The Republican journal., 1906-09-20
The N. M. Seaport R. R. Terminal.
Something Doing at Cape Jellison, Kidder's s
Point and Mack's Point.

something DOlng at cape JelllSon, AlooeI
Point and Mack's Point.
The fine weather last Sunday, and the
general opinion that this would be the last
chance for an excursion to the terminal of
the Northern Maine Seaport railway. caused
the steam er Castne to be loaded to her full
capacity when she swung away from Lewis
wharf at / p. m. and headed for Stockton
Springs. 1t was noted that although fresh
southerly breeze was blowing the slOops
Mallard,- Edna, Fiona and Glide, the only
survivors of our sailing pleasure fieet,swung
idly at their mooring sand not a sail was
seen in the bay A few years ago its waters
would have been dotted with sailing craft.
In entering Stockton harbor the Castlne
overhauled the two-maSted schooner Mil
dred May, running i'll winged out, and the
nautical experts commented on her fine
model 1t could not be determined whether
she was new vessel or newly painted In
the government list we find the schooner
Mildred May, 80 tons net, built at Brooks
vile in 1896 and hailing from Castine. This
schooner hailed from Bluehill, but may have
changed her hailing port. The Castlne made
a landing inside the big pier and alongside
the bulkhead. In the dock was the schooner
L. A. Plummer, schooner hailing from
Richmond, Va, a nondescript looking craft
hailing from New Bedford and decided to
be "a canal boat turned coaster, the Belfast
schooner Flora Condor, and others, ana
alongside the potato dock was Parrsboro,
n S., schooner loaded with pilng. On land
ing the big potato warehouse was the OBJ
iective point with many, and their I'M
pressions and the statistics gathered OF the
structure were interesting, if the latter were
somewhat conflicting. The present building
was said to be 600 feet long and is still grow
ing at the shore end, but some doubted the
statement that it is to be 1,60O feet long
when completed. The building is said to
have cost to date $4,000, to have required
100000 feet of lumber, but as to the num-
Der of tons of nails used memory was
at fault. The cold is to be kept out by
double outer covering on roof and walls OF
boards, felt and roofing paper, and the bins
of 1900 barrels capacity are separated by
corridors. The potatoes are to be taken
HUM Uut Gals dhu PitaSCu III pAS o'AS ~
machinery, using belt and bucket arrange
ment, and will be taken from the bins in
like manner and deposited in bags in the
front part of the building, where they will
be sewed up by hand and are then ready for
shipment The pier built for the potato
business is nearly if not quite as large as
the big Cape Jellison pier, which has al
TO to the do
mands of the lumber trade. At the shore
end of the potato pier bulkhead is IN
course of construction and they are filling
in behind it to give additional yard room.
This big pier and big potato house have
grown up this summer, as if by magic, and
in other directions much work is going on
and evidences of d large and growing bus-
ness are seen on every hand. The transfor-
nation III this vicinity in the past two years
is really wonderful. AT p. m., the Castlne
steamed out of the dock, went over to Kid
der's Point to give the excursionlSts view
of the passenger wharf, then out around
Sears Island and up to Mack's Point for d
view of the coal wharf and pockets. One
big schooner had just finished discharging
and two tugs one on each side, had hold OF
a big fve-master which they were about to
dock. When the wharf at Mack's Point
was built it looked like an enormous struc-
ture Now with the big craft which come
here to discharge it seems dwarted and will
no doubt be extended another season.
The Castine landed her passengers at $50
p m.
When work was begun on the big piers at
Cape Jelison, Kidder's Point and Mack's
Point many wondered where the business
was coming from to warrant their construc-
ton. Few realized then, and many do not
realize now, the amount Of business that
must come to the tide water here from the
great, and as yet only partially developed,
county of Aroostook-a county nearly as
large as the State of Massachusetts, with
thousands of acres of fertile soil and valu-
able forests. Piscataquis county also con-
tributes largely to the business and reve-
nues of the Bangor IL Aroostook and its
seaport branch, both in inward and out
ward freight. The coal dock at Mack's
Point has already shown that it was need
ed. There has hardly been day since it
was completed when one or more vessels
were not discharging there and often with
others awaiting their turn. The lumber
dock on Cape Jellison has not been ade-
quate to the demands upon it, and part OF
the lumber shipments have been transfer
red to Kidder's Point In addition to these
piers a big wharf and store house for
handling potatoes has been built this sea-
SON. The Kidder's Point wharf, intended
for passenger wharf, has not been put to
that use, but no doubt will be another sea-
son. One steamboat man thinks that when
the big new turbine steamers of the East
eTn Steamship Company are ready to go on
the Bangor division kidder's Point may be
made the eastern terminus and the freight
and passengers for up river be forwarded
by rail or by smaller steamer. 1t is well
known that the present steamers often find
it difficult to turn at Bangor, and that there
are shoal places in the river. BY stopping
at Kidder's Point many hours time would
be saved and much difficult navigation
avoided and it would be an open winter
port OF course no one knows what the in