Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-26
A TOWN WITHOUT GOVERNMENT.
Pays No Taxes and the Inhabitants
Have No Votes.


Pays No Taxes and the Inhabitants
Have No Votes.
From the New York Times
The state of Maine has town within it's
borders in which live twenty-five families,
where no one pays a state town tax or
casts vote, and where there are no roads
to be repaired when the spring freshets
work havoc on highways in other parts Of
| the commonwealth. There is no custom
house, no town lookup and no government
of any kind. yet all the inhabitants of the
town are as contented as they could wish
to be.
The settlement Is on LIQUIDS Island, near
Pemaquid, in Hancock county, few miles
from Bar Harbor. Every summer visitors
on their return from season OF outing in
Maine inform their friends that there is an
ancient place of settlement southeast of
Pemaquid where the inhabitants have a pc
GUITAR dialect. and are neither more nor less
than socialists. This is wrong for the peo-
pie of Ioud's Island know nothing about
socialism, neither they familiar with
the principles of the republican or demo-
cratic parties. They have never read the
platforms adopted by any of the national
conventions, and if they were asked could
not explain what majority in an
electoral vote means. The first settlers
came to Louds Island after the passing of
the famous Wawenock Indians and the
coming of John Loud the British man-o'-
warsman, who deserted his ship when she
was cruising in the waters OFF the coast of
Maine to protect the kings interests.
Reaching the shore he cleared a place for
home near Marsh harbor 1t was also to
this part OF the coast that the English ad-
venturers of early days came to hunt for
sassafras and peltry. the extract from the
root of the tree being that time cele-
brated as remedy for scurvy and other
diseases.
In those days the hills were known as the
Mu.icOnguS. Indians doubt lived there
for in later years skeletons. tomahawks and
other articles used in Indian warfare have
been dug up in pastures owned by Dexter
thompson, whose farm extends the whole
length OF the island, the west side
Loud, who believed In government by the
people for the people, brought. when he
LANDED, no rights or privilege. On the MAIN
land. near what is now Bristol, Loud found
among the Dutch and Irish settlers wo-
man whom he took wife, and for years
the couple struggled together in the wilder
ness of the island for home. Here IL was
that Great Bashaba. the chief of all the In
dian tribes, had his headquarters, and he
and Loud became fast friends When final
~ Loud and his wife had prepared home
they commenced to earn a living by tishing
and, being successful both in fishing and
farming, other families on the mainland
Joined them, until early In the present CEN
fury the homes of a considerable colony
were established the island. In later
years the island, which had been named in
honor of the first settler. became forgotten
N'A4Nii 7NiCi-iC9 VI NtlpotdllOU were eI-
fected.
Prior to the civil war those who lived on
the island cast their votes with those cast
in Bristol, but later on some one said that
the votes from LIQUIDS Island were Illegal
that place not being in any county or town.
The question was discussed in the only
grocery store on the island. and opinion was
divided. Some of the people for being
incorporated at once but others favored
the existing conditions. The upshot was
that all went to their homes, content to
conduct their own affairs and let the out
side world do the same. The colony is
prosperous. and there is no inclination on
the part of any one to have the island in
corporated. The nearest post office is
Round Pond, in Pemaqud. 1t is here. too,
that person would be confined If arrested
for misdemeanor on the island.
When the original Loud landed the tim
Der the island was principally hardwood.
such as beech. ash. maple, hickory. horn
beam and birch, but none of the ancient
trees have been preserved In their place
have sprung up spruce and pine. The soil
is a clayey loan, which does not bear many
crops. as all look to the sea for the support
Of their families. The island is owned by
those who live on 1t. and outside the
patches for potatoes and corn the only
crop to receive serious attention is hay.
There is enough of this to feed the stock
during the winter months. as only two pair
of oxen and one pair Of horses are owned
the island. There being no direct tax,
the poor of the island when there any.
are cared for by subscription. each inhab-
liant giving his share to defray the ex-
pense of the unfortunate one. The poor,
however, have never caused much worry,
each person has usually enough when
he gets old to support himself. The schools
are run on the same principle, the teacher
being engaged from the mainland, and
boarding round with the residents. There
is minister on the island and each Sum
day he holds services in the hall over the
only store in the place. The owner of the
store is a descendant of one of the first
settlers of the island.