The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-10-31
THE RuMFoRD FALLS INDUSTRY.
What a Press Reporter Saw at the
FIourlshInR Village.

1ord Falls Railway Company, party Of gen.
tlemen made trip to Rumford Falls to in
spect the great work. now In progress there,
Oh turning that beautiful spot into a great
manufacturing centre. The party, consist
ing OF Mr.. Chisholm, Ex-Governor RobIe,
clarence Hale, Esq, Elias Thomas, ESQ,
george +. Noyes, Edward A. Noyes, George
Burnham. Jr., and a representative Of the
PRESS, left Portland on the $50 express on
the Grand Trunk, going as far as Mechanic
Falls, where special train on the Portland
q Rumford Falls railroad was In waiting.
This train. which was In charge of Superin-
tendent Levi l.. Lincoln, of the Rumford
Falls railroad, made the run from Mechanic
Falls to Canton In about So minutes, includ-
ing stop az a road crossing In Buckfeld,
where Hon. George d. Blsbee was picked up.
| At lCanton q four-horse mountain wagon
was in waiting. and the party was driven to
Dixfeld. ten miles, by Mr.. Tainter, the vet
eran stage driver. At Dixheld stop was
| made for dinner. The stage was then re-
sumed and the party taken to Rumford Falls
by way Of Mexico Corner.
The work at Rumford Is not In such an ad-
vanced stage yet that six-storied brick blocks
can be seen at every turn. but, with what
nature has done, and what man has done to
help. some OF the tremendous possibilities Of
the place can be plainly seen. In brief, the
operations in which MIR. Chisholm's compa-
ny Is interested are the extension of the rail
road from Its present terminus at Gilbert
vile to Rumford Falls, andE the construction
there OF such works as will render the I'm
mense water power of the falls available for
manufacturing purposes.
This work Is already well In hand. The
railroad line has been staked out for the en-
tire distance, and more than half OF the en-
bankment has been built. ditcEed. surfaced,
etc. The line was cut up into short sections,
and many OF these were taken by the same
contractor. so that, with a small gang Of
men. 1t was impossible to boild many at
once. The last remaining sections are to be
opened next week. with i150 men at work, so
that In all probability the line will be ready
for the superstrueture of ties and rails In the
spring.
The extension Is about 10 miles long, on
the east bank Of the river, running through
Canton and Peru into Rumford. 1t Is very
easy building for the entire length. There
are only about ten culverts, most Of them
small. and the cutting and filing required
nearly balance each other. 1t Is now be-
iieved that there will be shortage Of only |
about 10000 yards Of earth for filling, which
can easily be borrowed from the sides. In
part Of Peru. where the line runs along the |
side OF hill. the town highway has been
taken for the railway, the company building
another carriage road, higher up the side OF
the hili. There will be three stations on the
extension, East Peru. Peru and the terminus
Rumford Falls. or Rumford City, as IL will
soon become.
1t Is at this.last named place that the oper-
atlons Of the company are the most tremen-
dous. When nature made Rumford Falls
she provided a natural manufacturing cen
tire. Here Is a fall Of water Of 1856 feet not
all In one tremendous cataract, that could
only be resort for bridal couples and sight
oOcAs s~-----v-N-A-A-~--- -a-...a.,-
some distance apart. so that a city can be
laid out on the terrace plan, with saw mills
at the top, cotton mills lower down. and
pulp and paper mills still further down,
where they would offend nobody. Nor Is
this all waterfall is necessary for man.
ufacturing. but the power comes, not from
the fall itself, but from a canal that leads ont
from It. through which water can be led to |
the wheels Of mill and then down out of |
the way. Sometimes these canals have to be /
blasted through solid rock at cost Of mil /
lions. but at Rumford nature kindly went 10 /
work and built canals for the upper and mid |
die falls, leaving Mr.. Chisholm's men ito
erect dam, put In a line of "sheet pilings''
so called, at the bottom OF the canal wall. |
stake out lots and 60 ahead and sell them.
dam q m tha ohaak Mill 4
put In directly. and then, in 1.-The spring.
thinss will boom. A flourishing city is all /
iaio ous ou Paper and staked out on the
grouno' ana when the frost leaves the
ground, streets and lots will be gr-sed and
made ready forpurehaserS. There have al
ready been some 20 applications for mill
privileges, from concerns Of sufficient Inn
portance to lift Rtmford to the dignity Of
representative town several times over be-
fore the next legislative apportlonment.
There is another Phase Of Rumford Falls.
and the way there, that while 1t may |
not be considered by thu manufacturers who |
are seeking locations cannot fall to be Of in |
terest to many. This is tia scenic beauty Of |
| the route and the place. Prom the moment |
| that the road branches from the Grand |
Trunk at Mechanic Falls, panorama Of
beauty begins to unfold itseli, that does not
| stop till the end Is reached, and which can
not fail to delight the lover Of scenery.
just before reaching Canton the road
sweeps around the end of Lake Anassagun-
tlcook, which, with Its clear blue depths,
shady picnic grove. and the green hill at the
back, dotted with white farm buildings, Is
truly "Gem Of the Northland." The farm
buildings in this vicinity are nearly all white
dazzllngly white. and the cattle, sheep and
horses have contented, well-fed look that
speaks well for the land. But to return to
the scenery. After leaving Gilbertville, the
railroad follows, more or less closely. the
river bank, crossing and re-crossing the car
riage road. striking across fields or thread
ing patches OF small timber, until above Dix
field 1t makes business Of cllnging to the
river bank on the side of rugged hill, while
all around rise other shaggy hills in fantastic
and beautiful shapes. Occasional river
views, too, are obtained as the road bed
sweeps around curves, and, altogether. the
new road promises to push the White Noun
tain line, the ''great scenic route Of Amert-
Ca" pretty hard.
The work Is progressing rapidly on both
the railroad line and the site at Rumford. In
three weeks the railroad building has
reached Its present stage, and In two more
the permanent way will be done. At the
works, the dam and canal head gates are all
set, and Thursday the workmen were blow
Ing up the coffer-dam with dynamite. The
canal bed is rough as yet, but here. too. the
work that men can do is telling, and all will
be finished before snow flies. Hon. Waldo
Pettengill Of Rumford, one of Oxford coun-
ty's senators. is the energetic general mana
ger Of the work. Mr.. E. A. Buss Of Boston
Is engineer in charge.
When the railroad Is built, next year it is
proposed to have small hotel put up, and
, the largo one under way, and excursion
trains win be run from Portland through to
the Falls in about two and one-half hours, SO
that people may contemplate the beauties Oh
. nature and of mechanic arts, dine, and reach
| | home safe and sound at supper time'