The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-09-30
The Sebasticook and Moosehead Railroad

The Sebasticook and Moosehead Railroad.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE NEW RAILROAD. BEL
FAST THE NEAREST SEAPORT TO CANADA
THEENTERPRISING VILLAGE OF IIARTLAND.
CASTLE HARMONY.
The readers of the journal are already ac-
qualnted with the fact that railroad is in pro-
cess of construction between Pittstield and
Hartland, known as the Sebasticook and Moose
head Railroad. AS the name implies the road
| Is destined to reach Moosehead Lake, and its
sanguine friends believe it will be completed
to that point inside of two years. 1t is also
known that a Canadian road starting from
Sherbrooke, Canadian railroad centre, has al
ready penetrated Maine twenty-eight miles in
its course to the seaboard and that its survey
extends to the town of Monson, this side of
Moosehead Lake. When the Megantic road as
it is called, unites with the Sebasticook and
Moosehead railroad, there will be a continuous
line from Canada to the seacoast of Maine
Belfast will then be the nearest open winter
port for Canada, and as Superintendent Ticker
recently said it will be a big thing for Belfast.
1t is among the possibilities that within few
years the Canadian iron horse will be whistlinn
through the streets of Belfast.
| 1t occurred to the journal that orr citizens
would like to know something concerning this
new railroad project and become better ac-
| quanted with the towns above, so on Friday
last journal representative, accompanied bv
MI Z. w. Haney, left Belfast for Hartland.
After ride of thirty-three miles over the
| Belfast branch under the guidance of Con-
| ductor Mace, Burnham on the main line of the
Maine Central railroad is reached The first
station north Of and seven miles from Burn
ham, Is Plttsfield, the terminus of the SebaSti-
| COOK ~ Moosehead railroad. As YOU approach
the station the road bed of the new line is seen
bearing off to the left. An engine named the
liart!and is putting down the track with load
Of grave for the Pittsteld end of the line At
the station we met Mr.. James Mitchell of
Belfast, the contractor and builder as well as
Superintendent of the new railroad. and are in
vlted to take ride on the engine Hart!and and
proceed up the road two miles, the distance
to which rails are laid. Said Mr. Mitchell:
"Thlrty-four days ago we broke ground. and
now we are graded to within half a mile of
llartland village, with two miles of rails laid.
BY the middle of October the road will be
open for freight" The country through which
the road passes is very level, and there are few
cuts or nils on the line. AS Mr.. Mitchell
SAID 1t is the most level and handsome eight
miles of road to be found in Maine. On eay-
ing the engine we enter the carriage of Mr..
Thomas f. French and are driven to the thirty
ing village of
u,DrJ, AMI,
The stage road Is through pleasant country
with some excellent farm houses on either
L;nu, Dlt Tartan! Is not an agricultural town,
ilnialulai,cturlng being the principal business.
The village is on the extreme eastern border
and contains 800 of the towns 300 inhabitants
The SebaStlcook river runs through the village
a a,,u finishes power 1or fitcch water wheels.
~ ~ 80 hiahuiaclurer Is mr.; A. Llnh,
whose Woolen Factory employs 100 hands, and
1uiils out zooo WOODEN slaWl' per week. MIR.
Inn Is tne only man N Maine who manufac-
lures ladies' shawls. lie has been in Hartland
ven! one years ana III an That time his mill
iias no' pceh ide single day. Entering mill
When boy Ill his native Scotland Mr.. Linn
i'h master Oh MS Trade, and from day
l"polci III d "ooien hiiil mas risen. by his own
G iN 10 DE large MANUFACTURER, and to-
way i worm Il quarter OF :; million OF dollars.
III conversation WIN MI. Linn he said his sue
cess was que TO strict economy in business,
t niatils ohIS nrst class goods, and being con-
tent 10 smoke II. D. pipe. He manufac-
lures Tor a New \ rk house which sells all the
soo'Is ne .i llahe. ne Sllaws are known as
.iie 7epaS ~, Eastern star ana many other
nauies' ne ieeceS OF wool enter the base
lilcnl 81 tne NM ana 20 through all the process
~ uLr,. .iiet cineise perlerl snaWls with all
thc 'oIois ~ tne rainbow. MI. Linn also runs
?iis' inI'i ana othef manufacturing enter
pllSes' ne l. not troubled by labor strikes
az ne + on eNeeileht terms with his work
men men once year the mill is closed and
ihe employees are given picnic and holiday
at ,ile expense OF the proprietor Last Sat
uTual was the excursion day for this year
vi Llhn mas peen obilSed TO truck all his
sooqs 10 fiItsneid, distance of eight miles.
Ml: ~. d. shaw Is another wealthy and ell
.e Pll1i'S manufacturer OF the town, the own
cI anu manager OF an extensive tannery, en-
proving i large crew. The other manufacture
els are NeoFSe l.. Morrison, carciing mill and
yarn ilialiuiacturer, A. >. Morse, saw mill,
saSii ana pllhd and general wood working
.a1nls1IllienI' Lyman COOK ~ Co., planning
nun, basid sawyer ~ son, carriage manufac
; "A. ID: Iafhlnah' mat1ne shop There
T. ".>o hosiery factory ana other smaller in
"u ~,
mere are fourteen stores III the village, two
enu I ches' seNefai excellent school buildings,
WIN sslem OF graded schools, an academy,
a. and many costly dwellings. The village has a
tnlii! appearahce; rnu: iiyii@htS for fire
purposes arc located IN the center Of the village,
iorce i'uhiPS IN Inns factory furnishing the
Pe"el. All the bridges III the town are built
c ct s'0S an iI p ne water power Is first
ciass. Moose Hohd, a sheet of water twelve
mics III extent, forming the reservoir A dam
aolosS the river at the outlet OF the pond will
increase the water power many fold. The
onehlliS lot business IN the town is good, and
WIN the advent OF the railroad will be utilized.
lial tiahu HIS pech Trying Tor railroad for
twenty years. IN 1868, when Belfast was agi
1atihs the pulldlhg OF road to Moosehead
LIKE delegation OF iartand citizens came
uoNn "nu urged thal the road so through their
Town: Ever since then they have agitated the
Iucstloh. ms season SkoWheSan moved for
d roa'' 70 lhe iakG through Athens, which move
mtht STIMULATED llartland to head them off. |
iHtsliela opposed the liartland scheme think
IliS IL would take business from her, but Hart
Iaiid enterprise trumphed. The town voted |
TO loal us credit TO the extent of five per cent
OF us Vaiuatlon, SlS.oo0, and its citizens sub |
scrlhed enough to make the amount S25000 |
Mr.. James Mitchell, of Belfast, an enterprisng |
contractor, agreed to build the road and furnish
lWo-thlfds OF the capital. The Maine Central |
management also agreed to take 81 900 in the |
s!ock OF the new road for every mile completed. |
MI. Mitchell interested MIR. Thomas Temple |
OF frederickton, \. b., a member of the Can
adlah Parliament, and others, who furnish the |
capital. July 10, an organization was effected |
as follows: Thomas Temple, NJ. p. President;
Thomas Temple, Wesley Van Wart, James |
Mitchell, q. ). Shaw, }. o. Bradbury, Direc-
Tors James Mitchell, Superintendent: j. 0. |
bradbury, Treasurer and Solicitor, and d. +. |
Thompson, Secretary. The capital stock is
Sl2o,0OO. AS before stated the road will be |
completed by the middle of October. The next
toM u oeyoiiu II harmony ana that town has
of its valuation and M Nitchaii Iii ~ eeh'
the same offer he did to Hartond " ';t LAM
will subscribe so as 10 make the ,vbnla om'a,,t
So. 900, he will find tbn rnma;n;n', ;tni I
fact this offer will hold ,,nnJ 70 an ~ ~