The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-06-23
Washington County Correspondence

|
EDITOR JOURNAL: In a former letter made
the promise of writing again, giving further intel
| lgence in regard to the industries of Washington
| county. The subject has been kept in mind but
not acted upon Having now theme of uncom-
| mon interest l feel disposed to make some state
| ment of it for the readers of the Journal Taking
look about Calais the other day. friend invited
me to tide to the site of the new cotton mill Now
while this enterprise is almost always spoken of as
Washington county Calais enterprise it will
be well to bear in mind that it is situated on Do
mlnlon soil yet in such proximity to Calais that
the people of that city feel it belongs to them
fully as much if 1t had been on their side of the
river. The relations of the Calais and St Stephen
people are such as to make any enterprise which
is beneficial to one, equally so to the other The
local Influence of both sides of the river was
freely given, aud $50 600 was raised by subscrip-
ton as a bonus to the corporation and as proof
OF their earnest interest in the matter. The site
OF the proposed mill is in what is known as Mill
town, St Stephen, n, B., the Calais railroad,
and about half way from tide water to Milltown
The proposed work is an important one and viii,
prlses on the Saint Croix
The corportion purchased large tract of land
comprising an area near the railway Oh which are
some thirty or forty houses, and running back
| from the river and including some beautiful high
| ground. The houses, many OF them have been
removed, and sufficient space has been cleared
for the proposed building, the foundation for which
haap a a..
now at work upon it.. The intention is to lay the
corner stone with appropriate Masonic ceremonies
| on the 24th inst
The main building is to be 400 feet long aud rs
| feet i'll width and with the additions will be more
than 300 feet in length 1t will be four stories high
| with basement on the river side The capacity
Will be $4,000 sp ndles, more, and the cost will
| be not less than half a million dollars The con
tractor has easeo a brick yard IN Calais aud has
large force of men enlargng it, and will run four
| patent brick machines and make as many posi-
| bic OF the four million brick required The est
mate of the engineer is that six thousand tons of
| granite will be needed for all the purposes for
| which it will be used The lshly intelligent and
gentlemanly civil engineer exhibited the plan an d
| elevations Of the building, and made elaborate ex
| plantations OF every phase of the structure to sev
| eral gentlemen, of whom your correspondent was
| one. From his description. the mill is to be
| thoroughly equipped With all the most recent in-
| provements, both as regards utility and safety
Fire escapes are to be particularly looked after an
| protected in every possible way. making them
| really cSf'pe>. rather than death traps as some
| times has been the case
lille this mill is on foreign soil it is intended
| to manufacture strictly American goods but for
| the Dominion markets, the duty Of 80 per cent
| being great drawback to the importation of the
foreign article. Capitalists have made their figures
III these matters and have put in their money fully
| believing that the enterprise will be entirely sue
cessful do not doubt IT. The commencement
OF work on the mi has infused Jew life INTO labor
| and the blood circulates more rapidly in the veins
OF LABOR many miles from the centre OF radiation
But Will drop this theme for the present
Having had an opportunity of seeing ID larger part
of Washington county in the week past | can
speak with confidence of the grass crop and also
state that the area of cultivated land is apparently
greater than ever before In some places potatoes
peas, beans and grain look well. but generally the
cold weather has had a depressing influence GA
the farmer as we'll as his crops The recent heavy
trosts killed many things and the subsequent cold
weather has brought all but grass to d stand still
Haying will, undoubtedly. commence a week or
ten days earlier than the average
The fishing interests on the shore are still pros
porous, although the fish are not so accommodate
ing every day as they might be Sometimes they
| are very confidential and will come right into the
spiders parlor in large quantities, Then it is the
sardners go for them. 1t is said that in PASSPORT
some weeks, as high as $4,000 paid out, most
ly on Saturday night. Many girls and boys earn
their dollar day, although only from ten to twelve
wears old, heading the fish Il hear but little
| about mining in these days in the eastern part of
the county. Only one mine is being worked east
OF Cherryheld, and this is copper mine in the
town of Marion do not hear what the re
suits are. Should any thing further turn up |
will let Your readers know it, HARRIS