Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1877-01-04
Review Of the Year 1876 in Maine.
Embracing Notable Erents. Fires, Suicides,
Grimes, and Casualties, Industrial and AZ
ricaitural Matters, DC.
CORRESPONDENTS OF THE BOSTON JOURNAL.

CORRESPONDENTS OF THE BOSTON JOURNAL.
Augusta, Me-. Dec. IS, 1876.
| The following is our annual record of such
events OF importance as have taken place in
TINS state during the year now drawing to
close. with other matters of public interest
which have transpired.
With the beginning of the year the revised
| Constitution Of the State went into effect, The
opening of the year was signaiZed by the abo-
lition Of capital punishment by the Legislature
Maine being he fifth state that has abolished
the death penalty. The State tax for the pres
year was fixed at Ss43, 81, or 3 "a mills on
| the dollar, a reduction of quarter of a mill as
compared with last year. Municipal taxation
| was slightly increased. There was slight de-
crease in the valuation of real and personal
property.
| MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS.
| Valuable discoveries of copper, gold and 9TH
/ er metallic ores were made during the year in
/ Hancock and oxford counties.
A Bible over 200 years old has been discov-
| cred and presented TO the Bangor Antiquarian
Society. 1t was originally the property Of
| Lieut. oshua Treat, who settled at Fort Point
on the Penobscot river in 1853.
The Supreme Court decided against the val
idity Of a tax imposed by the city Of Portland
on certain rented real estate which had been
Court holding that suclf property was exempt
under that provision of the seatufes which eN-
cludes from taxation both reaf and personal
property of literary, benevolent, charitable and
1 scientific associations.
Rev. John Allen. better known As scamp
Meeting John aged y, was married January
| II.
The charter of the Mercantile Bank OF Ran
gor was surrendered by the stockholders. The
bank was originally chartered In 1893. and the
charter expired in 1857. The stockholders d-
vide a surplus Of 5000 on final settlement.
A horse called Boston, owned by Joseph :
Kent of Brewer Village died at the age of forty
1--WE years He was probably the oldest horse
/ in the State.
During the early part Of MAY there was a
| heavy rise of water in the kennebec Penosco:
and Androscoggin rivers. A large number Of
/ bridges aud booms were carried away
/ Maine made a credtable exhibit of her agri-
I cultural, educational and industrial resources
/ at the Centennial
The third annual encampment of our State
/ militia took place at brunswick. Sept. Ii.
| Authority has been gwen for the formation OF
/ two companies of Cadets .onc 1T Waterville aud
the other at Bath.
Charles T. Robbins. the Annie B. murderer
was discharged from the Insane Asylum, amer
/ a confinement Of nearly two wears and = half.
| by order of Judge Peters, and is now enjoying
/ his liberty.
John Rogers. the defsulting cashier Of the
/ Pelep.cot Bank OF Brunswick, was discharged
| from the State Prison. sfter having served out
hi term Of Imprisonment.
/ doinhsm bank robbers, diedfn the State Prison
/ He had served niue Of his fifteen years SEN
/ tence.
| During the year between Coz, $50 and 700 900
I young salmon have been placed In the streams
Of this Stste, while 90, 600 land-locked salmon
and about 5000 bass have been placed in nu-
/ merous ponds
Messrs. {. Il W. /. Shaw built the most ex-
tenSive tannery in Maine. II cost $3.50 600. and
/ l. located at New Limerick.
IN" shipment OF large quantities OF refined
/ petroleum brought from Csnads has been I'M
dertaken at Portland. The shipment. from
that port Of grain and flo II have been largely
increased.
history Of Belfast has been written by
Joseph Williamson OF tina; city. and is now in
course of publication by Loring. short \ Har-
mon OF Portland.
The tir,t shipment Of cattle through By rail
directirom Chicago 10 Lewiston reached that
{ cityAug. -.
The state disposed of al it, islands.
The body Of the missing Clapp girl Of this
city. who 30 mysteriously disappeared oct. Il,
$50, wa found last summer in the kennebec
river. she evidently having committed suicide.
OUR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.
The manufacturing industries Of this State
have suffered from the general depression OF
business, especially our minor industries. The
manufacturing Of lumber was largely curtailed,
large number OF saw mills shutting down en-
tirely. There is slight falling OF in the amount
OF shipbullding tonnage produced as compared
with last year, while the amount Of granite
/ quarried is also largely reduced. The boot and
shoe business has been good. aud manufacture
err at the close OF the year were met with \
/ lively demand for spring goods. The over
| stocked condition Of the market in cotton goods
and the ruinous prices Of cottons curtSiled the
operations OF our cotton mills in the early pa RI
OF the wear, but A. the season advanced new
markets We're found in Europe and China. and
/ business became 30 active that the spiudie- of
Low and ford ali
/ IN operation. In Lewiston some OF the cotton
mills were run on extra time the year APP
preached a close. The Lincoln mill vf that
city. which shut down in October OF last year.
was started up with sfull 70 rec Of operatives.
POLITICAL.
The September election for Governor was
the means Of bringing out the largest vote ever
poled in the State. The total was 1876 -9t Civ
en- a follows: Selden Connor. Rep, IS .6l2:
John {. Talbot, Dem, 20 $50; Gage, 542. Con-
nor's majority, l4,4es. The total number OF
polls for the present year was 1875.
The Presidential vote in November was rs
| follows: Whole number OF votes. 1861.
Hayes. G,2S3 Tilden, 1865; Cooper Gs3.
Hayes majority, l5.96j. The Pre- sdentia
Electoral College met at the State House Dec.
d and cast the seven electoral votes of Maine
for Hayes and Wheeler.
Lot NJ. Morrill, resigned his sest in the Uni
ted states Senate to accept the portfolio Of Sec
rotary OF the Treasury. The vacancy thus &C.
by Gov. Connor by the appointment of Jane.
q. Blaine, who resigned his seat in the lower
House of Congress as Representative from the
Third District, a position he had held since
1853. when he was elected member TO the
Thirty-eighth Congress.
OUR AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS.
There are some 10000 farmers in Maine who
probably own three millions Of acres OF lsnd
valued at over 500 100000, or about one half
1 IN at oh -,
sturdy tillers OF the soil have had their labors
rewarded by generous crops. The yield Of hay
snd potatoes, their two staple crops, has been
unusually good, while other products have also
yielded abundantly. No other occupation in
Maine pays better than farming the annual val
lie Of our crops being some $50, 600 OOO-nearly
or quite one-half of which comes from the hay
crop alone. Bangor potato dealer estimates
| the pot alto crop this year to be 100000 bush
els Of which 900 900 bushels have been ex-
ported from the State.
RAILROAD MATTERS.
The State tax on railroads this yesr was
S16,I92,,s, against s9s,341 So taxed in 1879
The tax was ID per cent. This tax is on the
marketable value of the capital stock of each
company which has deprecated since last year
which accounts for the falling off in the tax.
The real estate property of our railroad corpor
atoms is taxed by those municipalities In which
il il located.
The Bangor and Piscataqus Railroad has
Deen cut loose from European and North Amer
lean Railway management, and has passed into
the hands oft stockholders, by whom it is
now run.
Tie European and North American Railway
was put into the hands OF receivers to be oper-
ated for the benefit OF the second mortgage
bondholders.
The directors of.the proposed Bangor and
Calais Shore Line Railroad have made arrange
ments TO construct that portion of the road be-
tween Ellsworth and Pembroke. The estima-
ted cost is 5000 per mile. Towns and individ-
uas along the route have subscribed S414, 900
in aid OF the enterprise, leaving $4,000 to be
raised by mortgage. The enterprise will be
pushed forward to completion as soon as pos
| sbe.
The movement started in March, at public
meeting i'll this city, for grand International
line extending from Point Lewis, opposite Que
bee, to tide waters at Wiscassett, has not been
| heard of since.
Some of eur railroads have been unable to
make payments of interest on municipal aid
I L. L..tA llal, Al.