Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-28
SeIectman Minott Of Phipps-
burg Defines MaIaga's Status.
To What Town the Island Belongs
Puzzles All Investigators.
Complete History of Place Brought
Down to Present Day.

partial investigation of the matter an,
he has Just submitted his report
On March Il Mr. Minott wrote Gov
crnOr Hill as follows:
Phippsburg, Me-, March Il. 1902.
Gov John F. Hill, Augusta, Maine,
Dear Sir:-Your favor of the 18th inst
1T hand and | herewith send you my re
port on Malaga Island.
, I should have liked to have investi
. gated a few things a little more fully
but you probably can get an under
: landing of the conditions from my
point of view as well from what have
cent as you could if / had taken NOR,
inc.
Trusting that we may soon get the
question settled once for all, am,
Very respectfully,
CHARLES V. MINOTT, JR.
Mr. Minott's report on Malaga island
il as follows:
Malaga island with Bear island, ar
is.aHC Of about twice its size, to which
i is connected by a bar, which is I'M
covered with water except when the
tide is about half flood. lies nearly OPP
posite the village of Cundy's Harbor in
that part of Casco bay known as the
New Meadows river. Malaga lies to
the East of Bear island and is separat-
Cd from the mainland of Phippsburg by
Il narrow but deep channel. 1t is in
| Eabited by a mixed race of people,
none of whom hold any title to the land
which they occupy. A Mr.. Perry has
q deed of the island from some party
and some twelve or fifteen years ago
| the State Land Agent gave a quit
claim deed to M. H. Ferguson. Neither
he or Mr.. Perrys heirs ever made any
attempt to enforce their rights and the
people living there own the island to all
intents and purposes.
| This island, as all other islands near
the west shore Of the town of Phipps-
| burg, viz: Goosebury, Wood, Little
Wood Burnt Coat, Blacksnake, Horse,
Fear. Malaga, and Bushy were sup
posed to belong to Phippsburg, until
the law court in the case State VS..
Vol. IS. decided the location of Wood
island as in Cumberland county.
| From this decision the controversy in
regard to the location of all these is
lands has arisen.
| Malaga is not the only one that has
come before the authorities. On Bushy
island there lives a man by the name
of Henry Trip and there is also a wo-
man living there with him.
Last fall, quite early in the fall,
| Sheriff Parsons deputies at Bruins
wick visited him. Not finding liquor
they put him in Jail for having short
Holsters in his possession.
While he was serving his sentence,
some young fellows in this town went
to Bushy Island assaulted the woman
living alone and committed some thefts
of Trips property.
When Trip returned. after serving
his sentence. he went to Bath and made
complaint to Judge Fogg. This was OF
u Saturday. Judge Fogg advised him
to go before the grand jury, which be-
gan its sessions for the December term
the next Tuesday.
/ happened in Bath Monday and
learning of the situation talked with
Judge Fogg, also with Sheriff Ballou.
Judge Fogg claims the island was more
than one hundred rods from the county
line and Sheriff Ballou thought Mr..
Trip ought to go and make complaint
to Judge Bonney at Portland. There
the matter rested and Mr.. Trip OBJ
tanned no satisfaction.
OF course it is well understood that
the decision referred to settles nothing
but the location of Wood Island and
when you come to consider these other
islands other evidence might deter
mine their location. This is well Illus
trated by the controversy which has
|. arisen in regard to the location of the
mouth of the New Meadows river
Some people locate it by drawing a line
from Cundy's Point to the southern end
of Scar Island and then take the Ian
guage Of the act of 1860 forming these
counties Cumberland and Lincoln from
the then one county of York, and try
to prove that you should strike {
northwest course from Small Poin
to this line.
This is not in accord with common
teaching of geography; oceans include
CUFFS: CULTS include bays; bays includ,
cove5 ana minor fluctuations of tn,
coast.
Hence when in the eastern bound!
: of The county of Cumberland Case
l bay is defined as running east as ia
: as Small Point we should expect one t,
say that the water included between
Portland Head on the west and Small
, Point on the east was first a part o
the Atlantic ocean, second a part O
the Gulf of Maine, third Casco bay ant
whether 1t be called bay, river sound
passage, cove or whatnot the water il
every indentation, where the tide ebb
: and flows, would first of all be a par
. of Casco bay.
There is annexed to this report al
q extract from the original boundary o
Brunswick. 1t will be seen by refer
!, ence 20 that that the mouth of tn
), river running up the other side O
Stevens Carrying Place is referred t
and either way You interpret the Ian
: guage whether IAN island therein
means in the mouth of the river or il
the river itself You have but one is
! land to dispose of. To one who Ia
q ever made the trip from Hardings t
: the Gurnet House this island wi