Daily Kennebec journal., 1882-05-20

summer the agents and canvassers of n
western publishing house, appeared in
Bangor and thereabost and announced their
intention of compiling history of Penobscot
county, which was to be fine book and to be
sold by subscription. They visited all the
professional men and other representative
men Of the CITY of Bangor and the county of
fenobscot, and went over into Somerset
county Tor prominent people whose photo
graphs would serve to illumine the pages of
this intere sting literary production.
Inc ag nts were quite successful in obtain
ing matter for the histOry-a we'll known
Bangor historian having been engaged to fur
nish the annals Of the county-and score. of
professional and business men all over the
county readily agreed to pay prices ranging
from $50 to $3.50 each for the insertion of
their portraits and biographical sketch as
an accompaniment, in the said history. All
went well until the history was completed
and launched upon the subscribers who were
indebted to the publishing concern in various
amounts from Sl2, for a mere subscription
for copy of the book, to S262 for a first
class biographical sketch adorned by steel
engraving of the subject. Then trouble be-
gan.
To begin at the beginning, the first tr ouble
is said to have arisen before the book wa.
nnished. The eminent historian who prepar-
ed the article on the county, desiring to make
himself perfectly ''solid' sent his manuscript
&c. o. d." to the publishers of the book and
the cash is said to have been fixed by agree
ment at 5000. The publishers were displeased
at this prompt mode of procedure on the part
OF the historian, and threatened to send the
manuscript back if he did not alter the terms.
The historian declined to alter the terms
and as the book was well along the publish
ers were obliged to ante up the 5000 and take
the article. Then, later on, the proof sheets
were sent to the author to read; and he read
them, but before they reached the West on
their return. the book was issued. with all
the little inadvertencies of arrangement and
typographical errors in their original brilli-
ancy- And here the historian makes his exit
There were few errors in the biographical
sketches, and these are corrected in five and
One-half columns of 'errata" in the back
part of the book. 1t is to these accidents to
the special biographies that the institution of
the halfdoZen suits for damages may be
ascribed. and by the alleged incompleteness,
partality and inaccuracy of the work as a
history, that the evident general dissatisfac-
ti0n of the common subscribers may be ac-
counted for. Some of the ''errOrs' are rather
amusing-all are amusing to the public, but
some of them appear anything but funny to
the subjects of the erroneous effusions.
Mr.. b. G.. Addition of Bangor, "a well known
member of the bar, is reported in the book
as "dead," and he has begun an action for
$4,000 to convince the historians that he is
still alive. He thinks the obituary will tend
to injure his business, and has attached a
quantity of the books.
DIR. Calvin Seavey sues for 5000 damages
He paid 500 or $3.50 to be ''entered" among
the other photos and biographies, and after
ward DIR. f. +. Sanger is alleged to have
paid larger sum to be ''inserted' and have
DR.. Seavey's photo kept ont. DIR. Seavey
caused the arrest of two of the parties con-
cerned. and they furnished securities for
their appearance at the October term of court
He alleges in his writ that his photograph ap-
pears in but one of the books-the copy sent
to him; that it is not to be found in any other
extant. DIR. Seavey's copy has his photo
graph inserted between the pages 40 and
III, but the plate does not appear in any
Other copy neither is it mentioned in the in
dex. The leaf on which the photograph
appears is devoid of gliding on the edge,
whereas the remainder of the book is radiant
in gold leaf.
Then there is the suit of Daniel F. Davis,
Ex-Governor of Maine, against the publishers
for $1,000 damages for non fuflmen. of their
agreement with him.
One of the most extraordinary biographies
is the sketch of Mr.. William Peaks. The
book states that he was born in Dedham in
IS43 and settled in Charleston in 1889. Then,
notw outstanding the fact that he lacked four
wears of being any age at all, he proceeded in
the ordinary routine of life, married and died
in 1876, leaving seven children!
Up in Dexter the community is similarly
shaken up over this remarkable volume, and
correspondent of the Gazette writes in the
following strain
Look at Thomas Plaisted's picture--it
would answer equally as well for DIR. Fitz-
perald-yet it looks some a. Thomas did in
winter of lSSO-during those stormy days at
Augusta that tried the souls of our great men.
Probably it was then, when Thomas was pass
ing through that trying ordeal of resisting the
ninions of Frank Davis and the Supreme
Court that lie sot for that pictur! Truly those
were days when patriots blood wonld boil
and his ewes would look bloodshot. and it was
a good time to get picture to remind one OF
blood and carnage. but an inopportune moment
TO sit for a likeness to decorate the pages OF
"A peaceful history of Penobscot county,
Maine. Ex-Governor Joseph l.. smith like
ness is accurate, and looks exactly as that
hero did when he sat in the Office of the Au-
custa House in the early part of January,
1850. and swore by the eternal that he would
take hi. seat as Governor-which he didn't
take his seat But what is glory and what is
fame, anyway. There is picture of one OF
our associate governors, the Hon. Lewis Bar
ker-a good picture too-but he will go down
to future generations as Lewis A. Barker
for so he is labeled. Such is life. and such
is glory.
..Then look at Captain Boutelle's picture
Who will recognize him as the sanguinary
DESTROYER of democratic quietude, and the
ruthless ieonoclast who knocked down the
idols of the HAYES administration and re-
nounced and denounced all men of putty
who is believed by his adversaries to be a
modern Attia and scoureer of democratic
and greenback gods. Who. We say, will recog
n;ze the ethereal mildness depicted on that
likeness As belonging to our gallant captain
of the Wing and Courier:
Between pages $40 and 57l is portrait
said to be likeness of our eminent hnancler
and congressman, Hon. Geo. Washington
Ladi. The publishers evidently hunted up
some old wood cut used by the publishers OF
those ancient school histories Of the cnited
states to represent James Monroe or James
Madison. or Thomas Jefferson, n,-whittiea on
the ruff1ed shirt front, put on s,ahuine