New-York tribune., 1902-07-13
PRIMITIVE MAINE COMMUNITY
A DOZEN FAMILIES WITHOUT LAW Dr..
GIoN OR MEDICINE ON THE ALLEGAsH

A DOZEN FAMILIES WITHOUT Law pr
GIoN OR MEDICINE ON THE AI.LEGAsu
Bangor. July (speciaD-Among the stran,.
primitive communities in the far northern Ivooss
Maine. is more interesting than The 60,
ment of farmers and Iumbermen that has ex,.,.
for sixty years at the confluence of CIemeutIeoo-
stream with the 81. John River The settleue1t :.
in Township XVI. Range u. owned by the f,rss.
Northern Paper Company but the matter OF ou1-
ership does not seem to worry the settlers at an
they go with their farming and other purs,,.
just if they were the lords of the soil
The twelve families about equally divided -
tween Montreal French and Nova Scotia scotos
and formerly their religious differences mads
great deal of trouble Long ago. however, thev 81
fected compromise. agreeing to get along witbos !
any religion. and since that time thev 5.,
dweIt In peace and harmony. with neither prics,
minister.
Nearly a century ago. as il is told on the :
John. few families from Scotland took up rnssa
Ow lands along the Allegash having patent from
inc English King to hold much territory -
they could inclOSe within the span OF a noossh,s
cut into narrow strips and fastened end TO end
They killed huge bull moose and all one win.s
the women worked at pairing and strerchins -,
strips of skin 80 as make the line reach as "a
possible. When the men went the cr,,v,
in March 10 survey the land TO which they were q,
titled by the deed of gift they made the shreddss
mOosehide encompass 5000 acres equal 10 four fun
townships of thirty-six square miles each Tbsr
they built village of logs and cleared up land fac
farming
All went well until 1870. when Edward Kent n
Whig candidate. was chosen Governor 70 succsss
Reuben Fairfield. the Democratic incumbent OF tn
office. hot Presidential fight was in progress. And
the Democrats. wishing TO redeem the Srats !.
November. called a special session of the Iegislatur
and organized a new form of municipality caIlas
plantations each OF which was given the right !,
vote in State and national elections II was horss
that as the inhabitants Of the plantations uara
strongly Democratic, their vote. added 10 the revu
lar party vote in the cities and towns. would stem
November returns came I'm. and Maine was fa,rS
TO have cast her vote for Harrison. nearly ever
Whig out of spite and those few who refused tn
packed up and moved to Township XVI RaneeN - IS
where they nave ever since resided. Although tbz-
ment. every man OF voting age is Democrat sbo.
ing hs tnat these exies have remained steadfast IN
ss tns ess cast election sSf & every one Of The votes
that the great turnover of 1870 is stiIl in eest
AHegash has stage line. pOstoffice and a roa,
township XVI. Range Il. IS still in primitive in@1o @
GGence. G, Ihe nearest doctor. lawyer or Clergyman
northeas1 @ ca There Is no church nor postofice nor
sunny hillside serves as romnon 'EIS 5Izp; POT
ground for the villagers. whose graves are sur
are all farmers Iumbermen The farmers rsis
nne r crops OF hay and oats which they sell high
SIX months after April and for three months in
rom Fort Kent by canoes Sleds he &C.
During the other three months the place is as in
accessible as the back side Of the moon
The ruler and supreme dictator of Township XVI
Is Alexander CaStletOn. the richest man Ia ths
village. who owns farm Of fifteen hundred arrsS
yielding annually two thousand tons OF nav Which
IS sold from The stacks 20 lumbermen at SIS a Ton
king Castleton, as he is called. fixes the amount
that each resident must pay in money or IN labor
for the support of schools and roads and TO mear
general expenses. He makes the assessments and
his subjects never question his decisions.
Jean Boyer. one of the leaders Of the French con-
tngent at Township XVI does prosperous busi-
ness at cutting timber for the Fort Kent mills
Having no sons TO assist him. he has trained
his three daughters TO the business and takes
them every winter to the camps where each Gss
charge OF crew Of loggers. The three Bower girls
are skilled In the use OF snOwshOes and the rife
and can handle axe or csntiog better than most
of the men.
The company that owns the township makes no
objection 70 the presence there Of these squattsr
or 10 their clearing up farms and using what wood
and timber they need IL is convenient to have
them away ND there partly as safeguard agains>
forest fires getting beyond control and partly ~
raise crops Of fodder corn for wood horses. thus
saving the heavy expense Of sending Euppliss %
far into the wilderness