Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-05-13

mouldings and stair work are mar ufactured
in addition to the making Of sash, blinds
and doors. Nearly opposite the Ttcomb
Mill are to be seen the ruins Of the Foundry
and Machine shop of Mr.. Geo. A. Shea
which was destroyed BY FIRE on the tenth of
January last. 1t was run by steam and
manufactured agricultural implements and
mill machinery Of all kinds. Stoves
Of various patterns were also made and it
vas one Of the important industries Of the
town. giving employm ent to thirteen men.
Mr.. Shea has recently purchased the large
village school building. which has been re-
placed by fine new school ediHce. and
will remove it and fit it up for his foundry
business. Across the street 10 the old Sleep
er Tavern for many years one of the insti
| tutions of Houlton. from the large number
Of team wagons standing in the stable yard.
giving evidence Of liberal patronage.
Near by 10 the starch factory of Mr.
Waldo G Brown which is run BY steam and
the starch is also dried by steam. This fac
tory made last year 200 tons of starch. Mr..
Brown has also the finest hardware store in
Eastern Maine fitted up with every conven-
fence for carrying on his large business.
A short distance up the North branch we
come TO the Pumping Station of the Water
Works Co. Here are two Worthington
Duplex pumps having a pumping capacity
of one million gallons in "a hours There
are two steel boilers with capacity of so
horse power each. The stand pipe is q ma :
sive tower on the high ground north of the
village, about hree-fourths OF q mile from
the punping station, at an elevation of 1926
feet. The capacity of the standpipe is l20,-
900 GALLONS. The average amount of water
used by the village is 5000 gallons per
day for the year. There are Ave miles Of
mains with hydrants at convenient distances
The station is supplied with an electric fire
alarm which can be rung from the village
and also with sn automatic indicator to
show the height of water in the standpipe.
Horton is thus well supplied with pure
water and with ample protection in case of
fire. The town has also fine steam fire
engine and hose company who have thus
far taken the running prize from all com
petitors.
At the Pumping Station is the plant of
the Electric Are Light Co. There are two
Thompson and Houston arc light dynamos.
each having capacity of 80 lights of 1900
can1Ie power. The engine is an Arlington
& Sims of so hors- power. The pumping
station and dynAt os are under the super
intendence of Mr.. George Ingraham. a
faithful and competent engineer. mile
and a half up the South branch is the fine
new saw mill of Mr.. s II. Sincock on the
site of the old mill built by Shepard Cary,
and at Csry's mill is the W. H. Siucock
grist mill. These are both first class mills
and do large business. Not far distant is
the MsDsur starch factory, built in 1875.
being the first one bull; in the town, and q
saw mill upon the same dam.
On the road to Cary's mill is the Nicker-
son cheese factory, where for many years
Mr.. Francis Barnes has made large quanti
ties of cheese. which for its excellent
quality has obtained = wide reputation
Facing the public square on the north side
is the old and well known Smell House. the
oldest of Houlton's present hotels. The
Smell House is one Of the best hotels in the
State and has long been favorsbly known
to the travelling public. This house is now
under the management of MIR. J r Kiul-
ball, who is keeping up the high reputation
of the house and is very popular with the
boys. Just around the corner on Calais
street is the spacious and well kept Hotel
Exchange, with its pleasant and comforta
BILE rooms and beuntifuI table. The Ex-
change is now kept by Mr.. W. ID. Buzzell.
who has long catered to the public
in Houlton. On the street leading
out of the square on its southern end
is the Clark House, another of Houl-
toms excellent hotels. where mine host
Clark can always be found ready 10 attend
to the wants of the hungry and the weary.
Free coaches run from each of these houses
to the trains; and there are numerous other
smaller hotels where travellers are we'll
cared for
Just above the Exchange 10 the office OF
the Aroostook Pioneer, the first paper es.
tsblished in the county, having been started
at Pressure Isle by W. s. Gila an and B.
Hall. about 1857. The Pioneer is now
ably conducted by Mr.. George H. Gilman,
= son of its founder, and has a wide circn.
laiion and a large advertising pa,roo age.
The Pioneer job Off lee is one of the bes: in
the county, and its steam presses are kept
constantly at work.
Across the way, in handsome block, is
located the Aroostook Times, one Of the
old reliable Journals of Aroostook. The
Times Was established about 1860, by its
present editor and proprietor. Mr.. Theodore
Cary, son of Hon. Shepard Cary. Mr..
Cary is modest, genial gentleman and a
hard working knight of the quill" He has
made the Times one of the solid institutions
of AroostOok and his work has been well
appreciated by the public. The Times has
also = frst-class job Office where the best
Of work is executed.
Away up on the hill. Just around the
corner, on what is known as the Foxcroft
road, are the spacious and extensive build
ings of the Houlton Extract Works, where
the business established some ten years ago,
has grown to vast and unexpected proper
tons.
The business is owned by Messrs. Dsvi.
& Walton OF Massachusetts,, manufacturer,
of dye stuffs, and the only man ufacturers
of hemiock extract for dyeing purposes in
the world, they owning the patent upon the
process. The works are under the superin-
tendence Of Mr.. A. J. Martin, q most
competent and genial gentleman A.
one approaches the works he is struck by
the view Of the long tiers of hemlo * bark
piled high and seemingly OF sufficient guam
tity to last fifst-class tannery for wears
At the bark mill the bark 10 fed to immen
''besters' revolving 800 times minute and
when ground is carried by an endless bel,
to the watts or teaches. There are eight watts
holding twelve cords each. When a vat is
filled with bark il 10 sprinkIed with weak
liquor for six hours and with hot water for
six hours. The sprinkler is long iron
tube revolving horizontally above the vat,
each half Of the tube being pierced with !
holes on opposite sides. The liquor 10
drawn Cd from the Bottom Of the vat and !
while weak is used for spfinklinR other vats,
but when it becomes of sufficient strength !
Is pnmped into the large vacuum pan, where |
it is ooiisd down. This part % the machin- |
cry is very expensive, the vacuum pump |
costing about Sl2o0 and the pan go 600 |
A ffer the liquor has been boiled \ certain |
time, il IL taken to the refneries and all |
lust and sediment removed, when it 10 re- |
turned to the vacuum pan and after being 1
boiled to proper consistency 10 barrelled /
up for shipment There are more than
30 COO feet OF flooring in the establishments.
The works run day and night and employ
twenty men, and 7 600 cords of bark are used
Yearly and 5000 lbs. Of extract are made.
The company have 175. 600 invested i. the
, an, and pay out abou, 475 600 yearly r
sbor and bark. The track Of the N. B.
Railway 10 extended to the works.
just scross the strses from the Extract
sofks Is the Abstoir Of the Eastern Fresh
y