Smyrna times., 1877-03-21
A Maine Pauper Settlement.
We cut this from New England pan,

re cut this from q New England Daper
Maine has singular illustration of the ten
dency OF mankind to relapse into barbarisn
Wh0n cut OFT from the influences of associa
tlon; More than 40years ago, a family nam
ed Bubler left Lewiston, and took to tho
continuous woods where rolls the Dead
river. Whether they were disgusted with
the world and longed to be at rest, OF
thought to lay the foundations of a thriving
Golony by gong where land was to be had
by the square mile with no one to DISPUTE
the title out wildcats and owls, we know
not; but they penetrated into the forest
primeval far from the habitations of other
men, and built a log hut. In the course OF
years applications began to reach the au-
thOrItles of Lewiston from the settlement
OF Rangley for indemnity for relief furnish
ed to the Bubiers. They were some miles
! from that settlement, but as it was the
nearest organized community they had OBJ
! tanned assistance from it, and such authori-
! Ties as the place boasted Of made applica-
ton to Lewiston for indemnity. This thing
went on for some years. Lewiston sent
sometimes 500 sometimes $500, sometimes
more and sometimes less, in a wear to its
tar.ott paupcrs, at the call of the selectmen
OF Rangely. Finally the Lewiston overseers
OF the poor concluded to investigate the
condition of the lost tribe and to bring
such paupers as they felt called on to SUP.
port to the fold at home, that is, to the
aImshouse under their supervision.
They set out for the northern woods in
person. They reached the borders Of
civIllzatIon and passed the last lone hamlet.
they followed Il lumber trail until it
diminished to a squirrel track and ran up
tree, and then, with the help Of Il guide
WHO knew the Bubiers, they made their
way INTO the tCrest primeval near Saddle.
pack mountain. Finally the huts and
novels OF the Bubers were reached, scat
tered about in the patches of cleared land
which they had made Here they found
the effects of lodging in a vast wilderness
The vagrant family had increased and mul
tlpled into several families, including over
nifty persons, and was dwelling in abiect
poverty, utter ignorance and uncomfortable
sloth. The log houses were shabby. filthy
ana uhprovided with anything that could
contribute to human comfort. One of them
consisted OF two rooms, one of which was
occupied by COW and the other bv a man.
MS "iie and live children. The COW had
the best OF It. There was no furniture ex-
GePt blocks and pieces of log, no clothing
OUT shfedS and patches, no provisions but a
peek OF potatoes, and the filth and vermin
were sIckening. Other families were scarcrlv
oetter oft But one person in the whole
plantation could read, and he wouldn't.
Not book or scrap Of printed paper was
to be found in the place Its denjzens
were profoundly ignorant of the world.
and utterly devoid Of either religion or
morality. Virtue and decency were I'M.
known. Whisky had never found its way
INTO that retreat, but tobacco was the one
luxury for which the people would make
an effort. They obtained precarious sub.
sistence from such scanly crops as their
lazy habits prompted them TO obtain, and
from the game of the forest and the fish Of
Dead river. A few cedar shingles were the
only product OF industry which they ever
sold, and for that they obtained chiefly
tooacco. Men and women alike smoked |
Their black pipes, and INDUCED in filth of
language and conduct; and in short the |
Bublers, under the benign influence of ma |
ture and solitude, had relapsed into a bar
barlsm more depressing than that of the |
savages that dwelt in those woods three
ago.
Two Of these families have been brought
forth from the wilderness and lodged in the |
Lewiston almshOuse, and the rest are sadly |
IN need OF missionaries. The women who |
were brought away showed that the better
instinct OF human nature were not dead |
within them. Their chief solicitude was |
lest their children should be taken from
them, and they were glad when told that
the neglected little ones would be sent to
school. we know of no more striking
Illustration of the effects Of retiring to n
lodge IN some vast wilderness, or being
placed beyond the influences of society.
than is afforded by the sad effects upon the
Bubier family of living full generation
and more in the woods of Maine.