Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-11-27
ASHLAND'S PROSPERITY
Will be Great When Reached by the Great
Bangor Arnostook Road.

Ashland, Nov. 26.-(SpcciaD. OF al
the towns in northern Aroostook that will
be benefited by the Bangor & Aroostook
Railroad, none will receive a greater in
crease of business or be more rapidly de
veloped than this town, now far from any
line of railway, yet located in a section
where there is water power unsurpassed in
Maine. 1t might be said that Ashland is
a little world of itself in the dense forest,
because for miles and miles about are
woods. This is the lumber portion of
AroOstook conunty, and from the timber
lands about here millions after millions Of
lumber have been procured, and yet
plenty may still be found. During the
past year this industry has suffered in the
hands of Democracy and the lumber mer-
chants have been inactive. Stir, liveli-
ness and hustle prevails at this place when
woodmen are numerous and getting oIrt
logs is the leading enterprise in Northern
Maine
The forests about Ashland abound in
huge pine, large birch, shapcly maple and
elegant beech, besides lofty spruce trees
and harky hemlocks, all of which the
IllnllNE hlIl2 HUNS II pun " Llh Bi NV Slit
remarks that there is dollars in EN-.
Then the water power is IA feature which
every observing visitor Will notice is hard
to equal, and sites for lumber mills are
plenty. Perhaps you would ask why Is
the lumber is not manufactured here now
Instead of driven down the st. John river.
Now this place, which nature has furnished
with such excellent water privileges is not
near a line of railway and is accessible to
markets for disposal OF lumber only by
water. TO overcome this disadvantage
will be the Bangor q Aroostook Railroad,
which is proposed to extend to Ashland
next year. This done and it would seem
that mills will be built, the logs sawed
here and the lumber transported hy rail to
market \ survey has been made from
the main line of the b. & A. at Oaldlcld,
across the county 30 miles to this town,
and comparatively speaking the branch
would be easy of construction. The
management of the new ArooSt0ok rail
road proposed to begin work ON this line
next season and the people of this vicinity
will hail with joy a line of railway extend
ing to Ashland. The merchant or builder
in Boston or any other place could draft
the plans and dimensions of his material
for any building, send them to large mill
here, have the lumber prepared in short
time and forwarded by rail TO the point
where wanted.
1t has been said that there is II slim pos
sibility that this branch line may extend
from Houlton to this place, but it would
hardly seem probable that such a scheme
will come to "A head. The Patton people
are anxious that the road should reach
them on its way north, and if it docs a
very fine strip of this county will be opened
BY running line to Ashland the heart
of AroOstook would be crossed by railroad
and both lumber and farm lands will prob
ably soon be purchased by settlers, which
are needed in this part of Maine. so it
will readily be seen that the Bangor a
Aroostook Railroad is entering the Garden
of Maine during an important period Of
the history of the county, largely made so
on account of the new railroad.