The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-08-21
SIGNBOARDS.
Very Popular with the college Collector

Very Popular with the college Collector
BUCKsPoRT, Me, Aug. ID. The
bucksport town fathers are, TO use
; their own words, ''pestered to death by
them college fellers luggin' Off the
guldeboards.' >.
The annual account of stock has just
peen taken and it has been found that
, ABOUT 20 guideboards are missing from
tne various crossroads in different parts
OF the town, especially in the rural dis
tllctS;, although the constaoles and
ROAD surveyors have exercised due
vigilance, SO they say.
There is no mystery about the dis
appearance of these boards. They have
been appropriated by college men
VINO have been spending their vaca-
tlons IN this town and vicinity, to deco
rate their rooms at college. At Har-
yard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth,
brown, even at Chicago and John Hop
klns, Exeter and Andover and other
schools, there are known to be signs
which in weather-Wom characters tell
the distance to and from BuckSport.
For years, ever since the fad obtain
ed, the municipality eff Bucksport has
peen sufferer from this souvenir col
iectlng to an extent of damage eStlmat-
ed at from 50 to S25 a year, and not one
cent OF redress has as yet been credited
upon the guideboard account And the
Same Is true to a greater or less extent
III many other country towns of New
Eng
| Bucksport's supply of signs would
nave been exhausted years ago were it
not for the law on the statute books of
Name compelling all municipalities to
mark all crossroads with correct and
leglble guideboards And besides, the
local representatives. of the league of
American Wheelmen keep watch of
such shortcomings and make note of
them.
SO it is that between the rapine If
the colleeianS and the fear OF the Law
the selectmen are obliged to keep
close watch on the pubic indicators
along the highways,
The original Bucksport guideboards
have nearly all disappeared. They were
ponderous affairs, the legends nearly
etfacted by years of exposure to sun
and rain and usually well peppered with
blrdshot, as signboards have been ire
SlStlble targets for farmers boys from
time immemorial.
But the more aged and weather beat
Ell, the more valuable to the collect
orS.' But how it has been possible to
Smuggle such bulky affairs out of town
without being caught red-handed is a
problem which puzzles the natives.
Several signs have been recovered and
restored to their former places, only to
be promptly stolen again. Many are
located on roads not frequently trav
eled, so that dark night and an oppor-
tunlty We're all the accessories neces-
Sary to successful raid.
The one sign above all others which
has been most coveted and stolen with
the greatest regularity, is the multiplex
affair used to mark the spot, Eighteen
miles to everywhere at the meeting
of the roads short distance east of
BuckSport village. The various arms
read:
Bangor, Is miles.
"EllsWOrtll, Is miles,
blue Hill, Is miles.
'Castlne. Is miles.
''Searsport, Is miles,
1t is said that the original sign occu-
pies place of honor i'll the den of one
OF \ ale'S most famous alumni, and that
1t is held as priceless. Up to within a
short time the signs placed at this
point have been stolen with eXaSperat-
ing regularity, but at present the town
officials think that they have got the
laugh on the raiders.
After having replaced the sign for
about the 10th time and finding the
last markers gone, the directors of
town affairs called in the services of
village genius known to be pretty
darned cute at cunniverin'.' The gen
ius ''conniyered' well, and soon produc-
ed what he claimed to be a sign which
couldn't be lugged off by the crows"
Tins masterpiece is constructed of
boiler-plate, all the arms being forged
together i'll one piece which weighs q
bout 100 pounds. 1t is shrunk over the
top of a hard pine post, which was for
merly the portion of a topmast to a big
schooner
The post extends about eight feet in
to the ground, and is as firm as a rock.
The post and the guide boards, nicely
lettered i'll white, have repealed all adj
vances so far this season, but the Sc
lectmen are not making any loud boasts,
as they say that 'There'S no KNOWN
what them fellerS will do when they
set out
The penchant for collecting souve-
Mrs of this kind is not confined alto
gether to guide boards. Most any old
sign is pelf to the ambitious student.
Years ago kind but somewhat eccen-
trio person placed at the foot of num-
Der OF the worst hills IN town. small
signs neatly lettered with "A Merciful
Man is Merciful to his Beast-Un-
check All of these have been stolen
long ago.
The signs on Winkumpaw bridge, read
ing, Three Dollars Fine fol Riding or
Driving on This Bridge Faster than
walk have proved tempting and have
been renewed several times
In the room of a Bowdon senior is a
weather-beaten strip Of wood bearing
the information, Toll on Swine l cent
per head i'll droves of ten or more"
This was once a portion of the big board
giving the rates at the old Surrey toll
bridge
OF late the practice has been to re-
place guide boards with cheap stencil
led affairs, considered good enough to
be stolen" although such does not seem
to be borne out, for the charm seems
to be gone with their neWness.
The good men who preside over the
destiny of the town are hoping that the
boys will get over their foolishness so
that she town can have some respect
able guide boards. And every year the
constables swear solemn oath that