Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-11-15

o. benla Chesley twin, born July %,
1895.
z. Sarah clarinda (twin), born July %,
1885.
After the occupancy of Mr.. Clay and
family, Capt. Samuel Eaton and family
from Deer Isle lived there few years;
then Phineas Dodge and family, and va
rious others from time to time for longer
or shorter periods.
The tide mills, the first of which was
built in 1865, when at its raising every
person In town was present and all sat
about one table at dinner, was the first
mill OF the town, and was named ssEn-
deavor". The father and grandfather of
the writer were owners in the mills, and
he worked in them in boyhood, and has
many recolicctions of them. His earliest
is of the time when he was three years OF
age and accompanied his father to the
mills dressed in petticoats, and with his
hand clasping his lunch of bread and but
ter.
The father was engaged in making re-
pairs to Hthe Niger wheel', and had
taken up a plank OF the mill flooring the
better to get at the work. He had occa-
sion to get some tools in the grist mill
| near at hand, so he sat his boy down
away from the hole in the floor
and told him to be sure and sit
there till he came back. Hardly had
he disappeared from sight before an I'M
comfortable desire seized the writer to
look down through that hole in the floor.
SO he crawled along until be reached the
spot and looking down saw the water be-
meath, then lost his balance and pitched
| headlong through the hole into the waters
below. He rose to the surface lying upon
his back floating lightly and holding his
hand up to protect his bread and butter.
The tide was ebbing, carrying him slowly
seward, but he was unconcerned and ex-
amined the floor timbers OF the mill and
thought them strange appearing.
Just then his father returned and missed
his boy, but on looking down through the
hole made by removal OF the plank in the
floor the eyes of father and son met, but
not word was spoken. In order to
reach the boy the father went out of the
mill to the log wharf where lumber was
piled, and climbed down the logs by hand
and feet to the waters edge, but when he
got there the child was beyond his reach.
He climbed back, got stick OF some sort
and climbed down again to the waters
edge, reached out the stick, gently drew
the child to him, dropped the stick, seized
the child by his clothing and safely put
him upon the wharf above his head and
clambered up himself.
All the time not a word had been spoken,
but when the child was safe and he stood
beside him, his pent-up feelings found
vent and he said: "You young rascal, you'll
Didn't tell you to sit st i'll and not mover
The writer replied: II wanted to see what
was down there" SWELL" said he, "you
have seen, haven't you? Now come along
home to your mother and have your
clothes changed" And the child trudged
along home in his wet clothes holding by
one hand his fathers and in the other his
bread and butter he had not let go of, and
matter ended.
At another time the writer and his
brother Samuel were at work in tho old
saw mill at evening, and their father was
at work in the grist mill. A log had been
sawed into boards and taken from the
carriage ready to put on another log. A
neighbours son was present. The mill was
poorly lighted by two oil lamps, and when
ready to roll ON the log, Samuel refused to
help, and it was too heavy for one to man
age. Finding that argument did not pre-
vail, the writer went into the grist mill
and entered his bill of complaint, which
the father came into the saw mill to set
right.
Samuel in the meantime had reconsid-
cred his action, and was bending over the
log straining every nerve to roll it into
place. The father in the dim light saw
the neighbours son standing idle, and
thinking il was his own son, said to him:
''Take hold there and help roll on that
logl" That having no effect, he walked
up and "boxed" the boys ears, thinking
him to be his son Samuel, and repeated his
order: ''Take hold, sir, and help roll that
log onr" The boy ''took hold', and on
went the log, while the writer and his
brother nearly split their sides with sup
pressed laughter at their fathers blunder
The boy who had his ears "boxed' began
crying when Mr.. Candage discovered his
mistake and made an apology, saying; 81
ask your pardon; ii was all mistake and
/ take il all backp' The boys ears
were still smarting under the blow they
had received, and he replied; 81 don't see
how you can take it back nowi" Neither
did the writer nor his brother. But this
ended the incident, though the memory OF
ii still eIings to the writer with freshness
as of an occurrence OF yesterday.
ITO be continued