Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-05-22
3flistelIaag.
From Huper's Nosfhiy for June
The REDR0SG0GGIh LAKES.

We call Maine the "Pine-tree State" d"
Lake State" would be an equally appro-
PIRATE and distinctive appellation. Her
forests are gradually falling before the
advancing stroke OF the lunberman, but
her lakes can never be lost out OF her
mouutaiu-guar arled territory, nor can
heir charms ever be iessened by the
touch Of seti emert and civilization. -
There are more than fifteen hundred of
them laid down upon the better maps in
use; hundreds more are too small TO be
enumerated in q general survey; while
many Others lie hidden in regions that
have not ye. been explored. The author
Of "Wa,eT-Power Of Maine" says. in that
work There sre but three or tour dis
Iic,s on the globe, no, more extensive
than Maine. and equally habitable in
other respects. upon which au equal
number OF recepiacles for impounding
ysiu-fan. Of not inferior capacity and
snrtace. is TO be found. The
Keunebec River has more lakes connect
Ell with i, tbau the gigantic Orinoco, and
the Penobsco; than the Oregon. or than
all the rivers in Africa, so far as is
known"
But the Kennebec and the Penobscot
are only two Of half dozen important
rivers in Maine. each of which is con-
uected with an extensive lake system of
its own. These two rivers drain the cen
tral portions Of the State. the Kennebec
being the outlet Of the great Moosehead
Lake, whose varied attractions have
already received due notice in the pages
of this Magazine. Far to the eastward, ,
On the confines of New Brunswick, the
s.. Croix River aud The Schoodic Lakes ;
10 the north of these, the s.. John and
The Eagle Lakes; TO the west again. fol
lowing along the Canada border. the A.
!eguash and the lakes OF upper Piscata
quis County; aud finally. well around on
tue New Hampshire line, the Androscog-
gin and It's lakes. These are only six
out OF some fifteen systems which are
recognized by geographsrs. To the last
named of the series The attention OF the
reader is specially invited in this article.
The Androscoggin Lakes. as commonly
reckoned. are six in number, though the
character OF the connecting waters Is
such in two instances that ths number i.
sometimes reduced 10 four. Thus Cup
suptic and Mooselucmaguntic are joined
by so broad strait as really 10 form one
body OF wster, though the coniguration
Of the shores iustities the division which
has been adopted in the nomenclature.
Tie ,ame is true of Moilychunkemunk
and WelokeuuebAcook, which are some
times spoken OF together as the Richard
son Lake, or Lakes. RAngeley LAKE. at
The upper (uortheas) extremity OF the
chain, and Umbagog, 1T The lower (south-
easO extremity, have each more dis
tiuct individuality, being separated from
the others by very palpable streams
AH, however, constitute one series, ard
The waters Of The AldTOscoggin River.
as they leave Umbagog by its western
shore, gather part OF their volume from
small pond which lies away to the east
OF Rsngeley. A dozen or more such
smaller ponds are buried in the forests
aud among The mountains that surround
these lakes, and contribute their quotas
to Tie mighty current poured tbereirom
through the AndroscOggin Valley TO the
ocean. The six lakes have an aggregate
surface of seyenty-seven square miles
They drain 4 tributary area of nine hun
dred square miles. BY aid OF dams
erected at connecting points, their stof-