The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-12-20
Down on the Maine Coast
Some Notes of Trip to Searsport and
Stockton springs.
Presque Isle Star-Herald.

tive business to be developer dI tne
new seaport terminal OF the Bangor y
Aroostook Railroad, is at ana around
what is known as Kidders Polnt ana
at Cape Jellison, on the opposite slde OF
The harbor. From Searsport to cape
Jellison there is long sweep 0! coast
line, it being approximately DISTANCE
of eight miles around, following Ine
coast from one point to another, "hiie
from near Searsport on the snore, u
rectly across the bay to Cape Jellison, ~
would be but about two miles. lhls
circular sweep of eight or ten mlies VI
sea shore enclOSes one OF the nhesI MAI
bors on the Atlantic coast, the natural
advantages of the contiguration of the
coast line from Cape Jellison around to
the mainland opposite the cutermost
noint of the Cape. being still further
enhanced by what is known as Sears
Island. whose bulk closes the harbor to
a comparatively narrow, though deep
and free passage way, on the Cape Jelll-
son side.
Doubtless for many years the harDor
advantages of this locality have been
casually noted and specialized upon, but
it's utilization as a seaport for reaching
the markets of the world more easily
and cheaply with the products OF
Names great Northern County, was
not dreamed of until the discovery was
made by President Cram OF the Bangor
and Aroostook Railroad.
So MANY other things of an Industrial
sort practically created as adJuncts TO
the original enterprise OF building a
railroad into Aroostook attest by their
success the soundness of Mr.. Grams
Judgment. and his positive genius IN the
wav of business foresight, that those
ACQUAINTED with his record OF achieve
ment naturally conclude that the Stock
ton Springs terminal has very good rea-
son for being. and that it will ultimate
ly yindicate the claims made for 1T by
those responsible for the enterprise.
One thing is sure, that down at Stock
ton there is more evidence OF bold cour-
age in stalking the investment OF mill
lions without stint on the chances OF
success of venture in the way purely
experimental, than can be found In
connection with any other large under
taking in the history of Maine. Many
another man, after the suggestion OF
Stockton harhor's possibilities as re-
lated to the commerce OF Northern
Maine had been pointed out TO MN,
might upon reflection have acknoWl-
edged the possibilities even the PROB
abilities-in the way of development.
But it is safe to say that not another
man except the author of this large en-
terprise would have clearly enough ap-
pretended the situation and conditions
to have felt authorized to enlist in the
project. on such a scale, the money OF
his financial hackers.
EVERYTHING at the Stockton Springs
terminal in the way of industrial prep
aration is in scale of gigantic magnl-
tude. This is true of the great coal
pockets at Mack's Point, true of the
splendid pier at kidder's Point, design
ed to take care of prospective mlscella-
neous freight shipments and passenger
traffic, of the building on the wharf IN
which the officials who have the man
aeement of affairs are housed, ana eS-
pecially true of what has been planned
and carried out on the Cape Johnson
SIDE. The piers on this side already
represent nearly or quite as much
wharfage room as exists today IN the
mort of Bangor. Over these great
wharves is destined to pass for transfer
from rail to vessel transportation
practically all the lumber output OF the
larger mills of northern Maine. This
freight is already something immense
in magnitude, perhaps IS per cent OF
tie lumber cut which, i'll past years,
was fioated down the st. John and
Aroostook to foreign market, now
going through mills erected on the
waterway tapped by the Bangor X
Arook took in Northern Maine, and
finding an outlet by way OF the new
terminal. To this vast product is added
the tribute of scores of industries, III
Guiding the colossal pulp and paper
plant at MilIicocket, which have sprung
tp along the line of the new railroad.
If any one will stop for a moment
and take an inventory of this traffic the
aggregate reached will be likely to coii-
vince him that even if all the agrlcul,
tural products of Aroostook are left
out of consideration Stockton Springs
is not likely to be out Of a job in the
years to come.
Asa sequence of the opening of THIS
new seaport outlet the immense lum-
Der pulp and kindred Industries of
Northern Maine are already being slim
Mated to larger and more continuous
activity From the immense saw mill
at Van Buren, down all the various
plants, except, perhaps, the minor ones
which market their output at interior
points all-rail, are now planning to run
continuously, a change due to the &C
QUESTION in Stockton Springs Of an all
the wear round outlet for their products.
AS further sequence of Stockton the
Great Northern Paper Company is
building two more big mills, supple
mented by wharfage room of its own at
the new terminal commensurate with
the demands of its immense freight
traffic outward and inward These
whose attention is absorbed by their
more direct connection with the agri-
cultural interest of our County possibly
may have lost sight of the magnitude
of these other industries, created al
most wholly by the railroad, and multi
piled many fold by every new enter
prise of expansion it has undertaken.
AS the railroad has developed they
have been developed, until Aroostook
now leads all New England in the ex-
tent of industries of this sort, and yet
has only begun to realize It's posSlblll-
ties of industrial expansion.
Nothing could be more vital to this
future expansion up to the limit OF
possibility than the opening of the new
seaport terminal The launching of
this new enterprise merely registers
the point in the industrial history of
Northern Maine when great and pro-
,ductive section of country, having
reached the limit of development
through present means of transpOrta-
ton, breaks through its limitations,