New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-21
THE OLD FOLKS OF MAINE.
MORE AGED PEOPLE IN THE PINE TREE
STATE NOW THAN IN PIO-
NEER DAYS.

Bangor, Me- Oct 20 (speciaD.-In spite Of the
bitter winters and cold late springs OF Maine. and
IN spite OF the toilsome existence that is the COM
mon lot OF most Of the people octogenarisns'
nouagenar3ans and centenerans so numerous
that they attract little attentonin fact the aver
age span OF life IN the Eastern State seems TO De
greater now than in good old times Of pioneer
ing when the houses were log huts and the oreao
was made OF cornmeal pounded with a stone pesue
IN Indian stone mortar. This year the grip mas
carried OF good many Of the old people ana the
obituary columns OF the country papers have oeen
longer than usual In one issue Of a Maine weekly
OF recent date are recorded the following deaths;
Amos Barrett, Of Brooks. aged 81 years; Betsey
Cobb. Of Camden, g. Abiei Gray, OF Benast Io'
Catherine Haskell, OF Deer Isle, n; Rachel W.
Keene OF Stockton. 81: Elijah Luce. Of SearspoTt
es: Caroline w Merrill. OF Belfast 80: Terrence
owen, OF Belfast So; AIRS. J. B. PhNbrick' OF ROCK
port, 50; Hezekiah Rankin, OF LneolnvlAe' 90
Martha c. Rich. Of Mattawamkeag, S.; JUDITH
Smith OF Isle au Haul. 81; Nancy G. Sargent OF
Bangor. So and Nancy L. Torrey Of Rocklano, 20.
The added ages Of these fourteen persons is 1.4zo
years. showing average OF so years and months
Mrs Lydia Ferguson of Belfast dieo recently
aged 81 Mrs Hannah Dickey died in Strong at the
age OF 100 years. lacking 1e days. and number OF
others have passed away whose ages ranged from
20 70 ss years George Kendall, OF Fairfield, re-
Gently celebrated his Tooth birthday anniversary.
and he expects TO 1--we for several years yet
In the town Of Mnbridge lives Mrs. Eliza Pink
ham. aged lO4 years. who distinctly 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 Sullivan. aged q years. who
was until recently employed as e 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 old"
Mrs Salome Sellers. Of Deer Isle. 100 years
Did last Monday, and her lives Nathaniel
Robbins, who 100 years old last March Both
were born Deer Isle. and have always lived
there, side by SIDE attending the same school in
childhood and the church In later years, and
neither has ever been away from home more than
few days at time. Both are IN active posses
sion Of their faculties and the 10th birthday
niversary Of each celebrated with e great re-
ception, at which were gathered all the people OF
the island Aunt Salome Is q great favorite with
The summer visitors al the island, and many OF
{heIn write letters 10 her IN the winter from their
With the needle aRd H in tBe at few Years has
made sixteen handsome quilts which she proudly
In Aunt Salome's home everything breathes OF
the long past-the wide mouthed fireplace. the OLD
chased with Ter share Of the surplus money" dis
their money into nimey hnery,' says Aunt salome
member those good times by" Both Aunt Saome
and Uncle Nathaniel Robbins well recall the War
Of 1872 One of their most vivid recolections is OF
The capture of an English merchantmen by the
Deer Isle Mr. Robbns then boy Of thirteen
school, when the noise Of cannonading
heard, and, with the other boys, ran to the shore
70 see the fight The schoolmaster was much
excited as were the pupils. and made no attempt
10 restrain the stampede.
In 1913, Mr.. Robbins tells it. two English ships
Castine. which place that time held by the
British The captain Of the Paul Jones heard of
their presence and lay IN walt for them behind
Fox Islands. giving chase they appeared
IN the bay. One Of the Englishmen went down
through Eggemoggin Reach while the other stood
straight 10 followed by the prvateer. This
in rather shoal water, and the privateer could not
get enough TO make her guns effective In
this emergency Ebenezer Small, Of Deer Isle,
boarded the PAU Jones' amid shower OF bullets
from the Englshmen, and piloted the privateer to
within easy range. After a few shots the English
ship surrendered. The Paul Jones put prize crew
the reach after the other ship. piloted by Captain
Samuel Kent, Of Swans Island, soon overhauling
and taking her This latter prize was towed TO
Salem The Vessel ashore at SInalIs Cove was al
terward foated by crew Of Tories and taken
back TO the British at Castine, but the savors got
neither thanks reward
bers OF the Martha Washington Society, temper
ance organization formed Deer Isle seventy
years ago, and which still fourishes there; The
Washingtonian Society, q temperance organization
formed by the men Of Deer Isle at about the same
time went out of existence some years ago. These
Two societies in the thick Of the rum riots,
which caused much excitement and nearly caused
bloodshed in Deer Isle IN 1870
Both of Deer Isles centenarians IN good
They take active interest in affairs generally.
particularly in the political campaign and in the
international yacht races. Uncle Nathaniel in fact,
seems 20 be renewing his youth for he has begun
for thirty years being now fairly well covered
with hair. which he says, Is OF the same color as
that IF HIS boyhood.