Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-15
Friday, March IS, 1912.
The Future Of AUGUSTA.

dreams and had visions, our youn'
men and our old, of becoming a grea
manufacturing city. We bonded tn
city in violation of law and today
carry heavy debt. OF its illegality
no man complains. To our people
debt of honor is as sacred as judg-
nent of the. court. II will be paid tC
the last dollar, principal and interest
The panic of 1873 left us on the rocks
disappointed but not disheartened
With the rest of the country we pain
fully toiled, with bleeding feet, up the
hill that led TO the resumption OF
specie payments. We had great men
10 teach us courage. Blaine. Nor
rill and Manley prophets in their day
and generation.
After fifty years. many of our air.
castles have become realities. Our
splendid water power is sending
abroad cotton and paper and pulp.
When the up-river waters are better
conserved, as they surely will be soon,
the men OF 81. looking down upon. us
thrangh tie cloud. that hide The Grea t
Beyond. xiIf resdee in,Stheir far
sighted enthusiasm of those earlier
wears. Wesare already out ofethe val
ley ana on the mountain. tons
With the incoming of the electric
wire. we have sent out bands of steel
in every direction to make the farms
Of Kennebec our neighbors and. our
friends. We are on the eve of greater
electric development that will carry
our future far beyond the prophetic
visions of the days of old.
Below Augusta the waters of the
Kennebec run TO the sea unvexed.
The long struggles of the lamented
MiilikeE and of his successor, Govern
or Burleigh. a man never too old to
come back have opened the chan
nels of our river until now we know
that cheap transportation by water is
10 be no slight factor in the realiza-
.tion of our future.
Life without beauty would not be
worth the living. Our homes, our pub
lie architecture, our parks, our streets,
our matehless roads. all promise a city
delightful to live in and to enjoy, COM
parable with any city in New Eng
land. not excepting even Portland, the
queen of Eastern cities. 1t will be a
generous rivalry to see which will
most honor the mother State. Here is
TO be our greatest future, city of
New England homes.
We have liberty-loving, law-abid-
ing people with whom TO live is a de-
light Our schools are of the best. and
10 be better. We train their heads,
and forget not their hands. Our
churches are broad in their aspira-
tons; Catholics and Prostestants vie
with each other in their common la
Dor for the uplift of their neighbors,
We are people of many charities.
We are not large enough TO be met
ropolitan, therefore not snobbish, for
which we should sing "Te Deum laud-
anus" Happily we are just big
enough to all be neighbors, sharing
each others joys and comforting each
other in the common sorrows that fall
10 the lot of man. Happy the future
of a community where the home is
the ruler OF its destinies.
a political centre, we must at times
fare tie storms of criticism. If al
times we seem 10 be grasping, re-
view OF half a century win satisfy all
lovers of our state that, whatever our
political faith with it's transient and
changing majorities, at heart our peo-
pie are all seeking the noblest and
highest IDEAL the good of the State. II
our future runs upon the levels of the
past, squared by conscience, as it will
be, Augusta will be as proud of its
+ StdiiiDuliofi 10 the pubilS veal III tit
days TO come as it is of its glorious
work in the years forever gone.
We face the future, prosperous
busy, contented, hopeful, plain, God
fearing people, a typical New England
city Of New England homes, wher,
motherhood is queen and manhood
reigns. where our girls our priceless:
jewels, and our boys. the coming
kings, give hope and life and inspira.
/. ton 10 their fathers toiling in the heal
and burden OF the day. In such a city
with such a people. verify life is WORT
the living. and the future is specket
with the gold OF the early morning
sun.
H. NJ. HEATH.