Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-04-13
rILbAsB WIrHoUr 4 rorE.
Hastings, New Hampshire, Has So Existed
for Many Generations.


for Many Generations.
Boston Globe.
Hastings is little village seated
amid the White Mountains on the
boundary between Maine and New
iampshire, and is the most unique in
New England, perhaps in the civilized
world.
1t contains 800 inhabitants within
the village proper, with as many more
at work cutting and hauling lumber to
the village from the slopes of the sur
rounding mountains. 1t has two large
manufacturing industries. large store
and boardinghouses, 26 residences,
postofiice, electric plant lighting
streets, store, &c. railroad, telephone,
fine school, religious societies and SER
vices, excellent water system and sewer
age-in short, as modern conveniences
as any village of its size in New Eng
land. Yet it is neither city, town,
plantation or even an Incorporated
place. 1t is nothing.
Its inhabitants pay no taxes of any
sort Babies have been born here, have
grown TO manhood, and become heads
of families, and never known what it
was to pay one cent of taxes.
There is, of course, wild land tax
and a State tax on the mill property,
but these are paid by non-residents,
and are something with which the in
habitants have nothing TO do. TN the
other hand, no inhabitant can vote.
They are, us rule, well educated, the
| daily papers have large circulation
here, the people are well posted in cur
rent events.
| Yet here, in the very heart Of New
| England, is community who have nc
more voice or influence in national,
State, county or town affairs than
though they lived in the heart of Rus
sia. Here ARE gray haired American
citizens who have never cast ballot,
and cannot so long as they live here.
1t is the most cosmopolitan village In
New England. Every nation on earth
is or has been represented here.
The most remarkable thing about this
most remarkable place is the entire alb
sence of crime Notwithstanding thi!
heterogeneous population, there are M
| police, not even constable. There wa:
Il sort of constable here, hut his com
mission expired about year ago, ant
his duties had been so light he did no
consider it worth his while to renew it
Here is the only village in the Unitet
States TO which there is no carriag,
road. The only means of transportation
to or from the outside world is by /
railroad. This railroad starts a
Gilead, and follows the valley of tn,
Wild River along route SO narrow tina
in many places there is barely room TO
the rails. On every other side of th,
village are mountains so steep that evel
n footman can climb their sides onl
with difficulty, and so high that tn
sun is visible only part of the day.
When this railroad was first built
few persons ventured to drive a car
riage over the ties. But it proved 8
difficult and dangerous that this metho
of reaching the village has been aban
doned.
This railroad is one of the wonder
of New England. 1t penetrates IA mile
into one of the widest defles of tn
White Mountains. A ride upon it
new experience, even to the travele
who has visited every country upon tn
globe. You follow the sinuous Will
River, whirling around curves of 40 dt
grees, where it seems impossible for
train to GO: you climb the sides c
mountains at an elevation of 400 fee
to the mile, where a horse could scarcel
60, and could not haul load; 20
. shoot down declivities, which are almo'
precipices, where q break in u
! machinery means death. Once the trai
did run away, and was smashed, xii
ing the trainmen. 1t is freight roat
not usually taking passengers.
Here was the first successful exper
ment of hauling logs by rail upon
large scale in New England, and upo
this road was used the first paten
geared locomotive for mountain climl
ing in the East.
n Tho school is another unique featur
The schoolhouse was built in 1892
the two companies who operate her
and the teacher is paid by contrib
:, tion from each workman of 10 cents
!, month. This is taken from each. man
. wages each pay day, and is enough
% pay for about 80 weeks of school yea
This term there are 81 pupils.
70 This territory was granted to Richa
Batcheldor by the State OF Massach
/ sets about 100 years ago.
= Forty years ago G. A Hastings
y Bethel. and ID. K. Hastings of Fry
:. burg, bought 10000 acres here, praci
~ cally the whole region. In 1891 tn
q sold the right of way through their tt
:" ritory, the mill site at the village, al
20 acres to the Wild River Lumber c
- - of Island Pond, Vt. This compal
z purchased, at the same time, 40,C
= acres of timber in Beams Purcha!
- just across tho New Hampshire line.
They put in the big steam mill, sto
u most of the houses, the electric S.
tenn, water system, sewers, &c. I'll
cut their timber at Beams Purchai
and haul it by rail to their steam N
Ut here, which saws Is, 600 feet a day VII
run to its full capacity.
n Carl Storrs may be termed the fail
of the settlement, as he holds eve
i'll public Office SO satisfactory that
other man has been thought of in CO
ed nection with the positions.
He is the company's agent, boz
mr. keeper, paymaster, trial justice, pc
", master, police, &c.