Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-07-17
spr7onAL rxcussron NOTES



azted midway Of the soafh shore Of ths
county On the AachIas river. Is was
iacnrporated In 1874 and at that tine
embraced thu present tswns Of East Ma
ciias, Machiaspors, whitneysilie and
Mafshfieid. it WAS the first town laeor
pointed between the Penobseos and the
1t. Csoix. Its water power f. excellent,
the entire fall Of the Aachias river a.
ne village being 81 feet, and the power
sqaai to 81 n. r saw-niils we're built
here as early a. 1866, and from that
lime 10 the present Maehias haA been a
great lumber manufacturing center.
The river il fed BY q system Of ppnds
II country well covered With pine,
| sDraes and heraloek iambes. Of which
Only the larger growth has yet been cat,
and that only partially.
The village II Aachias Is pleasantly
| sitaated On both aides 0f the river. with
ample reem ~ spread Out 10 any diree'
ton. and il has some very fine streets
and elegant residences, besides several
| business blocks that woald d. credit To
| larger places. The county buildings are
Of brick, and have solid, substantial
look outside, while the court house is "a
| aae a structure Inside ~ any court house
IN the state. IL IL made entirely fire
proof ia the lower story, IA heated by
steam and lighted By electricity, and
contain. large eistern with a capacity
Of 1000 gallons. From this eistern water
Z. pumped 10 tank in the upper story.
The entire lower floor is laid In beau
dfal English tile, the pattern Of every
room being different, and the bewildered
observer will Invariably think each room
he visits the most tasty and beautiful Till
he comes to the next The fire places
are also Of different patterns, and with
the cheerful finish Of the doors, walls
aud ceiling, and the comfortable furnish
ings, the county officials whose offices
are on this floor may b. considered a.
fortunate in their surroundings. IL
there Is pleasanter court room in the
State u Maine, or one better appointed
In all its details, 1t has not been our for.
tune 10 see IT,
The custom house aud post-oiiice Ia
tine building Of brick and granite, and
cost $50, 900. The Vose Block built
last year. cost about sl3 900, aside
from the land, and Il perhaps the
finest business block in the vii
lage. The basement and lower story
are occupied by business firms. The g.,
4. x. Post. occupy one-half Of the second
story. and have a comfortable post room,
with convenient ante.rooms. The third
story is occupied entirely by the Masonic
fraternity who have In Machias three
different bodies, namely. iiarwood
Lodge OF about 80 members, " ashington
Chapter aud St. Elmo comman-
derry with II members. There IA
no finer Masonic hall in the stat. 1t is
10 feet by 81 and twenty feet high.
rhe walls aud arehed ceiling are tres-
coed ia very cheerful and pleasing col
ora with the appropriate Masonic EN-
blems standing out clear and distinct
at proper intervals. The wood work Is
stained in cherry and oak, and the chairs,
aettres and altar are of black walnut
A Moqnette carpet Ia light eolors and of
enduring materials and make. covers
the iioor. The hall is lighted by 81
electric lights.
Machias has ten school buildings, five
churches, and public library of more
than two thousand volumes. Its lum-
Der mills are among the largest and best
IN the state, aud turn out an immense
quantity of manufactured lumber, while
u a ship building port it has always
held u leading place among Maine towns.
There are many elegant private residen-
ees in the place and quite number OF
the citizens have summer residences at
Engiishman's river In .Joncsboro, II Sec
ton of our eastern coast that Is fast
becoming fayorite summer resort.
The people of Machas are most hos
pitable aud cordial, fully alive to the
beauty and business interests of their
town, and thoroughly approaching the
ieSirahility of regular and constant
communication with other parts of the
State.
The shore Line aud it, Business
There are thirty five business houses
in Machias, and business men say that
l0,oO0 tons of merchandise now comes to
Machias, yearly, aside from coal and salt,
one-half OF which would be brought by
car II there were a railroad, aud hence
we can form some idea of the business
that Machias could give n railroad at
once, to say nothing of the development
of industries or the shipment of lumber
~ rail, The fact Is Washington County
! not understood There il business
enough to support railroad from the
outset, and the development of the won
ierful resources of this section would
inevitably follow, and the utilization of
the magnificent series OF water powers
following each other ut almost regular
intervals through this grand county.
Probably no other section of country in
he L nited States, with an equal number
of inhabitants aud such succession
Of thriving villages, Is With
out railroad facilities, and we
feel sure that the shore Line Railroad
will be built a. no distant day. With
its building will come new boom for
Maine. as summer residence State,
with large increase of its business out
put. The road would start with solid
resident population of 10000 directly
tributary to it. The Machias and East
Nschias rivers afford an annual lumber
cut of thirty millions, equal to half the
whole AroostoolS output that goes down
the st. John river, and which experience
mas demonstrated will largely 20 by rail,
even from those mills. so conveniently
located for water transportation that
lumber can be loaded on shipboard
lirectly from them. The new bust.
uess that will spring up cannot
fail TO be large. part of which is al
ready Ia process OF organization. The
locations for summer residences are so
beautiful-certi inly unsurpassed If