The Portland daily press., 1883-09-21
Thriving Aroostook Towns.
The Aroostook War-Presque Isle. Carl
bou, Washburn, New Sweden--Aroos-
took as a Farming County
Especial Correspondence of the Press.l

Especial Correspondence of the Press.l
CARIBOU, Sept II, 1888.
My former letter to the PRESS was devot-
ed almost exclusively to agricultural matters
in Aroostook; in this letter 1 propose to
speak more particularly of some thriving
Aroostook towns and their industries. and
the advantages and disadvantages of the
county for settlers. The largest and most
thriving towns in northern Aroostook are
situated along the valley of the Aroostook
river, where may be found the finest farm
ing land in the county. The fact that thess
towns are located in the midst of so foe an
agricultural district is, at the same time,
cause of present prosperity and sure prom
Use of its continuance. The Aroostook riy-
er is generally broad and shallow, and it's
waterpower is very small and of little use:
but this lack of water-power on the main
river is abundantly supplied by the large
number of tributary streams which flow
down from the headlands along the valley.
1t is near the mouth of these small streams
that most of the settlements are found A
mill has in almost every instance been the
nucleus around which the Aroostook vii
lagos have grown up.
The desire of the English to possess this
fertile region, and their attempts to obtain
it by questionable diplomacy, was what
led to the famous "Aroostook war; in
which the blood of fifty thousand patriots
was aroused, but happily not spilled. Ac-
cording to the treaty of 1888, the boundary
line between Maine and New Brunswick
was to extend from the mouth of the st.
Croix, up the middle of that river to its
northern source, thence due north to the
southern highlands of the st. Johns river.
But when the survey was made the question
arose as to what land was meant by sssouth-
ern highlands" The English commission
ers claimed that this point was reached at
Mars Hill, in the present town of that name.
A glance at the map will show the absurdi-
ty of this claim. But it looked for time as
though Mars Hill might become the temple
of Mars, and s'war with bloody MOUTH be
let loose upon peace-loving people. How
ever, the Ashburton-Webster treaty of 1912
settled the boundary in peaceable manner;
and the national government reimbursed
Maine for expenses incurred in upholding
the Nations dignity and maintaining its
rights.
One of the prettiest and smartest towns
in Aroostook is Presque Isle, situated on a
stream of the same name, about -one-half
mile from the Aroostook river. There are
men now living in the town who came here
when Pressure Isle contained only saw mill
and log house; now there are in the village
besides the saw mill, single mill, grist
mill, two large starch factories, cheese
factory, wool carding mill, two quite ex-
tensive carriage manufactures and large
number of well filled, busy-looking stores,
to say nothing of the smaller industries
found in all villages. Quite a profitable
business is done in manufacturing cedar
shingles; and large quantities of them are
annually shipped from Presque Isle and
neighboring towns.
The two starch factories in the village and
four or five more in the vicinity, are owned
and operated by Johnson & Phair, who also
manufacture considerable lumber and own
one of the largest stores in the county. The
process of manufacturing starch is very SIM
pie. The potatoes are placed in machine
which washes them thoroughly, and carries
them to the crusher, which grinds them and
throws them upon a fine sieve, where the
starch is washed out and carried to vats; the
water is then drawn off, and the starch TAX
en- to the dry-house and dried; it is then
ready for use. Starch manufactured in this
way is not the ordinary starch used in laun-
dries and for domestic purposes, but is sold
in powdered form to cotton factories to be
used as a stiffening for cotton goods. Presque
Isle ships a large amount of country pro-
duce and manufactured lumber over the
New Brunswick railroad. All this freight
was formerly carried to Houlton, forty miles
distant, by teams, slow and inconvenient
method of transportation. The Episcopali-
ans of Maine are erecting fine building at
Pressure Isle, to be used as Classical Semi
nary. 1t is pleasantly located on hillside
near the village, and when finished will
prove great addition to the town.
Caribou, twelve miles north of Pressure
Isle, is one of the most enterprising towns
in Aroostook. Its growth has been remark
ably rapid for this part of the country, its
population in 1880 being nearly double what
it was in 1870. 1t has a good water-power
in the centre of the village, where are stu
ated saw mills, shingle mills, grist mills,
starch factories and small mandatory Of
cotton and wool goods. The starch factory
owned by Alba Holmes in this village is the
largest one in the United States. Besides
the establishments already mentioned there
are carriage mandatory, where two hum
bred carriages are now in process of con-
struction; sash and door factory, and a
cheese factory. The latter manufactures
about two hundred cheeses per month DUR
ing the summer season. In addition to the
manufactures very large trade is carried
on In lumber and country produce; and a
large farming country, consisting OF the
towns of Washburn, Woodland and New
Sweden, finds its market at Caribou.
Washburn is one Of the growing towns of
Aroostook county; and there are at present
ten buildings in process of erection In the
village, employing quite force of carpen-
tiers. Washburn contains an excellent wa
ter-power, Oh which are situated two mills,
a starch factory and steam furniture fac
tory. A forest fire swept through the town
several years ago and completely DESTROYED
the village; but it was speedily rebuilt. One
of the most remarkable things about the own
at present is thatit needs a lawyer and as
none.
About eight miles northwest of Caribou
village is New Sweden, the home of the
Swedish colony in Maine. This colony, as
10 we'll known. was established in 1870. un-