The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-20
Our Wiscasset Letter.
The Oldest Masonz=A bit Of Revolutionary HIS
tory-Ths Schooner Froakliia- Wiscasset Har-

The Oldest Mason-=A bit Of Revolutionary HIS
tory-Ths Schooner Franklin Wiscasset Har-
bor-Tte Neao Observation-Disclosures etc.
WIscAssEr, March 1s, 1S72.-In your issue of
to-day we notice the decease of Capt. "Andrew
Heath" alleged to be the Oldest Free Mason in
Maine, having been raised under the Master
ship of the late Gov. King
1t may be interesting to the public to be as
sured of this fact, that the first Governor of
Maine was Free and Accepted Mason, and to
know when and where he was made Mason.
He was balloted for on the 9th of February
1897, In Lincoln Lodge at Wiscasset; on the
18th of the same month he was initiated in said
lodge; and ON the 18th of June of the same
year was therein raised to the Sublime Degree
Of Master Mason," David Sylvester, ESQ.,,
presiding. Master Sylvester was one of the
most distinguished residents of Wiseasset, and
the first master of Lincoln Lodge by elective
franchise, whose name is interviewer with a
startling incident in the Revolutionary history
of the place. On the 10th of Sept, 1777, the
forty-four gun ship Rainbow, Commodore Col
lier, of the British navy, Ia pleasant Sabbath)
suddenly appeared and cast anchor, with her
broadside open and bearing on the village of
Wiscasset. She had pursued French mast
ship into our waters, captured, but was unable
to take her away, and in order to secure
peaceful exit took Thomas Rice, ST., and David
Sylvester, Esq land held them as hostages for the
good behavior of the inhabitants of Wiscasset,
and an unmolested passage to the sea. The
capture was not made without free fight, and
tho friuatatc obacxx oho,J
the prize, and under cover of the darkness gain
the protection of the ships guns; and the ship
herself made off with all convenient despatch;
the heights of Sheepscot everywhere bristlng
with the bayonets of militia-men.
The storms and cold of late have severely
affected our neighborhood. - fGt0E -.
The schooner Franklin and crew, from Bos-
ton, bound in here, the first of March, has not
reached her destination, nor been seen or heard
from since her appearance off the Isle of
Shoals as the first blow vas coming on There
are most serious apprehensions for the safety of
the vessel, and her ships company Captain
Colby was seaman of great skill and expo
rience, and praying man, who will be missed
from his associates and the christian public of
his class, as well as from his family
Our haFbor has been open to navigation
throughout though frozen above the bridge;
while Boothbay harbor below and its approach
es have been closed so effectaally as to intercept
the transit of the steamer Spray" between it
and the Knox and Lincoln Railroad The road
itself has suffered no inconvenience and en-
countered no delay from cold or snow.
"BarkIs' exposition of Names new de-
rf,, rae Co. ~ I'D La
late Legislative history. 1 trust the old 'sPine
Tree" is not to take new "Dirigo" and be-
come burnt and bruised under the fossil remains
of the upper Sheepscot, where monstrous mol
lusks seem to grow.
We are now quite sanguine of the success of
the Kennebec & Wiscasset Railroad, since the
legislative demonstrations of last winter show
the efficacy of the oyster in aid of railroad pro-
jeets, there being some fat fellows about the
head waters of the Sheepscot. s.
The SHIP-BUILDING INTEREsT.-Nath
Mckay the veteran ship-builder of Boston has
written letter to Secretary Robson cordially
approving the policy of his recent special re-
port to Congress On the subject of admitting
foreign-built ships free, he says.
Some bankers and cotton manufacturers in
foreign interest are memorializing Congress to
admit foreign-built ships Free No American
shlp-owner OF merchant has yet desired it.
Why discriminate against our own industrious
and worthy mechanics, compelling them to
seek new and unaccustomed fields Of labor for
a bare subsistence, while the tariff is still re-
tanned upon articles that enrich the rich and
iHsIQyerish the poor?
1t has been claimed that if we admit ships
tree we will secure the repairing. From my
personal knowledge, | will state that of all the
i3I snps now running to the different ports of
the United States there has not been expended
on all OF them the sum of $4,000 per annum
European ships are invariably repaired and re-
fitted in Europe.
If our government desires to help us, repeat,
it must be done in a liberal, prompt and SUBJ
stantial manner, speak from an experience
of twenty years In ship-buildinc. We must
rem ember that the cost of running the shin
when she is built is one of the most important
features, and Congress should be liberal on
that ground. If we admit foreign built
ships, what will be our national honor
abroad? Ny motto is, Encourage home in
dustry Our MECHANICS will not submit to live
as the mechanics in Europe, in the huts and
novels, and come over here as emigrants! Our
mechanics are educated and have homes of
their own. Many of them are our most intel
ligent citizens No man who thinks of the
to have his constituents live the same as the
English iaechanics. He woiild blush with
shame to have this country put on the same
footing Congress must look and act ON this
most important subject with the same liberal
spirit that you do. l again thank you for your
many valuable suggestions, and hope Congress
may act on them at once, Yours, etc,