The Republican journal., 1906-05-03
Where Washington County Stands.
A Sketch of Ex-Sheriff I. P. Longfellow.

Staying at the Preble House for a
few days is l. P. Longfellow of Machias,
for IA years sheriff of Washington
County and by far the best known
! ''Down East officer of his day. Of
'Pen," as he is Familiarity called by his
host of friends, are told truthful tales
of his career as sheriff in that border
county that for courage, fearlessness
and daring would put to shame many
of the lurid stories Of the Western
literature, though he is averSe to refer
to them himself, save to rehearse re-
quested incidents with his intimate
friends at his home. Small in stature,
veritable giant in strength, modest in
manner and soft of speech, with clean
cut, smooth shaven face, quick of eye
and ear he is the antithesis of the stage
prototype of the Yankee sheriff. His
experiences with smugglers on the
border, with violators of the game law
the liquor law as it was observed in the
border county two score years ago and
with pirates who infested the coast
towns of Washington County in recent
years, would fill readable book. He
is related to the Longfellow family of
Portland which produced the great
poet, a branch of which settled in Ma
chias and vicinity where they attained
political and commercial prominence.
Since leaving political life Mr.. Long
fellow has devoted his time to his eX-
tensiye coal business in Machias where
he remarked the coal dealers had not
taken advantage of the people and ad-
vanced the price of that commodity on
rumorS of the impending strike.
Mr.. LongfelloW has had wide and
varied experience all over the border
county, especially in catching liquor
smugglerS who operated between Lu-
bee and Campo bello, and pursued their
sales all over the county This sort
of lawlessness has mostly disappeared,
remarked Mr.. Longfellow, 'as has the
wholesale violation of the Prohibition
Law down our way. There is a whole
some respect for law in Washington
county, which has always stood by the
Republican party, and there is no sec
ton of the State where Governor
Cobbs manly address was more ap-
preciated than in ours. We i'll Wash
ington county believe in prohibition
principles and will give Gov. Cobb an
increased vote of endorsement next
September Machias has had a liquor
agency for several years and all the
medicinal wants of our community are
SO we'll regulated thereby that at each
annual town meeting when the CON
tinuation of the agency comes before
the voters the agency is almost unani-
mously endorsed. BY the way, we in
Machias have an ideal liquor agent in
George Corners, whom Mr.. Pattangall
has selected as the prototype of 5. y.
d. Smith for his Meddybemps letters.
There is no abuse of the agency and no
intoxicated men seen in Machias. In
short, prohibition works beautifully
aud enforcement has driTHn out several
dives where liquor was sold which
tiourished in Machias few years ago
before the temperance people got after
them.
you'll find Washington county
heartily in favor of the present plan
of enforcement which has rid Passport
of several rumshops. This was thought
practically impossible, but there isn't a
place selling liquor there now and the
only way liquor is obtainable is across
the line at Campobello. 1t is the same
| with Calais, which temporarily left the
Republican ranks only to return last
month having had its fill. PASSPORT is
also Republican and there need be no
doubt felt regarding where Washington
county stands in September She'll be
for Cobb and prohibition. Portland
| Evening Express.