The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-07-15
STATE TOPICS OFINTEREST.

Ex-Adjutant General S. j. Gallagher gets
a lift from tine will OF the late VIM. III.
Young, of Calais, who was General Gal
lagher's father-in-law. The property is
valued at 10000 and is to be divided between
his four children
The electric light is pushing the kerosene
lamp hard In Maine. Dixfeld is the latest
village to introduce electricity, and she pur-
poses to make the event memorable by
celebration, of which the features will be
base ball and horse trotting in the afternoon,
parade. Of bands and fraternal or
CARNATIONS in the evening and an address in
the open air. The Maine towns were never
so wide awake as now.
A policeman in Augusta has discovered
that the English sparrows in that city, in
stead of sleeping in their nests at night, be-
take themselves TO the electric lights, where
they dart back and forth catching and de-
vouring the insects that hover about the
glare. The policeman says this habit was
commenced by single bird short time ago,
and that the little chap, possessed of gen.
erous spirit, has given the scheme away to
his brethren, and so that night after night
the number increases.
Maine carriage makers now get most of
their hickory from North Carolina, New
Jersey and Ohio; but Mr.. Lewis Pray of
Portland, tells the Industrial journal that
there are thousands of acres of land in
Maine on which hickory trees could be
raised at great profit. The nuts for plant
ing can be obtained on the Diamond Islands,
and at Falmouth, Windham and many other
places in this State: From twelve 70 four
teen years from the nut the trees get a
GROWTH Just right for carriage stock. ~
The old war ship Constitution, whose can
non did such execution against the foes of
the nation, and whose "tattered ensign" has
done such execution on the school boy
rostrums of the land, has been at the Kittery
Navy Yard in Maine since 1873, when she
came home from her last service. The Con-
stitution was built in Boston in 1857, and is
even more famous than Nelson's old ship
Victory, which the English preserve with
patriotic care. The Kittery people are la
menting that the Constitution Is soon to be
removed to Washington.
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next
a tournament for the amateur championship
of Lewiston and Auburn is TO be held under
the auspices of the Auburn club. All the
best players are engaged, and some good
tennis is looked for. Among the crack play
ers of the Auburn club are Rev. Mr.. Root,
pastor of the High Street Congregational
church, who is a fine all-round athlete; Law
yer Henry w. Cakes, the famous pitcher of
the Bates College team, in the palmy days
WUtu IL always won The Championship. his
brother, DIR. Wallace K. Cakes; S. r. b. Pin
gree, of X. c. Pingree q Co.; DIR. Williams,
A. G. Barlow, Jr., and Charles E. Cobb.
Those who think horse does not manifest
appreciation of home in some other way
than by travelling faster towards than away
from it,should have seen Nelson's fine horses
Nelson and Aubine, when they returned to
Snnnyside In Wateryille after the races week
before last. Although they had all the best
care horse could have while away, they
showed in an unmistakable manner their de-
light at getting into their own stalls. BY the
way, Nelson's horses are the only Maine
horses in the races of the Eastern Circuit, to
be trotted at Narragansett PaTk, Providence,
X. l., July 16, and Mystic Park, Medford,
Mass, July IS. Mr.. Nelson enters his black
geldlng Black Amble in the 2.44 and 2.27
classes, and Nelson and Aubine in the 2.20
class.
In the early days when North Newry, in
Oxford county. was known as Bear River, a
dry sort of fellow named David Smith used
to team into Portland, stopping on his way
at the tavern in Gray. One night the land
lord asked him banteringly if Bear River
was not cold place. "It is" says Smith.
"Fhere have been heavy frosts every night in
the year since 1 lived there" "What in
claims the landlord Si i' sWsy ' we e'1 raise the
largest kind Of beans" "What time do you
harvest them?" the landlord asks. Smith
says: The last crop was harvested in Feb
ruary and one bean weighed IL pounds"
That's liep' the landlord exclaims @'It's
the gospel ruth" says Smith, ''and l can
prove IT, There are two families by the
name OF Frost living in the settlement.
There is family by the name of Bean. A
month of February and it weighed II
pounds" The landlord was forced to bring
out the West India rum for the crowd.
The Bangor News publishes a story to the
effect that there Is good deal of trouble in
the management of the Soldiers Home at
Togus. The trouble is said to have begun
when Captain Cobaugh, the former treasurer
made charges against the governor, General
Stephenson. Stephenson was exonerated
and Cobaugh asked to resign. Then Pen
sion Agent Anderson was made treasurer
aud has since been filling both offices. Gen
eral Anderson has made charges that Gen.
eral Stephenson interfered with his work,
and General Stephenson retorted that it
would be good thing to have a treasurer
who attended to his work. The News states
that the Board sustained General Stephen
son and Informed General Anderson that he
must give up one position. All this is alleged
to be due to the influence OF persons who
want hand in expanding the great sums
annually dlsbursed Tor the needs OF the
home.
The late Joseph Blake Hall, editor Of the
Aroostook Times, was one of the most re-
markable newspaper men in Maine. During
his lifetime he was connected with nine pa
pers, five Of which he founded, or helped
found. About 1S4S he established The En-
sign, temperance paper, in Bangor; in
1857, he established the ArQostook Pioneer;
in 1860, the Aroostook Herald; in 1862, he
was one of the founders of the Portland
DAILY PRESS; and in 1871 he was one of the
founders OF the Omaha Tribune. Besides
these papers, he was connected at various
times, with the Portland Advertiser, the
Chicago lnter-Ocean, the Fargo Republican.
and the Sturgeon Bay (Wis.) Expositor. In |
reer, he managed drug store in Presone
Isle, wrote histories Of Fayette and DeIa'
ware counties, Iowa, and Joe Davis comfy.
Illinois, and served as secretary of the State
of Maine for three years, lS6O.62. But
wherever he was, it was to Aroostook that
he looked for his home. Though born in
Oxford county, he went to Aroostook coun-
ty in the pioneer days of 1843, and helped
bis father hew home out OF the wilderness.