The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-10-23

was formerly used for flooring, but lum-
Der from other sections Of the country has
taken It's place. OF the wood used by the
blanchard and Twitchell mill, products
to the extent Of over one hundred cars
month are sent out.
In answer to questions by Mr.. Little
field, Mr.. Dunton expressed the belief
that a competing road would be a good
thing for his business.
| In answer to questions by Gov Cleaves,
Mr.. Dunton said his firm paid SIG freight
for 10000 pounds to Portland and $50 to
Boston. The Portland and Rumford Falls
road was amply able to take care Of the
freight.
Mr.. Charles l.. Mantine, superintendent
of the Rumford Falls and Rangeley Lake
railroad explained that Blanchard and
Twitchell delivered loaded cars on the
main line about seventeen miles from
Rumford Falls. The cars were gathered
by Blanchard & Twitchen with their own
engines and the empties taken away. In
the case of the Rumford Paper company,
this work was done by the Rangeley
for seventeen mile haul for Blanchard
and Twitchen and $3.50 car for a
twenty seven miles haul and the extra
work for the paper company. For a
twenty -four mile haul under the same
conditions as the paper company's for the
Berlin Mills people the rate was $40 a
car A heavy grade increased the work of
handling the logs of the paper company.
MIR. Littlefeld, in his cross-examina.
tion, asked what sums the Rangeley
Lakes road paid the Portland and Rum.
ford Falls road for handling its cars. The
counsel on the other side promptly OBJ
jected. Mr.. Littlefeld said that it was
being urged here that the new road would
| take business from the old. He wanted
these figures as basis for comparison in
showing that his road would help out the
old by paying money to it in the same
manner as the Rangeley Lakes road does.
| The commissioners decided that the
witness might answer if he chose and the
witness declined to answer.
Mr.. George N. Fletcher who has been
associated from the start with the won
derful development of Rumford Falls
was the next witness. He told of the large
investments made here and the growth of
the place. Mr.. Fletcher Ia president of
the power company and related how that
concern has built dams, booms and
bridges and how it has provided the vii
lage with free electricity and water. Mr..
| Fletcher also described the formation of
the paper company and the sulphite com
pany in each of which he was interested.
He did not believe there was business
enough for two roads. AS he expressed
| it, it would be better to have one first
class road than two paupers.
On cross examination, Mr. Fletcher
said he should not want to rely alone on
the Androscoggin valley for the large
amount of lumber required by the paper
and sulphire mills. Mr.. Fletcher said
that he was informed that there are 500,-
600, 900 feet of stumpage on the line of the
proposed Oxford Central road. If the
road is the only way of bringing that
lumber here, the time will come when
such road will be built
Mr.. Fletcher said that he had not given
the matter study, but he should want to
be sure that the new line would not tend
to take the lumber away over the Grand
Trunk instead of bringing 1t in. He did
not think that the time had yet come for
building such railway.
MIR. Fletcher said that he Chisholm.
Emery and Brown were the original
stockholders of the paper company and
that Mr.. Schenck had Keen given $40,
900 in money and land as q bonus for the
formation of the company.
To Gov Cleaves Mr.. Fletcher said.
that it was the intention to extend the
Rangeley Lakes road possibly as far as
| Canada.
Hon. Waldo Pettingill of Rumford
Falls, told how Mr.. Chisholm and Mr.
Charles D. Brown begun the development
of the place, sixteen years ago, buying
real estate from time to time until Mr..
| Fletcher came into the company in $780,
after which the work of constructing the
improvements was began, the power COM
pany being formed for that purpose. The
paper mill was begun in 1892 and the
sulphite m,ll in 1898. In January, 1898,
the lower level canal was ready to receive
the water. The electro-chemical company
came later.
Mr.. Pettengill said that the power COM
pany Of which he is agent, has been
managed by Mr.. Chisholm, the treasurer,
Mr.. Fletcher the president and Mr..
Charles D. Brown. Mr.. Emery has been
president of the paper company and Mr..
| Chisholm was at one time director. Mr..
pettengill said he felt it was due to Mr..
Chisholm to say that he had been gen
erous supporter of the enterprises started
to help the town. When it became neoes.
sary to have bank, Mr.. Chisholm was a
liberal subscriber to its stock. So much
for the town itself. In 1890 another
valuable enterprise was started in the
construction Of the Portland and Rum
ford Falls railway, Mr.. Chisholm having
previously leased In his own name the old
road from Mechanic Falls to Buckteld.