The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18
NAMES TOWNSHIP KINGS.
LAST OF MASTERFrL BRAND OF
OLD DORE-E4STERS.

white OF Levant, Morrison OF Corinth and
Simpson OF Carmel Only Survive of What
Was Once n sturdy Race of Uncrowned
Monarchs-Their sway stili Unchecked.
LEvAST. Me-. June l5-For a week after e.
der George W. Higgins. the leader Of the Holy
Ghost disciples. was tarred and feathered and
carried on a rail over the town line into Glen
burn. the believers in tho gospel OF Higgins
made frantic endeavors to immortalize John
White by calling him the modern Nero. John
White owns the town OF Ievant. When the
annual taxes come due he draws hls check for
the full amount and deposits 1t with the
town Treasurer. getting the benefit Of
the 10 per cent. discount allowed on
payments made before Aug. l. Then he goes
among the taxpayers taking hay. stock.
potatoes and apples until his claim is satisfied.
He is the financial and moral centre OF the
community. higher than whom no man can
presume 70 be. What Patrick Jerome Gleason
tried to be In Long Island City John White is
In Levant and has been for forty years There
fore. while Mr.. White was not present when
Higgins was decorated the followers Of Hig
gins believed the town boss was the instRator
Of the outrage. In the hope OF duplicating
White in the affair, twenty-seven men and
boys were arrested and taken before Judge
voss OF the Bangor Municipal Court.
At the hearing three men testified that they
saw mem bcrs OF the mob scratch matches and
apply the blaze to the tar-coated body OF Hig-
gins In reply to the question why these men
Clements said:
Il suppose they wanted to touch him off,"
"Nero." "Nero!" cried some of Higeins's
followers from the back part Of the courtroom
Judge Voee. deacon In tho Second ConGre-
Rationd Church OF Bangor and rigid ad-
herent OF the stern faith. after hearing the evil
denee for the prosecution for five hours. dis
charged twenty-o OF the twenty-seven pris-
oners and held six of them for the August
enu .ts.. =. ou ',,, ". 49, en-" s"1 'a.ne
amouht ths' Is redu'reu Oh q man VINO Is con-
any, court in Maine Mr. White VIII secured bail
for the mon. and then the boss of Levant went
to his bachelor home to play his fiddle.
had It's local sovereign. whose functions were
similar to those which John White exercises
In Levant They were all hard money grab
bsrs. but puno.ilious in keeping contracts and
olseh generous paftteuiarly 80 Wheh eehes-
Ss he I Th 5s
tion was State bank notes. which we're always
going to protest. and could not be negotiated
peated losses the poor farmers learned that
the name Of a leading townsman on the
back OF a note was far more reliable
the banks fell of as that OF the local
money lenders increased until more than half
OF the State banks had failed. and Maine would
have been in q condition OF hopeless insolvency
had not the civil war come on The issuinR Of
q national currency saved Maine from ruin. 1t
large profits from speculation in mortgages.
bills Of sale and brokerage commissions upon
everything from the sale Of a pig to the pur-
chase OF substitute for come man who had
The manner OF conducting their operations
was much the same In ali the towns, though
every man had some specially which distip-
gushed him from his rivals over the town line
Calvin Whitney who owned most all Of Dix
mont, believed he could perpetuats his fame
best by having male children named in his
honor He paid cash prizes OF SIS and ST. to
poor parents who would attach his name to
their offspring. The result In that about one
third OF the middle aged men who reside in
tian name Of Calvin Whitney.
Joseph Wheeler Eaton, tor fifty years the
boss OF Plymouth, displayed his talents along
agricultural lines. IL a man had a yoke Of
OteerS valued at $50 and wanted to raise S25
for i'm ediate use. Eaton furnished the money
grown 10 oxen and were worth $3.50 or $500.
Eaton would go to the debtor and ofier to let
him have another pair Of steers as good as the
pair Tor when the Dill OF sale had been
recorded. Tho farmer was glad TO consent.
Then Eaton sold the oxen for beef. making
500 profit on four-years investment OF SIS.
0t course the farmer had the use OF
the steors all the time they were growing
to, oxen. and ior TINS reason he natu-
rally felt grateiul 20 Eaton h ior hIg Kind