Year: 1878

be multiplied, as there is much interest mani


tested in the project, which is certainly veIy


commendable.


The tanning business done in this village is,


however, but drop in the bucket compared


with what is done in other places The Shaw


Brothers own and control four large tanneres


situated in Kingman, Forest City, Vanceboro
and Grand Lake Stream. These are their only


tanneries in Maine, but in Canada they control


some fifteen other est blishments. The tan


merry at Grand Lake Stream was visited last


week by the writer. 1t is an immense aft air in
every sense of the word. To reach it you


leave the road leading from Calais to Houltou


few miles above Princeton village and drive


over very good road twelve miles, crossing


the Indian Township to Hinkley Township,


10 which the tannery named is situated. At


high water, however, you can take steamer at


Princeton, cross Lewey's lake, thence into Big


Lake and across the mouth OF Grand Lake
Stream, which is two miles long and connects
Grand Lake with Big Lake. A road follows
up the river side for two miles, it being con-
structed by the Shaw Brothers for the purpose
of hauling hides brought from Princeton by
the route indicated, and returning the leather.
This tannery at the foot of Grand Lake has
very valuable water power. This Grand Lake
is the basin of large number of smaller lakes
which run into it This system of lakes not
only furnishes an immense water power, but it
also provides means of easy access to a large
number of townships, many miles from any
road. 1t is said that the Shaw Brothers can
reach % townships with their steamer which
fuox, tI,oc Coz e I'll Lo.I~
is cut in June and piled up to dry. When dry
it is hauled to the nearest steamer landing and
loaded on to large scows holding some 40 cords
each. The scows are constructed purposely for
the business and are flat, SO that they draw
very little water and are thus able to go where
ordinary scows could not These loaded scows
are gathered up by a steamer used for the ex-
press purpose and towed through one lake and
another to the tsnnery. A broad passage way
admits them within the tannery. From the
scow to the mill which grinds the bark is but
few feet, and no time nor labor is lost in the
handling Thus it is seen how the bark is
obtained.


The hides are purchased in New York and
Boston and shipped to Calais and from there
by rail to Princeton. Here they are loaded on
a steamer which carries then within two miles
of the tannery. The leather is returned by the
same steamer. This is the route used when
there is good supply of water, but the loss of
the dam at Princeton has lowered the lake SO
that it is, necessary to haul both hides and
leather between Princeton and the tannery
with teams.


The village that has grown up at Grand Lake
stream is something of novelty to those who
have not visited such places. Right here in
the midst of a dense and extensive forest is
lively little hamlet. Everything they get with
the exception of wood and water must be
brought distance of at least fifteen miles and
over one route. The centre of the village is of
course the large tannery. The main building
in which the drying house is located is eight
stories high and several hundred feet square.
Then there are rods of other buildings one and
two stories high. The buildings are not yet
completed. When finished there will be some
six hundred vats, and all the buildings will be
under an iron roof The establishment is fitted
with the most approved machinery and turns
out the very highest quality of leather. There
are some go men employed about the tannery,
and it is run by day aud night che wing up the
bark at the rate of fifteen or twenty cords
day. The men employed in the tannery itself
are only a small proportion of the men employ
ed by the finn. In the village there are some
seventy five families to say nothing of the sim
gle men who board, and there are only three
men in the place who are not in the employ of
the firm in some capacity. Then there are al
ways mora or less transient crews at work up
the lakes. The firm run large store, and
many of the men get their entire wages in
goods which are sold at rather higher prices
than Portanders would care to give. The men
earn all the way from 70 cents per day to two
and three dollars, according to the work they
perform. They commence at o'clock in the
morning and work until at night with the ex-
ception of three-quarters Of q hour for dinner
1t Is hard work for small price, but the men
appear to be happy and contented and far
better off than men out of work. The town
where this village is located is not incorporated
and the firm have no taxes to pay, which makes
quite difference in the expense cconnt The
firm have erected good schoolhouse. and en-
ploy teacher, SO that their employees can send
their children to school without expense.


The township contains much valuable land
for settling purposes which would no doubt be
improved if the convenences for reaching it
were better. To obvate this difficulty scheme
is 10 progress for the construction of railroad
from the terminus of the ST. Crox & Penobscot
at Princeton, to some point on the European &
North American road in the vicinity of Old
Town. The route has already been surveyed
and found to be very easy one. The road
would pass through Grand Lake Stream and
open up very valuable tract of land for set
Ting The Shaw Brothers are of course much
interested in the project, and it will doubtless
be put through at no very distant day.


One of the most interesting places to visit at
Grand Lake Stream is the fsh house construct
ed By the fish commissioners, to hatch salmon.
This house has capacity of three million eggs
and is in charge of Mr.. Charles G. Atkins.
Operations for the coming winter are already
in progress Below the dam is net stretched
across the river to prevent the passage of
salmon from Grand Lake to the lakes below.
The fish are constantly coming down the lake
at this season and by the latter part of October
the space between the dam and the net will be
in dip nets, their eggs removed and they re-
tuEu6u w tuo ldh0 W Uo ChuSub duOGQer year.
The eggs are placed 10 the hatch house, which
is situated on small brook which comes fir, m
a boiling spring. This warm water is allowed
to run over the eggs while they lay in shallow
wire cloth seins until they hatch Last spring
Mr.. Atkins put 100000 small salmon in Grand
Lake.


This region is a paradise fer spoItsne Deer
are quite plenty, and Massachusetts sportsmen
are now killing them in great numbers despite
the laws. Partridges are wonderfully plenty
and they coma out into tha roadside as you
pass along, as tame as pet pigeons are on the


streets of Portland. M.


BuRGLARIEs AT SPRINGvALE.-Last Friday
night the house of Mr.. Albert Sayward, the
station agent at Springvale, was entered by
burglars by turning the front door key by
means of pair Of pncers from the outside.
They looked over the house and occurred 800 in
bills from Mr. Stewards clnthnu Tho huro-