Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-02-01
Relics of the OIdeu Time.

which were formerly in the possession of his
father, Capt. Samuel Patterson of Wiscasset.
Capt Patterson was a seafaring man and had
opportunity to see good deal of the world
and collect together many official documents,
business cards, &C., which he carefully pre-
served and handed down to his children.
We propose to notice several of these old doc
uments.
i Here is an order for a set of dishes, ''blue
and white all the rage in those days for gem
tlemen's tables, but which never saw the table
except on rare, occasions, when they were
brought forth from their hiding places in the
parlor closet
"WIscAssET, Aug. 81, 1906.
Capt. Patterson is requested to purchase in
Liverpool for John Bowman one complete
dining table set of blue and white Liverpool
ware, to consist of large and small tureens,
large and small dishes, twihers, mullins,
plates, and every piece necessary to make a
full set JOHN Bowman.
wish for a set to cost from $50 to so.
Do not stand about few dollars"
memorandum paper, kept by the captain,
gives the number of American ships in Liver
pool harbor, June 4th, 1907. There were so
ships, of which were from Portland. The
good ship Ulysses" on 10th August, reports,
'boarded the sch. Benjamin of Marblehead,
Capt. Geo. Nights, in latitude 49, 40, who
politely gave us a number of fish. He had
been on the banks nine weeks, and had caught
$500 fish" A good haul.
4 hill from a I iyarpnnl fa;ior contains
these items:
Superior black cloth coat, "a Os Cd
Pantaloons, IS Cd
Superior cloth waistcoat, 0 lSs Cd
Making pair trousers, @ Is cd
Jacket for the boy, 0s Cd"
There is bill for scaling pair of sho s.
dated Oct. 5, 1893; another for making a
pair of breechcs, 81 20"
The business men of sharp practice" were
as sharp in their generation as "the children
of light" fingers in these days. as witness the
following:
CAPT. PATTERsoS-Having received in
voice and bill of lading of twelve casks of
shot for Ulysses, take the liberty to request
you to get them entered at Wiscasset and
shipped to this place. Any bonds for the
ceiving the shot. Enclosed you will receive
a duplicate invoice, which after entering YOU
will please destroy.
Boston, Sept. 8, 1907"
1t does not require great deal of ''gump-
ton TO understand the object the writer of
the note to Capt. Patterson had in view when
he ordered the destruction of the duplicate
invoice. 1t was not exactly calculated to
help swell the amount of revenue derived by
government from duties. All. there were
''old rats" in '.our grandfathcr's day" The
business cards of Liverpool merchants were
engraved very neatly, with a circular border
One card reads:
''Thc Widow +. Engclen < Son,
Makes and sells all sorts of Brushes,
Wholesale and Retail
The women evidently understood their
rights and meant to carry them out in prac-
teal, business way. This firm name is some
what similar to the one that has a mythical
existence John Smith Father" Lotteries
were legalized, and among the records are
two tickets of Harvard College Library"
Seamen's wages were low; captain and mate
receiving the uniform price of only $50 per
month. A Hallowell gentleman gives an or
der for lot of shingles 10 he grown on new
land, to be delivered when the kennebec
packet shall make her fourth trip" There is
paper from George Crosby, formerly Cash
Ter of the old Augusta Bank, who removed to
Baltimore and then died.
Perhaps the most valuable of all the papers
in this collection are two shipping papers
signed by the President of the United States
and Secretary of State. One is dated on the
second day of July, 1900, in the plain full
hand of John Adams, President, and in the
even, business-like hand of Thomas Picker
ing, Secretary of State. The other paper
contains the nervous signature of Thomas
Jefferson, President, and the modest auto
graph of James Madison, Secretary of State.
The latter paper is dated Ion the twenty fifth
day of March in the year of our Lord Christ
1907" There were blanks in these shipping
papers which were filled out by government
officers at Savannah, recommending the mas
ter and his vessel to the tender merces and
kindly uSages of almost everybody, as fol-
lows:
Most Serene, Serene, most Puissant,
Puissant, High, Illustrious, Noble, Honor
able, Venerable, wise and prudent, Lords,
Emperors Kings, Republics Princes, Dukes,
Earls, Barons, Lords, Burgomasters, Schcp-
ems, Counsellors, as also Judges, Officers,
Justiciaries and Rcgents-of all the good
cities and places, whether Ecclesiastical or
Secular, who shall see these patents or hear
them read that is master of - ship
-, of the United States, and that no sub
jects of the present belligent powers have any
part or portion therein, directly or indirectly,
so may God Almighty help him."
The master of that vessel would probably
need help from some source before being able
to commit to memory or understand exactly
the above recommendations TO mercy and
good fellowship. We certainly have received
large amount of solid enjoyment from an
inspection of these papers which have become
blackencd and musty with age.