Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-08-10
OUR GARDEN COUNTY.
Story Of Some n The IsIsl
townships md The lsa
Iho lrs Hiking
Them.
M HOE. EDWARD wIssIn.


There are in Aroostook county . numoei
Of townships upon WHICH partial settlements
have been made, tut which sre nyet but
little developed and being somsvtz. Oh the
main travelled thoroushfsrss are not much
anosn away from their immediate vicinity.
Many Of ihsse townships contain large
sress Of s1csilent land for Agricultural pur-
poses and sre capable Of supporting large
population and sford possibilities for -
.as farms - can De found in any OF the
more shiexIy settled portions Of the county
TIE fact that these townships have passed
from the possession Of the State and are
nov owned BY proptirtors, who purchased
Them chiefly for the timber, works agar 81
their development ~ agricultural toSis
The right Of these proprietors 10 the owner
ship and eontroI Of these lands cannot Of
course be question ed. The State CONSENTED
to sell and these gentlemen paid Their money
for the lands and have al undonbied isgs
tiztt to hold them for numbering purposes,
or 10 dispose Of them a. they see t., and 10
these rights they should certainly be pso
tsetsd. S.iii the fact remains tbs, owner
.r,hip Of shsse townships by non
resident proprie,ors who derive > gen
s.ou. income from the sale Of
aumpsze renders their settlement ptsc
ticsuv Impossible ard thus binders IN q
Ils.gs nessure the development Of the
county and its increase in population AMI
production,
\ Settlement Of UndsseIopsd Townships.
| Ii may be said that 10 many OF these
townships be ptoprietors are ~iiiing to sell
lots to settlers st reasonable prices. bus
| that very fr- came forward to buy. THIS
We admit Lots which are capable OF be
| ipg made into splendid farms can BE- bought
n some Of these townships for 81 10 per
| acre and they are richly worth 1t and would
auickIy sell for much more were Ihey stu
| ssed In settled section upon good road
| But lot Of one hundred and nifty acres nj
| a. 90 per acre would cost the sbug sum OF
$500, snd the man Who has 5000 70 pay FOR
farm is not usually the man who goes IN
| to the wild good Of Al unsettled town TO
hev out farm aud make home. Take
| for instance the thriving towns OF Pefham'
| Woodland, Limestone and others thai
might be mentioned, where = quarter OF 8
century sgo hardly a tree hsd been
cit except for timber, but which are
now prosperous agricultural towns, Gov
| cred all over with beautiful farms
upon whit h are the homes OF independent,
| self supporting citizens. These towns
we're the property of the State and were
lotted and granted to actual settlers for the
| nominal price Of 1fty cents per acre, all to
| be maid In road labor, the settler thus pay
| ing for his land by assisting IN making 8
road to his own door. The men who set
tied these towns, many Of whom are now
| among the most substantial citizens OF the
county were men who had no money to ia
vest in land Had the State put the price
| Of these lands at o. 90 per acre, or even At 8
less sum ii 10 safe TO say that most OF these
would today be 10 their original wilderness
| state. The men who came to these towns
we're poor in cast, but rich in coursge, per
ssvering energy and strong muscle and in
the cspshility Of making the very best citi-
| zeDsifA chance were bat afforded them
Look over these towns today and compare
| the amount received by the State in increase
| OF valuation and population With the meager
pittance obtained from the sale OF oih' r
towns to proprietors and the terrible mis-
take made by the State in parting with these
lands v i'll at once be apparent, There Ar"
| in Aroostook today, many townships nat
| urslly - well adapted to agricultural pur
poses as these mentioned which would IN -
few years be
! settled aud Covered with Productive
| Farms,
| 10 the land could be obtained on the like
conditions With the opening OF the Ban
gor and Aroostook railroad, which enter
prise we hope is now assured, the question
of obtaining land for settlement in the
county IL one that will come up at once aud
will have to be dealt with Many proprie-
tors who own townships capable of develop
ment into good agricultural towns do no
wish to sell an acre to settlers. They
regard the settler a. their nstursl enemy
| They fear that his fires in clearing his land
may run through their forests and damage.
| IL not destroy, their timber. They fear
also that il settlers are admitted upon their
tsons the propfistors will be objected tn
tax for the purpose OF building roads and
for other necessary Improvements. For
these reasons they prefer TO preserve their
townships wholly for numbering, and forbid
all settlers from gaining q foothold upln
their land. This of course they have \
legal right to do and from their standpoint
their reasons are logical sud consistent
| On the other hand the people want homes
| It is for the Interest OF the county and
State thss these lands be settled and
that the productive resources Of the
county be developed. The present
cultivated area in Aroostook county
Could be Doubled In a Very Few Years
| IL AIDE uAte transportation facilities are pro-
vided ard some measures taken to place
lands available for retirement in the hand.
OF actual settlers. How can this be done
| 1t may come TO the point that the STATE
will see il for its interest to buy back Ger
tain townships and let them for settlement,
I upon the same terms were granted set
rlsr in the towns we have mentioned CIR
tsinly If the wilderness section of Aroos-
took to be settled and developed, some
-sy must be devised TO put the lands into
the hands of men who have no money With
which 10 buy farms, but who are ready to
say to the State give Us the wild land
a. you have given it to settlers in other
to-ns and well do the rest
A Prosperous Township.
| Amorg the townships capable of making
| good AGRICULTURAL towns is letter b range
Ia This township lies directly east of Lit
tleton. uotih of Ludlow ard comes upon
| the tew of Houlton. Leaving the stage
| road from Houlton 10 Psesque I.ls about
a mile north of Houlton village, a road
turns to the left and runs disgonslly across
the north wet quarter of The
town OF Houlton This road not
being part of any stage route
i. not generally travelled txcep. by the
residents Of that portion OF the town snd
the settlers upon Letter B, through which
settlement the road continues. 1t is, hpw-
ever, an excellent turnpike road and run.
through one Of the mo.t fertile agricultural
| portions Of the to IN Of Houltou. All sl1uH
the road are handsome and productive fsru,'
With neat and we'll painted buildings and
surroundings indicating thrift! aud prosper.
ity. The natural scenery is very beautiful
sn1 this reSi affords a very foe pleasure
dive upon pleasant sun M RS day Gross
irss branch of the Me- ixnekesg some
thing over q mile after leaving the Pre- q ,e
| Isle road we cootinue On in . noslh~-.t-
| e,ly direction through VIA. is known A. the
| Niles .ettl. m. NJ, where there are some q 2
farm. ard Y ny bArdseme residences. The
rad here runs very nesr the stresm ard $
branch road crosse the stream ard con'tu-
ues due north through Houitou to the Lit
,lston ridge Passing the Niles settlement
We ride BY other handsome farms and, ie4v-
ing the town OF Houlton through its *
IRENE north vest Garner, come to the town
chip Of nLestsY b. The road enters this