Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-09-24

II,
clared ratified in September, 1888, went
INTO operation on March 4, 1883. Col
rector Jordans first appointment is dated
nj New York, Aug. 4, 1889, constituting
him "Coiicctor of Frenchman's Bay"
during the pleasure of the Pres ident The
commission is signed by Washington, is
without seal, and not attested by any
person The next commission is sealed
paper dated March u, 1871, at Phil
adelphia, signed by Washington and at
tested by Jefferson, Secretary of State,
appointing "Melatiah Jordan, Of Massa-
ehusctts, inspector OF the revenue OF
the several ports within the District OF
trenchman's Bay in Massachusetts"
during he pleasure OF the President, and
not beyond the last day of the next ses-
SION OF the Senate Of the United States.
On March Is, 1892, after the action Of he
StuatC ON the nomination., a new COM
mission was issued, signed and attested
a. before, the term to continue during
the pleasure of the President. The sig
natures OF Washington and jefferson on
these commissions are as plain and I'M
sions having been packed away from the
light for almost a century. MIR. Cults,
then member of Congress from York
! cuunty,a friend aud family connection,
obtained the appointment for Mr.. Jor-
dan.
Under the last commission the office
was held thirty years, and the next occu-
pant, Edward =. Jarvis, esq, held the
place from 1918 till 1871, % years. Those
long terms show the lapse of public senti-
ment from those days to the present, and
TINT civil service is rather an ancient than
modern doctrine. Mr.. Jordan was an
ontspoken federalist, though not an ex-
trenist in his political views. But those
We're not the days OF political removals.
Still he had his tribuations in holding
possession under the democratic admins
trations which followed that of the elder
Adams. On technical pretext charges
were several times preferred against him,
but without avail, although made once or
twice in behalf OF so good and influential
IL man, VINO wanted he Office, as Col.
Paul Dudley Sargent, OF Sullivan, of rev.
olutionary fame and memory. 1t WAS
practically life tenure office.
The law got up to make removals and
dIscontlnuances more easy, which limits
the tenure OF Presidential appointments
to a period of four years, as it is now,
was not enacted until 1920, and the
change VAS reprobated by Daniel Web
ster in the Senate, in one Of his masterful
speeches oh the appointing and removal
power. The Frenchman 5 bay collector
ship Was Il much more important and re-
munerative office then, than it is nov.
Smuggling was then rife both under
American and English colors. Valuable
seizures We're frequently made, from
which large moieties accrued to the coll
lector.
The collection districts We're then de-
fined by general designations only, and to
save n cla-hlug OF jurisdictions, the col
lectots OF Machias, Frenchman's bay and
Castlne, by agreement between them
selves, made common cause in capturing
prizes on their sections OF the coast, di-
vidng ali profits equally. y large har-
vest was reaped. Quite number OF YES
sells and valuable cargoes Mere contis-
Gated. fhe cases were tried in the dis
trict court, and some of them went before
the supreme court at Washington. At
one time, Hon. VIM. Pitt Preble, then
district attorney, received, as appears
from receipt given to Mr.. jordan,
= 800 for fees and services, which would
seem liberal compensation for proie--
Mr. Jordan, who was first better known
as Captain, and afterwards a. Colonel
Jordan, attained distinction in the mill
tary service; an experience lie VAS very
fond OF. He had fine bearing as SOL
dier. and vas efficient and exact as an
officer He was in some active service
during the Revolution. He was enrolled
f in ITS, in Capt. Daniel SulIivan's COM
pauy, OF Col. Benjamin Fosters regi-
ment Of provincial militia serving at one
time, a. appears by the payroll, Y dys
1 On Jan. ., l7s6, he was commissioned
as lieutenant in the 9th company, com
mauded by Capt. William Hopkins, i'll the
9TH regiment of militia, in Lincoln coun-
! ty (Hancock county not then incorpo-
/ rated out of Lincolnl, commanded by Col.
Alexander Campbell. He was soon after
commissioned as captain, the date OF
which is not at hand, and on Nov. %
1871, he was commissioned as mejo OF
the regiment. On Dec. l, 1902, he was
commissions as lieutenant colonel com
mandant, and was "honorably discharged,
Mt his own request" on Jan. II, 1905
In those days, possibly on economical
account, the office OF colonel did not exist,
or was not filled.
Col Jordan had Il judicial temperament
/ and was for many years the only active
justice of the peace in his section, and
tried most Of the iitigatlons, then COM
paratively small, which arose in that To-
cality. His civil and military commits