Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-04-24
SOUTH GARDINER.
BUSY WARD 6.
South Gardiner Booming Everyone Busy and
More industries Rumored.

"Th" one great trouble with the settle
mcnt is the lack of working people. ="
said one prominent business man. Sat
urday afternoon. to the Journal report
cr. who strayed To the busy section Of
the city Of Gardiner. We have positions
that 20 begging 80 far as the real cit
liens Of the Old sixth ward are con-
ccrncd. Here is one industry ana il is
a good one. too. that has to send away
for its help. all because it has to do
this in order 10 secure men who vii!
work the year around at the business
and rot leave to go to other places"
Il certainly is a busy settlement. this
one called South Gardiner, which is
really Ward Of the city Of Gardiner.
To visit the place one would imagine
he was in a country town as ii has
every appearance with the exception
of the lack of the drowsiness. Every
thing is in a hustle here and the whirr
of the saw mill is heard from morning
until night. Occasionally the inhab
tants will pause from their seemingly
endless toll to the see the "Kennebec"
as she goes by ploughing the broad
waters Of the river for which she is
named or see the schooners and tug
boats that ply up and down the river.
for South Gardiner is a settlement that
lies on the very banks Of the Kennebec.
occupying a narrow strip of land about
one mile long.
Great ice houses throw their shadows
upon the people, but there is no shad-
ow on the industry of the people. Fur
thermore the outlook for the coming
year is GOOD, SO far as can be seen
though there is rumor that the pulp
mill has no logs coming down the river
and will close for a time after the
present supply is exhausted This will
not be permanent as it is hoped that
it Will again soon be started.
The Journal man called first at the
mills of the South Gardiner Lumber
Co., the very northern mill of all. This
is operated by Messrs. j. w. Parker
and ID. Longfellow. both of whom are
well known in the lumber world as
hustlers and ali round good fellows.
This company started its mills. last
week, after having had their usual
winter shut down. Every one knows
now bright the lumber market is Just
at present though of course there is no
telling what may strike ii later on in
the year. as the summer may bring
about reduction, but all are hoping
not. There are 125 men employed
about this mill, the average pay being
from $125 To 81 a day. so it can be
seen that with the eight or nine months
Of work in the saving of the l6, 900. 900
feet of lumber with which the com
pany is accredited with having on the
way from the north woods, it will leave
quite a few prices Of loaves Of bread
Tor the people to eat.
Next in line comes the sulphtc paper
mill of the Richards Paper Co, Of
which Mr.. Harry Richards is the man
ager. The mill has a capacity of about
80 tons of sulphite paper a day and at
the present time there are 40 hands
employed in converting the spruce logs
into pulp which is later shipped away
to make the paper. The yearly output
in the number Of logs used in this
plant is over 5000, 900 feet.
Though it is stated that this com
pany has no logs coming down the
river. there is a hope that there will |
not be long shut down. Mr.. Rich