Feliciana sentinel., 1892-10-01
TIN, THE TOLL-KEEPER.
Legend OF EARLY Days On the
Coast Of Maine.
The Fate That Overlook An n'Avariclous Old
Sconndrel-an Old yycman's Curse snd
Its Strange FhiRIlment-How
tho Bridge Became Free.

If you have ever cruiscd among the
pcrplcxing reaches and inlcts that en-
tangle the coast Of Maine, perhaps you
have seen ''Tim's Bridge" queer de-
formed little fabric of blockaded logs
spanning an arm OF the sea, locally
known as Clam river. Worn and weak
cned by the service of three genera
tions OF travellers, it trcmbles under
the passing of heavy team, ns if its
days OF usefulness were nearly over;
ana the draw, when it opens, totters
Ola its infirm and decaying pier like an
old man with failing limbs
Within hedge of unkempt fish
weirs and fringed with growth of
scragRy spruces, here lies the sleepy
island town of Hockamocil, cut from
the main by this mcandering arm OF
the sea, and united to it by Tins
bridge. Opposite is Irowsie, an an
cicnt npd fishy hamlet in whose streets
the grass grows now, but the scene of
stirring business in the days when
Phipps, the knight of the Spanish
Doubloons, was building his ships and
fitting out his brave expeditions.
To these shores about three-quarters
of a century ago, when the fishermen
and farmers of the two old towns were
III the Heyddy ot tHef' prosperity, CaHe
se''ier hapieo I'm H'"o""' nero
he came from no"ouS hao"s III, c
S'n"ihS' Aine h," enu' - ih'c ~
Inys1ery. S' ho"evef,
lished fact that he built the bridge, the
wiseacrcs OF the day shaking their
heads at his venture and vowing that
he never would get his money back,
but it did come back, swelling to a
e'rea'n "a "'''E' "''' e'PpI' S''h ta'
tI ,n'','' Ait1 '''o ''' '''
"n.n -: Wv .' "a q.
49,. s,.I ,yonJorfn1 accommodation
wa. .,. 49,, ..:I,;..,.. .;a
:" f"
-; ,;,,,o., ,,r,,,,,,IoI .., h,,.;,,,
.,,,fr '7, ,nd h.nts otr for T;,, to onen
I;s ar,,., but thev 500, hccam, accus.
.an,.a,oi IL AND h,e,v tbc;r Eorns md
c<,ncb.sbcus cheerilr. ,lwavs piyinr the
ul,rm ius, before they rounded the
shorp bend made by the reach n little
1,oIo,, Tho hr;,],c AZ far the steam
boats .ha, now PASS and rcpass every
day. they had not vcxcd these waters
when o,.r storv begins.
Ru, rnlucI<ilv for the to;lman and NIL
who vent through his bridge or over it,
Tins nature was as dwarfcd and ugly
nc -, frame. and he fed it on nothing
hut his tolls lie lived in a little house
at the Ilockamoclt end of the bridge,
.o,ctber with his boards and dingy vel
low dog. When he stretched out his
palm for his toll, he had never Il word
of greeting for the passer- by. and if one
vcntured n good morning. Tim
silently hurried away his money as
though a civil word might break the
.pell that protected it.
Old Squire hummer. of Hocl<amock
came tearing down the road to the
bridge one dark night, his horse in a
paIlop
Open the gate. Tim, open tho gate!
It's n matter Of life and DEATH" he
bawlcd.
There Tim stood as unrcspopsive as
d.atb itself. his dog by his side, the
raj. shut and barred.
..n,;.,.r, ro,r,d Tho scuirc- "r,n
+t. doc.o,. tor my wife-she.s like
49,,
49,. o,,r ,rs,ror was to hold on,
t,rd ~ h,s ,.h;}e tho doc
,..r, -, low crowl
..,vi,,, dn vo, mc,n Won Lnaxcc-
e,;.n hummer cried swelling with
,.r .Nould Won r;sl, my w,fe's life
1or turncnce?.'
E.;,cd and fu,rint- I've searched his
,ocle,s for coin while his horse paved
snd reared.
..,I: .,,oro, ,.ho, hor, Confo,rd vou
,,., :, rnrnr j., nv brooches
WI, h,r .tc,dr, TN raw Won to-nor.
r,.n 0,,cn ,,c cate in heavens
-
n,,t tho grim st,,uc did not move sc
,,,,,c,, ,s. fnrcr til the squire. fairly
.s-o With :ntirna,ion, threw down his
,,.,tc,, and fob for toll
w,,a, rext d,v he told the villapcr.
ri Tho afair. the varncst Indignation
wac 1,ind,cd on both sides of the river
,La,,,-h rcrb,rs i never would have
i r.. o,r. lev, for Amt U,,
~ D;.1..