Ellsworth American., 1873-06-05
Correspondence.

To the Editors Of the American
notice in your issue Of May sth, an ar
ticle headed amherst" from the Naise
Farmer. a mis-ststement as to the origin Of
the name Unios River. This name out
dates the explorations Of the three
branches. The writer remembers in early
childhood hearing the name discussed by
the then old good dame Smith. the mother
of Eben Smith, formerly or now in the
Morrison District. and perhaps of Uncle
Bill of Dollard Town, and the widow of
James, p Smith, one of the very earliest
settlers. the very best of authority for such
a matter, having lived on the river from
the year l.62, perhaps. Her account WAS
In substance this:
"A party of explorers from the West
ward (Saco or Casco Bay with view to
effecting a settlement In the then unbroken
pine wilderness, entered our beautiful hay
in a small boat and followed up the shore
of Newbury Neck till they crossed to a
Cove al the Eastern entrance of what Is
now Patterns Bay, in search of the river of
which they had some idea. Here they
hauled up their boat and cooked their din
ner, and difference of opinion arose as
totheir future course. Part insisting on
pursuing their way ia search of the river
to the left up the open passage, West and
North, and others to retrace their steps
Eastward. The alteration was long and
| loud over their noon-tidc meal on the beach
prevailing. the rest yielded, but with very
bad grace, and on a young flood tide with
afternoon sea breeze in their teeth they,
with their oars. made the long dctour round
Floods Ledge and doubling Weymouth
Point, they took the wind and tide and
with all favorable at +. NJ. entered the
mouth Of the river and landing at the
spring opposite Fulleron's Beach, they
settled the difficulty over their jug of Old
Jamaica, which everybody then had and
drank duty free; mixing 1t there with the
silver fountain gushing from the moscow
cred rocks, The hour. the circumstances
and the stimulants restored good humor,
and remembering their angry contest at
the Cove, they named 1t Con,cntion Core.
and hinging their empty jug into the tide
ful banks they namedit Union Ricer, which
names they bear even to this day"
Let me narrate a reminiscence OF Fiood-s
Ledge nearly 20 years after the date of the
incident narrated above; the writer was
on board the old Superior. then just pur-
chased by that sterling man. Andrew Pc
t"rs. under the temporary command OF
John Mcfarland, first hand alias mate. she
was against the rising sea breeze beating
out of Patten's Bay with one short and one
long leg. John made the long leg reach
little too far, at the same time Capt Mel.
Lord, who should have been in command,
was seen on the beach at Floods Landing
frantically hailing, "H1ri Lce - Ease
orr" LET GO AND HAUL" | was
tending the jib sheets and was thrown for
ward against the anchor stock and looking
over the bows that grea. white rock was
only two feet under water. She lost her
'V'N iNSss wen lllt ldEt WAY III
which the captain. when the tide len US.
turned and said TO me. Boy. pick up your
traps and make for home. you'll never 90
to Boston in this schooner again" But il
was not so. She laid over 4 tide showed up
among the rocks. and the afternoon ebb OF
next day she was on close haul following
the Old Nancy, then new. Capt. Hopkins.
ont through Plscentia (Bisucho) Bay by
Long Island: beating Il, her Ii,; 2 rha2t sS MffTd-
" NJ @afd tbat Unclc Andrew on hear
ing the Superior was ashore. trotted his
white face horse In the saddle ) miles Ia
Floods Beach in SO minutes and tha' Capt.
Metiah when he saw her strike was seen
from the deck TO jump forty feet into the
air landing on the crown of his new felt
John Mcfarland shortly after
came to the conclusion that he never would
become pilot, and taking his brother-in-
laws advice quit the coa.ting business and
invested in new and staunch schooner
from Fullerton's Point and returned to
Branch Pond.
If | am not tedious, one thing more
about classic names. Teddy Pond will be
introduced into notice now with the new
Railroad, which if to Castine. perhaps any
way. should cross at its Narrows. par
" of surveyors were crossing on the new
made ice. The axe and the inevitable jug
of Old Jamaica was there, and some Toddy
was proposed, but how to make the toddy
without the bowl: The axe-man came up
"A happy thought struck him and he
struck the ice. The bowl and the water in
it at once appeared, the molasses and the
fine Jamaica were speedily poured out,
and each on his face drank a libation to
the future euphonic name of Toddy Pond.
II.