Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-22

ice house instead of on the roof, and
that there was no negligence on the
part of the South Gardiner Lumber Co.
William ID. Haley of South Gardiner
called by the defence, testified that he
trussed up TIE ice house at South Car
diner in 1905 or 1906. The houses had
settled considerably at that time. Gin
ders in the ice house from the pulp
mill injured it's quality. Mr.. Haley tes
!ified that the stable and dwelling
house together We're worth about Sl400.
Attorney Heselton-"Were the walls
m the south ice houses worth.ess?''
Witness--I wouldn't say exactly
hat They We're in poor condition.
w. D. Haley was again placed on the
stand for a few moments at the OPEN
ing of the afternoon session. Attorney
Heselton asked Mr.. Haley of there
would have been much value to the
lumber in the ice house if it had been
sorn down. Not much" replied Mr..
Haley.
+ George N. Johnson of the Gardiner
Board of Assessors was the next wit
ness. Attorney Heselton read to AS
SCISSOR Johnson a schedule presented
giving the valuation of the Gardiner
affice property, South Gardiner houses
and the estimate shore property for
1906 ard 1907 as $4,000. Mr.. johnson tes-
lifted that this schedule came to his
;f1ice through the mail and purported
o come from l.. c. Ballard, Maine
manager of the American Ice Co.
Van X. Beedle of South Gardiner a
'ormer assessor of the city of Gardiner,
stated that a fair valution of the build
ngs owned by the American Ice Co.
vest of the railroad track at South
Gardiner would have been $3.50.
Charles Staples of South Gardiner
.estlfied that fair value of the Amer
can Ice Co. buildings west of the rail-
Dad track on June %, 1907, between
500 and $500. Two of the buildings We're
practically worthless.
Charles A. Partridge, a Gardiner con-
''ractcr, testified that he was in the
re business from 1868 until within a
'ew years ago. Witness built the
houses in South Gardiner and also emu
nerated a number of other houses
hat he had built. The south houses and
elevator We're built in 1856 at cost of
5000 and the north houses in 1898, at
I cost of $746O. New machinery was in
tailed in 1890 at a cost of $500. Wit
Tess visited the property in 1905. The
'outh houses We're badly delapidated,
BOARDING falling off and timbers rot
ing. The north houses having been
,uilt seven years later We're in much
letter condition. The south houses had
appreciated about IS per cent and the
lorth houses % per cent. The ice field
vas badly deprecated on account of
,inders from the pulp mill and water
appropriated uith chemicals. The wa
er was shoal and the ice privilege was
me OF the poorest on the river.
Harry T. Mclaughlin of South Gar
liner, testified that $500 would be fair
1aluation for the buildings belonging
the American Ice Co. on the west
,ide of the Maine Central Railroad
racks at South Gardiner on June %,
907. Mr.. Mclaughlin, who was also the
Mill superintendent of the South Gar
liner Lumber Co, testified that the
mill was run on 10-hour-a-day sched
lie in the summer time, starting at
80 A. NJ. and shutting down at $50
, NJ. Saturday the mill started half
n hour earlier in the morning and
hut down half an hour earlier at
light. Witness had never seen any
sparks from the smokestack, but had
cen them come from the burner.
Attorney Heselton-''Were you at the
mill during the day on which the South
Gardiner ice houses were burned?"
WitneSS-"YeS, SIR
WAS the single machine running?'
mo, sir, It was shut down.
what time did you shut down the
mill or that particular Saturday af-
ernoon?"
"The mill was shut down at o'clock
md / left the building five or six min
ties later
Where were you when the nro