Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-12-01
50.
Resources, Capabilities and
Needs Of the County.
1 ReTisN Of The Series Of LsttiFs thus
far Published.
Hy Hon. Edw.rd Wissin.

In the series Of articles thus far written
upon Aroos,ook We have sought 10 give
truthful description Of the Development OF
the county and the improvements here made
In the comparatively brief tine s.nce the
early settlers first came here to make for
themselves homes In the grea. forest OF
northern Maine. We have described the
struggles, the tolls and the privstions of the
pioneers who, leaving behind them all the
comforts and eonvenisness 70 which they
mad been accustomed, came with their Little
families to this neg country and. following
q spotted line through the woods, carrying
iitlle children in their arms for miles IN
some instances, hAye reared their humble
log houses and commenced life anew with
little capital besides their own strong arms
and stout hesfts TO aid them 10 their battle
with the wilderness. We have seen that
with many Of them the struggle was hard
one and tia, a. times the gaunt wolf OF
hun ger came fsarfuliy near their doors and
made them trembie for the comfort and
.afe'y Of the dear ones dependent upon
them. We have seen too, hos ,hsae years OF
toll and privaiion have been repaid and that
on the tight Of the Old oz house preteniious
residence has siacs been erected ard that
broad acres with smooth sDd fertile fields
now stretch assay on every hard where once
sss dense and almost iaterminaSle forest.
We have seen how busy villages have
sprung up in many places, With their stores
and mills and factories. and that in many
Icsses the men srestill living who feiied the
frat tree upon the spot where these villages
are located. We have described popglous
towns, covered all over with handsome
farms with neat and comfortable farm
buildings, where the first settler came after
The close of the war, and others where
twenty years ago not tree had been cut
except for timber. We have shown to,
that the
Growth and Development of AroostoOk
thus far has been brought about by no
spasmodic eIeitein NJ such as has settled
ard built up many localities in the West,
nor by any organized and persistent effort
of land proprietors to dispose of the soil
1t has come rather from the fact that here
we're extensive tracts of exceptionally fertile
soil, capable of suppor,inga large populs-
ton and rendering generous reward for all
the labor expended IN its cultivation. The
agricultural and iadastria! development of
Aroostook has been steady and solid growth
achieved in spite Of many dseouraging
sstrous and mistaken state policy. The
distance of these fertile lands from the
centres of business and trade aad the
almost total lack Of transportation facilities
exrefienced by the early settlers were
among the chief obstacles to the rapid
growth of the county. This lack of con-
nection with the outside markets was in a
large measure c0mpens stated by the market
IL l. ii. L. l,,,,, har
RE +, 90 10 this region which enabled the
settlers to dispose of his surplus products
for remunerative price. II was indeed
the lumber business tha. in the early days
made the settlement of the country posi-
Bile, IS it was that Industry which TO great
extent called attention TO the agricultural
possibilities Of this great county. BY the
time the pioneer settler had got his first
small clearing made and his log house made
comfortable his means were usually
exhausted. No crop could of course be
raised the first year and long cold winter
was approaching during which his little
family must be provided for. Two
resoutces were now open to him, both made
sible by the lumber industry. If so
situated that he could leave his family
during these winter months he could
shoulder his axe and live out by the month
with some one of the numerous operators
aud thus provide bread for his wife and lit
tie one. Ii he could not be spared from
home the other alternative was To fell the
cedar that grew by the brooksides near his
own dwelling, rive and shave it into shingles
and somehow get them to the place where
they could be exchanged for the necesssries
of life.