Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-07

J. y. Packard, q new thoroughness has
been put into practice, and great eff
| fort has been made this past year to
correct real estate valuations. to the
extent that there has been an in
creased valuation of many of the large
property owners and corpora tons and
d decrease III many small property
valuations. and the tax rate this year
has been lowered from $50 per thou
sand to s. per thousand dollars.
Skowhesan's Member of the Board.
a word here il regard to Mr.. Smith
would not come in amiss He has al
ready received considerable honor
from the citizens OF his native town
and county. AT the age OF y he was
sent from Hartland to the State
Legislature as representative from
that town. Some few years later he
served the county as sheriff Coming
10 Sk0Whegan to make his home then,
he has ever been an active figure d
Young man OF push and energy. Be
sides attending TO the varied duties of
his office as hrs. selectman. this year,
h, has spent much thought on the
..
and his five year term as trustee of
The institution will give him ample
scope to carry out his ideas and his
r. sidence here close at hand will make
his oversight constant. The Board of
Trustees has authorized him 10 pur-
chase ali supplies for the reformatory
for the five Years, thus expressing its
confidence in his ability.
In industries Skowhegan has always
been prominent. The water power To-
Gated at Skowhegan Falls where the
whole volume of the river Qescends -
feet in half a mile is one Of the best
il the State. An island, the head of
which Is at the crest OF the perpen-
dicular fall divides the river into two
channels and serves at once as
natural pier and as 4 site for mills. The
industries include lumber manufacture
ing. brick making. spinning and wool
en mills. grist mills. paper and pulp
mills. sCythe and grass hook factory,
wood working mills, stopper factory,
foundry, electric light and power
plant. casket factory and barrel and
canning factories. The town is a CEN
! ter for dealers in hay, potatoes and
wool. II also has one of the best
weekly newspapers IN the county, the
Independent Reporter with which is
conducted d large printery,
Site of the Reformatory.
The farm to be purchased for the
Reformatory is beautifully located on
the road to Norridgevock. one half
mile from the Maine Central RAILROAD
station at Skowhegan. II consists Of
200 acres, the amount of land re-
CURED by the law, being a part of the
Sacred Heart Farm formerly owned
by Fl. A @. LacroiX, and now by
Parker Sanborn and Joseph Boulier,
and the trustees have a six months
option on "a acres more adjoining on
the east The price Of the 200-acre
piece is $4,000 This IS all in one strip
extending from the north bank of the
kennebec river gradually upward the
main road to Norridgewock interseCt
ing its lower part at right angles J.
is elevated in position. well drained
and healthful, and with beautiful sur
roundinss. About 125 acres are under
cultivation. now producing 125 tons
Ct hay. and the rest is very good pas
turage easily convertible to tillage.
a fine report on the soil was MADE
by George E. Simmons, professor Of
Agronomy at the University of Maine
in which he said ten borings had been
made on the farm to examine the soil,
some Of them nine inches deep and
some nine additional inches to test the
sub soil: that the soil is clay loan of
good depth, with good fertility holding
capacity. and its exposure to the
southeast ADDS 10 its desirability for