The Republican journal., 1904-02-11

last ten crops of potatoes raised in AroOs-
TOOK county the Bangor & Aroostook r. r.
has transported the following quantities:
SrOp OF 1874. 4................1 1876, ,929 bushels
crop OF lS95... 1856, ,267 bushels
crop VI 1880. 2,37l.S4 bushels
crop y! 1897. 7..............1,2 ,291 ,175 bushels
Crop of 1898. 567, ,SOS bushels
crop VI l6.9.. ............ :, 1874. .672 bushels
crop VI l9UU.. ,043, ,S79 bushels
crop 0! 1901. ............... 4 Al 1888 bushels
SIop Vi l90Z. ..... 3, 1O2, ,466 bushels
Crop of 1903 Ito date). 1884, $40 bushels
Total. ................... q, 534, ,756 bushels
This great quantity of potatoes, at the
usual rate of $50 bushels to car, the cars
averaging "a feet in length, would make a
train about 800 miles long, not taking the
locomotives into account, and at the aver
age price of ST barrel 1.-TWO bushels and
three pecks to the barrel) has yielded to the
farmers of Aroostook 1925, ,3366-almost a
million dollars year.
The Bangor & Aroostook does not, how
ever, depend upon the remarkable crops of
potatoes and hay grown in Aroostook coun-
ty, but in recent years has sought to build
and the incidental products, pulp and pa
per. Already large number of big saw
mills are located along the more recently
constructed lines, the Van Buren, extension
and the Fish River road, and the field is by
no means developed to it's full capacity At
Van Buren, the St. John Lumber Company
of which c. A. Milliken of Augusta is the
head, plans to saw between 25,0O0,OO0 and
100000 feet of lumber next season and it
is announced that within twelve months it
is expected that pulp mill will be erected
to be supplied largely from waste OF the
mill.
The ultimate scheme of President Cram
OF the b. d A. is to have every log cut in
the Maine forest on the tributaries of the
st. John river manufactured in Maine and
shipped from this State. Now some 2OO,-
ooo,000 or so feet are annually driven down
the st. John river to be sawed into timber
at the mills along the river, principally at
st, John. This can be done, Mr.. Cram CON
tends, by running the Bangor & Aroostook
rails 70 open water at all seasons of the
the year, such as is proposed in carving
out Of the project Just announced
In inward freights coal will be an impor-
tant item. The B & A. has for some wears
experienced considerable difficulty in get
ting in all the coal it needed for it's own
system, as well as that for its customers,
within the time when the river at Bangor
remains open. Last year large cargo had
to De handled at Portland at considerable
expense and inconvenience to both the B. &
A. and the Maine Central There are many
places in Aroostook where it is more profit
able to use coal than wood and with better
facilities for obtaining it the consumption
will be largely increased. At the proposed
terminal extensive facilities for receiving
and transporting coal will be put in. Pro-
vision will also be made for piling and stor-
ing lumber, and large docks will be con-
structed 50 that many vessels can be loaded
at the same time. Spool wood, shocks and
pulp win be included in the shipments.
The moving spirit in this enterprise is F.
w. Cram, one of the best railroad men in
this country. and who might have had a
wider field for his energies, but preferred
to devote himself to developing the Pine
Tree State. He began his railroad career
in a minor capacity ON the old European
u North American railway and in COM
paratively short time rose to be it's general
manager. He left that position for the Ban
gor 4 AroOstook, which is largely his Gre
alton. He was for some time its general
manager and is now the President, but CON-
bined with that Office his former duties.
Recently MI. George NJ. Houghtou of Ban
gor was advanced from traffic manager to
general manager to relieve Mr.. Cram Of
some OF his duties that he might take hold
OF this new enterprise. He is hustler, and
the work of construction will not only be
done quickly but will be we'll done.
The Municipal officers of Belfast have re.
celved notice of the hearing before the Rail.
road Commissioners to be held in Bangor,
Tuesday. March sth, at 10 a. m. The city
Will send a. representative to the meeting.