The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-21
An O'RRIEN DIDN'T beat iJONES.
Proof Of the victor! OF a strong Man After
4 Century An O,O Ceud HcaIedl

JoNEsBoRo, Me-, June ls.-There il
more or less quiet rejoicing among the
descendants Of the first settlers in town
because of a discovery which was made
in the bed Of Machias River during the dry
spell of last week
Among the stories which have been held
sacred for nearly two hundred years was
one concerning the strength of Freeman
Jones, in whose honor the town was named.
1t is related that when Jones arrived down
East in INA and built sawmil on the dam
at the foot of The falls he had not used
up more than half the waiting logs when
the great iron crank which connected the
at the joint, so no more work could be done
until repairs were made.
The nearest blacksmith was at Machias.
and. as the river was in food and no boat
was to be had, Jones placed the broken
iron work upon the back of horse and
started through the woods. On reaching
the river he found il 80 swift and deep
that no horse could swim across with such
a load and, being in haste. he shouldered
the crank. which weighed more thar 200
pounds. and, wading into the food, walked
to the other side, part Of the time with
his head under water. He then took the
horse across, and having fixed the iron
returned and walked through the stream
again.
No sooner had the story of what Jones
had done l,een reported around the settle
ments than Maurice O'Brien of Machiae
said that he was stronger than any Jones
who lived and proved 1t by carrying barre
Of salt pork across the river on his shoulder
greatly to the dscrl dir Of the Jones faction
On his return, however. he met with a
mishap. for when midway in the stream
his foot slipped on smooth stone. and he
fell. the barrel Of pork being swallowed
up in the water,
For the first century after the contest
took pnce the Joneses confined them.
selves to facts and were content 10 boast
that the early Jones had beaten the an
cestral O'Brien. inasmuch az he had lugged
not proved his greai strength. since he
carried The pork only one way. Later,
as tho time grew distant and Witnesses of
the two feats died off. the Joneses grew
arrogant and began to assert that the tale
about O Brien was falsehood manufactured
to please the Irish. and that no O'Brien
or any other %" on Mac could begin to
do what the ancient Jones had performed
The war o! opinions waged fIrinlisly
for nearly a full century. and the O'Briens
and the Joneses, whose forbears had fought
side by side at the battle of Machias, June IL,
I775, not only ceased TO fratrrrize as of old
but the breach between the two families
grew wider with every now generation.
They lived in an attitude Of armed peace
for full century. and there was no hope
Of a reconciliation until the course of low
tides. which came on the last full moon,
laid bare the bed Of Machias River Gle ar
down to the rocks in the channel.
There was revealed an ancient barrel
coated with marine mosses and seaweed.
Some fishermen rolled the barrel ashore
I'm kal hc
find IL filed with Spanish gold The con
tents consisted of rusty grease resembling
lard. and several bones which had origin.
ally belonged 10 hog.
The Joneses and O'Briens were promptly
notified and received ample evidence that
the barrel which Maurice O'Brien had
dropped from his shoulder when George ]
was King of England had been found.
After this the Joneses made ample apologies
for what they had said about the original
O'Brien. Then the Mechas hotels were
kept open until late to h"a tho ancient
breach