Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-02-18
WINTHROP.

Speaking of the remark attributed to P. T.
Barnum, the great Snowman, that the Amer
lean people like to be humbugged," reminds
one of an actual occurrence in a town not
thousand miles from Winthrop, recently. A
store was engaged by parties from a certain
city and filled with various kinds of goods,
good, bad and Indifferent, shop-worn, etc. a
flaming sign in large letters announced
clearing out sale" while numerous small
hand bills freely distributed told how ruin
ously cheap goods could be bought at this
great bankrupt sale. etc, etc. Among other
things was a certain grade of horse blankets
marked 80 cents apiece, and straightway
big rush set in for these same blankets and
many purchaser was there, and for a few
hours there was a continual stream of blan-
kets going out of that store: but at length it
occurred to some thoughtful granger to ascer-
tain the price asked for the same blankets at the
old established shop, kept by resident. and
one who pays taxes in tOwn-on his stock in
trade-when, 10 and behold the price at which
this townsman had been selling these same
blankets all winter was 10 cents apiece,
so parties who had purchased at the new
store with the big sign, and here but for a
brief time. had been paying cents apiece
more for the blankets purchased than they
would have had IL pay at the store of their
own townsman; but this only illustrates how
the multitude will run after something new,
and emphasizes the need of a law to protect
legitimate trade, those who bear the burden
of taxation in town, from peddlers and
transitory and migratory traders. Some
uuack doctor advertises to cure all diseases
incident to humanity, by remaining in town
'sfor one day only" and straightway the edu-
Gated physician, the old family physician,
the physician who has patiently studied all
the symptoms and has not yet received his
wel-earned fee, is forgotten and the
auack is patronzed, receives his cash down
and is gone on the morrow, and the unbene
fitted patient in few days, with empty
pocket book, takes his way back to the resi-
dent doctor to get relief from the effects of the
ouack's nostrums Two leading democrats,
one or both of whom are aspirants for the viii
lage post office, met in store few nights
since. and inquired of each other who the
representative to the legislature from this dis
trict is; neither could tell. A well-known
republican was appealed to for information
upon the subject.-A very numerously signed
petition has been forwarded to the Legislature,
asking that the law relating to close time on
black bass in the two ponds near Winthrop
village NAV be repealed. The close time on
these fish in these ponds is the same as in
other places. and while we believe it has been
great mistake putting these fish in our
ponds, we would not have the PRAYER of the
petitioners granted. because, if everybody is
allowed to fish in these ponds at all seasons,
and are prohibited at certain seasons from
fishing in other waters, the result will be that
we should be overwhelmed with fishermen.
and our ponds would have the fish of all kinds
taken out of them.-There is considerable
talk of forming company for the purpose of
manufacturing the ''Hodsden Patent Pulver-
izing Harrow" so universally commended
wherever used Town meeting is the I'd
Monday in March. The present popular
board of municipal officers will undoubtedly
be re. elected with practical unanimity.-The
snow and pauper bills will be unusually large
this wear.