The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1902-03-21
STUDENTS STEAL GUIDE POSTS
Maine Town Kept In n state Oh Soh'
tinual Unrest by Mtsch1eVOuS
College Boys.

The Buckport (Me.) town fathers
are, to use their own words, "pestered
to death by the college fellers lugsln
off the guide boards" The annual &C.
count of stock has just been taken and
it has been found that about 20 sign
boards are missing from the cross
roads in the rural districts, although
the constables have been exercising
due vigilance.
There is no mystery about their dis
appearance, says the New York Times.
They have been stolen by college STU
dents to decorate their rooms, and at
Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth
and even at Chicago there are known
to be number of signs which in
weather-worn characters tell the dis
lance to and from Bucksport.
For years, ever since the fad has oh,
tanned, the town of Bucksport has
been a sufferer from this souvenir col
lecting of from S. to $25 year. And
the same is true to considerable ex-
tent in many other Maine towns.
The supply of signs would have be-
come exhausted years ago were it not
for a law on the statute books OF the
commonwealth compelling all towns
and cities to mark all crossroads with
correct and legible guideboards, and,
besides, the local representatives of
the League of American Wheelmen
make note and report to their head
quarters cases of failure to comply
with the law, which might lead to the
straying of otherwise unenlightened
tourists. So it is that between the
rapine of the collegians and the vigil
ance of wheelmen the lot of the ''se-
lectmen" is not an altogether rosy
one.
The original Bucksport guideboards
have nearly all disappeared, The
more weatherbeaten and aged the
more desirable they are considered
and the more highly priced, although
how such bulky affairs could be snug
gled out of town without discovery
battles the natives.
The one sign more than all others
which has been the most coveted is the
multiple affair which maks the spot
It is located short distance out OF
Bucksport village, and it's various
arms read, respectively:
"Bangor, IS miles; Ellsworth, 10
miles; Blue Hill, 1s miles; Castine, IS
miles; Searsport, IS miles,"
It is said that the original sign oc-
cupies the place of honor in one of the
VAL nj h0
bought for any price. The sign has
had a successor every year since it
was stolen, and every year until re-
Gently the famous markers have dis
appeared.
But few years ago the wits OF vii
lage genius were enlisted in the con-
juring of u non-stealable sign and the
result was a complete success. A. sign
was constructed and placed in posi-
ton. 1t still stands.
It is made of boiler plate, all the
arms being forged together in one
piece and shrunk over the top of
hard pine post which was once the
part of the topmast of a big ship. The
post is set eight feet into the ground,
anu Gic udLIFCS dllo" bldC ~ VIII AioO
blow down, and although many COW
etous eyes have been set upon it is still
there.
1t has been the custom to replace
the stolen signs with cheap stenciled
affairs, just enough to cover the law,
and considered good enough to
steal" This policy seems to be one
of preservation, as without the wealth.
er-beaten appearance the charm as
trophy seems to be gone.
And the good men who preside over
the affairs of the town of Bucksport
are hoping that "the boys will get over
the foolishness" and the vigilant con-
stables annually renew their oath to
make them fellers suffer if they catch
EN-"