Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-10-17
NEIGHBORS 100 YEARS.
DEER ISLE BOASTS OF HAVING
TWO CENTENARIANS.
MRS. sALoME SELLERS 100 YEARS OLD
MONDAY - NATHANIEL ROBBINS
CELEBRATED HIS CENTENNIAL
SEVEN MONTHS AGO.

Of the town OF Deer Isle, which now
enjoys the unusual distinction OF being
the home OF two centenarians.
More than seven months ago THE
AMERICAN printed an extended sketch of
.Uncle Thaniei" Robbins, who was 100
wears old on the 18Th OF last March. Mon
day of this week. Mrs. Salome Sellers
passed tue Tooth milestone OF her ltfe's
journey.
These two remarkable nd people have
been neig h bors all their lives. Both were
born on the island, and both have always
lived there. They were sohoolmates over
ninety years ago.
Mrs. Sellers, the subject OF this sketch
was born October is. 1900, in the south
eastern part OF Deco Isle. the place OF her
birth being now WITHIN the limits of
Stonington. Her parents, Edmund aud
Deborah fCushman1 Sylvester, came here
from Msrshfield, Mas. They had eight
childreu-sIX sons and Two daughters.
The sons were Crowell, Joseph, Aoial, Ed
mund, Avery and one who died In infancy;
the daughters were Ruth, wife OF
Capt. " lillian Raynes, and Salome.
"Au,t Salome'', as she has been known
ever tce the present generation can re-
menu Z, Is the only survivor OF the
fam She married Joseph Sellers on
u y, 1880. They had six children
~, an h, Lydia L., Avery F., Mial c.,
\ rt and Charles. OF these William
eet >Ioert are the only survivors. Albert,
the younger, lives on the old homestead,
81 - Ia
tut does business AZ Deer Isle. Both care
i,,r he aged mother.
Aunt Salome" is most remarkab bile
woman, having her lenses perfectly. and
cruversing in the most interesting man
ed with friends who call TO see her. Her
husband died many years ago She was a
. >choolmate OF "Uncle Thnuiel" Robbins,
aud remembers him well as boy. She
says erybody liked him, because he was
- good natuFed. Sire remembers the
episode OF the priyateer fight at SmalI's
cove, and tells Of the man who got lost
from the prieaieer aud called at her
fathers first, then went on til he reached
the Robbins place, where he found some
one to take him on his way to join his
vessel.
Mrs. Sellers also tells OF another pr
yateer whose crew was in search of
smuggled good. She remembers that 1t
was early on "A Sunday morning when
some OF the privat,er', crew came to her
father for u pilot to take Them to Isle su
fiaut, and her father and brother went
with them. They found lot OF flour
ana took possession OF it. Smuggling
goods to the BsItish was quite common in
those days
She also remembers well the time when
the first temperance movement was made
in the town. She was one Of the first
members Of the Martha Washington
society at Sunset, then called Southwest
Harbor. II is "a little singular that the
only two OF the original members now
living are the Oldest and youngest OF
them, the younger member being Mrs.
Hannah (Eaton) Lufklu. The society
was organized over sixty ears ago, and is
still hourishing. The Wsshingtonian
society for men WAS contemporary with
the "Martha's', but that died out long ago.
Mrs. Sellers relates the story OF what is
known as the rum riot" at the"Har bor",
when her brother. Crowell Sylvester, took
the lead in arresting some rum sellers,
and their friends came out in force vow
ing vengeance on the temperance people
in general and "Uncie Crowell" In psrtic-
ular. They would probably have done
him violence but for the fact that he took
refuge in store, and ne merchant closed
the doors and fastened the window shut
tiers SO that they could not get In without
breaking down the door. They threat
ened SO do this, but some cooler heads re-
strained them. After remaining till near
night, Mr.. Sylvester was conducted by q
private entrance at the back Of the store
disguised in woman's long cloak, and
reached his home In safety.
Mrs. Sellers has in her room an old
fashioned fireplace with the old andirons,
and when the AMERICANS correspond
ent called on her a few days ago, a cheer
full fire bIszed on the hearth while she
talked Of old tiuts, as the day WIS some
what damp. On the mantlepiece were
the brass candle sticks which she bought
with her "surplus money" In Jackson g
time. She said some wanted to lay their
money out in finery, but she told them
she was going to have sonnet hing to keep
to remember it by. Her husband used
his part to buy pair OF cart wheels. which
he used as long as he lived and they were
in good repair till few years ago, when
their barn, with all its contents, was
burned, the wheels with the rest. Her
snuffer tray also sets on the mantlepiece,
and she has the flax wheel on which she
used to spin the very incest OF yarn, also
the worsted combs with which the wool
was combed to make the fine worsted
yarn.
She knits and sews busily, and manu-
features the old fashioned "peg mittens"
which so few now know how to do. She
has at present sixteen quilts pieced up,