Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-12-25

llere we nave IN rCuOi NumOers quar-
ter of million acres of absndoned lands.
coed had ami Indifferent, with valuation
of one and quarter million dollars, which
locks large in the aggregate, but divided
among the towns of :he State it shows only
800 acres with valuation of $4,000 to
each town.
| hsve stated that the aggregate number
of abandoned farms reported this year is
1913. but am satisfied that these figures
are too high. Several assessor. in their
remarks make the statement that many
of the farms returned az abandoned
we're originally separate farms brt have
Icing since been sold to adjacent owners
and are now cultivated rs parts of other
fsrms but only in one instance have the
assessors been definite as TO the number
of such farms 80 they could be eliminated
from the count, thgt town being Waterford
in the county of Oxford, which returned
forty five abandoned farms but supple
men.ed the return with this remark "Of
these enumerated farms, all. with the ex
ception Of perhaps four SIZE absorbed
these few are awsi,ipg purchasers. The
others are assessed with the occupied farms
of their owners so We could not get at their
value. They are all used Rs additions TO
farms and for out pastures
With this explanation of course the num-
bar was entered ~ four instead of
forty. FIVE, really qui.e discount
and am satisfied tina. many other returns
ough, to be discounted in similar way.
but as there was nothing in any other p
turn 10 show the number OF this class #
farms, although we know they are ther.,
we cannot eliminate them ard 90 all have
gone in to make up this aggregate. Thsre
has evidently oeFn disposition on the
part of SOME assessors TO make this matter
show up 10 its worst possible ligh. while
others have worked fully as hard 70 make
TIE number as small as possible. But
making all proper discounts, the fact still
remains that there are spDe three thousaad
of more OF a5suionsd farms in the State,
and the question naturally arises, Why
we're they abandoned? The ASSESSOR
&c rally give no explanation with their
ret,. hut cr~rsir~ai~ ~. gives So
lieli- n n a. ( Iun. from the towr
Pois u We la II that farms repo
are for sale ami probably will rot 10
remain abandoned. Hsvnesville reports tEo,
one owned by land company and the other
b. very old lady who lives with relative
VINO ooIy cuts tee hay. Wesf.li pla1ta-
ton reports -four. one abardcnsd because
the o~rer died aud the widow could not
carry il or, snoths, Owned by proprieiors.
pss-iag frtm one shiffless settler to an
Others third left by al aged man who bed
snI the fourth wss left by the family to
work 10 lie Fi,ton. Brunswick reporis eight,
ore owned by the town whsrethey formerly
kept poor family aBother wss left BY
FAM vito moved 70 California and the
ptesert avner only cuts the tsy; third
Owned by a woman VII, mari d man
living Fear and the hay IL cut
two farms very sn,sl and poor;
another hous hit By man not she ~ pay
for il ami be has recently left it; sn1hsr
osned by a msn .ITa' ave ,esrs uli who
lives with aaotber faulty sri ilss The bay
ent, while the % her is o. ned BY Z family
who recently fell heir t, a isrgs fortune
and hsye moved into the village sEd merely
cut tie hay ard let the pasture. This last