Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-22
STATE HOUSE.
Golden Flood is Setting Towards
Aroostook County.
Inc War Game Will Do MiIitiamen
Much Good.
commissioner Carr Is Investigating In
cendiary RockIand Fires.

Edwin Wiggin, clerk in the school de-
partment, has returned from a short
"Trip to Aroostook county. Mr. Wiggin
says that everything is in a prosperous
coholtlon up there and that a golden
iood, Which will fully equal that of
year ago, will flow into the Golfers of
the Aroostook farmers the coming fall
ana winter. Already the tide has set in
ana the farmers are beginning to feel
the effects. The great drouth of June
mas had no serious effect upon the po-
tato crop and the result will be a good
yield per acre.. This can, of course, be
attributed to the opportune breaking
of the dry period and the fair rainfall
since the second week in June.
Last week the potato buyers of
Aroostook were Offering the farmers
800 per acre for the crop, which is con-
sidered very high price. The mean
ing of this can be better appreciated,
when ut is explained that the buyer
upon securing an acre of potato field
assumes all responsibility; that is to
say, he cares for the field from that
time out, sees that it is properly hoed
and harvested, and takes his chances
upon the yield being sufficient to make
the investment a paying one. The
farmer, on the other hand pockets the
cash and his connection with the Liece
Of land is ended until another year.
One field of 90 acres was sold last
week for the lump sum of $3.50, while
another farmer refused an offer of
$1,000 for field of 20 acres.
The hay crop of the county will be up
to the average, unless the rain of Tues
day shall do some damage. Other
crops are looking splendid, reports Mr..
Wiggin, and the farmers have every
reason to be content.
Adjutant General Farnham is much
pleased at the prospects for the war
game, which is to be played upon the
coast of Maine in the vicinity of Port
land next month. Said he in talking
the matter over:
1T will do the men a whole lot of
good. 1t will give them a better idea
Of what soldering is than any muster
or anything else which could have been
devised. 1t will bring them in contact
with the men of the regular army and
with the miIitiamen of Massachusetts,
which cannot fail to be beneficial to
the service in this State. 1t will take
some of the foolishness out of them
you know we all have some fooliShness
in our makeup. and the men of the
militia are only human"
This was said with good natured
laugh, for there is no man in all Maine
who thinks more of the members of the
National Guard of the State than does
this same good natured Bangor man.
His meaning was clear to one who
thought, for he only intended to say
hat many of the soldiers had a wrong
dea of what their duties were and that
The experience which they would gain
in the maneuVerS around Portland
would give them Il better understand
ng of what it meant to be u soldier
There is "a vast difference between
actual warfare and the usual militia
muster and no one knows it better
than does the adjutant general. He
also understands that the coming
mimic war will be as close to T'ar as it
can be made, which is the reason for
his belief that it is to do much good.
1t has been stated that outside of the
regular army and navy there would be
only the Maine militia engaged in the
war game, but General Farnham says
that the First Massachusetts Heavy
Artillery will take part.