The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-26
STATE TOPICS OF INTEREST,"

STATE TOPICS OF INTEREST,"
The Spanish war seems to be blowing
good LUCK to the Kittery, Portsmouth ago
York Railroad Company, Mr.: l. Y.
Libby of that line being Responsible LOT
the statement that since the spanish
prisoners have been at Kittery the earn
1ngs Of his road have gone up TO nearly
$1,000 day, the increase being caused ~
people who want to get glimpse OF Ghe
prisoners. THE government IS very
strict about letting anyone on the lsiano,
says MT. Libby; "the cars and boats OF
our lines which pass there are not allowed
TO come to q standstill near, but they 90
run mighty slow as they go alon 6 there
and give the passengers all the show Shere
is to get glimpse at the prisoners.
The Governor and Council will meet
Wednesday afternoon at p. M. and 1t
promises to be an interesting meeting,
as there are three pardon hearings as
signed for that date. Whether all will be
presented, remains to be seen. The three
| applications for pardon are those of Levi
| Frost, George Fl. Campbell and Mary
Cowan. Levi Frost Of Bethel is now
| serving year. sentence in the Auburn
Jail for breaking and entering, and steal
ing liquor. The petitioners state that
his father has just died. and has left an
aged widow 80 years old and the son is
needed to suppcr5 the mother. George II.
| Campbell was convicted with one Charles
A. Sawyer of brutally assaulting and
robbing Moses @. Frost of Winthrop,
which at the time caused such horror
| in the state. On the 3rd day of January,
| 1889, be was sentenced to be punished by
| imprisonment and confinement at hard
| labor in the State prison, for the term
of his natural life The third petitioner is
Mary Cowan, the woman convicted Of
murder in the first degree at the Febru-
airy term of the Penobscot supreme court
| in the state prison on February IS 1896
| 1t will be remembered that she was con-
| victed of poisoning her child Willie, on
| the 10th of September, 1894 Her health
| is said to he failing, and as the physician
states she has an incurable disease, she
| asks to be allowed to return to her home
| in Dixmont to die.
This Is one of the busiest times of the
year at the insurance department, barring
of course the time when the annual re-
port is being compiled. This is the
month when the returns from the agents
are coming in, when they wish to have
their licenses renewed. One insurance
company that has been doing business
| in the state has reinsured it patropsin an
othbr company, and has ceased to do bust
Norwood Insurance Co.. and it has rein
sured in the Providence Washington In
surance Company.
Returns which have been received at
the office of the state assessors from the
| town assessors show that the business of
the state is in good condition. In fact,
| it can be said that there is generally a
more hopeful feeling than there has been
| for some time. This is seen in the farm
| ing community and among the real estate
owners in particular. There is a brighter
outlook than there vas last year. The
valuation of the state is growing every
| year and the growth of the state, while
not rapid, is sure and healthy.
The state assessors this year are making
| the valuation of the timber lands of the
state, and they are finding the same
| trouble as in former years to arrive at
correct valuation. The1 owners, as well
as the assessors, have to depend in meas
ure upon information which is furnished
| by explorers. The need of more legisla.
| ton in the matter of obtaining better
! idea of the value of the timber lands is
| felt, and it is probable that the Legisla-
ture which will meet the coming winter
| will pass some laws along that line.
! The value of timber lands has greatly
changed within few years, and town
ships which few years ago were worth
only small price are now valuable. The
| building of the Bangor and Aroostook,
| the Rumford Falls and the Rangeley
Lake and other railroads has given a great
boom to Der lands in those sections of
the state. These roads have made it posi-
BILE TO get lumber to the markets without
the great expense of driving the logs by
water, which was only done at large ex-
pense and made profits almost an i'm
possibility.