New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-25

! ..o aoces,ors followed the sea but !
holds formidable Old papers ana en.ei'a n ~ as |
| homes of receiving some day 'ne "
| .claim" against the Government. , mi,bf |
! Wiscasset was somewhat closely cohhco'o "s,a
| .ha warfare as well as with the embargo op ioi-'
Guarding the "Narrows." twelve miles iroip '"e
ocean. is yet standing the old WOODEN p'o1"
or barracks built in 1909 under the supeI''s% VI
commodore Porter. when General Dearborn se'''
as Secretary of War the blockhouse Is yerhangs
| i'm shane and the second story Suhdscn oN'l III
IS spiked with huge hand wrought mans; its h III
bers are massive ana OF tio nHSr,hnIes fashioned
FOR small arms a. well as heav guns In front
0ad te or paradeDsround and below that the ruins
OF an old stone fort ana OF DICK mt wa, rod from
which fronted the river The first gun ncn p ar"'n
Fort Edgecomb' the inauguration OF rI,
dent Madison in 1907 and the fort WAS con- ts
naval battle between the Enterprise and me BoMer
took place Just off the and sGd under order
of Prize Court at specas , ter Rii ne Vessels en-
tered the mouth of the Sheepscot and loo men
ordered from the <ennebeG TO SfS syaI COM
mander probably thinking discretion thg pe i,
Part Of b va0T Sea was Occupied was during the
Gonfederate steamer Tallahassee had been seen off
| the coast. No entrance was made, however, ana
the post was again abandoned Inc r;Orei fh ely
b bockhbduse. as several Intellectual attempts have
been ma m to has sec done its best to deosh the old
buildings but the people of the neighnorng towns'
have from time to time. at necessary intervals ts
raised in various NAYS to MAKE by the
| last effort-a dramatic entertanment-an od Iaay
of off b m6nev no is Ra old
should think they would so to work ana Du''a
On Edgecomb's shores nearly opposite the block,
house sands an unpretentous.i a eeyeraI
wooden dwelling house. which was moved seve, nt
years ago from Wesport Island, where II was pun.
ing nsmrd pa Gough It was currently
mored that the Clough house had rich ana roy S
palace Of the deihroned monarch Of France and
that the unfortunate Queen Mare Ah na , Fst
oyertaken her: and it is fact that Talleyrand and
gomPanOn took rom IN fTsR he
own owned and Commanded by captain Clough
on THE SHEEPsCOT.
The sheepscot River rises in Palermo. runs
through Whitefe.d-wherc it is only small mill
| stream-to what is called Head Tide in Alna'
about twenty miles from the ocean; and here the
tide water reaches Five miles above Wiscasset. at
Sheepscot Bridge slight fall in the river nvisi-
BILE at high tide and both above and below the falls
are the Sheepscot farms, where have been up
turned in ploughng old cellars curious fragments
! of earthenware and other evidences OF former
settlement Of which no authentic account exists.
and which give rise to much conjecture among ms
torians The Sheepscot is beautiful in all its wind
| ing length but at Wscassct il is majestic; here
| it expands into what seems to be a vast lake. in
| reality the landockel harbor OF Wiscasset The
high land of Ciark's Point lies the immediate
right below. the sloping hillside. the quiet VII
| lage its white houses half hidden by the fine old
| trees for which Wscasset is noted; beyond. TO the
| south lie Birch Point and Cushmans Mountain.
| Jewonkee. with its Indian legend. and the winding
| Back River" which leads out into the kennebec.
| Beautiful as is the the west side Of the
harbor that on the left vies with 1t in charm
Edgecomb Heights form the background against
which is outlined Folly Island. with its picturesque
thickIy wooded shores. the blockhouse on its south
ern point and in line with Folly Island the Narrows
between-the rugged upper end Of Westport Island
which divides the Back River from the Sheepscot
sometimes called. in cOntradstinction. the Front
River" And through the Narrows. where the cur
rents from the two rivers meet in harmless. bub-
bling eddies. the sheepscot makes its unobstructed
way down the
one of the chief charms OF present-day Wiscasset
is the wooden toll bridge almost mile in length
which connects the town with Folly Island, from
whspce short bridge leads to Edgecomb beyond
The senboard over the dollhouse bears table %
tolls such as rarely in this country to-day:
RATES OF TOLL FOR wIsCAssET BRIDGE.
For each foot-passenger. &c: for each horse and
rider l5c; for each horse. wagon; or, or sleigh eoc
For each coach chariot. sleigh, phaeton or other
carriage OF pleasure drawn by two horses 4oc
For each coach chariot sleigh phaeton or other
carriage Of pleasure drawn By four horses. Coo
For each cart or sled Of burthen drawn by two
| beasts with one driver. 3Oc each extra beast &c.
Bridge open for the public November J. 1871
! Crossing the bridge often would be expensive
luxury if these rates were strictly demanded But
it is the custom OF those who ride much to pay
for the privilege nominal sum yearly. AS TO foot
passengers suffice it to say that the good-natured
oll-gaherer often looks the other way. The bridge
may be characterized as safely dangerous-or dan
gerously safe; its income Is small. and the eX-
| pendlture necessary keep it in perfect repair
would be large. Some day the town will buy the
bridge and make It free; the owners ofttimes
, lose money on 1t annually. The bridge has long
been favorite promenade-and many tale Of all
, venture. romance and pathos could It's shsky tim
bers tell, Here years ago, an Italian was shot;
here so village gossps half the proposals.
! in town have been made here-for life runs the
same alway-have wandered old and young
, The young hear no. ana restless.
And the old subdued and slow.
| ANCIENT AND HONORABLE"
Several institutions in Wiscasset have reached
dcnifei age. Lincoln Lodge. Of Free and Accepted
Masons. located at Wiscasset, began its work on
June 49, 1892 An Ancient and Honorable Fire So
ciety ostabshe in 1872 has been continuously main
tanned by the Introduction Of new members in each
generation In 1902 the town purchased freengine
> a quaint little hand worked machne-which is
carefully preserved by the society. also the
clumsy leathcrr buckets and huge canvas bags
which provided for the use Of each member IN
case the property Of any member should be IN dan
ger from fire. Four times year the society mas
> a banque-apparently the chief end for which the
: organization is now maintained. The Wiscasset
Social Library. founded in 1879 by Of prom-
nent citizens. has survived long lapses of oblivion,
: ! and many old books to BE- found in the
Il | somewhat miscellaneous collection which COM
roses the library. Another institution, established
in the first decade Of this century, IS the Ladies Ala
= ! Society from whose funds reduced genil"N women
. , and others in need are assisted each year
A modern icOnoclastic spirit caused the tearing
| down in 1910 of the old Conversational meeting
4 ! house which In perfect state of preserva-
Z lion In 1902 there hung In the belfry Of the
meeting house bell which stili does town duty In
y ne tower OF the structure and when cast
| nv Paul Revere, each member Of the parish being
| assessed to meet the cost-for the town and parish
ope n he
Triangular village common In front of the church.
formerly stood row OF LOMBARD popiars, swept
! a.,a., no IllfhlesS HpiIt III The daNS