The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-04-13

growth will grant that any figures
relating to it will need revision up
ward each year. for, great as it is
today, we have only seen its begin
ming
Leading officials of transportation
companies estimate that the average
yearly income from summer visitors
and tourists is s25,000,000. This great
sum is brought into Maine and spent
freely. in many instances lavishly in
order that the spenders may be well
housed, fed and entertained and the
sum is constantly growing larger
Every foot of shore from Kittery to
PASSPORT can be sold today for a
price that would have astounded our
grandfathers. Every island, regard
less of its isolation and exposure to
storm and gale, is looked upon as the
site of a summer home. There is
hardly a lake or stream among our In
land hills and valleys that is not al
ready laying claim to distinction as
a summer resort. AS one approaches
the centers Of population the cottages
on the nearby lakes increase in num-
Der, but in attractiveness and ability
to satisfy the craving for peace and
health giving rest. they are not su-
perior to those found on the shores
of the remote lakes and streams of
the great northern wilderness.
What is comprehensive designat-
ed summer business" in this state is
| by no means confined to cottages and
hotels built and maintained exclusive
~ for the summer season Several
OF the best hotels in the state do
many thousands of dollars worth of
business with automobilists and other
tourists every summer. Many such
visitors pass enjoyable vacations by
maintaining a headquarters at a first
class hotel and making excursions in
TO the surrounding country. There
! is no way of forming an estimate of
this class of summer business. but il
| is very large.
Farmers wives who felt the need of
replenishing the family wardrobe.
painting the house or acquiring a de
sirable timber lot soon discovered
the possibilities in the summer board
er. Thousands of such thrifty women
have added substantial sums to the
family bank account in this WAY
There is hardly rural town or vii
lage in Maine that does not count
from one to dozen summer board
ers among its population from June
to September. They return year af-
ter year and frequently acquire prop
elty in the neighborhood
Maine is indebted to the summer
visitors for much of the prosperity
that has come to her in recent years.
for in addition to the vast sums of
| money brought into the state
the quickening influence of
new faces, new blood and new ideas
have combined to aid in an industrial
awakening, the potentiality of which
can hardly be measured at this time
Transportation facilities in Maine
are second to none in the world
Steam railroads reach hither and
thither among her manufacturing CEN
ters and through her fertile farming
districts for 2175 miles. while 500 miles
Of electrically operated railways sup
plement and feed the great steam
railroad systems. There are four
miles of steam railroad and mile of
electric road for every town. city and
plantation in the State and more is
projected. Surveys are being made
FOR trunk line up through the north
country to ST Francis. Trolley line
development has just begun.
The main line of travel through this
state is, roughly, east and west, and
is composed in part of residents who
according to the dictates of business
or pleasure move about from place
to place, and non-resdents who come
to Maine to tarry for a season and
then return to their homes in other
states. The travel through the State
from border to border may be said
to be comparatively small No figure
are available to show, accurately, just
what proportion of the travel is from
without the state and what springs
from within the state. This much is
certain, however the unusually con
venient railroad facilities which we
enjoy throughout the year have been
granted to us largely through the
impetus of the summer tourist travel
and have been continued because
business originating within the state
has responded readily to every added
advantage.
Ten of Names sixteen counties are
on tide water or accessible to ocean
going vessels by means of navigable
rivers. No monopoly can ever throt-
tie Names transportation facilities,
for nature has provided the state with
a means of defence that is all-poWer-
full. Her irregular coast line is a
succession of bays, hafbors and in
lets, which invite ocean traffic of all
sorts.
A modern good roads policy under
the direction of State department
and materially aided by state funds
is solving the problem of transporta-
ton for the farmer who lives at a
distance from water or rail facilities
The farmer realizes that he can haul
to market more cheaply over good
roads and land the products in the
market in better condition, than he
can when the roads are poor Good
roads have also done away with much
of the isolation which has deferred
more towns and city bred men and
women from taking up farm life than
any other feature of rural existence
Mud time" is bugbear of the past /
The man who takes a Maine farm to-
day can do so with the assurance
that he will be able to go to the vii
lage or city every day in the year i