The Portland daily press., 1890-02-06

Spruce gum now brings to the men who
gather 1t from $3.50 to $3.50 a barrel, accord
ing to. quality. A barrel weighs about ITO
pounds.
The Fairfield Journal has entered upon an
enlarged prosperity. A fine Whitlock press
and lots of new type" have been added to
its equipment
"A Bradford correspondent of the Bangor
News says: Since the passing of the game
law the woods around here are bee )nipg
stocked with game. Among the tracks
which one comes across in travel ing throug h
the woods are those of moose, caribou, deer,
bear, otter. loupcervier, mink, muskrat, sa-
BILE, etc. SO that one does not have to go far
back to stand chance to see big game.
Sargent & Co. of New York, who have
leased the Oak Hill granite quarry in Belfast
have contract to furnish 100000 paving
blocks for New York, and will put on a crew
OF 300 men as soon as they can be procured.
They intend to ship 500, 600 as soon as nossi.
bic: In addition to paving they will put out
building stone and blocks for monumental
work. The firm regards Oak Hill granite
the superior OF any granite in Maine.
Belfast is alb )ut to enter upon the construc.
ton OF system of sewerage. This is ne
cessary for manv reasons, particularly so
since the Introduction of water by the Bel
fast Water Company. Messrs. Wheeler &
Parks of Waltham, Mass, have submitted
plans for the system. 1t is the purpose of
the city government to expend from $500 60
$4,000 yearly. until the entire system is CON-
pleted, which will cover series of about fif-
teen years. Belfast is we'll situated for drain
age, being located on hillside.
Pilot Murdoch of Bath has devised a plan
to overcome some of the difficulties in rigging
big sch0oners SO that the first storm they en-
counter will not twist their sticks" out He
proposes to have an iron band countersunk
into each mast, about half way from the deck
to the masthead. with eyebolts to which
shrcuds may be fastened. The other shrouds
could stand as they do at present Thus the
first OF shrouds would have such "spread"
that they would act much like those on the
lower masts of a ship, and greatly relieve
the strain on the masts, besides keeping them
as they do now. On the other side of the
mast, and running from the cross trees to the
deck, would be stout iron rod, and on this
the sails would hoist by means of grips in
stead of hoops, method adopted on some
yachts.
Judging by all reports the ice crop of the
State of Maine for the present year will be
a success, both as to quantity and profit. The
Kennebec Journal says:
Reports from the ice fields show that work
there Is going on with rush and case never
before equalled. No scraping and thick ice
of the deepest blue; are the lucky streaks
that seldom are found in an ice harvester's
fortune and this year is the exception. The
Consumers Ice Company had 1870 men and
sc horses.
Similar reports come from the Penobscot
and from the various ponds and lakes. On
the other hand the prospects for crop or
the Hudson are rapidly dwindling away into
nothing. The Fairfield Journal gleefully re-
marks in this connection:
Not only has the Hudson river not frozer
up yet this winter in any part, but every
lake and pond in Orange, nutchess, Ulster
Sullivan and Delaware counties is as free
from ice as in August.
Taking it all together it looks as If this
year would be Names banner ice year.