The Somerset reporter., 1886-02-24

Nix. EDITOR Since the publication in
In the quarries at Monsoon have come to
the conclusion from investigation that
the Skowhcgan Slate quarry situated at
East Madison has rich deposits of the
same ore. noticed by the same article
that the writer was of tie opinion that
this discovery would insure the building
of the proposed railroad from Skowhegan
to the Lake. Now as n public benefit and
convenience did it require such a finding?
Although there have many articles APP
pearcd in the REPORTER fayorins the road
yet they have generally failed to show
why such road should be built. | think
know the needs of the section of coun-
try to be brought into closer business re-
ations with the business centers of this
section of onr State, as well as most any
other man, now shall attempt to show
that the section of country through which
this road ought to be built, would run,
when fairly developed would add to the
wealth of the population of this section
of our State More than even the widest
hopes of the most sanguine advocates Of
the road or any part of it ever dreamed to
begin then. Comparatively of what ben
eft are the towns north of Skowhegan to
that town. Take even Athens with large
number of water powers situated twelve
miles away the expense of getting her
products to market is so much that there
| is no income to the industries now opera
! ted, on the contrary, the town of Athens,
| like all other towns situated in like man
| ncr, loses both In valuation and popula-
ton as each decade makes its rounds. A
railroad would be a sure guarantee against
any such results. Next comes Brighton
twenty miles distant from Skowhegan,
she also has bountiful and never failing
water power but too fur from market Tor
it to be any benefit or utility to any one.
Next comes Mayheld She not only has
fine water power but untold wealth
in her primeval forests, besides she has
mountains grooming under their burden
of as fine quality of slate rs the world
produces, and Notwithstanding she has
all these, yet without q railroad, she il
outside of civilization and comparatively
of no real benefit to any one. Next in
line comes kingsbury with probably as
fine water power as any inland town in
the state. Besides, Kingsbury, too, can
boast of her unbroken forests of timber
of all descriptions
am credibly Informed by no less a
parsonage than the hon. p. p. Hilton
one of our present Board of Co. Commits
sioners that in the town of Kingsbury
there are from eight to ten thousand
acres of white birch which at the present
time is one of the most valuable timbcrs
in the State but comparatively worthless
for want of proper facilities of transport
tation. Now this proposed railroad would
not only make invaluable all the rich re-
sources of all these towns but in their
future development would add to the
wealth and glory of our State more than
the cost of several such roads. The in
dustries to be built up upon the line of
this proposed road are cntierly beyond
the computation of any living man and
when it is taken into account that the
road will cross all the veins of slate in
this part of the State. This alone ought
to be enough to send scepticism and preju-
dice to their normal position, the back
ground ANON