MR. ROBINSON'S ADDRESS. 209 



of unsettled land, mainly timber lands — a vast resource of natural 

 wealth. We have the broadest lake "in New England, and with 

 one exception, the loftiest mountain. We have strata of slate, 

 skirting the settled portion of the county, more than forty miles 

 in length, and averaging, probably, two to three miles in breadth, 

 and extending, I suppose, to the centre of the earth in depth ; 

 though it has not yet been explored to that depth to my knowl- 

 edge. These rich deposits are now being wrought, and many 

 points " all along the line " from Brownville to Monson, with two 

 exceptions only, the one Wales and the other a quarry in Pennsyl- 

 vania, this slate is said by geologists to be superior to any known 

 quarries in the world. 



In addition to this we have numerous beds of iron oi-e, one of 

 which for certain purposes is of superior quality, and has been 

 extensively wrought. We have in the county more than fifty 

 first-class water-powers, and numerous second and third-class 

 powers, and uncounted amounts of small, valuable timber, in ad- 

 dition to our great pineries, such as brown ash, white birch, pop- 

 lar, cedar, juniper, and the like. 



If these statistics are substantially correct, and they will bear 

 the test of criticism, then it follows that in natural resources we 

 have the richest county in Maine, or indeed in New England. 

 Heretofore, with all these resources, we have been a land-locked 

 people, and hence the lack of development. 



A few years ago, I recollect traveling along the sea coast from 

 Camden to Newcastle, and on the route passing through towns 

 that alTorded evidence of wealth greatly exceeding our most 

 favored sections ; towns with great structures of brick and stone ; 

 warehouses, banks and elegant private dwellings. The thought 

 struck me, where did all this wealth come from ? I could not well 

 imagine ; I saw no timber forests, no remarkable agriculture ; in 

 fact, I had the curiosity to go upon the farms and examine the 

 growing crops, and found them in no respect superior to those in 

 our valley, and the question returned again, whence the origin of 

 this wealth ? At length I asked a friend. He pointed to the sea,, 

 and answered emphatically, "Our wealth came from there, we 

 drew it from the sea." In fact, gentlemen, this thrift and wealth 

 was simply the product of cheajD transportation. 



Within the last two years, our people have strained every nerve 

 to bring the sea to our own doors, and, comparatively speaking, 

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