Year: 1862

4


MEssRs. EDITORS Having seen the pros
pectus of new paper about to be issued by
you, it has occurred to me to send you few
lines by way Of greeting. Perhaps brief
item or two, from this place. one of the gems
of the Kennebec valley, may not be uninter-
esting to portion of your readers.


Though dare not aver that the "hub of the
universe" can actually be seen sticking up in
| any of our streets, yet feel confident that
our busy little town is as near the centre of
the world as the next one; and do not see how
any person is going to prove negative to
such proposition. 1t is certainly very pref
ty and flourishing place; and since its mar
riage, some time ago, with the modest and
maidenly Bloomfield, it has shown an increase
of life and prosperity. 1t now contains an
area of 10000 acres, large part of which is
under cultivation, and has a population of
1000, or thereabouts. 1t has two banks, two
post offices, extensive -four and grist mills, an
oil-cloth factory capable of turning out 1900
yards per week, paper mill, skate manufac-
tory, foundry, pump, broom and carriage man
ufactories, five church edifices, fourishing
academy, and some twenty school districts in
prosperous condition. The village is pleas
antly situated on both sides of the river, which
formerly constituted the boundary between
Skowhegan and Bloomfield. A beautiful isl
and is set, like jewel in the bridal ring, be-
tween the opposing shores. Round it the vex-
ed waters foam and flow and toss their white
spray heavenward with the same ceaseless
roar that echoed through the virgin forest two
hundred years ago. But labor and traffic, with
steam and iron, their mighty servants have
changed in all else, the aspect of the spot. The
Indian neutrality-suspicious. "a place
to watch" 1t was famed in olden time as
place to watch and catch salmon; but the
name is now generally regarded as merely an
exponent of the wide-awake character of the
inhabitants.


The Baptist State Convention is holding its
animal session here this week; and ministers
and ministers wives are thick as sailors in
Nantucket. believe, however, that the at
tendance is not so large as has usually been
the case at similar meetings of the society,"
The reports of the different churches show the
ordinary degree of prosperity, in some in
stances large accessions of numbers having
been received.


Rather an amusing incident occurred in the
course Of the proceedings of yesterday. The
agent of the Boston Tract Society addressed
the meeting, setting forth the benefits result
ing from that institution, its good offices DUR
ing the past year, especially in the supply of
valuable reading for the soldiery, and its
claims to the sympathy and cooperation of the
Convention. Motion was made in relation to
the subject, and favorable action taken there
Tract Society made similar appeal, present.
ing the same claims to consideration. Affairs
were proceeding much the same as in the case
Of the Boston association, when quiet MEM
Der rose and remarked that before giving his
vote for the appropriation of any aid from the
denomination, he should like to know whether
the New York Society had cast aside that pro-
slavery-colored mantle with which it had been
accustomed, in times past, to keep itself warm
and prosperous. The agent replied in sub
stance, that the Sociey had, during the past
year, issued works of different character
from what it had before deemed judicious, and
some Of decided anti-slavery tendency. The
pertinacious member, however, professed him.
self as much in the dark as before, and thought
he had not received an answer to his question.
Whereupon the agent said that he was not au-
thorized to speak in all respects for the Society,
but he did not see any want of definiteness in
his previous reply. The whole matter was
soon after quietly laid upon the table. 1t is
plain the world does move.


or course, in these exciting times, it is with
our community as with all others, everybody
is on the qui vive TO know what will happen
next Bread and the newspaper" having be-
come, as the accomplished sAutocrat' has well
set forth, the only real wants of the day. And
apropos Of the newspaper, allow me to express
my satisfaction in the prospect of seeing sup
Piled the widely felt want of different daily
paper in Portland. A first-class daily. pub
lished within the State, has for some time been
great desideratum, and think such an enter
prise can hardly fai TO meet with favor and
success in this, as well as in other sections. At
present we are dependent, in a great measure.
upon the Boston dailies for most of the relia-
bic information which we receive. The Boston
Journal circulates among us to the extent of
some 300 or $50 copies. The Herald has a list
not so large. But as these papers, must neces-
sarily occupy an entire day on the road, the
news which they contain is often tantalizingly
behind the t,saes. In these days, when events
hurry on with such lightning-like rapidity that
it almost takes the breath away to think of fol-
lowing them; when an age of history is elabo-
rated in the passing Of week, few hours of
delay assumes an importance which 1t had not
before. ! think, also, that / am safe in saying
that there it at this time a widely felt need of
an organ which shall politically, socially
and commercially represent the best inte-
rests and utter the best thoughts of the peo-
pie of the State. There was a time when
the Portland Advertiser went far toward meet
ing the acquisitions of the public, in many res
poets, and bade fair to become decided sue
cess. But that paper, alas has suffered


- sad change


Into something new and strange"


and it may truly be ssid of it in this region,
that the places which once knew it, now know
1t no more.


Several other sheets, it is true, are now is
sued in various parts of the State, which show
enterprise and ability; but for reasons insepa-
tal.t 10 ,as a