The Somerset reporter., 1885-03-04
THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER
The EOrQe.


Probably very few are now aware that
there used to be . fourishing iron manu-
featuring concern, on small scale II Is
true, only about miles from Skowhegan.
There Is a rushing little brook entering the
Kennebec just thissside Of Pisbon's Ferry
and on the Pishon's Ferry side Of the Ken
nebec. A sharp horse shoe bend 10 the
stream embraces In Its graceful loop n
smooth level area Of about 10 acres OF
handsome meadow land. The outer hank
Is high, abrupt aud precipitous. 1t has
been sliced away by the abrasion OF the
waters, illustrating In wonderful degree
one Of the most important agencies In land
formation-or more properly, perhaps,
land destruction, which is geologically
trested under the same head. A flue wa
ter privilege exists just above this point OF
picturesque beauty and was formerly
damned aud afforded the power by which
the old iron-worAs machinery was run.
Saw and flour mills at this point also uti-
lied the same power. Very b n1iiy by Is q
deposit of bog iron ore which Is In an ad-
vanced stage Of disaggregation and Is so
pulverized and loose that 1t Is asily worked
with picks and shovels. The superior ad-
vantages fiered for extracting iron from
this field OF deposit early attracted the at
tention of few men who had the capital
to go ahead with the scheme. They erect
ed u smelling furnace and called 1t 1.-THE
Forge" A thrifty business was carried on
at The Forge Tor quite number OF years
and all the iron for castings that was used
L., Al ~ NJ a M fro
The Forge. 1t was at time when the
bulk OF our pig iron and steel was import
ed from Europe and when the rich Massa-
chusetts and Pennsylvania fields hsd not
been discovered and mines were not yet
opened. Although the product of
The Forge answered the ordinary purposes
Of the manufacturers 1t was like rothing
else ever seen or handled by iron smiths
and the art of successfully moulding it was
for some time mystery, but eventually
was discovered.
The ore laying loose as It does, has been
percolated aud mixed up with vast
AMOUNT Of dross. In the course of burn
ing and melting, whatever Is OF a vegets-
BILE nature Is destroyed, but the foreign
minerals enter more thoroughly into the
constiiu ncy. In the process of manufac-
ture now-a- days the ore is mixed in the
furnace with limestone or magnesia, which
has the effect in large measure to destroy
or separate from the pure iron, the grosser
properties. But these later.day improve
meDts were not known at The Forge and
the iron was run out in whatever state the
beat of the furnace left 1t. Blacksmiths
never failed to know what plow-sh ires
were made from The Forge iron when
brought to them for repairing. peculiar,
strong odor was always emitted when
brought to heat, the odOr characteristic
only of sulphur. Blacksmiths knew for a
long time no way Of mending break when
the iron on being heated betrayed the
marks Of The Forge. An old sxcmaker Of
high repule for the excellent craft he car.
rie, on in q neighboring village, said the
other day that the credit Is due to the shop
at which he was serving apprentice for his
trade for the discovery Of welding The
Forge iron He said that 1t was the result
of a great deal of experimenting at the Of
fer of the boss to give any apprentice his
time to ascertain the secret of the art II 1t
existed. 1t was at his anvil where what
bad stood a long established impOssiblity
was first accomplished. Raising the heat
somewhat above the welding point the iron
was immersed In the water but instantly
removed before tho heat should fall below
the Welding point and 1t was found to unite
as readily as the purest iron. 1t is sup
posed that the sudden dousing removes the
sulphur film by which welding Is rendered
impossible.
TINE has opened up superior advantages
for iron mining. The Forge has gone down.
Fires have swept away every building
there and foods have carried tut the dam
and mill foundations. All but the last
traces OF thriving point OF industry 40
years ago have been obliterated; and even
those living to give creditable information,
anything further than what they know by
tradition concerning 1t ale met with only
In those few old standbys who happen to
have lived there then and live there now.