Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-24
IMPERIAL, KENNEBEC. -
John Quill Describes Delightfully."- Trip
Down Names Beautiful River.

tors comes to me my love for the wa
ter. for early branches OF my ances
trail tree We're rowing blades and fol-
lowed the sea for an occupation. |
can remember back to my own pima
fore days my great delight was to
run away from my good old MUSE and
scamper down to the river bank and
make mud cakes in the waters of the
old kennebeC. ! thought then that
the old Kennebec was the IlSost beau
tiful river in the world. Time has not
changed my boyhood fancy or Weened
me from my first love. | still think
50.
Since those care free days | nave
travelled from the far north where the
day begins across the prairie states
to the golden west, and from the Thou
sand islands through the land Of Evan
geline to the lands end ut Halifax. !
| have sailed the st. Lawrence, the st.
John. the sSagernay. the Hudson, the
| father of waters the mississippi. the
| Missouri, the Red the Brazoe and the
Rio e;rande, and have yet to see "A
| more beautiful river than the old
| kennebee as she Journeys down TO the
sea. | have seen her in all her moods
| IN tiif 'tti ~ SIL ms AiIiN f''Nh ''t'
| ture has unlocked her streams and
| tributaries and sent the water Cours-
| ing down toward the ocean i'll Wild
| bosterous torrent; | have seen her
again in a milder mood. when her face
| Was as calm and smooth as mil
| pend. Born way up in the foot hill
at the base of the handicapped peaks
she is an offspring of old Moosehead
L ,r..1 lob
| with an area of 116 square miles ant
| a water shed of 1850 square miles L
draw from. She has a percentage o.
which she may we'll be proud, and Will
| her own resources. a basin that meas
| ures $50 miles in length, and varies
| in width from 30 to 50 miles embrac.
| Ing i'm area of $3.50 square miles anC
| extending from the Canadian line fron
| the sea, she has water power that
| enc of the best for developments l
| the country. She stands third in thu
! list of states of developed water pow
| er some $1,000 II. p. and unquestion
! ably she stands first in undeVelopet
| water power With 153, 800 te her cred
| it.
| At the Kennebecsoutlet of Mooseheae
it is some 400 feet above sea level
some $50 feet of this is lost in 1t:
| wild run of % miles through a marrow
chasIn over a rocky bed 10 the Forks
Here the Dead river, which rises som
| 1000 feet above sea level way up nea
| the western boundary joins the mali
stream as tributary. From thu
| Forks to Carratunk Falls precipi
/ tate fall Of 200 feet is noticed; from
| the outlet down, the river runs through
/ n wild picturesque country just a
| nature left it in its natural state l
J is the paradise of the sportsman WI
| with rcd and gun listens to the cal
| of the wild and penetrates this un.
| charted ami UNEMPLOYED country
| which lies we'll up toward the grea
| lakes From Carratunk to Norrldge
wock some "a miles down through tn
| little town of Madison the river falls
some $50 feet. Below. Norridgewoel
| and from there to tidewaters the rive
| broadens out and the fall on the aV
| eragc is about 312 feet to the mile.
There are some seven places alon.
| the river from the outlet to the heaf
| of navigation at Augusta where tn
| power is harnessed and is being util
| lied. The time will soon come Whef
| every unit of horse power along tn
river will be developed and utilized
| bringing out all the resources of tina
vast tract beyond the ,optimist's fond
| est dream. From Augusta to the see
| lies a stretch of some 40 miles of wa
| Ter. and to some the most beautiful
| parts of the whole river lie within
little stretch of 80 miles from tide
waters to the shipping city, To set
-laa
| did starting at early morning from
Augusta, on the little river BOAT ina
nIys these waters. Take a position
we'll forward on the steamer deci
where an uninterrupted view of tn
river can be had and be prepared u
drink in all the beauties Of the river
as the panorama unfoldS itself
The echo of the seven o'clock whis-
til, has died away the business Worle
| is awake as We swing out mo th'
stream. past the clubhouse and thu
fleet of mosquito boats at anchor
Swinging clear Of the landing we heao
for down river, the first thing that
catches our eye is the new govern
ment building with its addition, JUS
co,npleted at a cost way up into TN.
thousands: a little beyond we pass
the docks and slip. and one sees the
shoe industry where the Crawford Is
being manufactured. Opposite are the
busy docks and sheds of the Au'
gusta Lumber Co.. whose lumber
tract is we'll up toward the head waters
of the Kennebec Still farther on arr
the extensive grounds and buildings
of the home of the unfortunates, the
Maine Insane Asylum. Again turning
70 the right one sees the old Breti
house. ore of the oldest landmarks
in Augusta. Farther on is a group Vi
great white buildings, part OF the hal
lowell Granite Co. Works, whose PROD
uets are known the world over Up
posite Hallowell and fringed TO the
Chelsea shore is the immense oooir
that catches and holds the logs tha'
come floating down from the upoe
Kennebec. Here the logs are sortea
made UP into RATS and eVentuaiss
everybody gets their own.
EoEHK &