Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-06-30
A LINE .I.4TNT.

/
| Here am, away from the every day haunts of
business, endcavoring to throw Oft care, cease
from toll, rest from the and tear Of the daily
routine, and recuperate the vital energies for the
months to come. If asked why here, l might an
swer, in Shakspesrian phrase, "a truant DISPOSE
ton, good my lord" Or, | might say, partly to
see some old friends, partly to change the scene,
and partly to feast upon the vernal glories OF the
upper Kennebcc and lis surroundings in the leafy
! month of June.
l shall tell your readers no news when say
that Skowhegan is one of the most beautiful vii
lagos in this Or any State. 1t combines the ad
vantages of central position to large and grow
ing section, an ample water power, and great en-
ergy and enterprise. | shall not undertake to
enumerate all the industries carried on in this
place. The lumber business is of the earliest,
and yet retains considerable prominence as may
be seen by the acres of boards and lumber piled
up for market in the vicinity of the saw mills.
The oil cloth manufacturing is largely carried on
by Bailey of BAlleyvile, here as web as in Win
throp. Paper for newspapers and books is extern
sivey manufactured here. woollen factory has
recently been put in operation, which employs
many men. A new and interesting business is
that of "marblezing" slate. The slate is brought
from Mayfeld in the north part of the county,
where it is said to be abundant and very easily
quarried. 1t be cut and split to any desirable
size and thickness. In the establishment here, in
which it is "marbeizcd" it is subjected to success
sive heating processes, in the course of which, at
intervals. paint is applied, giving the stone the ap
pearauce of various fancy coors and patterns,
then vsrnish and then more heat, l think to de-
gree above 200 Fahrenheit, and with the final
polishing process, mantels, Shelves centre tables
and fire places Of various patterns, are manutac-
tured, many of which are very handsome. 1t is
said that they will stand fire better than marble
itself. The colors and patterns may be varied at
pleasure, and the shape and finish may be suited
to the taste and fancy of the maker purchaser.
Panels are made, and may be painted with colors
varying from the frame work, so that one stone
may exhibit any variety of shades and designs.
Some of these articles when flushed are very
costly; but the average price is about twothirds
of the price Of fine marble finished in the same
style. There is quite large and increasing mar
ket for these manufactures.
Skowhegan has many fine public buildings,
amongst which may be named the new Court
House given to the county by ex-Gov. Coburn,
| Coburn Hall, large and handsome building, with
stores finished in city style on the ground floor,
very large and convenient hall for public meetings
in the second story and smaller ones in the third
for the masons, odd fellows, temperance associa-
tons, ETC.. fine brick Baptist church, Congrega-
| tonal and Methodist charches of modern style
and high SC aool building of brick, three stories
l iuh oil
very few villages of its size which can boast
| so many neat and well built residences, and what
is worthy of notice, they are not crowded togeth-
or as though there not land enough in town
| to build on, but most of them have ample yards,
gardens and intervening spaces in many cases ex-
tending into broad fields. a large number of fine
shade trees are scattered throughout the village,
adding greatly to the beauty of the view.
The river here rushes along between high banks
Of rock more or less broken BY what war of the
elements its channel was rivcn in the ledge Meth
er history nor tradition gives account; nor have
those scientists who profess to explain the most
occult secrets of nature, discovered why the Ken
nebec should find its way through solid mass OF
stone, instead of making channel across the san.
dy plain half mile or more to the norihward Of
its present bed.
There mountains near this village, but
the landscape is variegated by hill and valley,
forest and plain, with the river winding its tor
tuous course between, sometimes very narrow,
and then broadening into the Great Eddy, per-
haps mile in width, presenting a succession OF
beautiful and picturesque views in every direction
| PEN HOLDER.
Hon. William d. Washburn, of Minnesota, de-
clines to be candidate for the republican nomi-
nation for Congress from the Third District Of
that State.