Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-03-22
A Frontier Mill in Aroostook County

Editors Of the Renne5ee Journal.
Ia comparison with some Of the great
single mills Of Van Buren, and Fort Fair
ield ID this county, may be allowed space
in your valuable paper for brief des cription
Of a small bu. very busy mill built lat fall
in Township No. 9. Range 3, by Mr.. F. C.
Rlbinson of Blaine
To resch this mill 10 the mos. nyeniept
wa one must leave the Houlson road at
pun; about one and q half miles north Of
Bridge water Corner and travel nearly west
ove. d wood road for dis!snce Of fifteen
mile. The long ride over this rough road
gives one q splendid appetite and tia first
place that claims the travellers attention Is
he comes into the little cleariugs will be the
comm odious b oarding camp where food and
hospitality are beautifully dispensed by
Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Robinson who with
aaotber lady to assist them, do the cooking
FOR the mill crew. After the rawlings Of the
''innfr man" have been ssti' fl I'D the visitor
will be curious to look around and A Ind the
Cause Of the many loads of sbio giles which he
/ As met on the way here. Up the road short
distance can be seen several comfortable
boxing log cabins occupied by some of the
mill crew who with their families have If.
tleir farm homes and taken up their abode
here for the winter. We will nov turn our
attention to the PRINCIPAL Chi c: o! interest,
VIZ: the mill, which is situstsd on the east
bank Of the l'fesque Isle stream it is Goa.
st ucted Of large logs in very substantial
manner and has = sheet iron roof to pre-
vent catching fire. Inside are two -niugIe
mschlnes-one rev and improved mac hi ue
oQinbY W. G. Brown Of Houlloa; The oiher
built by Dunbar Of Woodstock. N. B ,
which is the second Of its kind ever
made and has BEEN in use eish: or nine
years. gcod part Of the time nigh. and
day, cutting proosoly more shingles than
any other machine in Aroostook c,unty.
The fling room which is built
on one id OF the main mill i.
equipped with saw gunsmer, portable
forge and set Ct blacksmith t)ols. 50 tia,
DO delay need occur in case OF spy break
age that can be repaired on the sp,t. Dawn
below in the power room are two portable
steel boilers Of twenty horse power each
aud fi1ely equipped stationary engine
which runs At very Oh RATE Of .p .ed. This
engine vas only Intended for about twenty
horse power but by reason Of its high speed
is able to produce considerable more. A
| long carrier is arranged to convey the waste
to = convenient place where it is burned.
The average output OF shingles here is
about seventy thousand per ,wei 'oui
hours. some ides Of the work necessary
in moving the machinery here can be
gained when it is known that each
boiler weighs two and one-1alf ton:
and the hauling of these and the oihaI
heavy machinery contained in the mill over
| a rough road, through the woods, up STEEP
| hills aud across mirY sSamps, constituted
/ an undertaking CT no small magnitude, and
| a man Of le.s Rrit and perseverance than
| DIR. Rghinson souii scarcely have under
/ taken such tssk. The hsuling Of thu
| shingles from this mill is quite an item OF
! expense, 1t being sbou. thirty miles to the
nearest available railroad station. The
building and operating OF TIT. mil! in the
hear. Of the wilderness i, bu. a small bt :
ginning of what we msy sNpsci to see in
this and other branches OF the lumber in.
| dustry when the l;angor & 40 ,stook Rail-
road is built through tIe couttf and our
lumber shsIl be manufactured on our own
territory. 80 hurry along tue road CERT e
man, tia. we may show the world what
Aroostook county Can do 10 the way CT
manufacturing our own lumber rs we'll as
raising cur own potatoes. W. f. s.