The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-22
pATRIARCHs OF MAINE
Octoxcnaraans So Numerous They At
tract Little Attention.

OctOHcnarNans So Numerous Tney ~
tract Little Attention.
BANGOR. Me-. Oct. Ain spite Of tn
bitter winters and cold. late springs o
Maine, and in spite of the toilsome ex
istence that Is the common lot OF most
the people, octogenarians. nonagenarians
and centenarians are so numerous tina
they attract little attention-in fact, tn
average span of life in the Eastern STATE
seems to be greater now than in the goot
old times Of pioneering. when the houses
were log huts and the bread was made
OF cornmeal pounded with stone pestif
| In an Indian stone mortar.
| This year the grip has carried on Q good
many Of the old people. and the obituary
columns Of the country papers have been
longer than usual. In one issue of Maine
weekly Of recent date are recored the fol-
lowing deaths: Amos Barrett. of Brooks.
aged eighty-one years; Betsey Cobb. OF
Camden. eighty-two; Abel Gray. Of Bel
F! fast, seventy-fve; Catherine Haskell. OF
Deer Isle, seventy-ope: Rachel w. Keene
of Stockton, eighty-one: Elijah Luce. OF
Searsport, ninety-six: Caroline w. Mer-
rill, Of Belfast, eighty; Terrence Owen. OF
Belfast. eighty-three; Mrs. J. B. Philbrick
Of Rockport, eighty; Hezekiah Rankin. oil
Lincoinville, seventy-two; Martha G. Rich
OF Mattawamkeag, eighty-three; judith
Smith, of Isle au Haut. eighty-four: Name,
G.. Sargent, of Bangor. eighty. and Nancy
l.. Torrey. OF Rockland. seventy-eight.
The added ages of these fourteen per-
sons is LIPS years, showing an average oil
eighty years and nine months. Mrs.
Lydia Ferguson, of Belfast. died recently,
aged ninety-four; Mrs. Hannah Dickey
died in Strong at the age Of 100 years.
lacking sixteen days, and a number Of
others have passed away whose ages
ranged from ninety-two to ninety eight
years. George Kendall. of Fairfield. re-
Gently celebrated his Tooth birthday ami
versary, and he expects to live for several
years yet.
In the town Of Milbridge lives Mrs.
Eliza Pinkham, aged 104 years. who dis
tinctly remembers the war OF 1872. She
recalls that she obtained the price Of her
first pair of shoes by selling to a British
naval officer three salmon which she had
captured from shallow pool on the shore
where the receding tide had left them.
In Calais lives a man named Patrick Sulli-
van, aged ninety-four years, who was until
recently employed as laborer In the
street department. He frequently tells.
with much amusement, that at the time
of the civil war he wanted to enlist in
the United States Army. but the recruiting
officer refused to take him On the ground
that he was too DID,"
Mrs. Salome Sellers, of Deer Isle, was
100 years old last Monday, and near her
lives Nathaniel Robbins, who was 100
years old last March. Both were born on
Deer Isle. and have always lived there,
side by side, attending the same school in
childhood and the same church in later
years, and neither has ever been away
from home more than few days at a
time. Both are in active possession of
their faculties, and the 10cth birthday an
niyersary Of each was celebrated with a
great reception, at which were gathered
all the people Of the island. Aunt Salome
is great favorite with the summer WISH
tors at the island, and many Of them
write letters to her in the winter from
their homes In New York and Boston
She is skillful with the needle. and in the
last few years has made sixteen handsome
quilts. which she proudly exhibits to
callers.
In Aunt Salome's home everything
breathes Of the distant past-the wide
mouthed fireplace, the old fax wheel, the
brass candlesticks and snuffers and the
ancient furniture. The candlesticks she
purchased with her share of the Surplus
money" distributed by President Jack
son. MANY people put their money into
flimsy finery." said Aunt Salome, but
bought something that would keep, to re7
member those good times by Both Aunt
Salome and Uncle Nathaniel Robbins well
recall the war of 1872 One of their most
vivid recollections is Of the capture of an
English merchantmen by the American
privateer Paul Jones at Small's Cove,
Deer Isle. Mr.. Robbins. then boy of
thirteen. was at school. when the noise
of canranadlng was heard. and. with the
other boys, ran to the shore to see the
fight. The schoolhaster was as much ex-
cited as were the pupils, and made no
attempt to restrain the stampede.
In 1913. as Mr.. Robbins tells it. two Eng
lish ships took on cargoes of lumber at
Bucks Harbor, near Castine, which place
was at that time held by the British.
The captain Of the Paul Jones heard OF
their presence and lay in wait for them
behind Fox Islands, giving chase as soon
as they appeared in the bay. One of the
went down through Eggemog-
gin Reach. while the other stood straight
out to sea, followed by the privateer.
This latter merchantmen went ashore near !
SmalPs Cove in rather shoal water. ami !
the privateer could not get near enough
to make her guns effective. In this emer-
gency Ebenezer Small, of Deer Isle. board
ed the Paul Jones. amid shower of bull
lets from the Englishmen, and piloted the
privateer to within easy range. After
few shots the English ship surrendered
The Paul Jones put prize crew on board
the captured ship and started off down
the reach after the other ship. piloted by
Capt Samuel Kent of Swans Island. soon
overhauling and taking her. This latter
prize was lowed to Salem. The vessel
ashore at Small's Cove was sfterward
foated by a crew Of Tories and taken back
to the British at Castine. but the salvors
got neither thanks nor reward.
Aunt Salome Sellers was one of the
original members of the Martha Washing
ton Society. a temperance organization |,
formed at Deer isle seventy years ago. |
Ind which still fiourishes there. The |
Society, temperance or
yanization formed by the men of Deer Isle |
1t about the same time, wen. out Of eN- ,
stence some years ago. These two Sc
,ieties were in the thick of the rum
riots which caused much excitement and
nearly caused bloodshed in Deer Isle in
1910.
Both of Deer Isles centena-ians are In
good health. and seem likely to live for
some time. They take an active interest
in affairs generally. particularly in the
political campaign ard In the international
YACHT races. Uncle Nathaniel. in fact,
seems to be renewing his youth. for he
mas begun to grow new crop OF hair. his
head, entirely bald for thirty years, being
now fairly well covered with hair. which,
ne says, is of the same color as that of
MS boyhood.
The Soldier Vote and Evans.
To the Editor OF The Times:
1t is certainly a puzzle 10 ne. and ! want to |
vby Nv Fv,ps IL sill retained Commits |