Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-01-05

Again am up in Maine among the
farmers, and again am writing concern
ing this great state which is so little
known by the people of other states.
With its three hundred miles of seacoast,
it is known to furnish the finest of fish
ing fortourists and those who seek rest
from their labors in the cities; it is also
known to sportSmen as furnishing the
finest of sport in deer and moose hunt.
ing, but it is not generally known as pos
sessing some of the finest farming land
that the Stars and Stripes float over.
This is largely due to the fact that most
people who come from abroad to it come
to fish and hunt. 1t is in an agricultur-
al way | am here under the supervision
of their Commissioner of Agriculture,
| the Hon. A. W. Gilman, a man whom
the powers made no mistake in selecting,
Large in stature, broad in mind and
comprehension of Names great agri.
cultural resources, large in heart and
energetic in spirit, l dare to predict that
Maine will not long remain an unknown
state agriculturally. In no other state
| have ever travelled-and have travel
led in many-do | find the farm build
ingS SO good as in the state of Maine,
not even excepting my own state OF
New York. Even when inland from the
coast, where rocks are very much in
evidence and available land not so mach
so, do not find the tumbledown farm
buildings | see in many other states with
less rocks and greater area of tillable
soil. There is an air of neatness pre-
vailing from the coast to the very from.
tier along the dense forest. Not log
house have l seen, other than those put
up as cottages by some fellows who
went to some of her beautiful inland
lakes or ponds.
Right here feel compelled to censure
some one, just whom do not know.
learn that this great state, with the
finest farmhouseS of any state in the
union, is to be represented at the great
fair to be held ST. Louis next year by a
log house. Why, my friends, whoever
you are, what are you thinking OF, to
set up log house on the Playground in
the West to represent typical Maine
farmhouse? II would be just as suitable
a thing for Massachusetts, to erect a
slab pigpen to represent her great manu-
featuring industries. People will be at
that fair to see and learn what they can
of various states products. What can
they learn of Maine when they see its
log house? Their impressions cannot be
other than that Maine is cold, bleak,
rocky country; that when the timber is
removed, the deer and moose have taken
their departure, the fish caught out OF
the streams and lakes, it will be time for
the owner to set fire TO the old log hut
and vamoose, also. Were l a resident OF
Maine l should pray God in his wisdom
to send athu1derbolt and burn the thing
up the day after it was erected on the
st. Louis Playground.
In no state can be found soil capable
of producing more cereal crops than
Maine In fact, nutritious grasses
find growing even in the very poorer
parts of the country, and capable OF
pasturing cows and sheep equal to any
| find in our especial dairy sections oil
New York. When l get back from the
COST | find apple orchards equal to
those of Western New York or Ohio or
Michigan. | find in Aroostook County
the greatest area of clover and natural
potato land in the United States. 1t is
true there are forests and wild land IN
Maine; but it follows also that there is
wealth abounding in them. As grass
growing and livestock growing state
never in the broad West have seen the
equal of it. Near the seaboard, with
the ever ready steam and electric rail
road to carry its products to the nearby
great marts of the world, wherein is the
sense of the young man seeking the
prairies of the West, to mingle with
people who, although good, are not OF
his kind?
Now | come to the closing. In no
state can be found as uniformly good
people as in Maine. That good old New
England stock has remained intact, and
whether it be on the coast or on the
frontier, we find them uniformly intel
ligent, genteel and prosperous. What
more is needed for me to say? Only, ii
they were not so good, they would burn
the log house that was erected to repre-
sent their fine homes, well stocked with
papers and books, and all that goes to
make upa cheerful, happy home.-C'
d. Snead in Tribune Farmer.