The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-05-17
Fairfield.
A Thriving Manufacturing To"n.-so@s
of the Leading IndnsIries.-Liveiy Tswa
Mee,ings.-The Complaint Of the Loek'
wood Mills.

wood Mills.
Especial correspondence to the Press
FA1RFIELE, May 10.
Among the busy, enterprising villages OF
Maine, Fairfield takes high rank. Her busi-
ness men are active, energetic and wide awake.
Within the past few years a complete change
has been wrought in the business portions By
fire. The large mills and still larger wood
working establishments were all destroyed two
years ago, and the result is larger and better
mills and shops, more improved machinery,
better facilities for doing business, and conse :
quently greater per cent. Of profit, which in
time will make good the loss. The explosion
and fire at the pulp mill have resulted in Civ
ing US mill of greater capacity, and estab-
fishing in our midst business which gives
employment to large number, and which in
the immediate future is TO be greatly in
creased. Last season the flames s1ept through
portion of our business street removing from
our sight some of the principal business places,
and more OF the familiar landmarks.
To-day an imposing brick building covering
four large lots stands forth as . monument TO
the pluck aud energy OF few business men.
Thus while some have lost, and are still suffer-
ing from that loss, the village has gained ma
terially, and the business outlook is better than
IL COulu uAV6 D6en uUu6E Lu0 OAO blAuo AuCeA~
DDS, As l write the hum of the saws, the
whir Of the planners, and the rumble OF the
loaded teams come to my ears, as music, tell
ing that Spring has touched anew the activt-
ties Of the town, aud awoke to action the
wheels which for months have been Ice bonnd.
New logs are in the river and the pick-pole
and cant-dog OF the hardy river driver are
common sight. The streams and smaller
ponds have bsen the scene of a busy winters
operations, and as soon as the ice goes out the
- IA
to be taken in charge by the corporation which
has control Of the work Of running them to our
boom5 snd slips. About two-thirds the usual
amount has been cut by our lumbermen, bat
there still remains quite stock OF last years
logs, and, as the supply Is short in other 10
calites, there is reason TO hope for renumera-
tive prices,
The Kennebec Framing Company is continu.
ally driven with orders, and constantly ship
ping buildings to all parts OF the country, all
framed and ready to DO put together. This
company employees about seventy-five hands,
nearly all of whom are skilled workmen.
About fifteen millions Of lumber are manu-
featured here annually. and from five to six
hundred men employed in our mills aud wood
working establishments.
Within the past year about two hundred
trees have been set out in our village park,
which in few years will tscome faVorito
resort.
The large aud attractive skating rink has
been, and still is, the centre OF attraction.
During the past winter everything has had to
give way to this delightful amusement.
Several meetings OF the village corporation
have been held, and considerable bad blood
manifested, but, as the Devil is declared TO be
mot half so black as painted" SO the reports
of the doings of cur citizens have been greatly
exaggerated.
An attempt was made to secure a vote for
the purchase OF a force pump, and to provide
for placing MIGRANTS in all parts Of the village.
AS the expense would be heavy some OF the
older inhabitants objected, aud Monday, at an
adjourned meeting, the question was decided
by the use OF the check list against the petition
ers.
Part of the mills have returned to what the
Mayor Of Bangor called Goods time" and
standard time will be observed by our Law
abiding citizens.
Tuesday evening few Of our enterprising
ladies gave benefit to an unfortunate young
lady, the daughter Of a soldier, who had lost
part of one limb. The manager of the skating
rink kindly offered the rink for benefit skate,
the band volunteered their services, and all
joined in the labor Of love- The result is that
the young lady is the possessor Of about seven
ty-fve dollars, with which she can provide
herself with the much needed member, and
throw to the winds her crutches.
Memorial exercises will be held in the Meth
odist church. All the organizations have been
invited to join in the procession. A. A. Nick.
erscn, Esq, is to deliver the address.
The town tsxes are in the hands Of our old
collector and already he Is busily at work. The
amount assessed is about $4,000, from which
per cent. Is paid for collecting.
The attempt Of the Lockwood company. and
others interested, to bulldozs our lumbermen
signally failed. Each party has interests to be
guarded, and, as the conditions were the same
as now when the the cotton mills at WaterVilIo
were built, people above Waterville think 1t
slightly cheeky for them TO attempt 10 mon0p-
olizo the kennebec river.
Amos +. Gerald, ESQ.,, has purchased the
Fairfield trotting park and will put the same
in thorough repair for coming races. A grand
fourth Of July celebration is being talked mp,
and il attempted will be on an extensive scale.
Not only has the Somerset Fibre Company
consumed all the wood made at our mills, but
they have brought her by rail over five thou
sand cords within the past few months. They
are now preparing to build tramwsy mp the
island road to their mill that they may use the
waste and shavings from all the saw mills.
This week the counsel have been engaged
taking testimony to present to the law court
upon the question Of throwing the waste from
the mills into the river. K. +. Webb, ESQ OF
Waterville, appears for the Lockwood Co.,
and s. s. Brown, Esq, and j. W. Spaulding,
Esq, for the lumbermen. Expert testimony
for both parties will DO introduced during the
week. 1t will be remembered that Judge Pc
ters denied the injunction asked for by the
Lockwood Co. SETH.