Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-03-07


mnn;cinaIities. which had for several years
eyisted-thus making it beneficial to both
sections to divide.
In snch cases the policy of the State has
boon in favor Of division, and evidently
wisely so. because the good of the people
would he promoted. In all other cases,
and for ali other reasons, her policy has
been against division. This policy has been
so uniform. until within few years, that
attempts have rarely been made to get
d;vision except founded on one OF these
Just and proper causes
How is it with the proposed division OF
the town of Sullivan. Let us examine
ali the facts bearing on this case and see
| five can discover any evidence OF eltner
~ tbese causes. or any other sufficient
cause.
list. It is not in evidence that the loca-
tion of the town in reference TO town
house or post office will in any way be i'm
proyed by the division, for the proposed
line of division is only few rods from
the town house Then it cannot be claimed
that the proposed division will better con-
vene the people.
| ID Neither is there any evidence of
the existence, either in the present or the
| >~---~-~
treatment ON the part of the majority as
against the minority. 1t is not claimed
by the petitioners except in reference TO
| snecjal CONCENTRATIONS for road, which We
will consider later.
! 1t does not appear that the Town OF
Sullivan has been unfair or unjust in its
valuation or taxes imposed on that part OF
the town known as Sorrento. In fact, 1t
x1~<, v,riv, aivNo1
that their property had not been over
valued.
What, then are the claims made by the
petitioners, or their reasons for division
They are, in nut shell, simply these:
1st. That the town has been illiberal-
niggardly-in not making good roads, or,
as they put it, roads good enough Tor
them; and that the town had repeatedly
denied them special appropriations for
their roads.
I'd. That if divided, the proposed new
town would more rapidly develop.
These are their only claims.
These then, are the matters we wish
particularly to discuss; but in order to do
it fairly and thoroughly, we must give a
condensed history Of so much of the town
of Sullivan and also of the new or pro-
posed town of Sorrento as will show how
the town has treated Sorrento and hence
be able to gives some good reason for our
refusal to make all the special appropria-
tions asked for by her.
Sullivan, as a town, is the child, not OF
Maine, but of the general court of Massa-
chusetts, organized in 1889. The State OF
Maine divided the town of Sullivan in
1928, cutting off nearly one-half of the
town, for the very good reason that she
was divided by nature by an indentation
of the bay or Sulliva river, So called;
making it very inconvenient for the peo-
pie to cross The part so cut off took
about one half of the coast sor shore line
which has recently been considered valu-
able to residents of shore towns. The
area of the town of Sullivan now is by
town plan about 1900 acres, little
more than half of township. The pro
posed division will cut off about 1000
acres taking about 10 miles of shore line
leaving to the town about nine miles OF
coast line-taking more than one-half of
the entire shore or water front This, we
claim, is a serious loss to us.
The town in $780, had 1879 inhabitants.
Sorrento has III inhabitants, 35 poll tax
payers, and contains about 5000 acres.
The birth of Sorrento dates from October,
1885, when corporation was formed un-
der the general law, with stock as follows:
80, 600 shares owned by Charles Lewis,
80. 600 by W. d. Lewis, 10000 by John
Shornbor, leaving 10, 900 shares of treasury
stock; making in all 100000. at par
value of SIS per share, or $500, 900 in all
one dollar only paid in
The stock was put ON the Boston stock
board and advanced rapidly in price, run
ming up to SO, $11, and think s12 per
share From the sale of this stock it is
fair to say at least $500, 900 must have
been realized. Though many improve
ments had been made and much money
expended, it must be evident to every one
that small fortune must have been made
by the scheme.
Eventually and at just the right time
for Col. Lewis, the controlling interest in
the stock was sold to the Honorable Frank
Jones and associates, letting the former
owners and orignators entirely out of the
enterprise.
1t is only just to say that the present
company, The Frenchman' Bay 4 Mt.
Desert Land CO., have continued to run
the enterprise and pay all the bills since
said sale, evidently at an annual loss, the
expenditures largely exceeding the re-
ceipts. The company has made and re-
paired it's own private roads, never having
offered them to the town; they have put
in an electric light plant, and kept their
water pipes in order, the latter having
been first laid by Col. Lewis
The question Of gain or loss is no bust |
ness of the town of Sullivan. We only |
wish to show that the town is not respon-
sible for the transaction, and that what |
ever loss may have been sustained should
create no sympathy for the company; or
in manufacturing, on the part of the
corporation, feelings of animosity against |
the town. as if it was in any way respon-
sible for this loss.
We claim to be able to show that the |
town of Sullivan, as a town, and indi-
vidually, had received the enterprise of |
the Frenchman's Bay Co. gratefully, |
cheerfully, and with open arms; that we
made nominal valuation of the improve
ments there, that the taxes were light. and |
that we should not have materially in
creased said valuation had it not been for