
| upper section toward the head of the valley the
country is much higher, more diversified, and is
covered with fine growth OF timber. 1t resem-
bles northern Maine in that respect.
The Miram;ch river is broad and deep. 1t is
about one humid, ed and seventy five miles in length
| and about two miles in width at its mouth. 1t is
nayigable by large vessels for fifty or sixty miles
The river flows in two branches, called the North
west and Southwest, until it reaches point about
fifty miles from the bay, when the two branches
converge and form the main river. Each OF these
branches is larger than the kcnnebec At the
confluence there is from six to eight feet rise and
fall Of tide, and tide water extends twenty miles
above that point.
The principal wealth Of the country is in its
lumber. Large quantities are cut in the winter
| season on the head waters Of both branches, and
Cod Il +I,a Ialn no in
river there are large steam saw mills, where this
lumber is manufactured and got ready for market,
and from which it is shipped to various parts of
America and to Europe. Many foreign and home
vessels are kept busy employed. These mills
are in operation both night and day, except in the
winter season, when they are closed, the men en-
ployed in them going into the woods at that time.
Some Of them give employment to as many as one
hundred and fifty iuen, and turn ont immense
quantities Of lumber. Near the mills lalge fires
are kept constantly burning to make way with the
refuse lumber and sawdust The furnaces are fed
with the best of the slabs and edgings they being
of sufficient capacity to take in slabs from thirty to
forty feet in length.
! In former times shipbuilding was carried on to
considerable extent along the main river, as
ny old yards, covered with decayed ships and
fallen buildings, testify. At the head Of the main
river there is large island comprising some two
hundred acres, which was once a very important
shipbuilding point, from which many ships and
other crafts were launched Large yards and a
score or more of old houses and shops mark the
place. Shipbuldng is still carried on to some ex-
tent along the river, but compared with what it
once was the business is very small.
In the fishing business there is some enterprise
Salmon and bass are the principal kinds taken.
The former are caught in the summer season,
packed in ice and sent to ST. John; st that place
they are repacked and shipped to markets farther
south, many going to the principal cities of the
United States. Also considerable quantities are
prepared and canned, and shipped in that state.
In the winter quite large quantity of bass
are taken. These are caught through the ice in
large dip nets, the hoops of which from four to
five feet in diameter and attached to long, stout
polls. They are shipped in frozen state princi-
pally to Boston and New York.
Neither game nor fur-bearing animals are now
very plentiful, but were in former times. A few
partrdges ducks and geese are seen, with occa-
sonally flock of pigeons. Beavers, offers, minks'
sables and other valuable fur bearing animals are
occasionally met with on the upper waters, but are
rather scarce. The moose, caribou, deer, bear,
etc.. are also occasionally seen in that vicinity.
Very little is done at farming. Only narrow
belt of land on each bank of the river is cleared,
and but small portion of that even is cultivated.
The people do not know how to cultivate prop
erly. With very rare exceptions, no even passa-
bly, thorough cultivation is done. The people do
little numbering. little fishing, little hunting,
ard a little of this thing and that, and neglect
their farming. Oats, wheat, barley, rye, buck
wheat, potatoes, turnips. beets cabbages, etc,
yield well here when properly managed. Hay al
so might be produced in abundance, but, as it is,
only very small quantity is cut, and in conse
quence very little stock is raised. Fruit is very
scarse. Strawberries, raspberres, cranberres and
blueberries abound quite plentifully.
Fine freestone is found all along the river banks
A number of quarries are in operation from which
considerable quantities are taken and shipped
away for abntments, piers and general building
purposes. There are several grindstone manufac-
tories connected with these quarries, which turn
out fine articles in that line, some Of which are
seven or eight feet in diameter.
The two principal towns on the river are Chat
ham and New Castle, the former containing about
four thousand inhabitants, and the latter about
two thousand Beside these there are a number
of small villages. Most of the towns are old
fashioned and appear out Of date, and what can be
said of the towns generally be said Of the peo
Pile in them. They are evidently not as thrifty
now as they were many years ago. But within
the past few years they seem to have improved
considerably, and under the new, more liberal
and enlightened government their prospects look
much brighter
The Intcrcoonial railway from Halifax to
River de Loup, crosses both branches of the river
near their junction just above New Castle. Two
fine iron bridges have been constructed there for
that purpose, each Of which is over one thousand
two hundred feet in length. They were built by
Clarke, Reeves & Co. Of PhGnixville, Penn. The
Intercolonia is government affair, and will be a
substantially built road. In its construction steel
rails have been used its entire length, and every
bridge is of iron Of the most improved pattern.
There is an Indian village few miles up the
Nortb,yost comnr;s;pu ahout FORTY famil;aa Thav