The Portland daily press., 1893-01-30
On the Finest Water to be Found
In the World.
THE LEGISLATURE ASKED TO PRE-
VENT SEBAGO WASTE.
Maine Bar Association Bills-The Cape
Meeting House-Saccarappa Grammar
School : Worlds Fair Appropriation
Reduced
Especial to the Press.l

lSpeclal TO the PreSS.l
| AUGUSTA, January 28.-It is needless
to tell Portland people that Sebago water
is about the best to be found anywhere.
1t is good drinking water, and it is in
dustrious. turning many mill wheels as
it flows from the lake to the sea through
the Presumpscot river, and it has long
provided means of communication by
| water between the towns along the lake
and the connecting ponds and streams.
But people interested in the preservation
of this last named benefit, this supply of
water, say that the mill wheels are maxi
| ing too great demand on the powers of
the lake. And thereby hangs tale.
| Among the charters granted by the Maine
| legislature in the days when the state
was young was that of the Cumberland
and oxford Canal, which was built and
| operated for many years. Old Portland
| people still remember the canal boats,
and they and their children have skated
| on the 'Basin,'' originally place for the
| landing of the canal boats. After the
canal had fallen into disuse, that fact was
made the ground of a suit brought by the
attorney general to annul its charter
rights. A judgment was obtained against
the canal company which did not make
answer in time to the suit. But
unlike charters afterward granted by the
| Maine legislature, this old Oxford and
| Cumberland charter had no limitations
as to time. and subsequently to this
| Judgment obtained by reason of the
| company S failure to make answer with
| in the proper time, legislation was Sc
cured reyiving some of the rights grant
! ed by the old charter.
| Then came the days when great brick
buildings began to appear in the fields of
| Seccarappa bordering on the Presump-
scot, and the quiet little hamlet located
| there soon became thriving manufac-
turing village ana now enjoys the digni-
ties conferred by a city charter. After
these manufacturing industries had
grown to state approaching their pres
| fnt large proportions, the Presumpscot
Power Company, including the Warrens
and others, whose money was invested at
| Westbrook and along the river, acquired
certain of the rights of the old Oxford
and Cumberland corporation; but the
right of navigation was reserved to the
canal company.
Half way up the beautiful Songo river.
| made famous in the verse of the poet
Longfellow, there is a picturesque old
4 lock. This lock is a part of the
canal system. Until recently there
| has been water enough to
! that point to permit the passage of the
steamer run by Mr.. Charles E. Gibbs of
Bridgton, and the old canal boats still in
use on the lake But lately, it is
| claimed by the people seeking legislation,
that the water has been so drawn off that
for use by the mills many miles away on
| the Presumpscot that navigation has been
prevented Whether the canal corpora
| ton will take sides with the petitioners
and claim that this lowering of the water
is an infringement of the rights of navi-
cation reserved to them when the sale
was made to the Presumpscot Company,
| is not known here. 1t is said the COM
pany will. 1t is also said they won't.
! But the claimants do not base their case
! on this alone, Judging from the language
! of the petitioners, which asks for legisla-
ton to prevent right of navigation with
| out reference to any charter. The petit
| TONERS presented Friday recite: 1.-THE
undersigned inhabitants and tax payers
| of the several towns bordering on the
waters of Long Pond, Brandy Pond and
| Sebago Lake in the County of Cumber-
land, hereby request appropriate legisla-
ton to restrain the drawing down of said
waters at the outlet of Sebago Lake so
| as TO interfere WlUn lHe puDllc rlSHoS ol
navigation of the same as heretofore en-
| joyed, and to protect the rights of the
| public in said waters under such
| penalties as may seem proper.
| These petitions were signed by
L. Moulton and 33 Others Geo. E.
Crockett and II others of Naples; John
| P. Fitch and "a others; flames Hanscom
and others; the Sebago Steamboat Com
pany.
A Saccarappa Measure.
An act to enlarge the powers of the
| Saccarappa Grammar School Association
has been introduced to the Senate, the
original act was approved by the Cover
nor of Massachusetts in 1915. By the
bill introduced the board Of trustees in
addition to their present rights are i'm
powered to take and hold by purchase or
| otherwise real and personal estate not
exceeding 100000. All previous, acts
are legalized.
| The Bar Associations Bills.
Acts in relation to suits at law and in
equity in the supreme and superior
Continued ON Second Page.