Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-09-13
AS He Was and as He Is.

John Adams Page celebrated his 74th
birthday Sunday, August IA, and If
reporter had interviewed him on that
day with a view of getting few of the
leading events of his somewhat prOtract-
ed life, he probably would have told him
that since he had pursued the even tenor
of his way, and nothing remarkable had
ever transpired during those many years,
q sketch of his life would not be worth
the paper on which it was written.
But as we were born within mile. of
each other and our birthdays only twelve
days apart, and were schoolmates and
chums through our boyhood days, pro-
pose to follow him along very briefly to
the present time, thus keeping the edit
or's motto in view-boil it down.
John A. Page was born in Hartford,
August IA, 1880, and was one Of the
seven sons of Nathaniel and Susan Fogg)
Page. Ten children were born to these
parents, nine of whom grew to man and
womanhood, and for while seven of
them attended school at the same time.
John, as l shall now call him by way
of brevity, showed unusual smartness of
body in early boyhood, and when few
years in his teens no boy of his age and
size could have any business with him
at close quarters. Near his home was a
small mud pond Astounding in lilies, and
when old enough to use carpenters tools
he and his older brother built boat just
large enough for two persons, and both
being expert swimmers, they would row
out into deep water, then plunge over
board, and after swimming about until
tired of the fun, they would gather a
quantity of lilies and carry them home
to the children.
All through his juvenile years John
possessed somewhat impulsive nature,
and to illustrate this fact will relate
one incident which came very near re.
sulting in serious accident:
One Thanksgiving Day, he, together
with two other boys and myself, started
out into the forest on a game hunt, in.
Guiding any animal from bear down to
the common chickaree. We had not
travelled far when gray squirrel was
seen, but instead of waiting to be fired
at he ran into hollow tree through a
hole near the ground.
"Never mind" said John, che don't
get off in that way; we will smoke him
out and then think we can get a shot
at him." The idea developed into action
at once; a small blaze was started but
the leaves being damp it made slow
progress, so to hurry up the business he
took a copper flask from his pocket, fill
ed the nose with powder, of which there
was nearly one-fourth pound, then clos
ing the shutter as he supposed, poured
the contents on the fire.
That instant there was an explosion
the flask had burst like bombshell, anC
those who stood nearest got burned thu
most, but none Of US seriously. Wher
the body of the flask was found some
distance in the rear, it looked more like
a coil of birch bark than anything else
but the most singular part of it was, thu
nose of the flask remained in his hand
and when opened not so much as ;
scratch had the accident made.
No, the squirrel did not get smoked
out, the accident had given us all such :
scare that the scheme was abandoned
and pronounced humbug anyway.
am inclined to think that John learn
ed to make haste more slowly as thu
years went by since he never met with {
mishap in after life to my knowledge
About the tille of obtaining his majority
he left town and bought farm in Yves
Minot, on which he builded home will
his own hands and has resided ther'
ever since.
In 1855, he, having concluded that i
was not good longer to live alone, mar
ried Christania D. Davy, and if marriage
is a lottery, as some claim it is, he drew
a golden prize, since she proved help
mate in every sense of the word. Thu
union was blest with five children, twt
sons and three daughters, and all ar
married except the youngest son VIII
still remains single and lives at home.
The children are scattered about, TIL
oldest son, Leroy Page, living in Kenne
bunk, while one daughter, Flora page
Andrews, lives in Washington; Clar'
(Page) Durham married a relative o
the writer and lives in West Minot, a
also the youngest son, Winfield Page
and his sister, Jennie (Page) Howe.
This aged couple have been YER.
fortunate in that the destroying angel
death, has never entered their home
and may it be long time in the futur
before he takes that liberty. In add
|tion to the five children just mentioned
there are six younger ones who call then
grandfather and grandmother.
Id.