The Irish standard., 1896-08-08

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\ a1EEU7i TF:;ss -'',s
A few days ago, when at Chicago, Ar
thur Sewall was summarily dropped as
the Maine member of the national conf
nnittee. he wrote home to his family IN
4 Bath:
sI have been dropped from the ma
tionaI committee, and am out of politics
4 for good and for all.
Within "a hours from that moment ne
B was very much more in politics than MS
fundest dreams could ever have pictured,
even when he was thoroughly en- rapport
with his party in Maine and at the
height of his political influence.
Mr.. Sewall cannot be called a well
known man, even in his own state, out
side of the strictly business interest for
which he has cared, or beyond the pale
OF business friends, with whom MS con
1l8ctiO1l with railroad and shipping III
& terest has brought him In contact. Els
personality, nevertheless, is an interest
Ing one. .t*r .
Irthur sewall. third son of William
Dunning and Rachel Trufant SeWall,Wa
horn in Bath in November, 1885. Ills
father. was one of the earliest shipbuild-
4 ersT Of Bath and member Of the legisla-
ture from his state His father was the
grandson of Col Dumnler SeWall, OF the
revolutionary army, who was the tfth
generation in lineal descent from Henry
Sewall, some time mayor of Coventry, IN
Great. Britain. who settled at NeWDury,
Mass. 1884. The witchcraft judge OF
Salem was q son of this SeWall, and ms
brother the ancestor of the SeWall OF
Maine. ;,
Whatever else Mr.. Arthur Sewall may
or may not be, ore thing is certain, ne
is a. master of the art of the building OF
ships, and his connection with the snlps
has by no means ceased with their
Launching at his shipyard, for the signal
Of the Sewalls, a blue flag with Wn1te
49," has been carried into all OF the COM
1nercial navigable waters OF the gloDe,
flying from the masthead of some vessel
which had her baptism in the olue Wa
tiers of the Kennebec.
Arthur Sewall was educated at the
common schools of Bath. At an carry
age he went from Bath TO Prince Edward
Island. trading and securing ship timber
which he sent to the shipyards Of the
Kennebec. Returning when less man !
20 wears of age, he entered the employ OF
his fathers firm, Clark & Sewall, and
shortly afterward, in 1854, formed part
nership with, his senior brother, Edward,
nndar the name OF Z. & A. Sewall, taking
over the business of the old firm OF
William D. Sewall and Clark & SeWall.
In January, 1855, the two brothers
launched their first ship, the Holyhead.
of over 1000 tons burden. as large ship
in those days, followed in the same
wear by another For every year since
at least a ship (most of them OF large
tonnage for their era), has been QUILT by
this firm.
In 1879, upon the death of his elder
brother. the firm name was changed 10
Arthur Sevall & Co., the partners OF
which are Mr.. Sewall and his nephew.
Samuel S. Sewall, and his second son,
William D. Sewall Under the present
firm the activity in shipbuildlng contln-
ued, and in 1890 they launched the Rap
pahannock, of over 5000 tons burden,
then the largest wooden ship at1oat me
coincidence was noted that MI. Sewali
father had, in 1841, launched the snip
Rappahannock then of only little over
1000 tons burden, which was at tna1
time the largest ship af1oat.
In December, 1889, the nrm launcheo
the Shenandoah. still larger. In Sep
tanoher. 1891. they launched the Susque-
hanna of over $500 tons, and in August
1892. the Roanoke, which was then, as
now the largest wooden ship afioat, be-
Ing over 3,4O0 tons.
In the fall of 1890. Arthur Sewall, hay-
ing made tour OF all the noted snip
wards of the world, to keep abreast OF
the march of progress in marine con-
strlction. returned to Bath and began
the equipment of the firms shipyard fo1
the comDlete construction of steel sail
ing vessels, and the first result OF this
equipment was the launching OF the noble
steamship appropriately called the Dir
ie,, with a. tonnage of over $500 tons
This mammoth vessel, added to those
mentioned, composed the largest fleet Q,
sailing vessels in these United States.
1T is in his career as builder or ships
that Mr.. Sewall takes his greatest prlae
To him the product OF his shlpyards Is
a, matter, of much pride and lnteres,
almost as the growth and development
of his own children, He watches every
part of ships construction, and there
is no part of the work that he is not
capable OF nanually performlng' ana II
b Is no uncommon sight to see him stand
inc with his foreman and workmen, as
sistiug with advice and with his hands
with the men employed in the yard the
relations of Arthur Sewall & Co. have
alwaya been most cordial. It. is the
rarest thing to- hear of any trouble be
tween employer and employees N the
Sewall yards. One reason for this is
the fact of the superior calibre OF the
workmeD, majority of whom are
Americans. Bath boys who are literally
born TO the building of ships, aVd from
this fact there is built up an esprit DC
corps In the work Of the yard, and q feel
+ ing of cordially between employer ano
employees that could not exist in such 9
\ decree in larger communities where the
E men employed must necessarily be made
up of many countries.
i & Mr.. SewaA takes equal pride in hie
work, also, after a ship has sailed out Of
d tbs still waters of the Kennebec and be-
gun to make. record for herself upon
the high seas. Most all Of the .Sewal
q vessels are differed from the banks Of
the Kennebec, with a preference always
a given to the boys of Bath. IN the palmy
DAYS Of ships and shipbuilding there Was
81 no more promising field for a young mar
Il. a. adopt. The best blood Of Maine has
4 proudly walked the quarterback Of Bath.
q butlt. vessels, and 1t is hardly exaggera'
Al ton to say that at least every family or
III the river has contributed one son to- thu
4 & perchant marine. The Sewall wooden
Il; ships have always borne q tine reputa
4 ,fina1. +. English discrimination in hl9yd|
u has operated somewhat to the detri1ren'
sfq "a ,unn1nn sailing craft but it is "a rElIris