New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-24
UoUNS IRE FR4CTIOUS.
often Refuse to Take Root Where
Thcu 4re Planted.

C.ne Breton Coal, Iron and Railway Com
tle "a ont II, the forest wlds of the island !
= zane Breton. part Of Nova Scotia. furnish
y ture+ration Of the difficulty OF making town
~ ,ust where it is wanted to-
- che purchase Of the Broughton areas in
,ao. bv an English syndicate work was started
oh vim. Large gangs Of men were employed
,,covering the coal veins and in other prelimi-
- work about the mine Houses went UP If
- magic and The nucleus Of permanent pop
riq+jon had been established. when suddenly
and without the slightest warning orders were
r+ven to close down everything. Operations
.eased and gradually those who had taken up
their residence in the little mushroom town in
the woods, realizing that the boom had busted"
hacked UP and left it for more remunerative
fields To-day there are not more than sixty
people In the town.
one Of the two hotels that were erected the
Crown. was intended for the workingmen. and
the other. the Broughton Arms for the officials
and transient guests The Broughton Arms in
Iuxuriance 4 equipment is unsurpassed in the
Maritime Provinces Of Canada L strongly re-
sembles at old English tavern Of the eighteenth
century. The floors are hard wood, and in the
trim black walnut predominates. Rich pile car
pets cover me floor. and rare ornaments from
London and Paris a6orn the walls. There is a
telephone IN every room, and the furniture is OF
th- best A manager was imported from New
York 10 run the hotel. an excellent chef took
charge Of the culinary department and for
Ine everything went We'll
The company. however. soon began to encoun-
tfr difficulties Il planned TO ship its coal
-ver ne sydney & Louisburg Railway 10 either
sydney or Louisburg. and 4 track laid to
connect with the Sydney Louisburs line.
'ut when the track had been laid il was dscov-
red that the Dominion Coal Company which
WINS the Sydney & Louisburg Railway, wouldn't
Low the new company to use it Undaunted.
the men behind il set about to construct line
o. their own from Broughton TO Sydney and
from Broughton TO Louisburg. Surveys were
made. and. as il was found that it would be
much more expensive undertaking than at first
anticipated. the Nova Scotian government was
approached for a subsidy. This was never
granted
Other signs OF hard times then began to ap-
pear The staff was cut down and the general
manager and chief engineer resigned II was
announced that President Mayhem was going TO
manage The company himself. and he came out
from England TO direct operations. After few
months he went back TO the old country. leav-
ing his son in charge. This was the last he was
ever 10 see Of that son. for few months later
the young man cut his throat in a lonely farm
house near the scene Of the company's opera
tons Why he did the deed may never be
known. He took his secret with him TO the
grave. but the general impression was that the
company's trouble had sonnet hing to do with It
The suicide OF young Mayhem was the last
blow TO bring Broughton's troubles to q cuI-
ulination. Disheartened by his sons sad ending.
Horace Mayhem, ST, reInquished all his inter
in the Broughton Arms moved 10 Sydney, and
that hotel and the Crown were closed and now
stand empty. representing between them 10000
practically thrown away.
No longer is the little church filed as former
Iy. Only q few persons attend the services there
now This church is perhaps unique in Amer
ica in That il is finished inside with birch bark.
TIE walls and altar are covered with this. and
the seats are made Of birch poles with the bark
still aftached- The contrast between the dun
gray NJ the bark and the heavy brass cross and
anllesticks presented TO the church by various
lernbers Of the Broughton company is striking.
Thomas Il. Quinn. OF Worcester, Mass. q
-eaIer in secondhand machinery. recently pur-
ehased Tor the sum OF $4,925 practically the en-
lre village Of WIIkinsonviHe, situated on old
blackstone River. about a dozen miles from
Forester The village was sold at public auc-
n. ordered by the trustees Of the Slater es-
ate, formerly well known IN mill circles
throughout the country.