Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-09-16

|
contract for the steel ceiling in the rotun-
ia have two weeks at their disposal in
which TO do the work. They do not in
tend though to use all this in case they
are not bothered and by another week
| will have their work SO well in hand that
the rotunda can again be used. There
will be no danger then of the falling of
mastering upon the heads of the many
who pass beneath it each day.
GLOW is it that the people get started?"
asked an inquirer of genealogical re-
searcher the other day. as that man was
pouring over some of the volumes in the
library in search OF family records.
1t seems TO those who know nothing of
it an utter impossibility to find anything
about their ancestors. oh" one Of them
will say. My family was but one of the
ordinary families and my ancestors have
moved about from pillar to post and were
nothing but ordinary people though It is
said they descended from good stock in
England. If | could find out something
about them here doubtless. they could be
traced in England but what is the Use
y person of this sort is one of the many
hundreds who would IKE to know some
undertake the work on account of it's i'm .
mensity which to them seems intermn
able and ike a bottomless chasm into
which they must look for the records an /
look in vain.
But to the man who has searched there
is not that fear of undertaking. lie
knows there are many days of hard re-
search but each day brings forth its re-
ward in some manner. if not in this seek
ing particularly in some other form,
for the lives of our ancestors were linked
together in a remarkable manner.
They take their great grandfather and
trace from him back. as a rule" said the
man who is posted il such matters. ''Tp
begin back where family tradition has ii
that the family started. and with a Ger
tain person who is reputed to have been
the first of the family would hardly be
safe, as these family traditions are
strangely distorted by the time they
reach us. today. BY beginning with that
person when there were several of tho
same family might prove you were trac-
ing the wrong branch of the family"
People often ask of what use are the
town records and histories of towns in
Massac husctts.
They are of the most Importance to tbs
genealogical researchers of Maine of any
books there. in the greater number of
cases MS about all the families of Maine
have at some time or another been in
Massachusetts and emigrated to Maine.
The towns of Plymouth. Barnstable. Tsp
witch and some Of those in massachusetts
are of the greatest Importance in their
relation to Maine genealogical research
ers.
There is at the library set of books
which are really dictionary of tho
names Of the people and families of the
eastern states of every man who came
over in the ships from England prior to
1900 and here is his descendants traced III
a skeleton form down to the present time
giving some of the more important points
about them.
Then the census reports which date
back to 1860 in Maine will give much in
formation. The history of every town in
Maine that has ever published history
can be found here and they mark a very
important place in searching for ances
tors in the various towns Of Maine
When a man has found where his great
grandfather lived he can then begin to
find out about that mans family and to
where they all went. The town records
will tell what time the man moved TO the
Maine town and from what place and
thus by town records by sending to the
clerks or going in person Inc records in
regard to the family in each town can BE-
obtained.
Step by step they are traced back from
town to town. and decade to decade until
it is found on what ship they came over
from the other countries. After that the
greater number of people place the data
in the hands of English experts who
look out for the tracings on the other
side.
The towns and cities of Maine have
been very neglectful of their records"
said this man. they are of the greatest
| Importance and in many a town the re
cords are left ont to the world and one
book one page or whole set of books
may be lost. where it is to be missed
| greatly by the person interested.
MANY records have been destroyed by
| fire. but the greater number have been
! lost by the sheer neglect of the people.
| Another great and quite reliable source
| of information is in the way of the Old
! church records. giving data regarding
| births deaths and marriages. AS mat
| ter of piecemcal work. the collecting Of
| the data for Il book on family history is
very interesting and quite satisfactory