Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-05-19
Maine News Notes.

Ernest r. Rounds of Bridgton, man
of middle age, attempted suicide by the
use of strychnine Tuesday night, but
will recover.
Charles Melvine of Mars Hill, who re-
Gently shot his wife, has been committed
to the insane hospital at Augusta for
observation as to his sanity.
Commissioner of Agriculture Gilman
has appointed Sidney c. Thompson of
Winterport as dairy expert. under the
law passed by the present legislature.
Holman F. Day, the well known writer,
is again in active newspaper work, hav-
ing a position on the reorganized Boston
Journal under Editor Frank l.. Dingley.
Troops are assembling at the forts in
Portland Harbor in preparation for the
war game of the army and navy. Nine
companies are ordered there for the
first of June.
While compiling cars Monday in a
Madrid railroad log train Allen II. Nor
ton of West Freeman had his head
crushed between the ends of two logs
and died instantly.
The citizens of Washington County by
vote at special election Monday decid-
ed not to sell the 100000 of preferred
stock in the Washington County Rail
road at the offer made by the president
of the road, which was $4,000 in any
event, and 100000 more in case certain
conditions were complied with.
Harry Hayes, aged about % and I'M
married, was drowned in the Kennebec
river near Bath on the 10th by the
swapping of a boat. His three COM
panions, Edward Blake, George Gilkey
and John Scanlon, were rescued in an
exhausted condition. The four were
spending the day in Arrowsic and were
returning home in the afternoon in a
skiff which capsized owing to rough
water.
Forest fires have been doing an i'm
mensc amount of damage about the
state. 4 fire on Pleasant Mountain near
Bridgton for a time threatened the
Pleasant Mountain House. Greenville
Junction and Millinocket both were
threatened, and the fire near Summit
station on the Rumford Falls and Range
lev Lakes Railroad is one of the worst
in western Maine for several years. 1t
has burned over something like 5000
acres.
1t is announced that the probable
speakers at the dedication of the new
Penobscot County court house, which
will occur just prior to the opening of
4 ~f @l,a 1n., ,,rf
will be Hon. John A. Peters, formerly
chief justice of Maine, Hon. Albert w.
Paine, for years the Nestor of the Penob-
scot bar, and now the oldest practicing
lawyer in the United States, and Hon.
Josiah Crosby of Dexter, another veteran
member of the profession, who has
practiced law for 65 years.
There is no use trying to beat that
Parkhurst correspondent. Here is his
latest effort: ave have man here that
wanted his driving horse clipped but as
it would cost him about $3.50, and a pair
of clippers would cost about the same he
decided to pull the hair ont. So he
went to work pulling one hair at a time
and in three weeks he had the horse
plucked as bald as an elephant, and at the
same time he had counted the hairs.
He says that 1000 pounds horse has
Just PSI JIG, 49,, 900 hairs on him not in
Guiding the name and tail"
The announcement is made that Col
by has fallen heir to S25, 900 from the
estate of the late Rev. DR.. Samuel Fran
els Smith, the author of America. y"
When DR.. Smith died eight years ago it
was found that according to his will his
widow was to enjoy the income of the
total estate until her death, after which
it was to be divided. Some S53, 600 was
devoted to various requests and the re-
mainder was to be divided equally be-
tween Colby and the Maine Baptist
Missionary Union. Mrs. Smith died last
week so the provisions of the will will
now be carried out and Colby's share of
the estate will be $4,000.
The board of state assessors has re-
ceived the following interesting letter
from an assessor of one of Names towns:
"a question has arisen which bothers
our board of assessors not little, and l
am writing this letter in hopes you can
give us some enlightenment. In making
up our list of poll tax payers we have
met with few men who refuse to give
their names. Now the question is this:
can we in any way oblige them to give
us their names, and if not, how are we.
to assess a tax upon such persons? If one
man can successfully evade the assess
ment of poll tax by refusing to give
his name, all may do so. We would like
to know if there is any provision of law
by which we can oblige such parties to
disclose their identity-give us their
names, and answer all questions ask
ed" The point raised is peculiar
one and was never before brought before