Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-29

p"rtufe from Delftshaven She died in
IiyHlouth, Mass, during that first ter
rible winter.
EDWARD Hall Barker attended the
common schools in Dresden. but at the
age OF seventeen he went to sea. sail
ing on American clipper-ships to the
I1"st ana the West Indies, to England,
iieiai'o' ana Wales. At twenty-one he
WAS IN California, and from there he
lraVeled INTO every territory except
New Mexico, mining in nearly all of
tnehl. lie was in Idaho when its ter
ritofiai government was formed He
was one of the first miners in Montana
ana saw the city of Helena when it was
= hafnlet of ten log huts. He was at
SPOKANE Falls when on white man
iiNeu Wlthln two hundred miles ot
'here. lie has seen the sites of many
I"ufiShihg western cities of today,
When they were the haunts of buffa-
lpes' ahtelopes, elks, and wolves, and
OF Wild Indians He saw more buffa-
Toes in a single herd than can now be
louhd IN the whole United States. He
crossed the plains on horseback. by
overland stage, and by railroad: His
written account of a horseback ride
from the Pacific to Missouri river
would II printed make interesting read
ing 1or the more modern Owen Wister
ana Theodore Roosevelt. He was con-
tractor with the Union Pacific Rail-
road for supplies, and saw the road
completed and connected with the Cen
tral Pacific at Promontory Point, May
10, 1862
In 1870 he returned to Dresden and
married Miss Martha Austin TWycross.
daughter of the late John A. and Abby
I. IWycrOss formerly of CharleStoWn,
Mass. They We're descended from Cap
tain Robert Twycross, who came mas
ter of merchant vessel from England
to the Kennebec before the Revolution
He married Lydia, daughter of the
Ilymouth proprietor. Major Samuel
Goodwin, whose home was in Dresdens
old court house, and which is still oc-
cupied by his descendants. AS Captain
Robert became lieutenant in the royal
navy during the Revolution, his wife,
after some difficulty obtained permits
sion of the Massachusetts government
to join him in England, where he was
living with his father, Rev. Robert
TWycross. The lieutenant dying, his
wife returned to America and to her
father in Dresden, in 1885, leaving one
son who became a jeWeller in London. |
Of those who returned with her. one |
settled in Charlestown, and the others |
in Dresden.
Mr.. Barker leaves a widow and five |
out of seven children. One, Nat i. 7. |
is student in the medical school of !
Maine, and a daughter, Abby C. is q |
graduate of Mount Holyoke College.
When the Cochran-Oler Ice Company |
was organized in Baltimore, Mr.. Barker
became their superintendent on the |
kennebec. And when they were
merged in the American Ice Company, |
he became local manager his jurisdic-
ton being Dresden and Woolwich
He was never politician, although |
he always took a lively interest in pub |
lie questions, and was ell-informed |
He was one year selectman of Dresden,
and for thirteen years postmaster at |
Cedar Grove, because patrons of the
office wished to retain him in that |
position. When in California, he was
one of three Republicans in a precinct
which numbered ninety voters, most OF
them Southern sympathiZers. And Il |
he remained until the
time of Cleveland's second election.
since which he has acted with the
Democrats in State and national cleo
tons.
lie was pre-cminently a domestic
man. and might be found at home, ex-
rept when business or social call took
him thercfrom. Strong in his friend
ships. at times vehement in his de-
he was never prompted
by malice or prejudice. His family
was his first care, and secondly his
1olicitude was for the Bridge Academy,
IF which he was a trustee from it's be-
He was a member of Dresden
Lodge of Free Masons and though not
with any church, was a we'll
Nisher for every good work. Truly
Dresden. and especially Cedar Grove,
will feel his loss.
CHAS. f. ALLEN.