The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1888-01-04
YaaKI8R7.

The year Just passed has been one of
average prosperity in the State of Maine
to say the least. We note few of the
most noteworthy events.
In the cities and villages the new
houses that have been built and the new
homes that have been founded have been
so numerous as 10 occasion much com
mcnt. The report of our savings institu-
tions, and of the railways of the State
show that the people have been very busy
and that prosperity has attended their Ell
forts. Across the northern part OF our
State a new railroad has been building
this year, by foreigners with foreign cap.-
tai it Is true, but II Is nevertheless val
liable Improvement and has already begun
to contribute to the prosperity oil Maine,
especially in the great numbering regions
In agriculture, in spite of the failure OF
few leading crops, the year has been pros
porous, and the yearly meeting OF the
Grapgers found the order tlourishing and
the farmers contented. The other great
industries of the State have also pros
pered, and, under changed conditions
brought about by legislation, the working
men and women have continued more
than usually contentcd. The ten-haur
law enacted by the passage OF the Looney
bill last winter, went into operation with
hardly a jar; and the Bureau OF Labor
Statistics has been established In the con-
fidencc of capitalists and laborers alike.
of great calamitics there have been none
such as made the year 1856 so dark for
PASSPORT and Pennington. Yet kcune-
bunkport suffered severely from a fire,
and nearly "a hundred thousand dollars
worth of property was wiped out In a
July afternoon in the yard of the New
England Shipbuilding Company at Bath.
But Kennebunkport, with PASSPORT and
Pennington is recovering, and Baths
great industry recovered from the blow
with unexpected readiness. The greatest
sensations of the year, so far as criminal
matters are concerned, have been the eN-
| plot OF young McNeally, the apprehen-
| sion of Stain and Cromwell for the DcX-
| ter Bank robbery, and the assault and
| robbery of Peter Bennett, the wealthy
miser Of Plymouth
| OF prominent men, natives or citizens
or the State the list Of those who have
| died is not long, but is impressive. Gov
| ernor Bodwcll, the chief magistrate of
| the State, of course heads the list in
which are included the names of Hon,
| Arson =. Morrill,, Hon Bion Bradbury,
1
| the wealthy citizen of Bangor, William
ID. Hayford, ex-Mayor of Bangor, I. S.
Ka!lock, ex- Mayor of San Francisco and
native of Maine, Hon. Isaac Reed, Of
Waldoboro, Hon. Franklin Treat, of
Rhode Island, long a prominent citizen
| of Maine, Sylvanus Cobb the novelist,
| Prof, John Avery, of Bowdoin College,
| Prof. Moses Lyford, of Colby University,
President Roswell ID. Hitchcock, of Tn
ion Theological Seminary and a native of
| Maine DR.. n. Il. True, of Bethel, the
well known educator Rev. Charles Mill
er, the venerable Baptist clergyman of
Skowhegan, Hon. John f, Anderson,
| State Railroad commissioner, and Daniel
w. Fessenden, Esq, of Portland, and
| Elihu Is. Washburne, of Illinois, a native
| of Marie.
The most gratifying part of the years
| review in Maine is the abundant evidence
that the State is growing in wealth and
prosperity. A million and half the in
crease of the deposits in the Maine say
ings banks, at least six towns with new
systems of water works, several more
with electric lights railroads being sur
yeyed and extensive plans already made
for even more new houses next year than
this-surey, with all these Maine has
| good reason to congratulate herself on
the work of 1887 and the prospects for
| 1883.
The saddest part of the years record
| perhaps is the loss of life Twenty-six
| persons have burned to death, twenty-one
been killed by the cars, besides those
killed by drowning or other accidents.
Two men were badly injured by an eNplo-
sion at the Warren Powder Mill in Feb
ruary, and one man killed when the mill
was blown up in July. Two men were
also killed at a boiler explosion at Gorham.