The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-03
RANSOM THE "AcARAZA MAN"
Ne Claimed the Power to Transnute
MetaIs-A Modern Midas-His
Methods of Deception,
Hon. William GOOId.l

Hon. William Goold.l
At the time of nay first knowledge OF Port
land business men, there were several who
were spoken Of as "Aearaza men," Capt.
William Cammett at my request explained
to me why they were so called and named
those who were so designated. | now rec
ollect only Joseph Thaxter, edge-toOl maker
Cross street; Edward @. Capen pump and
block maker, afterward weigher and gauger
at the custom no use; VIM. S. Quincy. silver
smith, Exchange street and Capt. Samuel
Freeman, ship master afterward Of Black
Strap There were others whom
have forgotten. -IrStelligent people must
have been more credulous ff-s9e NE hrS1 years
of the century than they are nOw.-~~lk.nlsellte
was prevailing notion that astrologers and
fortune tellers did really know more Of the
future than the common people. Great
faith was placed In the revelations Of dreams
especially when the same dream had come
certain number of times. Dream books
were popular. These with such books as
the Arabian Nights were universally read.
Rev. DIR. Deane, who had been a Harvard
tutor records: II planted short beans and
sowed culifowers and apple seeds. being
increase of the moon" Again a week later
he notes the state of the moon when he
planted corn and potatoes. Much time was
spent in digging for hidden treasure, the
place being designated by divining rod.
-Four or five voyages were made from Port
land by ordinarily sensible men to the West
Indies In search of pirates hidden treasure.
Lotteries wers lawful and many people paid
for tickets their last dollar in the hope Of
awing great prize.
when ins1S01-2 an Englishman named Ran
som came here from F;eeport where he had
discovered an ore which contained lead and
other shining particles.
There is a small island near Freeport on
which vein OF lead is found. 1t Is mem
toned in the "Pejepscot papers," John
McKeen Of Brunswick wrote that he knew a
man who found lead there and obtained his
annual supply for bullets. This island was
undoubtedly the source of Ransom's supply
'AcaraZa" as he called it and so success sful-
ly duped the people. Midas the Phrygian
king was said to have the ears of an ass, but
Ransom made his adherents into comp lete
donkeys. He differed from King Midas In
this, that while all Midas touched was
turned to gold, Ransom claimed that bis
peculiar manipulation turned lead TO silveis
Salter Quincy, a sllversmith OF Exchange
street, then Fish street, was so infatuated
that he acknowledged the wizards miraeu-
lous powers and offered him the use OF his
back room, crucibles and tools. Here Ran
som held court. and converted the unbeiiev-
ers by his speciOus arts. When he had
found a man of means whom he desired to
enlist in his proposed company, and had
awakened his interest, he invited him to
shop, where none but the initiated and the
raw recruit were allowed to be present, and
the utmost secrecy was maintained.
When all was ready, Ransom appeared
from his private closet with his striking
wizards cap on his head, and the mysteri-
GUS wand in his hand. Shakespeare saws
''the devil hath power to assume pleasing
shape" The fire was lighted under the cru
chile of ore and the bellows started with as
much mysterious ceremony as IL 1t was
Pagan sacrifice. As the smelling process
proceeded, various ingredients Of pretended
virtue were dropped into the crucible The
operator pretended that an Indispensable in
gredent was May-dew, which he bad offered
high price for, supposing that 1t was hard
to be obtained in sufficient quantities,
was boy at the time of the fraud, gave me
an amusing description Of the scene at Quin-
cy's shop one morning. Country people had
heard Of Ransom and his offer for May-dew
the month was nearly gone and all went
into the business. There were no market
hoIse's back or In heavy two-wheeled
farm cart. RansOm's dew came In fiat kegs
in saddle-bags on the backs of horses, on
which were seated young people and old
people. Ransom had more company than all
the neighboring market. He was appalled,
for once, but he soon thought of a way to get
out Of 1t. He recollected that the popular
notion Of May-dew was that it must be gath
cred before sunrise, and that condition was
named in his Offer He ordered the saddle
HI fxN IAN
was applied. A few kegs were accepted, TOR
a blind, but the great bulk was condemned,
he asserting that the sun had shOne on some
portion OF the package, which spoiled the
whole. This process was repeated TO the
end. The disappointed people poured what
had cost them so much labor into the gutter
In disgust, and Exchange street has not had
so much labor expended in a single sprinkliDg
since. Many country girl went home with
out her hoped-for summer gown, like the
milk-maid in the fable.
Ransom had brought the popular belief of
the virtues of May-dew from England. In
his diary Samuel Pepys, who lived in Lon
don, recorded
My wife with Jane and W. Hewer (seryants)
away down to WoOlwich IN order TO a little air
and to lie there tonight, and so 10 gather May
dew tomorrow morning, which Mrs, Turner hath
taught her Is the only proper thing In the world
for her TO wash her face with; and l am content
with it.
When began to write of May-dew left
Ransom stirring his crucible in the midst Of
his friends. Is was invariably the case
when the contents of the erucible were turn
| ed out there was found at the bottom a small
ingot of pure silver of the value Of one iftf
OF dollar, so pronounced by Quincy, the
| silversmith. Ransom had done all he prom
ised; OF course the outsider was convinced
| paid his money and joined the company
| After while some Of those interested begaI
| to get impatient for dividend So far Il
had been all pay out True, CAPTAIN Free
man had been sent with his vessel to Gay
Head for load Of pipe clay to build the
| smelling furnaces, but Ransom seemed in NJ
hurry for his return. Quincy began to won
| der how the silver ia the crucible should al
| ways be Of exactly the same weight. Other
| became suspicious; a hole was bored owe
| Ransom's private room and watch set, whl
| discovered that when preparing for an exhi
bition Of his powers Ransom rolled up a thiI
Spanish coin of that time, called ''pis
| tareeD," OF the value of 20 cents, and insert
ed 1t In the end OF his wand with which h
stirred the molten contents of the crucible.
This accounted for the milk in the cocoa
nut. The secret of the fraud was out. Ran
som was arrested and brought TO trial. Hi
| counsel argued that the several prOcesse
taught IN the books on metallurgy for tn,
separating Of silver from its accompanyin
matter were as complicated and as liable I
| deceive as that practiced by Ransom, and
he chose to add May-dew 1t was nobody
business. Strong efforts were made to hav
him exhibited in the pillory. which the
stood on what is now the north part Of th
Eastern Cemetery, but he escaped punish
ment. have heard it asserted that he di
sit in the pillory, but l have found no eyl
dence OF 1t. Ransom's victims we're jeere
for their folly, but the foremost scoffer
were those whose poverty only saved then
They would have sung the praises Of 'aeara
"a If they could have raised the Initiation
| fee.
IL was said that 1t was to escape from thi
banter that caused Captain Freeman to NOV
into the country.