The Somerset reporter., 1907-08-15
Fine Kennebec Water Privileges
Secured.

According to Madison special to
the Kennebec Journal, the Holdings
worth & Whitney Co. is negotiating
with the Great Northern Paper Co.
for the purchase of all the land and
water privileges belonging to the
latter company at Madison, from the
point where the Jones brook, 30
called, flows into the Kennebec river,
south beyond the Norridgewock line.
1t ID understood that a satisfactory
agreement has been reached and it
only remains to prove that the titles
are all clear and perfect to close the
deal.
This sale willN include the massive
cement bulkhead, buildings and exca-
vations where the work was carried
on by the Great Northern in 19O2-'03.
Just what the Hollingsworth Il Whit
ney Co. intends to do is not known
but 1t is not to be expected that 1t
will let piece OF property like this
run to waste. II the work is taken up
at the point where it was left FIVE
years ago and pushed forward this
place will again be the center of one
of the largest business booms in the
state.
The water power in this purchase
extends from the Mitchell Eddy down
| to Bombazeen rips, distance of six
or seven miles and will give several
Thousand horse power. Besides land
on both sides of the river there Ia a
solid wall Of masonry across from the
mainland to Blackwell's island about
$50 feet long, 70 feet high and % feet
broad on top slanting toward the
bottom to a distance of five feet on
each side, making the base nearly
so feet In thickness. All that remains
to be done to put this bulkhead in
shape is fitting the iron work and
putting in the gates. AT the foot of
the island, about 300 yards below the
head gates, is the wheel pit. This is
about 100 feet square and 40 feet deep,
cut from the solid rock. The rock
which is blasted for the building
sites is the best kind in the country
for making the concrete and crushed
rock mason work with which it was
the plan of the other company to
build the foundation and it will not be
a hard job to get the machinery on
the spot ready for work again.
Commenting on the above deal the
Madison Bulletin has the following to
say;
AS soon as the land titles can be
looked up, which will not be long, all
the undeveloped power owned by the
Great Northern Paper Co., from
Jones' brook to the Norridgewock
line, on both sides of the river, will
be transferred to the Hollingsworth &
Whitney Co. of Winslow.
The question seems to be what BEN
eft will this be to Madison? AS far
as The Bulletin can find out it will
help some but nothing commensurate
with the loss that the town has sus-
tanned by the purchase.
If the deal goes through the works
which the Great Northern began will
be completed and fine power plant
put In. 1t is expected that large
part of the power developed here will
be transmitted to Winslow to be used
in the Hollingsworth & Whitney mill
there as they have been short of
power for years. The balance will go
into a ground wood mill here to
supply materialsor the mill in Wins
low.
If there is any extra power it may
be for sale for new industries here.
1t may be that the Hollingsworth 4
Whitney Co. will increase their plant
here in the future. Ii so, good for us,
if not, good bye to the growth which
we have been looking forward to. E