Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-17
IN YOUNG MAINE.
Interesting Bits from Two Old
Time Books.
First State Registers Much Different
from Those Of To-Day.
Some Comparisons Which May Be
Made by Reference to Them.

Tn in the State Library one day TINS
yveek the Journal man was shown the
not Of Maine Registers, or the Year
pook as IL is frequently called. which
&c kent there II runs back TO the time
,vben Maine first became n State and
eboyys in many ways the growth Of the
state in the time which has eiapsed.
The first issues were a private enter
prise ard il was not for many years
that the publication took on Semi
official nature by reason Of the state
making an appropriation for its publ
cation. The first volume in the set IS
Of the date Of 1921 and. like those
which followed it for many years, is III
marked contrast to the volume OF to-
day. COMPARED to the edition Of 1903
'O4 the book for 1921 isn't much' but'
no doubt, in those days II was rs Valu-
able to those who purchased 1t as INC
latest one is to those who keep 1t on
the desk every day in the year
The Maine Register and United
STAIRS Calender, to give it its full title,
for 1921. was n book Of 2l5 pages OF
about the same size as those 70 today
Register, n trifie smaller IL anything.
Like the Register Of the present there
are some advertisements ana then
comes the almanac, just as We nav
today. following which there is a chrO-
biological account Of the settlement of
Maine. This occupies nearly thrr"
pages of spaces and is followed by the
list of the State Ofiic ials.
william kina, was governor ana his
executive council consisted Of Thomas
F'iIlebrOwn, William Webbcrs. Mark
Harris. Abicl wood. William g. Whit
ncy, Isaac Lane, William Emerson, AS
hur Ware WAS secretary of State aEd
Joseph e. Boyd State treasurer. That
year William u. Williamson. Of Ian
gor. was president Of the Senate. and
BENJAMIN Amcs, Of Bath. speaker Of
the House.
Next came the court calender ana
list Of state officials, as is to j." found
in the book today. it also contains full
lict of county officers. cornncrG, law
ycrG. justices Of All kinds, churches AMI
ministers. \ complete, though not
long, list Of the colleges Of the country
and a list OF the subjects in which
candilate8 for admission 10 l'nWdoin
college would be cxnmincl in, together
this is followed by Il list of the acade-
mics in Maine; also of the Bible socie-
ties and societies of all kinds,
fun list of tho Masonic grand
and sulor,linatc lodges Of Maina
and their officer. The gr"nt
number of other orders which now
abound was then unknown. As now
there was a list Of the banks in the
STATE the complete roster OF the militia
and-a complete United States calendar,
which included roster Of the army
ana navy list Of counacis to foreign
countries ana their sa!arics.
In the roster of the army there ar-
pears the nam" of one who afterwnri
bcra,nc President of the United States.
it Il Lieut.. col. u. Taylor"
A complete list of the governors Of
the States and territories Is presented
and there is lis, of the custom collec-
tors of Maine and table showing the
area of all States.
What WIS, undoubtedly. In those
days an important matter to many in
Main" IL found ON another pag" in the
shap" Of tIbic showing tho value Or
foreign coins in United States. Or, rs il
j.; termed III the book. federal mon rv.
Another table deals with the lrobaDl"
length If life and then follow; 4 list If
the postoniccs in the State. after which
comes q list Of tho reisning So"cgcif;iis
or the European countries. with n few
words about each. and a list of the
mail roads in Maine.
a jump of 90 years to the book for
1871 finds Il volume of cog pages, but
they are :; trt!e longer than that Of
1921, ana Of the same width so that tn"
difference between the two books is
slight. that is in point Of size. for tie
coutontS is somewhat changed. u
start with the calendar, instead Of do
voting a page tn each month. as WIS
done q score years earlier and as is the
rule now, was condensed To a sinc!"
page ana was followed by the usual lis'
of State officials from governor down
his Is followed BY the population If
me. rs given by the census If 1910.
figures for each town, city AMI
alton ana the total for the county
given. This is worthy Of repro
i and comparison with the fig
the census of 1900 and FOR that
both are given below:
y. 1$il. 1890
Observation-Disclosures. tI.d33 GI.S,i