The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1891-05-21
Attractions and Advantages.

puslHess openings Of our town and was
real som what surprised that there are I
so many available places where water !
power can be obtained for manufacturing
purposes. This fact ought to impress
our people with the Importance OF max
Ing forts ~ induce business men to es-
tablsh industries here. Tue importance
Of this cannot be overestimated
These business openings of course are
Of the first Importance IN the way OF al
Yantages to hold forth to people of other
towns to induce them to cast their lot
with us, but there are other matters to be
taken into consideration in addition to
hes, and, with your permission, | will
enumerate few of the attractions as
well as advantages of our town.
In the FIRST place Skowhegan is situated
in the midst of group of fertile towns,
unsurpassed by any section in Maine out
side of The famous Aroostook valley. The
great variety Of landscape, Of farm, Held,
woodland, hill and valley with the far
iamed historic keunebec grsndly lowing
through it makes up place the natural
beauty Of which is an ever increasing de.
light To all who have any appreciation OF
grand and lovely scenery. My own expcr
snee has, been that thcnatural beauty Of our
own as made up by land aud water grows
upon one as the years 90 by and makes W
combination Of which one never tires.
The drives about our town are among the
n9st pleasant of any section in delightful
Maine.
So much for natural beauty hut a town
must have something else, you cannot
aaNe city or village without buildings,
streets, walks, etc, and you cannot have
Al attractive city OF village without neat,
asty, substantial buildings good streets,
ven kept walks, grounds etc.
We are obliged to be a little modest in
these matters. We have had more rattle
rap buildings than is desirable or com.
| neudaole in any town and our streets and
! walks have been below par, but we are
growing out OF this. There has been
very marked Improvement in this respect
within six or eight Yeas p:st. There is
not the slightest doubt of it. 1t is appar
ent all around.
do not hesitate to say that SkoYhe-
| gan is one of the most attractive towns i'll
Maine and has that reputation and de-
serves it.
Our church ediGces are not large ones,
but are sufficient for their requirements
and will compare favOrably with those of
my village in Maine, and our people are q
church going people.
oar school buildings are better adapted
% the requirements of the town than ever
hey were before and we doubt whether
my village in Maine has a more elceAt
chuol board and better graded schools
imam has Skowhegan to-day This is by no
means one of the slightest attractions OF
our town. 1t is an advantage not to be
di,Pised to have school system that will
give pupils good general education and
a lit for college.
Our Free Public Library is not one of
The minor attractions of our town. The
1uil ling itself is gem aud the library it
con aims, although not large is well Sc
lectcd and Will be improved year 10y year.
Few of the large villages, or cities even,
Of Maine have this advantage to offer to
their people.
Not only is our village well supplied
with churches but with halls. The adj
vantage of a good large hall like Coburn
| Hall is one that we would be more likely
10 appreciate were we Tor time depriv'
ed of 1t. Thanks to the munitlcence of
| The late Abner Coburn, its use for socle-
ties for benevolent purposes, for schools
etc. is practically free. Smaller halls for
societies, social purposes etc. are in good
supply, much better than most towns OF
5000 INHABITANTS.
or hotels, for comfort and conven
fence in all their appointments, for the
variety and excellence OF their cuisine
have the reputation of being among the
very first in Maine and deserve this repu
II -. i.r l,..
cities of Maine or other states aud have
all the luxuries of the season aud at reas-
enable figures.
The livery stables have splendid hitch
es. on cali from a nice land III with four
to single light road wagon with one.
Probably no town or city in Maine is
so well watered as Skowhegan. A half
dozen aqueducts convey pure spring wal
er through many of our principal streets
and the public water works with steam
pump and stand pipe and $ miles of iron
pipe completes the supply for domestic
purposes and furnishes Is hydrants In all
parts of the village for fire purposes In
addition to this we have two force pumps |
one on each side of the river run by wat
er power for fire purposes, drawing water
from the Kennebec river.
Our fire department is small one but
has momentum. 1t is well organized and
Office red aud gets there. 1t consists OF
steamer company, hook and ladder com
pany and two hose companies.
Our town has low rate of taxation
and cur municipal finances are easy with
no d, bt to speak of, so that property for
manufacturing or other purposes is not
heavily burdened by municipal taxation.
We have electric lights for streets,
places of business and dwellings furnish
ed at reasonable rates by a home com
pany.
our situation in the heart of Maine and
hut 7 to s hours from Boston, with
vast sporting country north OF us within
easy access, with our splendid hotel &C
ought to make US one of
the popular summer resorts OF our ram
Gus summer resort State, and the rail
established with Bingham by
he Link would contribute materially
to this end.
trust. Mr.. Editor, that the building
f,r nt nl