The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-08-19


kames Of Maine.
"a pamphlet upon the subject Of kames
has been published by Prof. G. II. Stone, q
well known naturalist, formerly an instruc-
tor al ksnts Hin, Maine, but now of Col
orado College. A copy of his work can
probably DC obtained by application to him
am not one of the "want-the hole
earth" sort of fellows, but little some.
thing saw the other day rather amused
me. The item published In this column In
regard to the deserted store ut Lagrange
was used by the Lewiston journal as oriel
nal and the kennebec Journal republished
1t giving credit to its namesake in the
"spindle city,"
Manager Tucker has recently issued an
order to train men Of his road that will be
appreciated by the travelling public. 1t is
relative to the distinct calling of names of
stations as the train approaches them. He
says to the brakeman that the clear calling
of these stations In distinct English Ian.
guage Is as important as any of their la
bors. Mr.. Tucker must have been riding
incog on some Of the trains and heard some
OF the utterances of his bIakemen. No
man living could ever English the sounds
some of them make, II they did not know
the name they were mispronouncing.
1t really begins to look as though 1t is an
impossibllity to hang anyone in Kennebec
county these times. About year ago
there were three murders there, all in a
bunch, and now there Is another-a most
heartless one and yet you can't find anyone
foolish enough to believe that the victim
will hang. II Wilbur S. Wood will give
me a quarter l will take all the hanging
that the law will ever iniict upon him for
the murder OF poor Bennett. So 1t goes
and who Is there TO say nay.
have always wondered what the Me-
mortal building at Oakland locked like but
could never determine. Other buildings
built of natural stone In that style always
look well but this Is fearful looking job.
While In the village the other day asked
some one what 1t looked like and he told
me they called 1t the vegetable hash pile.
A better name l never heard for 1t. The
little dry house built by Weston s. Brain.
ard, in Skowhegan, Is beautiful Swiss
cottage beside 1t. The intermingling of
bricks seems to be out OF place and to spoil
the rustic effect of the stone.
Just as the train from Brunswick to Lew
iston was pulling out of the Lisbon Falls
depot the other day, two little children not
more than eight years Of age, ran and
jumped on to the steps and crawled into
the ca. When Conductor Cobb came along
they told him they were going to Lewiston
visiting, but did not know who they were
to visit. The conductor put them off at
the next station and on his return carried
them home. He says 1t an every day oc
currence for these little folks to catch on
to the trains and he has known them as
young as four years to get under seat and
ride clear into Lewiston and back.
As traveller gazes upon the many large
church edifices scattered over the country
which are now nearly or almost abandoned
as plac' Of divine worship he is inclined
to the opinion that church going In the
country has gone out of style. Well, per-
haps 1t has, but little insight into the
matter will help all to a better understa nd
ing of the real cause Of the change OF the
religious habits of country people. l was
riding through prosperous farming town
recently, when behcld huge old fash
oned Congregational church such as that
denomination dotted this state with quar-.
ter tf century ago. Like the most Of
them 1t was situated OIL the highest point
OF a high bleak hill, and also like nearly all
of them al four corners. There it had
stood for many years silent monument to
the Christian religion. had passed it a
great many times and never saw much of
any signs that IL was used to any great ex-
tent as q place Of worship until finally
became iDquisitive and wondered why 1t
was ever built and IL it had ever been used
Seeing citizen near by made bold to ask
him for Information on the subject and
this is the way we talked:
Travelling Tourist What denomination
owns this church, please sr2
Citizen-Orthodox. Why want to buy 1t?
7. T.-Not exactly, but what Is it worth
C.-Well now II you mean business and
will take right hold, there shan't be any
dispute bout the price. reckon 1 own
more'n half on 1t and II you will buy 1t you
can have bargain.
T. T.-Don't you use 1t,
C.-Not much OF any 'cept for political
meetin's and SIGH like and don't like to
see it used for any SIGH purposes.
T-Whv did vour f.lkc ovor huil 4
such a great ark In this little placer
C.-This "great ark" as you call 1t didn't
use to be any too big for this ''llttle place.
but fact Is, every ones gone away 'cept US
old fellows and we are fast dropping out.
Why when that meetin' house was built 1t
used to te crammed full every Sunday and
all day too. Now bein's you've called up
the matter and II you amt in q drefYul hur-
ry, let's just 60 over the people In this
peighborhood who used to 20 regular.
Commence right here at my house. We
had nine children first and last and my
wife's mother made her home with US max
ing besides our hired help which would
always average rec or four, dorm per-
sons. Nov the old lady and live alone
and have hired man in the summer. Up
to Henry Jones, the next house, they had q
larger family than ours most Of the time,
but now its the same size. And so 1t goe.
all up and down this whole road. The fact
is there lie nothing for the boys to do on the
farms while we old fellows are rugged.
One good hired man will do more work
now with the machinery we have than all
of US used to do. So the boys are driven
to the cities for employment and tho coun-
try Is deserted. Then besides going to
meetiu' isn't a. necessary as IL was when
that house WAS built. Then 1t was that If
we didn't go to meetin' we had nothing
else to do, but now With house full Of
books and sermons we can get power OF