The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-04-20

OF the winter" on the banks of The
Kennebec. IL These Englishmen
wholly, unused to sneh intensity o
and such depth of snow, suffered ex
tremely: aud in the middle of the
winter their store-houses were burned
and a large part Of their provisions
consumed Then 10 their Governor
George Popham, fell sick and died.
TO tt e sore distress and discourage.
: ment of the little band. '''' ''
1 In due timey a ship came to them
from Englardi. with l,supplies; but
when it arrived, the colonists, werefso
completely disheartened, that they all
determined to return 10 England ~
During the winter, they began bu-
siness whichih has since. greatly y'Ifour-
ished on that we'll stimbered,. coast
shiphuilding' They, built small YES
sci, which they heighted with furs
and other products of the region,
and took, with them toUEngland. ~
They told their countrymen that the
place where they had settled =, was
cover cold, and, in respect of that,
not habitabIe by Engiishmen::" ]" .
Georges, however, was far from be-
lieviug them, for he had seen with his,
own eyes the vigorous and well knit
frames of the Indians which had been
reared in that climate 7disas-
sssns ssesse entspESs sap aS 4sya iRfSa aaas as
his interest in New England, nor his
zeal to promote its exploration and
settlement. Seven years after, Cap
tain john Smith returned from the
New England coast, and arriving in
Plymouth, Gorges- sough tiEhfm1 OUT
examined his maps, and assisted him,
upon another. voyage Off discovery
After many mishapsI Smith was cap
tured by a French. squadron. and:
turned adrift in French,town with
out money Itiwas three years before
he could make his way back, to Ply
mouth; but it does not, appear that
Sir }Ferdinando i Gorges, q ever em-.
ployed him again. He sent; out 9th,
er captains, howevery and was never
wearied of labors and expenditures int
dsnowledge of that part of
the, New World. In 1916, he: dis
Captain Richara Vines with
a party who apent winter on, the
shores of the river Saco,;i returning to
England in the. following spring.
In 1919 he sent Captain Dermer, who
made the voyage, but accomplished
little in the way of exploration q
, During the whole period-fom
1920 to to 1635-while the Pilgrims
were striking root at Plymouth. and
Boston was growing into a noticeable
village, we find him still interested in
projects for settling Maine, of which
ae had then become prophet or. In
In 1885, he determined to found a
sovereign State in his province,
which was still almost without white
inhabitants. With this object he OBJ
aimed from the King charter by |
he was made Lord Proprietary |
If Maine; and constituted absolute !
master OF the province in Church and
5tate:iuToo old now to brave the
of the wilderness, he sent |
'ver his son Thomas Gorges, as Dep |
lty Governor, and two small settle /
nents were begun. - "Ti. -..' 4
!: All might have gone well with the
title empire. but; for one thing II
Ehere were no people in it; or rather;
o few that two7thirds OF the whole, /
were Office holders. T. This
TRANCE farce of a sovereignty wars
.ept up for more than =, nine years
nd the Deputy Governor went SO tar
S to endow the settlement of Aga
nenticus' With a charter, under the !
ame Of Georgeana, in honor. of the
.ord Proprietary, Meanwhile the:
ther colonies Of New England, which
ourished exceedingly, would hold no
with the small monarchy.in
1aine.;, partly because the people ad-
cred to the Church Of England.
There soon arose another .. cause of
ifference between, them. - Hostilities
egan between Charles the First and
lie Parliament Of great Britain
he Phritans of New England, |
ke their brethren in old England,
'ere on the side Of the Parliament;
ut Sir Fernahdo. Gorges, not only |
hed with the King, but, old. as 'hef
as, took up arms in his cause, as his
,ns did also. The old man did not
We to see tlle end of the contest. He
led III 1647, two years. before Charles
le First perished on the scafold. Is
When the news of his death reach Fl
| the little company of his subjects /
/, Maine, they wrote to his heirs in II
nglahd for information respecting f
leir political future; but receiving t
, reply, they formed themselves in
commonwealth, and placed them
Ives under the jurisdiction of the
ext colony Massachusetts. Thus it E(
as that the province of Maine be- e
me part of the State of AIassachu-. d
It's, from which it, was not severed c
It'll 1920, when it became an inde- \
ndent State. .. .s. -.
The list of.the enterprises of Cor L
IS presents nothing but i;failures.-I d
eveftheless heIrendered powerful aid v
'kipdling and spreading abroad the I
lonizing spirit, :andin procuring in. Fe
fmationl concerning the !: country "
lere. tho most successful ui, colonies t
ere planted. The people of Maine ii
Id his mempry in paqqtl honor, anu I
We occasionally celebrated the ami, L
rsary of the day on whichhis colony o
nded at the mouth of the Kennebec- is
n