Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-03

during the summer months, and the
Maine brick makers have found the
business profitable.
1T has remained, however, for a
man in Knox county to give the brick
business in Maine a start which is one
of the most interesting features in the
industrial world. This man is E. D.
Carleton, a resident of Thomaston and
a student of mineralogy. While quiet
ly conducting Investigations near his
home, he made discoveries which will
prove of great commercial value to his
native town. AS a result of his dis
coveries, a very fancy price has been
paid for some land on the shore of Mill
creek in the town of Thomaston, just
where that little stream empties into
the Georges river. This land was new
er regarded as of any particular value
and in no wise better or worse than
any amount of land in nearby pastures.
For ordinary farming purposes, the
land is no better, but in it's sloping
hillsides Nature stored away a pecu-
liar and superior quality of clay. And
now that Natures secret has been dis
covered by Mr.. Carleton, half a hum
bred men will find lucrative employ
ment the year around, and Thomaston
brick may become as much sought in
the market as Knox county lime"
Concerning the lime business the re-
port says:
Figures showing the production OF
lime by the various companies for the
last few years would be of little avail
at the present time, for the conSolida-
ton of so many of the large lime
burning concerns, which took place In
1900, has greatly changed the COM
merical aspect of the Maine field. Con-
ditions are now shaping themselves in
permanent form, but it is too early
yet to deal with new conditions which
have arisen as a result of this COM
Lination of the larger interests. This
combination is Incorporated under the
laws of Maine as The Rockland- Rock
port Lime Company, and produces
the larger part of all the lime that is
shipped from Knox county. 1t has
plants in four towns and by it's large
available capital is able to meet the
most advanced demands of the New
York building trades. Many of the in
diyidual firms, prior to the consolida-
ton, saw the need of greater capital
in order to keep abreast the times, and
ia a combination which would inter-
est large financial interests they saw
the solution of the problem. 1t wa
thus that the new company came into
existence, merging many of the lead
ing firms. In Rockland, Rockport,
Thomaston and Warren there are
large plants which are operated indie
pendently and with gratifying financial
results to the men that are behind
them. New firms have been coming
into existence from time to time and
some of the old firms have been retir-
ing from the field, so that for two years
past the business has been in very
unsettled condition, and it will be sew
erai years before these conditions will
be likely to adapt themselves to a per-
manent basis. Not until then viii it
be possible to get reliable figures that
will show how large a percentage of
the total business is to be done by the
Rockiand- Rockport Lime Company.
In the production of hydrated lime,
this company has no competitor in
Maine and is not likely to have, for
the installation of this plant has cost
many thousands of dollars. The com
pany now has a finishing plant in New
York, on its own wharves, and will
shortly make like entry into the Bos-
ton market. When all the changes
now in contemplation by this concern
nave been made, it's managers expect
that their output will be double what it
is today.