Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-03-07
MAINE FEARED NAPOLEON.
MIlbridge Cen,enarian Tells Interest,

Mrs. Eliza Pinkham, one of the oldest
women In New England, and by all odds
the best preserved and most vigorous
woman OF her age, that can be found any
where in America, lives In neat little cot
wideswake seaport town of Milbridge.
Mrs Pinkham was born i'm Washington
county, Jan. Z, 1876. nearly four years be-
fore George Washington, for whom the
county was named, passed away from
earth, and almost a quarter of century
before the province of Maine was divorced
from Massachusetts,.
She remembers hearing her people tell
tales about Napoleon Bonaparte and his
adventurous career from poverty to die
tator " Europe, and thence down the
scale from the biggest man In the world to
the exile and prisoner at st. Helena.
According to her story, the fisher people
who lived along the coast of Maine in
those days held The little Corsican in great
terror just over the line in New Bruins
wick, where the French Canadian people
were plentiful and where the memory OF
Woiie's victory over Montcalm at Quebec
on Sept 10. 1859, was still fresh, the resi-
dents were loud in their praise of Bona
parte, and all of them predicted that he
would soon conquer England, after which
he would send few ships across the
Atlantic, overrun the United States, liber-
ate New France from British rule, and
extend his empire from Hudson's bay to
the isthmus OF Panama.
The French people told so many tales
about the prowess Of Bonaparte that the
Yankee residents OF Maine were kept in
constant terror. Every vessel that lifted
above the eastern rim OF the ocean, every
fisherman and coaster that threaded her
way through the fog and dropped anchor
la the harbor, was looked upon as
French man of-war come to fulfil the
threatened conquest Of the new world.
Though the English navy had pretty
nearly swept all the French vessels from
still left, and when one OF them captured
an English or Yankee craft, imprisoning
her crew, contiscating her cargo and send
Ing the vessel to the bottom OF the ocean,
the people looked late and early, expecting
other ships which would come and devas-
tate the shore towns.
In the summer OF 1910, when she had
grown to be big girl and was made use
full In helping her mother about the house.
work and on the farm, while her father
and brothers were sailing . coasting
schooner between down east and Boston,
Mrs. Pinkham-at that time Miss Eliza
Scott-was enabled to earn the money
which bought her the first pair Of shoes
she had ever owned. She had been down
CLANS for dinner, and on returning home
she saw three salmon Tapping about in
shallow pool where they had been left by
the receding tide. Though salmon were
SO plentiful in those days as to lie hardly
worth the picking up, Miss Eliza stuck a
birch withe through their gilis and started
to carry them home. On her way she met
the captain of an English brig, anchored
in the port,
"How much will you take for your sal.
mon, my pretty Iankee?" asked the cap
tain.
As Miss Eliza had three salmon in one
hand and hoe and a basket containing "A
peck OF CLANS in the other, she didn't put
her finger in the corner of her mouth and
blush and simper. the way all country
maidens were supposed to do in those
times. Being unable to act like princess
in disguise, she answered back ia true
Yankee fashion:
"Don't know. Whatrl ye give?"
Fifteen shillings and a kiss to bind the
bargain" said the gallant tar. He paid
her in ''coin OF the realm"-one golden
half-sovereign and two silver half crowns.
Whether he paid the kiss or not, the old
lady does not ray.
After she had reached home and put the
clans on to boil she went out behind the
house, counted her money out and Won
dered what she should do with 1t. Then
she looked at her bare, brown feet, and
rememb ering that girls OF her age wore
shoes, she went OFF to a shoemaker-for
there were no factory shoes in those
days, and no factories In which to make
them-and had herself measured for
pair OF laced caifskins, and insisted upon
having two pairs OF rolled leather strings
without extra cost.
II suppose I've worn out more than a
hundred pair OF shoes since them" says
Mrs. Pinkham, "but that was the incest
and best fitting pair ever owned"
She was married in 1870 and raised
large family of children, all of whom are
now dead, excepting her youngest son,
Paul, who has been blind for forty years.
Though she has never been able to secure
the luxuries OF life, she has always lived
comfortably. In 1850 her husband died,
since which time she has made her home
with her son Paul.
The story of Paurs life is nearly as re-
markable as that OF his mothers. Though
he has been totally blind for two-score
years, he works out door every day. carry
inc On n small farm driving n pedler's