Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-03-22

New and expensive bgilfLgs have been I
erected AZ the station in P.esqn- Isls, and 4
the company have done everything n their
pr Yer TO accommodate the business interests
Of dis sectioa- In tie vinter Of iSs2 nett
tons wers presented to the Legislature sss I
ing for the Annexation Of the ta~fis CT I
Presqn- Isle and NAY willie. The ve.isioa.
we're grsn.sd Ard in M.rch 1858 he sr.s /
annual meeting of e.. c nsoiiists3 foxns
va, h-h. o. tss marnins If tie |
hrs Day 81 Mas 1874 The entire euires-
ortioH Of IT, village as cor samsi By fre. I
TEe mr. sr Ee cut 20 tie .,aEsy ., a IA I
,he secoai .lery of Jes- G 2 ar sso-s
and. as 'heee vas a s,rosg vi 4 blowing |
and TIE means Of sxRSg ashing sers who'll |
mad qa1se. IL Z. % sHreS Husii I. { .ysi57ei !
the ehiIfe ousiilss. PSF Of ID. 10 "a. and a.
peopie cane la from tie farming ti-fsicfs
10 the morning they h-held oclv heap Of |
smoa!1etihg ashes where the hiznt oefora
had stood a busy and thriving Iiage. The |
citizens coon rallied from the -sork of toe |
great disas,e, and before the s.he. were |
fairly cold, temporary places of basi iess
we're erected and trade was again re .umed |
The Insurance companies were most liberia |
and the losses we've soon adjusted in a gen. |
erors manner and the citizens at oace with |
q hearty courage con meuc Il the xOrx OF /
rebuilding la remarkably short TIN
every vesiige of the IRE was r. Lnoyed be-
ter bull iirgs were erected. Improvements |
made GA streets, ard sooa EVERYBODY |
seemed 10 feel that on the sbole the FIRE |
was a blessing To the sillsgr. In .a- -fifi : |
of 1885 be town suffered Aaothsr disaster, |
the covered brldge across the ARGOS |
took river beng carried away by
an ice freshet The town immediate |
voted to rebuild and ore vi The ae.; b-i lEr- !
in the county was built al total cost of
sbou $40 900
During ali these ears the iowa had been inI- |
proving in regard 10 its religions aai ilicl |
tionai privileges. The first meeting house
built in the toS1 WAS the Congfe gatIJhslls.
church building which was commenced 70
1868 Since then the number Of church
editiees has Increased unti here are uo@
six handsome and commosiious churches and
each denomination is conifor ably provided
for. As the country "a more thickly -et
He'd new schoolhouses were built and the
present Academy building erected 90 supply
the place Of the old oEe destroyed by tr
fire of 1860 The trustees of the Academy
had a fund from tn. State which ia 1858
amounted to about $1,000 In the spring Ut
1850 Dt FDlt Oh tut ttGNltts, tlli9 lGF.l
was turned over to Bishop Nicely to aid in
establishing permanent school of a high
grade. Satisfactory arrangements were
made and the following year the ples SAINT
and commo iious buildings of ST. Johns
SEMINARY were erected ana the school vas
opened in Sept. 1884 with rearly eis hty
pupils. 10 1883 the town voted TO pay the
tuition of the high school scholars at the
:. s. -.
- which the State adied $3.50 uGder the
Free High School Act contract was
made with the school and more
than ninety scholars were sent as
town pupils. The arrangement was
continued in 1889 and nearly one hun
bred pupils have attended during the yeas
The school is a most excellent one and pu
pills are there amply fitted to enter any col.
lege in the land There are in ;he village
three graded schools, primary, Intermediate
aud grammar, between forty aud ifty pupils
in each grade. There are throughout thr
town twenty-one suburban schools, all
having good houses. many Of them hav
ing been built within the past FIVE years
The town after the annexation of Maysvilie
adopted the town plan which has gwen very
general satisfaction. The year 1887 was a
oh~y ohC III iSsfuV ASiS image
Soon after the fire, enterprising citizens.
recognizing the need Of more adequats
protection, agitated the matter of intro luc-
ing 81 stem of water WORKS. A charter
was ablsined and the company organic in
April 1887. Contracts were made aud the
work of construction vas Immediately com
menced. The supply was obtained from
clear spring brook. the dam being built
a iI.af fran, thu yilluUp Tho
voir has capacity CT $4,000 gallons and is
called Mantle Lake tron the name of the
contractor. The clev atom of the dam above
Main St, is about 100 feet, giving ample
pressure tor e1tnguishing fires in that
vicinity. To guard az snst ali emergencies
a pumping station was built near the rail
road station having Worthington pump
with quick steaming boiler. The cost Of
the works was 30.000. Thus the village
is supplied with most excellent water, the
analysis BY the Secretary of the Board of
IL. alth placing it among the purest. A
well organized fire company followed the
completion of the works and to-day Presque
Ise is as well protec ed from fire as any
village in the State. During the same year
an electric light plant was established With
the Edison incandescent system, and the
lights were turned on in December, 1887
The streets are now lighted at the expense
of the town. The fine Bank block was also
erected the same summer by the stockhold
ers and c. +. A johnson Esq It's hand
some brick building costing some $1,000
When Mr. johnson decided to 90 to he
West his half of the block was sold to Geo
II Collins, editor of the North Star, and
the paper, which he had some years pre-
viously bought of the widow of the lsmented
DR.. Parker, was moved to the most com
Portable quarters of any paper in Maine.
Mr.. Collins has recently purchased the
Herald of the heirs of Hon J B. Hall, who
RI turned from the Yves aud re-estsbiishe
the Herald some six years ago. Mr. Hail
died n July 1889, not being permitted tn
live to see the commencement of the con
siruction of the Direct Line for which he
had laoored so long ard faithfully. The
First National Bank of Presque Isle was
opened for business on Jan. 2, 1888. with
capital of $50 000. and is dong a safe and
prosperous business. Ever since the pro-
ject for direct line of communication with
the outside world was first started the idea
has been present in the minds of the people
Some four years ago a proposition was
made to outside capitalists that Aroostook
county should give the sum of 800 900 10
aid in the construction of the direct
line. The proposition was favorsbiy
considered and a charter was obtained
from the legislature of 1887. The North
ern Maine Railroad Company vas organize
in April 1887, and an agreement was en-
tered into by which the company promised
to build and operate railroad to Presque
Isle within five years if the people of the
county would guarantee them 500 900 and
the right of way. The charter of the COM
pany extends from Mattavamkeag to Hou.-
ton, thence to Presque Isle, Ashland and
Fort kert The question was duly agitated
and the require sum secured by the vote
of towns and by private subscription. A
Vpr king survey has been completed from
Mattswamkeag via Pst,en to lloulton arl
preliminary survey was completed last
fall to Presque Isle, but too late to CON-
mence active work. Il is conf lently ex-
pected that the work Of construction will
commence in the early spring and be pushed |
to speedy completion. In speaking of |
the advantages of Presque isle we must
not omit its superior hotel accommodation. |
The Phair Hotel, kept by James II. Phair, |
is one of the most comfortable aud home |
like h ,s,elries to be found any where in the
country, and offers superior inducements
TO those wishing a pleasant home in
healthy climste during the simmer months.
The Presque Isle Hotel, fine three story
building. is also fir,t-class house in
every respect, and its landlord, Mr..