Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-12-28
bic value to the practical man or woman
seeking for knowledge.

seeking for knowledge.
] often think while in gatherings OF this
kind that the farmer who can tell his fell
lows nothing of value, must have lived in
vain, and surely the farmer who can learn
nsthing from the privileges of a club,
must be either uncommonly dull or wise
above all his fellOw-men. Mr.. Editor, l
bring you the greetings of old kennebec.
and for her desire to bid you God-speed
in your good and noble work Of raising
the standard of agricultural labor, and of
assisting the laborer to pay as he goes"
The State of Maine is already taking a
new departure in productive industry. and
for the next decade the star of empire in
our State at least is to take its way east
ward. Commerce is reviving shipbuild-
! ing, relieved OF its burdens OF taxation, is
giving paying employment to both labor
and capital our immense and exhaustless
water power is fast being improved; fac
tories, lumber mills, machine shops, and a
hundred other branches of productive in
duslry is springing into existence, all up
and down our water courses. The mas
sive clang of the trip hammer, the busy
hum OF machinery, the sharp click of the
quarry man, and the axe and sledge-ham-
! IlGl Vi lllG SLlp-Duilutis hiC oOOu W bC
heard on every hand, and are to mingle
with the "hsw" and gee" of the plow-
man, the click of the mower and tedder,
and the joyous song of the farmer as he
sings "harvest home beneath the shelter
Of his well-filled barn.
! The old prejudice of labor against capt.
! tai is already dead, and all these varied
interests, instead of being looked upon as
rivals, are now seen TO be mutual helps,
and each is vieing with the other in their
endeavors TO promote the prosperity of all.
And when the fertile acres of that vast ter
ritory, known as Aroostook, are turned by
the plow and melowed by the sun, when
the iron horse shall go bounding from
Madawaska to Moosehead lake, startling
| in its course the traditional demon who in
silent maj esty presides over the soltudes
Of Mt. Katahdin, thence goes screaming
down the valley OF the Dead River, and so
across the county of Oxford, and thus
| finds its way to the sea, opening up rich
/ quarries of slate, iron and granite, render
ing available thousands of millions OF lum-
Der for all the purposes OF civilization, sup
plying the wants of the artisan who ma
nipulates a few hundred cords of the
poplar into tsothpicks. and of him who
lays the keel of the ship or builds the cars
that are to carry them to market, and
opening at the same time millions of acres
Of fertile lands, making them the abodes
of happy, conlented men and women, and
causing them to teen with the necessaries
and luXuries that shall minister to the
comfort of the thousands of artisans of the
older portions of our State-then will the
pine tree State begin to claim the posi-
tion which her natural advantages and re-
sources so well qualify her to occupy then
may she justly write the proud motto
"DTigo" upon her escutcheon. This is no
meaningless form OF words, no idle bun
combe talk; but in feeble words faint
ideal of what the State Of Maine is to be.
How this is to be brought about, | will tell
your readers in my next paper.
u. II THING.
ClearUiew, KenneJec County, Me.