The Portland daily press., 1892-01-16
AWAKENING CAPE PEOPLE.
MI. Isaac c. ltkinsen's Address
Last Evening.
SOME INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT
BOARDS OF TRADES.

The Plush AEill Scheme Unfolded to an In
terested Audience-Mr. Atkinson Tells
The Sitting Capitalist and the Western
Hustler Mr. Aclkroyd Explains the
Business.
The people OF Knightville were greatly
Interested last evening by Mr.. Isaac Z.
Atkinson's presentation of the plush mill
question. The financial plans of the
proposed enterprise contemplate the
raising of $4,000 OF the 100000 capital
ON the Cape. Up to last evening ex-Rep-
resentative G. A. Tilton said there were
about $4,000 of the $40, ZOO in sight
The school house at Knightville was
well filed with citizens anxious to hear
what Messrs. Atkinson and Aclroyd had
to say. Upon motion Of Mr.. James FL.
Hartford, Mr.. Marcus a. Hanna was made
chairman of the meeting, and Nh. Bion
B. Small secretary.
MI. Atkinson was introduced at once
and plunged into the midst
of the subject which he is making so fa-
miliar to Portland people. He began
with some general remarks on the neces-
sity for cities and towns to be alert in Sc
curing manufacturing industries. No
city OF town could continue long to stand
still. And it was the duty of all good
citizens Ito blow for their own city,"
and invest their money in industries to
benefit it. When this was done prosperi-
ty and growth followed, as witness the
growth of Auburn. The business men of
Auburn, like Ara Cushman, had built
that town up by investing their money
at home.
Gardiner was another live city. 1t
had
Live Board of Trade,
and it's merchants were active in promot-
ing the city's interest. They had built a
railroad to increase their field of influ-
ence, and had connected their city with
Augusta by an electric road to get part
of Augusta's trade.
Waterville was another thriving city
with a live board of trade, and in Mr..
Atkinson's opinion a board of trade
could do much if headed in the right di-
rection.
Bangor was still another enterprising
city. She had the first electric railroad;
she has good opera house, and her in
dustries extend all along the Penobscot
river. Her growth and prosperity have
come about because her business men be-
lieve in Bangor and in investing their
money at home.
snow what have we done in Portland?"
continued Mr.. Atkinson. II do not
think Portland has grown much, GER
tainly not since have been here. The
reason is simple. Portland capital has
gone elsewhere for investment No one
is moving to establish industries at
home, and afford investment for home
capital. No one has been talking up fac
tories or mills. But the
Hustler from the West
comes along. This hustler is trained
man who knows his business well. He
finds the Portland capitalist sitting with
his money in the bank. He tells the
capitalist a glittering story of invest
ments in the West, and gets money that
should be invested at home, at Portland
or Cape Elizabeth. The capitalist is not
to blame. He puts his money where
some one promises good return for
it.n
Mr.. Atkinson continued commenting
at considerable length on what he called
Portland's lack of enterprise, citing the
wholesale grocery trade, which seemed
to him to be slipping away to a consider
able extent to Rockland, Belfast and
Bangor. The way to change such state
of things was to encourage more home
enterprises.
Mr.. Atkinson then described the plush
industry, and told of the wonderful sue
cess of the Sanford mills, which had
been built UP with a tariff of only so per
cent Now the Mckinley bill gives
the plush business I am a Republican,
through and through said Mr.. Atkin-
son, although on all other questions I
am red hot Democrat. If the McKin-
ley tariff will stay on four years we will
get the industry established here, and
make good profit. said the other day
to Col. John M. Adams, who has SUBJ
scribed,
Five Thousand Dollars.
that if the duty should come off the pro-
fit would be less. He said to me that he
had no hesitation in saying that the duty
would stay on as long as seal plushes
were luxury"
Mr.. Atkinson said that Ex-Governor
Frederick Robie would be president of
the company, than whom no ADLER and
more honest and conservative man could
be found. Governor Robie had told him
that if he (Mr. Atkinson) would come
out to Gorham and promise to locate the
ndY, Strv thara bo (Govarnor poh;a lruo,,ld