Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-25
Many Plans for Pros
perity Of Rock|and.
Graniie Cutting Plant, Cement
Works and Sardine Factory.
All Of These Enterprises Expected
To Be in Operation in 1910.

1SOckldnu. Nc. DEC. lf.--(opeCIdAj.-
Things are booming just now in the
shire town ofSKnox county. Not only
will new granite cutting plant and
a sardine packing establishment go
into operations. the coming year, but
plans are onyfoot and several farms
in Rockland and Thomaston have been
purchased containing deposits of lime
. rock and clay looking towards the
establishment in Rockland of a GEM
ent plant. which will employ between
600 and 700 hands. If these plans are
all fully carried out there is likely to
be a material increase in the popula-
ton of this thriving Maine city with
in the next two or three years.
The new sardine factory which is to
be erected by the Eastern Construc-
ton Co. of Boston for the North Luz
bee Canning Co. will be entirely of
concrete except the doors and WIN
dows. Work upon it was begun this
season, but it will not be completed
until spring. The plant equipped will
cost in the neighborhood of $50 900
cases of sardines. AS is usual with
such plants it will be run about five
months in the year The building of
this factory marks the first extensive
attempt at canning sardnes in West
PenoDscot bay. The sardine and her
ring catch in this part of the bay is
excellent however and the establish
ment of the new industry will be well
coined by the fishermen as well as by
those who will be employed in caring
for the pack
The Rockland Granite Co has al
ready built a plant for the cutting of
granite at the South End upon the
Gilchrest shipyard property and land
adjoining, which will be in operation
the coming spring. The Arthur Nc
Mullen Co, the concern most inter-
csted in the new plant, has purchased
st. Helena Island near Stonington
and will open quarries there, the stone
from which will be cut at Rockland
and give employment to large num-
Der of skilled stoneWorkers. RockIand
mas been selected for the location of
this stone cutting plant because it will
lie easier to keep workmen with fam
lilies there where school privileges are
good than at the islands, where the
schools are not so good and other adj
vant2ges are lacking. In this con-
nectlon it may be said that Rockland
has Il larger number OF children of
school age attending school in pro
portion to it's population than any
other city in Maine. In addition to
the granite cutting sheds at the South
End a big wharf has been built and
a. spur track put in connecting the
plant with the Maine Central Railroad
in order that easy shipments may be
made of the product.
The new industry which will mean
the most for Rockland. however, is
the new cement plant. in which New
York capital is interested and which
is To be located to the south Of the
granite cutting establishment. No
section in Maine has such excellent
deposits OF both limerick and clay
the essentials in making cement. and
this the promoters of tn" project were
rot slow in realizing. Already the
company has invested $4,000 III pur
chasing farms and Quarries contain
Ing deposits of limerick and clay and
located in Thomaston and Rockland.
The land purchased includes among
other properties the SilaS McLnon
quarry in Thomaston, the Charles Till
son farm and a portion OF that owned
by Frank Morse. both of which are
located in Thomaston.
\ railroad is to be built to trans
port the material from the limerick
qrarries and clay fields in Thomaston.
the outlying portions of Rockland and
other nearby localities to the manu-
featuring plant at the South End.
The 14th Legislature incorporated in
connection with this portion of the
enterprise the "R & Z Cement Rail
road" The :ncorporators named in
the act of the Legislature are Charles
III. Berry. Alfred S. Black. Edward
b. MacAllister. Serene Il. Kimball
and Henry y. Wise. The company
is given the right to locate. construct.
equip and maintain. operate or lease
railroad from some point in Rock
land or Thomaston in the county of
Knox, through Thomaston, Rocklanu.
South Thomaston or st. George by
such route as the directors of said