The Portland daily press., 1878-10-01
A REGION OF HEMLOCKS.
The Wilds of Washington Couuty-The
Chief Industry nnd ITS Effects Upon the
PeogIe-A Railroad Project, etc., etc.
PRINCETON. Sent. %.

PRINCETON, Sept. %.
Ii the question were to be asked what is the
chief product of this section of Washington
county, the answer could well be given-hem-
lock bark Strange as this may appear, it is
nevertheless true here and elsewhere in the
state. Mr.. Thing said in his address at the
State Fair that the county of Penobscot would
have been better off if there had never been
hemlock tree. If this statement is true
of Penobscot county, it is no less true here
The trouble is not with the bark, but with the
men who dabb.e in it. There is certain fas-
cination about the business which is peculiar
and hard to understand. The mystery is that
farmers will leave their land and 90 away miles
into the woods to haul bark for small price,
when work upon their farms is not only easier
but more profitable. Spruce logs are bad
enough, but hemlock is still more disastrous.
Logging takes farmers from home only in win
ter, while those who handle bark work at it in
some capacity at ell seasons of the year. As
has been said before, the trouble is not with
the material, but with the men who handle it,
If the farmers would attend to their legitimate
business, they would have good farms for the
soil is good here, and there would bs employ
Dent given to the hundra Is now out of work.
In this condition of affairs the great growth of
hemlock trees in this state would prove
source of wealth, instead of hindrance to
prosperity. There is, however. slight i'm
provement noticeable in this and adjoining
towns. Farmers, who for several years past
have sacrificed their farms. n ow see the error of
their ways and are returning to their places,
which already show Improvement
The excitement over this new industry is
not wholly unlike the Greenback craze which
has ragged here with so great violence. 1t is
well enough for those who have nothing else to
take up their minds, but for others it is any
thing but good.
The improvement noted is seen in the farms,
but has not as yet reached the farm buildings.
1t is not fashionable here to paint buildings,
and those that once knew coat of paint now
look worse than those not so favored. The
depot in this village is, however, an exception
to this rule. The railroad corporation have
shown no little shrewdness in this matter Not
| wishing to offend the citizens by any show of
| pomp, they have painted their depot so near
| the color of hemlock bark that one would
| think that it had been tanned instead of paint.
eu linus tney XIII Two Dlru3 WlGn one stone.
Outsiders appreciate the looks of the building,
and the villagers consider it not as an offence,
but as compliment TO the chief proddct of
their county. OnlS an artful railroad corpora
ton would have thought of such thing.
Princeton was built with spruce logs and
was thriving place of business when lumber
was in good demand. Now, like every lumber
place, business is not SO brisk, although there
are quite number of men who find employ
ment in the mills and tannery. If the splen-
did water found here on the ST. Crox were i'm
proved, there would be small inland city
grow up quickly.
The tannery here is run by steam, and is
owned and operated by W. PlaIsted & Son.
Ihey grind about ten cords of bark a day and
turn out some good leather. Their bark largely
comes from the Indian township across the
river. A saw mill owned by the Rolfe heirs,
and wooen mill by L. Peabody, are run by
water power and do good business. The
lumber manufactured is taken to Calais by
railroad, making a short trip to a market.
There are Baptist and Congregational churches
In the village, new high school building, two