Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-10-11
RuMfoao FALLS aU.BlINos.
IMPRESSIONS 90 A CHANCE VISITOR
To IiiE ruruRE err.

II one not ver.ed In such mattre.
would know something about what u
cod. 10 develop such q water power Ne
TIL. at I,umford Falls, he should see Il
when the works are In process. of con-
siruction, a. at the present time. When
all the dams have Teen built, aud tb,iv
I. only q smooth fall 10 dark water AMI
line of white water fellow Ia show
their existence; when all the millions IL
ton. of gravel and boulder and ledge
have been picked, aud dug. and blasted
out. aud the canal. lle filled With water
between smooth aud level banks; when
all the inhnli. amount 81 work IL accom-
pli.hed which !. necessary Ia bring thi.
great force of falling water where IL will
turn the wheels 81 lndustry,-when all
thls IL done. u IL only q narrow edge of
the work that appears Ia the eye. and
that edge, Ia the ordinary observer, ear
RE. very little suggestion 81 the magnl-
tud- 81 that which !. hidden.
Hut one Who Visits the works nc the
present stage can not but he Impressed
with the enormous amount of labor and
expense required. Take any Que detail
of the work, aud watch q small army of
men aud horses picking, aud digging.
and blasting. aud csrting; see how little
Impression q days work makes upon the
whole; think ~ what the whole amount
% these gigantic operations represents,
In units Of mems "day's works; aud
you will conclude that those Who are
putting their capital Into this must have
faith 10 the future Of Rumford Falls.
Well. they do have faith, and there 10
no earthly reason Why they shouldn't.
A brief visit will convince one that Rum
ford Fails has q future, aud promising
future. That enormous neyer-falling
water power IL going 90 be- there for q
good many ages yet the lsumfori Pals
boom (which IL not q "boom" In the
western sen.e) has something besides
air To build on.
The place has changed considerably
since early spring, aud Congress street
begins Ia hsve quite metropolitan APP
pcarance. Shaw's hotel Il being paint
rd and plastered. II Il q good building.
aud IL an ornament to the place. IL
makes some of the other buildings look
dininutlye; indeed, u the place grow.
for Ave or six years, some of the real
estate holders on the "Island" are 60
Ing to wish their buildings were larger.
hut small buildings are the rule yet,
all over the place.
One Of the abutments for the bridge
acro.s the river Il nearly completed. and
n start IL made on the other; but IL the
bridge IL opened this fall, some of the
workmen on Il will have cold fingers.
The upper dam IL going to makea big
rise In the river above the head ~ the
falls-cleAr back to the Centre, u 10 ssid.
The upper level canal ha. = stony
path laid out for Il, around the side 81
the Hill from the upper dam. The earth
all over the locality IL full of boulders,
but thls looks worse than the average.
The new city IL equipped To take care
Of offenders against the law; A. J.. Nor
risou has qualified NJ trial justice,
and Fred A. Porter ~ deputy sheriff.
lis q noisy place, when The charges
Of dynamite are being fired, for . Few
minutes after II o'clock noon, and aRAin
after at night; aiso occasionally during
the day.
Tie Italians have caught the city
notion, and have streets and avenues
laid out and marked In their quarter;
they also make good display " Ameri'
can and Italian hags.
A man who put up oue OF the nrst
buildings on the "lsland" last spring
thought he Was paying the Power Com.
pany an enormous price for his lot; but
be got HE revenge. The Power Com'
pany needed offices badly, and - soon
% rooms In hls building were available
they occupied them. OF course he put
hIs rcut st .boom" rates and now, when
he presents the Power Company with .
rsut bill the first Of every month, Ut The
rate Of about 50 cents per square foot OF
door space, be chuckics In hls slesve and
thinks b V getting even.