The sun., 1883-11-04
A DRY TIME DoWy EtsE
The I.eue Drs.shs In Ms,a. and tie Erect On
the I.nraeer Hnsinees.

BANGOR, Nov. Ill ever there was dry
year in Maine, this is cert6inly one. It has
been almost continuous drought all through
from the fall Of 1882 to the present autumn The
rains being few. far between. and so light that
tho parched earth has drunk them up as fast
as they fell All summer there has been n cry
OF low wells. suffering crops. burning forests.
and scorched fields while even towns have
been threatened by the forest fires and
outlying buildings have been burned. Manu-
factories have found small power in the usual
ly ponderous waterfalls. and drives OF logs
have worried slowly along where in ordinary
years tho rushing torrents make rapid and
dangerous work for the river men. When sum
mer had passed autumn came and found
Maine with woods and fields already robhed Of
their green. and faded and yolow as with
wore a dusty look. and the low ponds wero like
sunken eyes in the weary face of nature.
RHn was cGndsn,y n expected in
good shower OF It. and the greedy earth ab,
sorbed so much that thu watcrcourses gained
scoggn. so Dragged he Iewistonians. .continu
to turn all the wheels OF its smart manufactur-
through the Kenncbec region the wheels wen. went
SLOWLY Winthrop shutting down altogether
Then the great pcnohscot ran low. and the dif.
fculty in moving RATS and logs was the first
Early in September several OF the mnnuinc-
known as the saltwater branch of the river be-
gan TO complain OF lack OF water. and soon
month several more followed. and soon there
Was not single saw going by water power in
either saltwater or Orono. The mills lying
lde employ about 800 men and boys. whose
wages average at the lowest estimate $40 per
month makihG allowance for those boarded
down has now lasted about two months
these people lose ih,wages about s4o.n0o and the
general business OF this section suffers i'll pro-
! IL - rt Z
| nj stated SUN are obliged to employ II larger
! force and take much longer time than usual
| heavily, Then the owners Of mills. sore OF
! whom nave not been particularly fortunate in
nj this time, which should be the busiest of the
! year aud when orders are rapidly pouring in
upon them from Eoston. New York. philadel'
vcstigation, estimate the capacity of the Idle
saws at fully 25o,g,O feet of lumber a day. prob
going saws would certainly swell the amoun
to 10000 feet day. and this when there /,
HSonsideraDle fleet in port waiting for earSoSs
2o.o9o.ooo feet since the shut down. and the
result is that there is little or 10 stock Of man
,tar ago there were many millions.
Tie steam mills on tidewater here numbe
onsly from the orening to the closing Of thu
river. They are never shut down except 10
rcrairs ret or in q TING when logs cannot b. had
| Their owners buy logs at different times in TIT
season. and the steam mill drivers. containing!
logs for various mills, are made up ut sunk
haze n deadwHter place in the river. iifteel
miles above bangor, coming thence t
whence they are rated in quantities t
suit TO the mills at and below the city. Thi
driving process is seldom. If ever. impossible
hut sometimes. as nt present. it is eXtremcl
difficult. In addition to the increased eX
pens" mentioned above as being incurred b
the driving contractor. in times Of drought tn
owners OF the logs are often obliged to bu
water-that is. to hire certain mills on the wa
to shut down for hours at time SO as to tur
more water into the channel and allow the log
to pass. There has not been a great stock
logs at the steam mills lately. but IL large driy
has lately arrived from SunkhaZe its passus
being made under nearly. " not quite all. til
above described difficulties and this will proi
ably provide fully for the wants of the steaI
mills until the river closes.
Lumber has experienced a slight advanc
since the Shut down. random spruce now bein
ordered at sll 80 per NJ, against 81 in Angus
There is an advance Of half a dollar u thousar
i, in nearly all kinds of lumber. Hemlock Ia
great demand this year. and the price rang'
from $3.50 to sll per NJ. Frames are beiI
sawed at 50.
Some rain has fallen within a few days. but
is quickly soaked up by the dry earth. aud Il
rivers have not risen IN inch.