1890 Besse Tannery built in Clinton

[Reg Gilbert]

 Read in Mainely agriculture that in 1890 the Besses built a new Tannery in Clinton to avoid costs of.transferring
from standard to narrow gauge. Sheepskins were tanned first in Albion then Clinton.
  The author,a gent from Clinton, says leather was transferred.
  Would anyone know where a transfer could take place, or has the memory been lost to the mists
Of time.....

[Jeff Schumaker]

When the tannery was in Albion, my guess is that the skins were loaded onto a southbound train and transferred at Wiscasset. The MEC ran through Clinton, so skins could be loaded directly to the standard gauge, hence the move.

Jeff S.

[Philip Marshall]

Is the author certain about the date? There was no narrow gauge in Albion until after 1894.

[Mike Fox]

Clinton is not too far away from Albion, but a lot further by rail. I think they must have used horse teams to do the transfer.