Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-04-20
MOSES ABBOTT.
WITH AN OLD SET
TIER OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
HE LIVED SINGLE sIxTY-sEvEN YEARS
BUT NOW ROCKS HIS GRANDCHIL-
DREN TO SLEEP.
From the Lewiston Journal.

AOuE nlIes pack VI rTHnkIln VulhRe,
/ stands the old Moses Abbott homestead.
Words fail to express the extreme beauty
Of the scene which imprints itself in
delibly upon the mind as one stands in
the presence OF the owner, q courteous,
kindly gentleman of the old school who,
though ninety-six years OF age, has by no
means lost the bloom Of life, and who 10
the most interesting feature In the whole
landscape.
Moses was a bachelor until sixty seven
years OF age. Now he is a grandfat her,
and he is prepared to engage in open de-
bate with any man on earth to prove that
marriage is huge success.
Mr.. Abbott's house Is the oldest one in
Franklin, having been built in 1902, the
year after its present owner was born, and
the barn WAS built in the following year.
At that time, there WAS but one other
frame house in Hancock county, one be-
longing to the Lsmoines down near Kill
kenney stream. Moses was born in log
q cabin that stood just where the barn is
built now and that barn was the first Of
any size built in the county. "It's just
as solid to- day as ever" says Mr.. Abbott,
"only needs shingling."
"When that barn and house were
built there was no turnpike road from
here I, o Ellsworth and folks used to go by
spotted line over through East brook and
Oil way to Bangor. l can remember
Iva quite large boy, too-when Sam
Deheck and his wife Nancy followed a
sputted line from Eddington to this very
spot. They were six days coming and
had 20 camp nights in the woods.
ain those days the wolves were plenty
and when folks lay down to sleep nights
they had to have big fires all around them
to keep the wild animals away. remem-
Der how they told US Of the fearful jour
ney with slight sleep, being kept awake
by the bowling of the wolves who dared
not pass the fire to harm them. Mr.. and
Mrs. DebeCk built a log house up on the
other side of Beech hill and all the
Debecks down here are their descendants.
"a can remember when | WAS small
boy hat we had to make wooden buttons
for our clothing, ana | can remember
when Stephen Scsmmons fitted up a
team OF eight oxen and drove to Boston
and bought load of provisions-hauled
them here. I've got coat i'll the house,
the first one | ever wore that had buttons,
and | bought the buttons from him.
also have sickle | got from that load,
and | chopped five cords Of wood to pay
for it. Folks had to hustle i'll them days.
~ can remember when there We're
only two store, in Ellsworth ana helped
build the first road that ever went from
there to Hancock.
II remem Der ragwassah, the old Indian
chief, vs. no named all the lakes and noun
tains around here. II ever there was a
noble man lived it was that Indian, and
the tribes OF Foresters down town here
may feel proud of the man from whom
they take their name. He had a home
wherever he wanted one and WAS well
coined. Ii he learned of people in sick
ness or distress he would walk night and
day till he got to their side and then he
would comfort them. He was God
fearing man and got his training from
some OF the missionaries who used to go
TO Mt. Desert island and Trenton. He
died many years ago and is buried at
Buffers Point.
''Tagwassah ought to have monument,
for he did more to civiiZe some of the
whites tho came down this way than any
history has ever told. When new corners
were pushing their way through the
woods in search OF favorable spots for
farms he often acted as guide and stayed
by the parties till he had fitted them
h.. al a to
There have been lots of changes since his
day.
~ can remember when the folks down
on Skillings river used to believe in
witches and they used to tell some queer
stories about woman over to the river.
They came near hanging her but she
went away and after that the superstition
gradually died out. Once in while you
find pers on who believes in witches yet.
"My father was one OF those who met
at Springer's house in Hancock in 1910
and organized the first Baptist church.
The time of the war of 1872, when all
the coast Of Maine from Eastport to Cas-
tine fell into the hands OF the English,
they told some queer stories OF how the
English used to get food by stealing from
the settlers. One time an English officer
witt a party of men started out on a for
aging expedition. They learned by some
means or other that my father had lot
of cattle and made raid on the dumb
brutes. My father and Uncle Peter were
away when we children saw the English
coming, and we crawled into the barn
and got up on the hay. My grandm other
was not frightened one bit. She gave
the towards piece OF her mind. She did
Just pile the words on to them, and they
sneaked off. but they drove away the
whole herd.
"When my father returned he was as
mad as a tiger. He slammed his hat down
on the floor and said: 'I'll have better
hat than that when | return or l won't