Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-09-02
Deaih or II. Locke, Esq.

painful anu somewhat prQtracted illness.
Samuel Barron Locke was born in Bethel,
Sept. 25th, 1901, anil at the time Of his
death was little less than siNty-nine year
of age. His father came from New
4 Hampshire to Fryeburg in 1874, and two
I years later, in 1906 became to Bethel,
and settled on the rich bottom lands near
the mouth of Sunday river.
In 1918. just after the great fire which
burned over the timber lands of Oxford
County-he built set OF Mills, which
took the name oi Locke's Mills, and which
uame they vet bear. He had five sons,
the oldest of whom was the well known
inventor and naturalist, Prof. john Locke,
who died recently, in Cincinnati. The
whole family of sons. like their father,
was distinguished Tor the possession OF
strong intellectual powers, and 4 patticu-
lar taste for the study oil the Mechanic
Arts.
The subject OF this sketch received 4
I fair education, for the times in which he
! lived. and we believe spent some time IN
teaching. Subsequently, he learned OF
his father, the mill-wright trade, and on
reaching his majority, he successfully
worked ut il for several years in Buxton
and vicinity. Here he married Miss Lu
cctta Edgerly, an estimablc lady, who
was his companion for nearly half cen
fury. and who still survives him.
On the death of his father, he became
the owner of the mill property ut Lockc's
I Mills. and moved there with his family in
1888. Soon after this, the mill accident
ally took tire and MAS burned TO the
ground-and rs there was NO insurance
on the property, it WAS 4 loss very severe
. IL felt. But with that indomitablc pcr>c'
vcrancc which characterized him through
all his lite, he Immediately laid the foun-
datiou Of a much larger mill, and soon
hail the satisfaction of seeing completed
the first good flonr mill ever erected in
Oxford County.
Tho rebuilding OF these mills gave
grca; impetus to the business IN the
vicinity. and had the effect TO start up
quite a village there. These mills con
sisted of = SAW, gri>t, single clapboard
and hath mill, and large building adapt.
cd to a wooden factory which was used
for this purpose Tor several years.-lt Is
now used in The manufacture of spooIs.
Subsequently, Nh. Locke built lir>t-cla'S
mills in Bethel, Waterford, Lowell, and
At West Paris which plac, he finally fixed
his residence. At the time Of his death
he was engaged in bailding 1 large mill
on Ballard brook, in rycburg. which,
when completed, would have cost fifteen
thousand dollars.
Bui!din. new mills and repairing old
ones, seemed TO be the great business of
his life, aud the numerous fine mill Slruc
lures located in diAcrcat pants Of this
country, are enduring monument of his
industry aud cunning workmanship. He
had wonderful tao, in selecting mill-sitcs,
taking in ~ il by intuition, all the ayaila.
bic points in the case. seldom if ever
having occasion TO change his origjnal
plans. He regarded water rs the natural
power for diving machinery, and Was
opposed 10 the substitution Of steam pow
cr wherever walcrpowcr could be
made available. Il has often seemed 10
the writer, who was intimately acquaint.
cd with him for many years, that it in
iurcd his feelings 10 see water running TO
waste, seeming TO cgard itaS l loss Of SO
much power which ought to be applied
to driving the wheels of industry. Hence,
he kept on building new mills. and rc,
building those which were old and ran
down; o0enlimeS ut 4 pccuniary loss to
himself but greatly TO the interests OF
the places where his operations were car.
ried ON. The secret of his great success
in mill-buildmg, lay in doing in the best
manner whatever he undertook TO do In
these operations he never made any mis-
takcs-neycr built mill which did not
run, and run precisely As he intended it
should run.
For many years Mr.. Locke was the
principal man of his town, and MAS a.
WAYS the arbitrator when there were diff
tercnccs 10 settle between his fellow
towusmcn. He was Postmaster ut Lockes
Mills, and Justice of the Peace, and did
considerable business rs 4 civil magis
trate. lie was land surveyor and good
conveyancor, being an excellent penman,
and very ready at drafting deeds and
other legal documents.
Few persons outside OF his own family
have had better opportunities of knowing
and judging Of his private life thqn the
writer, and while he has no disposition to
cover up his faults. from which, in COM
mon with dcpraved humanity, he was not
exempt, Yet he can testify 10 his posses
sion OF very many excellent qualities,
both of head and heart. In religious Iaith
he was liberal and free from the narrow
preiudiceS SO common 10 sccts in politics
lie WAS ever an ardent advocate OF civil
and religious freedom, and OF equal right
before the law without regard 10 race or
color. He WAS never an aSpirant for
office. andalways very bit:eragainst those
who made politics mere profession. He