Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-07-04
- 777777777777777.77
OLD SARGENTvILLE.
Some Good Stories of the Early Set
tiers Told Recently.

Some Good Stories of the Early Set
tiers Told Recently.
AT meeting OF the S. ]. ID. club in
Bangor recently at the home Of Mrs. Wal
ter J. Grindle, Francis Billings, Mrs. Axor
Dodge, Mrs. George Turner, all from Ssr-
gentviIle, entertained the club with remi-
niscences OF their school days.
In order that others besides the members
OF the club may learn little OF the early
the paper which was read in the last
meeting Ly Miss Leila Dresser, be pub
lished. This account was written by
resident of Sargentyille and is called,
.4Some Stories of Hundred Years Ago"
II follows:
know very little Of the early history of
this place; my mother has told me some incl
dents as related by her grandmother, Mr..
Benjamin Billings, who, with her husband,
was one of the FIRST settlers here. Their log
cabin stood near where Hiram Harding's
house now is. During the war of the Revo-
luton a British ship sailed up the Eggemog-
gin Reach and discharged cannon several
times, aiming Mt the lone log house in the
clearing. Many years afterwsrd the cannon
balls were ploughed up by Uncle Nathan Bill
ings while preparing for his spring plant
ing. AS / remember seeing them at the time,
they were about a. large as a medium-sized
bowl. One of them was later in the possess
sion of Daniel Eaton, and was told by his
son, Groves, that when he was boy hesroiIed
il across the road, where 1t fen In the wall
near the elm tree, and was lost
While the British occupied Castine, parties
OF their soldiers and officers constantly made
marsuding expeditions upon the surrounding
country, and whatever the helpless settlers
had OF value, was unhesitatingly appro-
prissed. One OF these parties appeared at
Mr.. Billings home on bright spring morn
ing and entering without ceremony demanded
of Mrs. Billings that she make potato stew,
'-and be - quick about it. too"
In dismay the poor woman told them she
had nothing in tn, house to eat They had
but very small piece OF land under cuItiya-
ton, the crops of the previous year, had been
of and the long, cold winter had exhausted
all their stores; they lived principally on
CLANS. her husband being then at the beach
below trying 70 get some to eat with the
barley bread made of coarse meal, laborious
ly pounded by hand that very morning.
Upon this they produced a bag with pota-
toes and pork. probably stolen from some
family, and again demanded stew. As Mrs.
Billings peeled and washed the potatoes she
asked II they wanted the peeiings, and they
said mol" So, carefully and deity, she cut
deep wherever eye was found, and appear
ing to throw away the parings went on with
the dinner. But when the red-coats had de-
parted full OF importance and potato stew,
Mr.. and Mrs. Billings sorted the discarded
parings and enough eyes were found for 3
number OF hills, and thus they raised pota-
toes for the next winter.
As the war went ON and times became
harder, Mr.. Billings took his wife and their
three children in a log canoe and carried
them TO Old York for safety, while he re-
turned TO work alone two years on the place
he had chosen for his home. In order to be
sure of finding the precious iron kettle, their
only cooking utensi,, they hid it bottom up in
the brook, as they called il, where it was
found safe on his return.
At one time several deserters from the Eng
lish army, then stationed at castine, took
refuge in the barn Of james Byard on the
.Pcint,s. As soon as it was known that they
were missing n number OF soldiers were sent
from Fort George to look for them. Entering
Mr. Byard's barn they probed the hAy-mow.
running their long, sharp bayonets far down
among the fragrant mass, and as the hunted
men aiterward said, within. an inch Of our
eyes, Finding nothing, they returned to
Castine and the refugees went unmolested.
Enough has been said TO show that the
early settlers Of sargentyille had their share
OF trials and privations- IL these few imper-
fectly told incidents shall help to perpetuate
the memories of those brave and true men
and women, shall feel repaid for the telling.
-
Only Etehtv-two Years Old,