Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-12
An Old Resident Of Fairfield.

The Oldest resident of Fairfield is
George Kendall who was born April %.
1890 in the "old brick house" which stood
where the residence of A. +. Gerald now
stands. He was one of eleven children,
eight boys and three girls, and was the
seventh son in direct line. 1t is a curious
fact that none of the children had a
middle name From an interesting sketch
in the Fairfield journal we learn that he
received Il very good common school ed
ucation, as did his sisters and brothers,
and developed into "A smart and ntelli-
gent business man. His mental faculties,
which We're developed by this early
schooling, are so good that today, at
nearly ninety-eight years of age, he can
do an arithmetical problem with rapid
ity that is surprising.
He was connected with his father and
brothers in the lumber business, and
after his parents death he run the mills
for a number of years in company with
his brothers
In 1884 he married Miss Louisa Hunt of
Clinton. Twin sons We're the result of
this union. But misfortune seemed to
fall to his lot, for his wife died soon
after, and one of the boys followed her,
at the age of eighteen months. The 9TH
er son, GeOTSe cranklln. grew UP until.
at the age of eighteen. he was man in
size and stability. Then, if possible. "A
greater misfortune than the death of his
wife and other son befell him. 1t oc-
CURED in August, 1858.
During the summer of that year, thlS
son worked on a farm owned by some of
his relatives, near Fairfield Centre. But
he returned home in the above mentioned
month, and one afternoon. making some
remarks to his little cousin, which were
n nft nd riding
train, disappeared from the house.
This caused no uneasiness. as they
supposed he had returned to the farm,
for he had said he was intending to do
so. But visit by the owner of the farm
to his fathers about a week after devel-
oped the fact that such was not the case.
A search followed, and after a time it
was found that he had changed his
clothes under the bridge which crosses
Holland Brook on the road between Fair
field and Waterville. leaving his old
clothes at that place
The suppostion is that he went to Wa
terville and boarded a train, but whether
this is correct or not will probably never
be known. He had about $40 in money
with him at the time of his disappear
ance. If living, he is now siXty-two years
old.
Mr.. Kendall spent time and money
searching for his son. hiring some of the
best detectives in the country. but to no
avail Once his hopes were revived by
hearing that a George Kendall was stop
ping at a certain town in Michigan. He
Immediately went to the town in queS-
ton, and at Il hotel there he found that
a man about the age that his missing son
would be if alive and claiming to be from
the South, had stopped there and regis
tered as George F. Kendall, but had de-
parted and could not be traced.
He never seemed the. same after this.
and the forlorn hope that the son would
sometime return has kept him under a
constant mental strain ever since.
Mr. Kendall is now living with. his
niece. Mrs. Anna Russell, on Hudson Hill,
and his every want is attended to with
minute faithfulness His general health
seems to be good. and although he is
quite deaf. his eyesight is good and he
can read without the aid of glasses. His
mental faculties are good. and he can
understand what he reads without diff
Guilty.
Every day he goes into the wood-shed
and splits little wood. He is as regular
about this as is an athlete in taking his
daily training, and he says it makes him
feel better. Every Saturday he walks to
the barber shop and is shaven He
spends most of the time smoking his pipe,
from which he seems to derive great en-
joyment. When the weather permits, he
stays out of doors a good deal.