Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-07-26
COUNTY NEWS.
For additional County Ne,os other pages.
Franklin.

Franklin.
The hay crop is fully one-fourth more
than usual. c. H. Macomber will cut
about eighty tons.
Three vessels have loaded here this
last week During the past four weeks
ten threemasters have loaded here.
One had an iron hull; another Was built
on he lakes, and was 145 feet long and
was only 25 feet beam.
Friday was hot here. Some of the West
Sullivan and Hancock business men and
captains came here to join bass fishing
and picnic trip to Georges pond. Most
of the time was spent under the shade
trees. A. B. Crabtree would cast line
well, but Willie Havey proved the most
expert fisherman. One thought fish
would not bite when there was nothing
but ice in the boat another said he had
caught them on the ice, and under the
ice and with a bare hook. After a second
lunch at I p M, the party adjourned I'M
til some day when the thermometer did
not run quite up to So. SANTE.
MONTE PASSED IN HIS CHECKS.
John Paul Gordon recently lost his old
horse Monte, which he has driven for
twenty years or more.
Monte has a history, and it may be in
teresting to friends of Mr.. Gordon to
learn how he obtained the horse and how
the horse obtained the name.
Way back in the fifties, Gordon kept a
meat market in a little mining town on
Trinity river, California. Those were
lively days ON Trinity, and it was rough
and ready life the miners led in this little
town, way up in the coast range OF the
Sierras, thirty miles from Shasta and not
even so much as wagon road afordlng
communication with the outside world.
Everyt hing brought to the town came in
mule packs. They were prosperous times,
too. The big bucket wheels hoisted
water high up to the head of the slulces,
down which it ran to wash the dirt from
the gold in the miners shovels.
Adjoining Gordon's market was gen
eral store kept by Goey q Hough, and
here the boys used to spend their idle
up, Crib" euchre," monte and quite
often in pretty stiff game of poker, at
which some of the boys were not slow.
One hot day in August one of the high
handed players rode up to the store with
Il fine looking bay he called Monte. He
said he had lost his 'pile" playing poker,
and wanted to sell the horse for $50 to get
another stake.
Judge Goey, who was fond of euchre
and bit of fun, proposed that four OF
us ''chip in go apiece for the horse and
then play for him. The judges word was
law, and the game commenced. Gordon
and the judge We're partners, and won.
They played OFF, Gordon euchred the
judge, and won the horse.
Monte became a favorite with the
Gordons. He was sure-footed over the
rough mountain trails, and was good
runner. He WAS expert in rounding wild
steers into corral. In 1861 Gordon
moved back to the States and gave Monte
to the Judge as saddle horse. Years
afterward the judge wrote that Monte
had become blind and old, and one night
had broken his halter and wandered
down to a prospect hole" and had there
''passed in his checks" He was buried
on the banks of Trinity.
In 1874 Gordon was visiting brother at
St. Stephens, and saw there colt that re-
minded him, in gait, and looks, of his old
California horse. He followed him to a
stable, found he wes for sale, made the
purchase, named him Moute in memory
of his old favorite, and shipped him
home.
This new Monte became as intelligent
as his predecessor, and equally as great a
favorite. He would follow Gordon about,
stand on his hind legs, and do other cum
ming tricks. If any part of the harness
broke or anything dropped from the car
riage, on ever so dark a night, the horse
would stop and refuse to move until an
investigation had been made.
He was never sick in twenty years, but
one night last spring he parted his halter,
walked into another stall which was full
of straw, and there died. He was
wrapped in blankets and buried with
honors on the banks of The bay.