The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-01-07
HON. ABNER COBURN.
HIS ANCESTORS AND EARLY LIFE.

Abner Coburn, the eldest son Of Eleazer
and Mary Weston Coburn, was born In the
part OF the town Of Canaan which Ia now
embraced In Skowhegan, March %, 1908,
and his residence during The whole OF his
busy and eventful life has been within
few miles OF his birthplace. His ancestors
on both sides were of Puritan origin, and
were noted for their force OF character, IN
dustry and public spirit. Among the har-
dy pioneers that extended the outposts OF
civilization into the wilderness, they were
leaders. God-fearing men and women,
they have stamped their character upon
succeeding generations. Industrious, fru-
gal, relf-reliant, intelligent, and possessing
the lofty Puritan character, they FOUNDED
towns, and transmitted TO communities
their excellent custoTs and their sturdy
virtues.
In 1892, when fifteen years Of age, the
father, Eleazar, immigrated from what Is
now Draeut, Mass, with his fathers fami-
ly, to canaan. For forty years Eleazar
Coburp WAS one OF the foremost men OF
that section. There was not public po-
sition which he was not called to NIL. ln
1911 he first represented his section in the
General Court of Massachusetts, and sew
eral times does his name appear as repre-
sentative or senator in the legislatures OF
Massachusetts and Maine. He served Tor
OF years, and widely lamented.
Mr.. Coburn's maternal ancestors were
equally prominent. His great grandfather,
Joseph Weston, was one OF the first set
tiers OF Somerset County, going thither
from Massachusetts, in l772. A patriot, he
died from exposure In plotting Benedict
Arnold's expedition through the wilder
ness to Quebec. or Samuel Weston, his
grandfather, . chronicler OF early times
says, esquire Weston was very kactive
and energetic man, and stood conspicuous
| 10 the early annals Of Canaan. He filled
many offices, and died lameDted." In ev-
| cry succeeding generation the name OF
| Weston has beer borne ov men worthy OF
| such illustrious ancestors.
| Such are the ancestors Of Abuer Coburn
| He inherited their sound, practical sense;
| he was taught their Industry aud integrity,
and has practiced their positive virtues.
| In the youthful days of Mr.. Coburn, bread
winning was the duty Of all who were old
| enough to labor. Bread was eaten In the
| sweat of the brow, and not very fine bread
| at that. Existence itself, might be said to
| have involved q constant hand-tO-hand
struggle with the physical forces Of nature.
| As soon as he could be made useful on the
| farm, he was put to work. From that day
to the present Abner Coburn has been an
| Intensely industriously man. He had what
| ever educational advantages the towr az
forded-the district school and few of
the first terms of Bloomfield Academy. AT
| an early age he did mans labor on the
| farm In summer, and before he was twenty
he taught school during the winter, at $40
| per month, aud "bOardiug around"
The following incident affords one good
| idea of the early thrifty habits of Governor
| Coburn. When he was about fourteen
years of age, bis father collected drove
| Of cattle In the new country, to drive to
| Brighton market. The son was one of the
drovers, and in that capacity he trudged
afoot from Skowhegan to Boston. This
was his first journey to the Hub. When
| Squire Coburn arrived at the now great
cattle mart, the demand was light, for BOs-
| ton was not At that time eating hundreds OF
| oxen u day. Rather than sacrifice his
| stock by forced sales, Mr.. Coburn drove
| his herd out into the country few miles,
aud hiring a pasture, retailed his cattle.
Abner had among the drove pair OF
| steers which be drove in yoke. farmer,
seeing how "hsndy" they were, offered
good price, and the sale was made. The
| next day he took fresh pair, and by skill
full training had them SO "haudy" that they
attracted passers-by. Another purchaser
appeared, and another sale elected. This
| operation was repeated several times in the
| two weeks required to dispose Of the herd
In this simple iucident one gets clue to
the secret Of Ahner Coburns subsequent
success-industry, perseverance,, fort-
thought.
LAND ENTERPRISES.
The father of Abner Coburn was one Of
the most extensive land surveyors of his
day. This gave him q knowledge of tim
Der lands, and finally led him into the lum-
Der business. Abner was bis assistant
nd in vuha nj
he began surveying on his own account,
and for = number of years was an expert
surveyor.
In 1880, Eleazar Coburn and his son, Alb
ner an Phiandcr, began their numbering
oi,e.u i,,... II he kenDebec. At that date
they made lneii iir.t purchase OF timber
lands. Under the ii. IN name of E. COburn
Il SOFAS INC ousiuess was continued until
1916, when the father died; at that date
the hrm of A. & p. Coburn was formed.
Few business firms in Maine have been SO
widely known, or have done SO much busi-
ness. II may be safely added that no firm
has been more successful or won q more
envahle reputation for sagacity, perss.
teute, aud sterling business integrity.
The, did not achieve success by sharp
practices, by resorting to unworthy meth
DDS, or by engaging in wild speculations,
but by u legitimate and honorable policy
through industry and forethought. For
more than half q century the Coburn
Brothers were known IS business mep
from the source to the mouth of the Ken
pebec. Many men along the upper Kenne-
bee begau to work for the Coburns, and
have grown gray In their employ Clans
men were never more loyal to . chieftaiD
than were these hardly, intelligent lumber
men to the Coburns Employers were new
er more worthy Of loyal service. The wri-
ter has seen scores OF men In that region,
Of all ways Of thinking and all sorts of
habits, but wh1, after thirty or forty years
experience as employees or otherwise, are
unanimous in the belief that "better men
than the Coburns amt needed" We re-
member one grizzly veteran who remarked
that he had ''never gone back on the Dem
ocratic ticket but twice In his life, and then
to vote for the Coburns, and be would do
il every time" Many men who began as
boys In their employ, ale men OF property
now, passing through all grades of the
lumber service to become Independent op-
orators. In ffty years the firm has fire.
quently been 10 straight places, but BY pru-
dence and perseverance they have outrode
financial storms, and not only reached the
barbor In safety, but have buoyed up hun
dreds Of others who would otherwise have
been ruined. When they befrlended man
they had q way Of seeing him through the
tight. They have carried hundreds over
hard places, possibly some bummers, but
meantime have saved the State . great
many valuable business men by timely as
sistance.
The secret OF their ultimate success 10
the land and lumber business was their rare
judgment In buying, and their tenacity 10
holding when panic and disaster came 10
others. When others uni0aded they gath
cred up and held tensciously. Thus they
became the largest land owners 10 Maine,
possessing at one time 100000 acres Of