New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-09
GREFNBACKISM IN MAINE.


TING wuARvrs IN TowN WEIGHED bows BY
DEBT, RAILROAD ONE CAUSE OF TIN DECAY
OF THApE-wHY GRFFNBACK HERFslrs FLOUR
ISL HERE AND NOT IN THE MANUFACTURING
TowNS-TnE GREENBACKERs wAGING A WAR
AGAINST CAPT. Il.
frRouA STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TIE rRIRuNE.l
WIscAssEr Me- Sept 5.-While talking about
the prospects OF the approaching election WIN
croup of leading Republican politicians gathered
I'm Bangor the other day, | ionnd they were wei
satisfied with the condition of al sections of the
State except the county OF Lincoln. where they said
there WAS a peculiarly stubborn Democracy ana
considerable Greenbackism. and where the nlin-
ences of the Republican canvass dld not appear 10
have produced much effect. Keeping this statement
IN mind after had visited all tie chief centres of
political activity IN tie State and cot the drIi' ana
bearings of the general campaign. determined To
go TO Lincoln County. wa, perhaps, lea to tAlN
conclusion quite rs mach by desire 10 see some
thing o. the ragged AID roc1-bound sea-coast e9St
of the month of tie kcnncoec aud the people VINO
1nhablt il as To study the politics oi tine region.
So GONG east from Portland. changed cars al
Brunswick and took thc Knox and Lincoln Ra.iToad
winch SKIRT, the coast close, rs ii can ithout
runniu. INTO The broad bays and iu.ets that reach
their long arms far NJ into the green country
Across thr head, of these great tidal streams the
ra,lr,,l r.lgs on Ions wooden bridges resting upon
plltS he NrnlNSiIiiS, OF h' Chs t'i' ii' '''''''
them are 'y and picture,qu. and the landscapes
present 10 the eye dci-htful contrasts
of different shades OF green-the dark
green OF The pine forests the lighter
lno. Of Che wide undulating meadow necked with
brow spots where jhe blG granite rocks come up
above ts- sur. and ,hc beautiful aq1a-mariue DOR
of the hattie bays and ponds. The iarmhouses.
painted white. stand out In brilliant relief IN the
clear Mort .crn sunlight agalns the BACKGROUND oil
green meadows The whoe country Is v'rdaht, be-
cause ihcto IS little pougpcd land, hay being almost
the on'r CROP aud the fields, mo,tcuci by the sea-
fogs ar. covered with .sh growth of tender
heritage. Rarely are tAe houses concealed by shade
frees, The Maine farmer seems to want all the sun
Shine ne cal get in his short summer. few sleepy
VILLAGES are passed, aud then comes the quaint Old
CITY of Bath waich strongly tempted ne l. stop.
with its association, of sh pbuidng and seaiariug
The car are .uu upon steamboat and are ierned
over tie hcuuobec, aud IN mId-atternoon WiscasSe.
Tie counts sat OF Lincoln County is reached. lhe
road Iuas on 20 Rockland Oh the Peuob'cot. whence
n tIayc,s can 20 10y boat up tn broad river to Bel
n fast and Bugor, OF among the islands along the
coast .N llther eastward 10 Mount Desert.
SHIPPING TOWN. OF WARS AGO.
W.clss.t Village has PERHAPS thousand inhabi-
tant.. SIT, upon the rocky hills. looks ont upon
the dep blue waters of Sheepscoc Bay. and la
lncnts rs fllmer wealth and It's present poverty
for il Was once prosperous and had great exptcta-
tons Tie largest ships could come NJ 10 Its
whaIyes if the wharves had not rotted away and II
there wa, anything to come for. Those dark-green-
ISL objects running ont from the shore, covered with
seawccd aud half submerged. broad
wharvcs; and there was time when they were
crowded with big sQuare-r gged vessels that brought
rum. mola,ses. and sat from the West Indies ana
exchanged them for the products Of the
country. Now a few schooners that take
away The lumber sawed at two mills
and an occasional ishng-smack the only craft
thai SIR the deep waters of the bay.
"Our town has been killed three times" said an
old citizen who took me IN charge to show me the
place; ".irst by the Embargo during the war of
1872 which destroyed CONNER ce; second, by
fires which swept away a large share of our prop
or,v, ana last by the railroad which has completely
impover ia q Us"
Now the history Of the Embargo was too ancient
to b. Of much interest and fires are common calam
titles everywhere but the impOverlshment of a town
by railroad struck me as an extraordinary occur
renee and asked for explanation He sad the
place WAS fairly weofi before the war, and during
the war supplied its full quota OF men; but to
pay the bonutes II contracted a heavy debt Being
governed 10y Democrats, who are aver,c to paying
public debts. although ready enough TO make them.
II dill not relieve itself of this debt during the good
times which followed the war, as did many of the
Maine towns About 1870 the railroad enterprise was
projected and the towns along the line OF the road
issued their bonds to aid the company, and took
first mortgage & return. l. was a very costly road
to build and Two additional issues OF bonds were
requiled before II completed. But the people
of Ni,caSst were not much trOabled by the Obhga-
lions they lad incurred. They thought the road
would at least money enough to take care oi
the interest on ITS debt, aud they expected great re-
.ul:. fro,, hciup hrOuVlt into rail communication
with the chief cities of the State. GneyCus
their mistake. The road has OILY earned enough
over running expenses to pay about onetlrd OF the
interest Oh is cages, and instead of increasing
the business OF the town II has drawn "a large
share of its trade away to Portland. Poo
pie 20 frequently to the city to buy
their goods. instead of patronizlDg the
village merchants. As business fell off population
decreased Then the town called upon to take
care of the interest its railroad bonds. The
road debt added to old municipal debt amounted
10 about $3.50 600 which was 1923 apiece for every
man woman and child IN the town. For a time II
barely paid the interest," but 10 do so 1t had 10 lcvy
q tax of 4 per cent on all It's real aud personal prop
erty The burden could not be borne long. Real
esta.c declined to half ITS former value, and NOV
able DR. .riy sold ont o: the town To avoid the
tax-ga,heier. For the past two years no interest
has been PAID and the debt now amounts to nearly
E275,OOO
rTAL ESTATE GREATLY DEPRECATED.
Despair has seized upon the Inhabitants They do
not want to repudiate their bonds, but they see 10
way OF PAYING them. Many have moved away leay
ing the Ouiden heavier for those who remain. Prop
eIty 4.liardy salable at any pTice. Driving about
the village this morning, | asked the
value Of large. substantial brick
house that stood in the midst of broad lawns and
pleasant orchard grounds. and peculiarly at