The Portland daily press., 1901-01-28
AUGUSTA TOPICS.
The Festive Belgian Hare and the
Grand Old State.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1

ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1
Augusta, January 26.-There recsntly
appeared in a Boston paper highly
colored account OF what MIR. Bartlett Doe
proposes to do for the town OF Parsons
field. The article contained some truth
and q great deal OF fiction. Leaving out the
fiction, we lind that Mr.. Doe has already
bound himself to give to the academy
In his native town lzrge sum of money,
said to be 500, 600, II certain conditions
are complied with. The money once
having been applied to academy purposes,
IL the terms Of the agreement should be
broken 1t is then to be held In trust for
the benefit Of the poor OF the town. Ii Ia
probably this provision OF the gift that
lead to the fairy tale that Mr.. Doe pro-
posed to endow the town as well as the
academy so that In future the debates In
the Maine legislature over the question
of the taxation Of railroads and other in
teFests would have no interest for the
people OF the pleasant village among the
hills of old York county. Mr.. Doe Is
man whose long life has been marked by
business sagaoity and sound Judment
and 1t 10 safe to say that the idea OF en-
downing the town never entered his head.
Hs Is a man who is described by those
who know him as one willing TO help
those who need Assistance and disposed to
let others hoe thsir own row. MIR. Doe
left the town of Parsonstield when he
was young man and made his way to
California where with his brothers he &C.
quired fortune well up in the millions.
He is now q man Of eighty but as vigor-
GUS as one many years younger. He has
rom time to time visited his native town
and so he knows its needs. The Parsons
deld Seminary was founded In 1888 by
the Free Baptists and was a denomina-
tioual school until its buildings were
burned 90 years later. Then the Free
Baptists started the Lewiston institu-
ton, which II now Bates college, and
the seminary at Parsonsileld was con-
tinued as a non-ssctarian academy. Its
benefactor makes 1t one Of the conditions
of his gift that It shall always remain
non-sectarian. There are other features
about the terms Of this endowment that
make it worthy OF more than passing
notice. Mr.. Doe, a business man, versed
In the handling OF large sums Of money,
has not turned over a fortune to the trus-
tees OF the school to do with as they see
dc. Instead, he has made the Boston
Safe deposit and Trust company trustee.
More than that he has stipulated that Of
the income OF the fund there shall be
paid to the school amounts proportionate
to the number of scholars, SO that to en-
Joy the full benefit OF the endowment,
the school must prove its worth by the
attendance Of this students. To enahle
the seminary to accspt MIR. Does generos-
ity. legislation was necessary and the
matter is In charge Of DIR. Dearborn OF
Parsonsfeld, long friend OF Mr.. Doe
and the representative OF the town In the
legislature. How MIR. Doe proposes that
his aid shall be given to the school is ex-1
planned in the following summary OF the
deed OF trust aud the bill before the legis-
iature:
MIR. Doe assigns to the Boston SAFE
and Trust Company certain property.
to be known as the Bartlett-Doe fund,
for the benefit OF the Parsonstield SEMI
nary. The net income of the fund Is to
be paid in equal quarterly payments, the
amount of the payments to be based on
the average attendance of scholars for the
previous aea1emic year. IL tins average
attendance Is 100 or more, the whole OF
the net income is to be paid 60 the Semi
nary. Ii the average attendance Is De-