The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1891-03-05
SELECTED.
For the Reporter.
Early Settlers in Car aan. no. 7.


Samuel Weston, my father-As before
stated in this paper he vas not robust in
childhood, and therefore was given bet
ter advantages for education III The
other children. He vas three months al
der fifteen when he with the family
started for Maine, and that ended his
schooling. In the large anoun. of his
writings that l have, there is scarcely II
word nisspelt, which is said to be test
of correct scholarship. Some of his Lat
in books are stY1l in existence in which
he showed his proficiency by writing
"ejas Hber" after his name. During the
winter that the family spent in Winsow,
he taught school there, being then if
teen years ulu; and in 1850 he had d
school OF msrriel men for while.
He was said TO be little under med
ium size but very active; he must have
regairea his health to endure the severe
hardships # his after life. After his faith
er's death he settled ON LOT No.ll. the Nc
Dermid place, and his first cabin was
near the river betS cen the ravine at the
mouth Of the brook and the line of lot
No. IL, Uncle Joe's. Once in his absence
his cabin was burned with all its contents;
not very great loss IL reekoued In its
money value, but still pretty severe on
Young man just beginning life for him
self, and probably somewhat in debt to
The other heirs, He WAS a successful
hunter; it was said that he killed 81 moose
IN one year; the hides and ts,low and
choice parts of the meat were hauled to
llallowtll in winter on a hand sled, aud
the remainder left for wild animals.
In lle2 my father married Mary White,
daughter of John White who lived on the
next lot south. And by the way, when !
was perhaps ten yeyrs cid we had chilli
ren's party, and one of my cider sisters
came into the room dress ed in mothers
wedding gown. II was of white muslin
with pink sprigs or flowers scattered over
1t. She showed too, a pair OF shoes
with the heels nearly an inch and half
high. | rather think these did not belong
TO the wedding outfit but were bought
some years afterwards. Fashions follies
are not all devices OF the present sge,
some are az old as human vanity.
| never heard Wic,her father buil. q
house before his marriage, but pre-, une
on the river bank. His tlrs house was in
site of the present one, ona story with
four rooms, one chimney with three fire.
places, pantry and stairway. The roof
was very steep giving considerable cham
Der room. To make room for the present
dwelling, in 1900 1t was moved a few rods
to the northward, the chimney rebuilt
with two fire places, one partition taken
out, shelves and counters made, and so il
was fitted for store. As there was no
oven attached to the chimney, one was
built of brick outside, few steps from
the back door. One room was well fin
ished, and after my fathers death Josiah
Locke, the father of Mrs. Hathaway (who
was born there) lived there and KEEP,
store several years. The house stood till
1884 when tore it down and discovered
that it was not frame but of pine plank
three inches thick, no,ched in at the cor
ners like log house, but covered with
clapboards. The stairs were taken cut
whole ard sound, ami transferred to an
outbnilaing that had an upper story,
whore they are doing good service yet and
like to last another hundred years.
The plan of the new house was unlike
any other that | ever saw. 1t was ex.
tremly well lighted, four of the rooms
having -four good sized windows each and
one having five, and there were six out.
sioe doors the Workmanship was as nice
AZ III inouerh hpuses' Inc lather OF the
aSeo MT. Joseph koolnson OF Skowheeah
was one Oh Tue JolEers. IL oesrs lls age
aamitaolY' ana IL Is worthy OF remark
nat The KNOB locKs on some OF tue rooms
lhat were put on nm years ago, are
still in good working order.
First as oeing least important, he was
captain IN the militia Ills hrst appoint
ment as justice OF the Peace thlpk was
10 1850, and THESE Two commissions were
signed by Gov Johu Hancock. another com
mission as justice IN l''2' ana thlfd III
lf99 when Increase sumner was Tower
nor. In 1877 he was representative. Han
son gives list OF representatives ana
mentions none after TINS VII loeo' l thinR
can give the reason Iowns and pan
tations mad the pr,Vii &c OF sending hcp-
resentatiVes, out they were not PAD from
the State Treasury but by the toWnA mat