The Portland daily press., 1898-08-29

manufacture of chairs. The big mill now
standing was the property of the Indur-
ated Fibre Company which made articles
of paper pulp here until their business
was removed to New York. AS is well
known the Fibre company controlled aathe
water power and two years ago Mr.. Je. sc
Peterson, its manager, made determined
effort to secure FROM the legislature the
privilege of bringing electricity 90 Port
land for lighting and manufacturing
purposes. The state law forbids the en-
trance of a new company into territory
occupied by an existing concern with
out the consent Of the latter, 60 without
legis lation Mr.. Peterson could not enter
Portland unless he could obtain the per.
mission of the Consolidated Electric
Light company. After spirited contest
before the legislature Mr.. Peterson failed
to secure the Legislation he desired and
that was supposed to be the end of the
matter, but the gentlemen interested kept
right on saving wood. A new company
known as the Sebago Power company was
organized and an old company was &C.
quired and madea part of the enterprise
in order TO get over the obstacles present.
ed by the statutes. The state law applied
to new companies but it did not bar out
company in existence at the time of its
passage and there was such company in
Portland for when electric lighting was
still in its infancy. Messrs. A. @. Schlot.
terbeck M. G. Palmer and others had
organized the Portland Electric Light
company which for some time did bust
ness here. 1t later gave up active opera
tions but the organization was kept alive.
The promoters of the Great Fails enter
prise were quick to seize the advantage
which the ownership of this company
would give them and with the control
of it they claimed that they had acquired
the right which they were seeking to en-
ter TIL, CITY of Portland. Newspaper readers
in Portland smiled as they read of what
had besn done, and then as the months
passed and they heard no more Of the
matter they forgot it, hut the scheme was
not abandoned and now it..has been car
rlied to point when the wires will soon
extend from Great Falls to the limits Of
Portland and the power plant will be
ready to supply electricity to Portland
consumers. This will be done by the
Cumberland Illuminating company.
The plans of the Sebago Power COM
pany are very extensive. They contem-
plate the erection of new dam at Great
Falls fourteen feet higher than the pres
ent and the cutting of a canal through a
neighboring hill so that the water from
above the new dam would flow through
this canal to a point half a mile below
the falls, passing two other water powers
on tho way and giving total fall OF over
60 feet. The power house would be erect
ed at the foot of the canal, where 1t
would have the benefit of the full force OF
the water. Above the new dam the river
would be raised so that large expanse OF
tho country along it's banks would be
flooded and the mill privilege seen in the
distance up stream from the tridge would
be wiped out, the water rising to point
50 high that the fall there would disap-
pear. In preparation for these proposed
Liberties with the face of nature the Sc
bago company has already acquired the
property which will be flooded. This in
cludes q number Of houses along the
river. The immensely Of the power to be