Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-09-19
AUGUSTA LOCALS.


Rsn;siscescss q ED Tin. 1eAs-.
The reeentis pabKshei article IN the
JossxAs. regarding sslen isIss Y re ~
fell. hy rSzlei Sli%kEeg-- snersose aai
man b. is-xas an in.sfesiia: e4ax u zI-,1y
| - vc,z. readers. II vas Hsr ferfure 10
1tnev MIR; ~hsr peraaps ssffv xsa's 40 hs
hreks b.e,I Il sss father. ssasss IA f,.EEeif,
&Isss- "a res. him in Angussa-snd sgaIn
L.. |. fs~ weeks ago al UnIser,ai Il grove
meesinx IN Csrsau-
S.m@ u,.,ee ,bzn ssriy years Ego. kfe'i-
priex Speacsr " 10 late. traded q: Bess-aie.
% a tavern in Augusta, on ihe west side
Of the riYef. At military TAI ST ~
bouse. there were present daughters OF
Capx. John Saith OF gea1aeli; possibly
rs greats, but no tIsEes THY were iaers 70
a.,I.s Ms, SPENCE. tse5, sister. snters.ia
the uasror, Of the house. AZ this ball vas
a eap,sin Of a'wsy back military ee11-
.nang. who fsruesi 40 acquaintance VIII
sons of the Sai.h gir.s--iAser he Hlar,ied
h.r, an. a. . rssal. OF the a1a-riiss, sss3.
,J.aa Saith ose4m nsy sraossi Eslssr. al
-, 90 frequently al E.AitisI as To AHqalfe
a kno~ ieasr of many .sstneAi Peop.e
among ihsm. Co.'S. Bateaslssr, craig and
HI lebfown, AMI Ialay others who sere n'en
OF rlore or les. local fang.
Resiaeh for many yeEs-nniA Lac
Trains . islsin tso pails Of the COZ nsr, VAS
a great center ior sage coach travel
Every forenoon, tao, foar-oiteD six horse
coaeises passed through the village on TEE
| way 10 Augusta asil uaiiox ell, aid OTIS e
came from those places or laying people nc
| we're going TO the back towns oftlmes
many Of tie passengers dlasd a. the Rssd d.
deli hotels ttayerus J There were two
| tsgerns in tine village during the sbif,tes
and foriies Crsig's and that GA the Ms
| Vernon road, IN a hIeh there was no one
| landlord" stuck as dll Ar. Craig tor
| locg t.r,a Of years Uaele Bsa Bardsn
| pu.t have been some ysais away tr' 10
.,ere before | became familiar VITA L c
slllage and is PeOals. Nh. otieAAs. 20
ioubt IS correct in lis s.sten'eat u al
lt.Tncle Ben" onee kept tavern In We'll
but be kept tavern in Dizfi Id. IN the hoa'e
aext above, aud occupied the house nt4l oe-
llow nv fathers As d dwelling, while IN TIE
stove aiii tin wafe business thefe. ana 30
Iuot bring to mind ever hearing HIM SPEAK ~
| running a hotel 10 Weld. lie was a Ia
i.ra-keepvr in ReaIheli. Wilton, PbilhP''
IDixt.ln. kun.torI anI at Bethel I'LL. Nhls
he was an affsble, kindly, pleasant sent'
lman and '-snew hog to keepa good hoase'
Ii an constrained to say that | thinS We
luueh Of Lis -ucc' IS was due to the TACT III j
IT, Aotht r Bardep, his wife, was Que OF ts'e
hest !andltai-s sho was ever at the heai "a
the indoor management u d country tafft ''
IL. tile parilacc of many TO-DAY -ohe 1
good 'sgrab" at her tables. " heh hotu
harden sent dinner TO those who worked I
Uncle Ben 10 haying, 1t was remark heaf
; from many This is equal 10 the pesi o.
, iainabIe any here We had much sport
: with Barden dlring wHni p0ltlcai CAN'T
' psigns, a Democrat Of the Cd stoak, h Vs.
r Leaf 10 argument, prsuasion aha prov
T against bull-dozing. Ii was as mueh ii
. impossihilify TO obtain an aeknow ieigemeit
from him that the Demo, rate party hsd
done. would or eonld 10 wrong, as i
would b., today 10 obtain n Ike allowance
!, from w. II. Clifford, +. L. Bean or Geors 6
, +. I,lle. Uncle Ben was not over ~
booked regarding poltica! matters, still re-
1, would engage in controversy with &nyoht.
. lie bases everything on what the Atga'
said"-and anything outside OF The Arg"s
vas" id Republican Tribune lie
Among Readtield people one would met
before 1850 was DoetVr Currier, Lawyer
fuller, TAILOR Frost, Peter Alien, mel
chant by the name of Davis,another trader.
deformed man-Lambert. Moses Wiitile5, ,
Asa Gle, John Currier, Dud laihes ami
Emery o. Bean. II not mistaken as to H.
given names, there were close by, Comfoi
Srlith and Comfort Williams men living o.
farms only short distance from the Corner
But am not giving you v hat intended
10 desired to give you two Incl tents Ia
the lives Of the tavern keepers named IN MI
s,ticxney's article, Craig and harden. Ne
urknos to fame Was one Spaulding Shit
If Wlltor IN inyeterate joker and story
telitr Old tavern keepers were supposed
10 b. at tie head in thas direction and Mr.
Crng had gotten little the better OF Snilt''
WHO We. frequent guest at Craigs
"Spaula" had been to Boston, returning h.
It,uk a seat IN the coach at Augusta an
rode I'm il near React field, when he aske'
the other occupants of the carrisge to ALLOW
i'm al Of the back seat. proposition the!
readily assented to. They knew that b.
"meatt busines," Front of Craig's taver
were two rows If large trees, whose over
hsneings and interlo,ke branches forme'
a shady arch under which the patrons OF
, the house drove and stopped front OF
uaved walk leading to the frcnt entrance t.
Ire tavern a distance of peihap, thirty feet
When the coach stopped in trout of hi
house Mr. Craig spryly weat out opener
the coach door politely saluted and assiste'
the pIsscugers out and directed then iGte
the ladies' parIor ur the bar room. On
thi, particular day he helped the others out,
observed Smith lying on the seat and kindly
incurred why he was there and in such
position? Smith grosn I'd and replied, "Oi
Mr.. Craig, / am a~fuliy, avfully sick
don't know as | can live to reach home.
vi it'll many groans and other tx ismations
az TO is condition. To Mr.. Craigs eanes'
and sympathizipg remarks, AMI his soi'cits
, lions to ct out AMI go ilto tue house anf
be properly cared for Smith said he conlt
not ''Oh no, let me stay here only lei
me get home If can live to reach there.
He could not walk to the house. nut Mr
Craig would net allow hiu to remain, per
suaded Smith to allow him to carry him in
which Smith asserted to do. Craig backed VI
to the coach door Smith got on his back snc
while bearing his precious burden up th,
walk and into the large front eutry.r, mark
ing, that one never knew how to prize healtl
until sick-Smith taking the remark from
Craig's lips, broke from his hold, ddnce6
around him with much glee, and told Mr.
Craig he messed" he was even with bin
now. Craig allowed that he was not, mol
would he until the crowd had sampled the
drink at the bar without charge. (This was
. before temperance principles were 50
thoroughly understood as nov
Uncle Ben di keep tavern at Weld and
also at Yves. Pennington. He once sold a
tavern IN Wilton and received $500 in cash.
The desk in the house was near window
opening on the main street of Wilton VII
lage. One warm afternoon after receiving
this money au1 before vacating the hoHse,
he was counting his money at the desk
> this same Smith saw him 40 engaged a. he
walked past Just below the tos n he met
| man whom he knew WAS al
wavs dry. thirsty. Smith asked him
he wanted a drink received an
affirmative reply. gave the man chew
and told him to go into ncie Bens and get
drink, he had just had one. The man
went into the house, called for the drink
and when Borden at the bar attended to
him leaving the money en- the desk mean
while. Smith passed, took the file, went
into and through store near By
passed in the rear of several build
ing came into the street some rods
away and leisureIy walking along, saw an
sgitated and much excited Barien, bare
headed and wild. staring up and down the
street Smith approached him as coolly as
he would have do-e under other circum-
stances. rq iriHg. "B n. what's the
trouble. VINO have you seen in the street:
have you mpt - yuoty: | have lost
$1,000. 00.,- How? Where why OF
. nv desk. At that window not five minutes
go. Smith told had seen only one man.
that one just went i1io Gr.enwooTs store
III 1 sf..ra