The Portland daily press., 1871-01-16

tablished an acquaintance and standing among
merchants in Boston, which were of great ad-
vantage to-him when he commenced business
in his own name.
In 1904 he took his brother, Thomas S. Ro-
bic, then lad of thirteen, into his store,
where he was employed in various capacities,
from that Of shop boy to the position of chief
clerk until 1916, when the two brothers went
into partnership as retail merchants, and for
more than twenty years carried on business
under the name of T. & T. S. Robe, in the
store now occupied by their worthy successors,
Messrs. Ridlon & Card. Never were two per-
sons better fitted to conduct business together
than these two brothers. Capt. ROBBIE fire.
quently declared, "never did two brothers get
along more cordially and pleasantly than we
did from beginning to end" Their business
was very extensive and very profitable; and
the name of this firm was known all through
the back country, and even as far as New
Hampshire and Vermont, as the synonym of
activity, energy and fair dealing.
After the death of his brother Mr.. ROBBIE
continued in trade few years, and then With.
drew from active participation in mercantile
pursuits. His property gradually accumulat-
ing during these fifty years of close attention
to business, had now become large, and need
ed his more immediate personal care, so that
the past twenty years have been less active
and stirring ones than he had before enjoyed
since he first left his New Hampshire home to
seek his fortune. And yet there have been no
idle OF unoccupied years among them. His
industrious habits chung TO him to the last,
and he always found some employment for
mind or body, or both. He owned good
many acres OF land near the village of Cor.
ham, which he has carefully cultivated, GER
tainly with great personal enjoyment if not
profit, working much with his own hands and
always exercising watchful supervision over
his farming operations. Since he was eighty
years old he has cleared and prepared for til
lage some ten acres Of wood and pasture land.
In the summer months when the early-six
o'clock-morning train from Gorham to Port
land passed his newly purchased land we have
often seen the venerable old man at work
there, Ratchet in hand, endeavoring, by cut
ting and burning, to exterminate the ground
hemlock, plague and pest TO which he
seemed to have special dislike, as symbolical of
useessness, waste and neglect.
Mr. ROBBIE has always been regarded with
great respect by the citizens Of the town in
which he lived so long and among whom he had
acsuirnd his rar,fat ion q uoll 90 b;c mo- III,
He has held almost every municipal office
which he would accept. He was six years a
representative of the town at the General
Court of Massachusetts,. In 1S2O-21 be was
representative in the Legislature of Maine
and in 1887 member of Gov. Kent's Execu-
tive Council. In 1900 he united with the Con
gregational Church in Gorham, and continued
his connection Herewith and his interest in
the Church and Parish as long as he lived.
For many years he was Treasurer both of the
Parish and of their Ministerial Fund. This
fund was an object of peculiar interest, and
almost personal attachment to him; and I'M
der his careful management of it, as well as by
his numerous contributions to it, it has trebled
in amount since it first came to his hands
He was also one of the Trustees of Gorham
Academy tor more than fifty years-for many
years their Treasurer-and contributed often
to aid the Institution. The past year he gen.
erously subscribed above $4,000 towards the
$4,000 cash fund which our citizens offered
the Congregationalists of Maine as an induce
ment for the location of their proposed Class
ical School at Gorham. He filled at different
times during his long and useful life numerous
other positions of honor and trust, and always
discharged the duties attaching thereto with
marked ability and strict fidelity.
During the war of 1872 he was captain of a
company of militia, and when, in 1914, it was
supposed that Portland was in danger of in
vasion, and among other troops Gen. Irish's
brigade was ordered there, Capt. Robe ma rich
ed "to the front" at the head of his company.
The company enrolled 63 men; of this num-
Der John Cressey, Darius Libby and Philip
Larrabee, all of Gorham, are the only surviv-
ors.
Capt. Robe was married three times. In
1904 to Miss Lydia Brown, daughter of BENZ.
Brown of Chester, N. H., and sister of the
late Rev. Fraacis Brown, D. d, the distinguish
ed President of Dartmouth College, from 1915
to 1920 Mrs. ROBBIE died in Feb, 1911, having
borne him two children, Harriet, who married
Oliver Lincoln Of Boston, and died in 1892,
and Francis Brown ROBBIE, now living at Cor
ham. He was again married in September,
1911, to Miss Sarah Thaxter Lincoln, daugh-
ter of Capt. John Lincoln, originally from
bingham, Mass, but then residing in Cor
ham. By her he had three children, Charles,
George and Frederick. George died in 1856.
Charles and Frederick survive and both reside
in Gorham. This marriage relation continued
about q years, when it was sundered by the
death of his wife in 1925. In November, 1928.
he married Mrs. Eliza Cross, widow of Capt.
William Cross of Portland, and daughter of
VIM. Stevens, also of Portland. By her he had
no children. She died Nov. 2, 1865, at the age
of S3.
Having in the acquisition of his own large
estate devoted the closest attention to his bust.
ness, and exercised strict economy and pru-
dent care in small matters, searching for
and saving grains, rather than looking after
and expecting to find nuggets or bars of gold,
he retained these habits through life. He had
no sympathy for or patience with anything