The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-09-03
SHYLOCK SMITH.
The Kind of Philanthrophist
Joseph L. Smith Is.
A Laborlng Man Who Got Badly Bitten.

Bangor Whig.]
We give space below to the statement of Mr..
Charles F. Jordan of O,dtown, concerning
some remarkable transactions with Joseph l..
Smith, the Greenback candidate for Governor.
AS Mr.. Smith claims to be special champion
of the laboring classes and par excellence the
poor mans friend, the statement of Mr.. Jor-
dan is of considerable political interest at this
time:
OLDTowN, Aug. 2Sth, 1879.
To The Editor Of the Wing and Courier:
SIR:-Will you allow me space in your
paper for what 1 trust and hope will be bene-
fit to the laboring class of the state.
The present Greenback candidate for Gov
ernor, j. L. Smith, came to me about the first
of January, 1878, and wanted to furnish me
with money to cut lumber that winter. l told
him had camp on the West Branch on
Town in II, and had up to that time had
$500, (twenty-eight hundred dollars) of Babb
& Lancaster, of Bangor. He wanted me to go
and pay them, and gave me check on the
Veazie Bank for the same. have regretted it
many times SINCE for they had always dealt
with me honorably and fair. l had OF Smith
up to the 30th of June, 1873, about $11 200, at
II per cent. commission, making about 81 1920,
and about 20 per cent interest per annum on
his money. In the fall of 1873, took out
permit on the same town for four horses or
more and could carry it on with my own
means, but Smith came to me and wanted me
to take out permit on 4X16 on Nelhodus
Brook for two or three camps; said he had
S25, 600 and wanted me to use it cutting TIM
Der that winter. / told him did lot want to
do so much and that knew nothing of the
chance and had not time to explore the same.
He said Zach Moore OF this town, had ex-
plored it, and he, Smith, would guarantee it to
be first class chance. After his coming to
me a number of times l consented and put on
two camps ON in 16, making in all camps,
about % horses, so men, / cut about three
million of logs. In the spring OF IA found
the Nelhodus hard brook to drive on, and the
result was / left about six or seven thousand of
my K IS in the brook, and when settled with
my men he wanted me to pay them off with so
cents on the dollar which 1 refused to do be-
lieving then as / now do, that we should pay
our laboring men fairly and honestly. He said
that $50 was Just as good for them as 800, but
[ had them all paid in full, much to Mr.. Smiths
displeasure. In "a had come into the boom
about twenty-four hundred thousand feet of
logs. That year they RATED out and 1 sold
about twelve hundred thousand, getting about
$14 900 for them. AT this time they called
boom meeting to see about shutting the boom.
Smith came to me and wanted me to vote to
shut the boom. l told him I wanted my logs
so as to pay him and the rest of my creditors.
He said the logs would fetch more in the
spring and he would make his interest all
right, and the rest of my creditors could not do
anything with me. ! told him Mr.. G.. r. Lam
caster was chasing me for his pay. He says,
tell him to go to hell. About the first of Octo-
Der he commenced like serpent to coil around
and take away my personal property; he took
all my horses and rigging that l cut the logs
WITH not leaving me anything to work with
and kept taking until he took all l had. In the
spring of 10 he took the last horse, got mad
and swore he would sell him before sunset. He
sold him to D. G.. Sawyer & Co. They paid
him all he asked, $75; in a few weeks they sold
the same horse to Joab Drawn of Bradley, for
1925. went to Smith and asked about the
property, and asked him to let me sell it so as
to obtain fair prices. He said that the writ
ings he obtained of me gave him the property
and I need not look after it as he should do
with it as he Cd ID pleased. 1 repeated
fused. He said by law all was his and he
should keep it, My creditors came to me some
of them, and advised me to go into bankruptcy
so as to get a settlement with Smith. They
told me he would have to show his books, etc.
They called a meeting before the bankrupt
court in Bangor.
Mr.. Smith told the Registey that he owed
me nothing and L owed him nothing. 1
thought this was hard statement as | had an
account with him of about 500 900, and he had
over $4,000 worth of my logs; las to this you
can ascertain at the Bankrupt Court. Not
only did he ruin me in taking my property,
but also in credit. AT the time he commenced
with me my credit was good in Bangor for all
asked. In 1875, hired two hundred dollars
of Smith for one year at u per cent. Gave
him mortgage on my furniture. Two weeks
before it became due / met Smith at the N. e.
Garry, Moosehead Lake, asked if he was will |
ing to wait until came down, which would |
be in about four weeks; he said he was, and
would give me sixty days notice when he
wanted it. He came down and in less than a |
week called upon my wife and told her that if |
it was not paid at maturity he should forecloSe |
and take the furniture but induced her to give |
him mortgage on her house at 8 per cent per
annum AS for Smith being friend to the la |
boring class, for one know by bitter exper- |
fence that he is not so any longer than they |
can secure him SO he can get from to 20 per |
cent. for what money they are forced to hire of |
him. Last year 1 had pair of horses and har- |
nesses, etc., that he had a mortgage on. In |
July this year, l sold them, with his consent |
and knowledge, to d. Orr for 1925. Smith |
said he would give me credit for the same The |
next day Smith took me and drove up where |
Mr.. Orr lived and had the horses and obliged |
me to take Off $25. Or he should take possession |
Of the horses
1t is claimed for Mr.. Smith that lie is the
poor mans friend. How well he deserves that |
title, the following facts will show:
Last January was at work i'll the woods by |
the month with a pair of horses to earn my |
living. After being reduced to poverty as l |
have stated, and got my leg crushed badly by a
log rolling upon it, and was brought home, and |
have been laid up ever since, / received for |
my wages in April, $65.
I owed Smith on my horses and carried this
money to him to partly pay for them, hobbling
to his house on crutches. l was told that he
would not take the money under the circum-
stances, but knew better; he took every dol
lar, when was so poor that Mr.. w. B. Hay
ford got up purse among my humane friends
n Bangor, of nearly the above named amount
without my knowledge, and sent it to me, by |
which means and my kind neighbors we were
saved from absolute want Mr.. Smith called
Upon me several times during my sickness, but
never offered me any assistance or gave me
lollar in money. On the contrary, as | have
stated above, he obliged me in July to lose
twenty-five dollars on the sale of my horses.
am certain that ii L could have a fair set
tlement with Smith he would owe me after
getting all his debt and interest many thousand |
dollars. did all I could for Smiths election
last year because I felt obliged to, for he had a
mortgage on my house. 1 expended consider
able money of my own, expecting. it to be re-
funded, but it has never been paid. This year
shall do all can against him, and work for
IN honest man and not for Shylock.
Yours, &C.,