Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-02
HAPPY MAINE COMMUNITY.
Not Bothered with Schools, Laws. Theology.
Doctors or Taxes.
(From the New York SUM-


New York and Boston papers for ac-
counts of queer people and strange
forms of government in different parts
of the world could learn facts worth
studying by coming here. The settle
ments of Eskimo on the coast of
Greenland have their old men, the
tribes of Africa their chiefs. and even
penal colonies recognize the authority
of firearms and the last. Here the
lawabiding people feel but one power
the hurrying, unsympathetic cars,
which bring everything that comes to
their homes and take away everything
that goes out.
The distance from Milnocket bridge;
which crosses the west branch east of
here, to Perkins Siding, which is three
miles west, is five miles as the fail-
road runs or the crow flies. At and
between these two points are five set
Elements of new log and board struc-
lures, comprising about forty build
ings in all. OF these one is a railroad
station, one is a small store, two are
small hotels. one is a saw mill, six
are good-sized sporting camps. eight
are frame houses with shingles and
clapboards on them. and the rest are
primitive log cabins, with splits for
roofing. spotted poles for floors and
boughs for bedding. One half of the
male inhabitants are either guides or
lumbermen, partly both, one-quarter
are mill hands, who saw spool bars
and bowels at Perkins Siding, and the
remainder are section hands and 9TH
er employees. who work for the Bangor
and Aroostook railroad. Though no
census was ever taken of the place,
there are about 200 people who live
here the year round. Among them are
some 25 women and nearly 40 children.
This is when the population is at low
ebb. In July, when the west branch
drive comes down, the population
swells to 400 or 500 and after open sea-
son for big game begins it often
reaches 1000 souls, besides Indians.
Having grown without governmental
restraint from one log camp to its
present proportions inside of three
years, Norcross has made itself the
most anomalous community on earth.
1t is not a town. 1t is not even a
plantation. On the old survey maps
it is named Indian township, No. g.,
eo-called by the surveyors to distin-
and q The name of Norcross signifies
nothing. 1t was so-called in order to
locate a station for a railroad and a
postotfice for the hunters.
Though property that cost 100000 is
here and visible, the assessor and tax
collector never visit the place. The
children are born and grow up with
ut seeing the inside or the outside of
,nf q
If bicycle and not twenty rods of cart
roads in the whole township. AS the
nearest Clergyman. lawyer and doctor
are from thirty to fifty miles away the
people get along very well without
them When couple want to get
married they take their bridal tour In
Hunting up minister and corning
home again. If a person is sick he is
sent out to a doctor. because no physi-
clan can be coaxed to come and see
him, and in case he dies the body must
be transported more than thirty miles
before it can rest in, a Christian bury
ing ground. There is no drug store, no
dance hall. and no barroom or other
,lace where liquor is sold in the town
ship. If two men have dispute
which leads to free fight the nom
stand by to see fair play,
without attempting to interfere. En-.
/ case the defeated party feels himself
/ vronged and wants to take the matter
|: nto court he cannot afford to do so,
because he would have to travel nearly
/ all day by rail before he could find a
/ MAGISTRATE. Even the game wardens
who arrest men for killing deer spend
| more money in taking their prisoners
to court than the fines amount to when
conviction is secured. Once in its
history. when a murder was committed
I ,ear here, a sheriff from Dover spent
week in reaching here and getting
lack home. The chances are it would
AXE something bigger than murder
to bring him here again.
Any person who reads this descrip-
ton of Norcross and thinks the inhab-
itants are degraded or immoral will
make a great mistake. A mail four
lines a day brings letters and papers
. rom everywhere. An enterprising and
considerable railroad carries away all
tho neople have to sell and brings in all
thew buy. Divine Providence does the
rost The men are Industrious and
,,,o,al The women are model wives
ond excellent cooks. The children are
hr;erht and well dressed. If Norcross
were formed into plantation or in
corporated as town the residents
would have to pay municipal. county
and state taxes. Now they pay no
taxes; they do not vote, and every
man is as good as his neighbor. The
Mace is fairer than Utopia, and sweet
or than the dream of a nihilist 1t has
NJ, connterpart on carth.