The Republican journal., 1902-11-13
as YEARS AS POSTMASTER.
Hon. Isaac B. Reynolds of South Brooks
Makes Way for Rural Free Delivery.
Especial to the Bangor Daily NeWs)

| Makes Way for Rural Free Delivery.
| Especial to the Bangor Daily News.)
| SOUTH BROOKS, Me, Now l. Among the
hills In the little town of Brooks in Waldo
county is the home of a man who deserves
| more than passing notice from the fact
| that he represents, as few men now alive in
| the county do, the rugged, honest, sterling
| manhood that has made New England fa-
| nous the world over for more than a CEN
tury.
Born in 1880 on the Reynolds hill, less
| than mile from his present home, his boy
! Ism VISION was entranced on the one hand
by the rural landscape stretching away
| toward the sunlight III the south, and from
| which the bright waters of the beautiful
/ Ienobscot bay reflected the beams of the
| rising and setting sun, transforming them
| INTO CLEANS of FURNISHED silver.
IN the distance can be seen the beautiful
| villages OF Searsport and Stockton Springs
While across the bay can be seen some of
| the beautiful islands, set like gems of green
| IN me sllVery waters. To the south, far be-
| loN, ana some five miles away, is costly
! nestled the lovely rustic city of Belfast
! from which ON a clear Sunday morning the
! church bells can be heard as they call the
| people to worship. Sack to the north is
| the range of higher hills completely shut
ting out any View of the country beyond,
While to the right, in full view, is the lovely
gem OF IA lake with its Indian name Of Passit-
EasHaWaukeas.
| Among such surroundings as these the
| ooy isaac was born, the son OF Samuel Rey-
! lolds, one of the early pioneers of Maine
| He was one OF Il family of ten children
| Brought up amid the scenes of the rough
| country life, he attended the district school
| ana obtained Il limited education and them
! as many other successful men have done he
| struck out for himself and obtained what is
! sometimes far more valuable, a practical
education gotten by actual contact 18th the
| business world, in the relentless strug Gle
| for success.
, In 1882, three years after the discovery of
| gold there, he went to California where he
| stayed tour years, got some gold, and what
was far more important, came home with a
| knowledge Of men and the ways of the
| world.
In 1886 he did one of the smartest things
of his life, when he took a partner into his
business in the person OF Miss Phoebe
| Hanson. who was born but short distance
| from his early home, Since that time she
| has been the dominant feature in his domes-
tic and business life. If anything should
| be remembered, she remembered it; if any
! thing should be noticed, she saw it if any
! thing should be done, She knew it, A typi-
cal restless, energetic New England wo-
man, she has since their marriage been his
| right bower and mainStay. Not one of the
neighbors dreams that he can get ahead of
! Phoebe
Three children have blessed their union,
| only one of whom is living, Mrs. Lindley
Bailey, who has son and daughter, and
Grandpa Reynolds is never more delighted
than when they come from their city home
to spend the summer at the farm.
soon after his marriage he bought the
| Tarln, stock and store of John Lane ESD
at South Brooks, where he has since made
/ his home. 1t was here that he on Nov. =,
1871, first received his commission as post
master under the Democratic ADMINISTRATION
| OF James buchanan.
/ Right here it should ne said that Mr.
| Reynolds then was and always has been
radical Republican and Capt. \. d. Bean,
the leader of the local Democracy, then
said that if he ever hated to do thing it
was to swear Ike" Reynolds into office
under a Democratic administration. 1t
was at first d matter of expecting, but once
I established, he has always held the place,
/ although several unsuccessful attempts
have been made to oust him,
Ia connection with his other business, he
ran Il store some % Years, but as d matter
Of fact the most of the time the p0stoffice
! has been held in his dwelling house al the
. country corner
! And right here, again, Phoebe comes III.
, Ii was she who sorted the mail, attended to
the calls oi the neghbOrS, swept out the
dirt that they raked ln made the returns TO
/ the department., and run the business,
/ while Ike was free to talk farm, or sheep or
politics with the many who must OF nece>-
sitl call at the place. While She may not
. have worn the trousers, 1t Is quite sure that
/ many a time Of cold winters night She has
! been called from her warm bed and in fam
! mel night dress and slippers has cot the
/ mail for some beIdted NelGhbOr and tucked
/ it out of the door, for such is the accomlno-
4 dating spirit at the country corner,-and all
! this for an income OF less than so year.
All this is now passed away, for they are
! now a part of the rural free delivery route
| in Maine. and after II years of contin-
/ uouS service the office is discontinued
and | ncle Sans metallic letter box is hoist
! ed on a post in front OF the yard which has
been trodden daily for nearly half a century
| by eager callers for the mail. 1t may be a
matter of convenience to many individuals,
| but the sociablity of the country corner is
! sadly marred by this innovation. The young
/ people no longer have an opportunity to see
| each other at the post office, the men will
not have the luxury Of Wipng their muddy
boots on "ihoebeS" clean floor as they
| discuss the local issues with her while wait
! ing for I1amiin to bring in the mail from
the evening train.'
| Like the country tavern and the four
| horse stage coach, the post office at the
country corner is Il thing of the past, and it
| will be lonesome there now.
! MI. Reynolds has always been all active
| parsonage, and has, perhaps, as large per
| sonal acquaintance as any practical farmer
! in Maine. He has held several town Offices
and has been collector OF taxes more than
any other man in Brooks. He has always
been prominent III political matters, and
| has attended a great many county, congress
| sional and State conventions, nearly always
| being delegate. He was representative
! to the legislature in 1856 and has been
prominently named for State senator
He has always been active in business,
conducting a large farm, buying and selling
wool and live stock, even when running a
store He has traded many thousand dol
| lars worth of wool with S. A. MaXfield of
Bangor, He is especially known to the
| farmers of Maine as breeder of thorough
bred Hampshire Down sheep, business he
has carried on for II years. His flock has
often been exhibited at the State and county
fairs, and is said to be very fine one
Thanksgiving Proclamations.