Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-06
STATE TRUST CO.. 237 Water Street, Auevsta Maine.

business hoeng corn and digging p"-
tatocs and no other young fellows
within hailing distance
How the rural communities of Maine
arc thinning out is evidenced by my
old home whore. twenty-five or
thirty years ago four tolerably good
SIZED schools were maintained. Now
all the children of the four districts
attend a central school in an attrac-
tive new building and night and morn
ing n rig gathers then; up and delivers
them to school. Better schools doubt
less result from this system.
There is Il pathetic side TO the young
man leaving the farm. and this is re-
ncctcd in the empty, cherries lives Of
Tie old folks left behind. The boys
go To the cities. to California. or the
Middle West and the old father and
mother remain on the farm, cultlNat-
ing the cVcr-decrcaSinS acreage, but
observing the same carly and late
hour. Perhaps / observed superficial
", but it appeared to me that the only
really bright spots in their lives came
with the all-too-infrcqucnt letters from
absent boys. long years ago grown TO
men. CT tIt' NiSltS VI ii!'ii 'i''bro -''Ni :
and Of grandchildren from other parts
Of the country.
The hey doesn't leave good farms
NOWADAYS because farming is not profit
able. be it West or East. | compared
the prices Of farm produce now With
prices prevailing twenty-five years ago,
and found them fully 80 per cent.
higher. The good old time staples
butter and eggs. rule higher here to-
day than they do in Riverside Cal.
Potatoes are high and many farmers
hcrea bouts have large paintings. AS
an illustration of what one young man
did who stayed on the farm. l was
ritc.l to a convincing incident. The
young man bought a run down farm of
100 acres for $500 and paid for it in
two years from crops and timbe" sold.
He has q big potato acreage this year.
but has been compelled to spray the
vines several times with Bordeau mix
ture to prevent blight.
Maine has a pest that is working
havoc with the apple crop. This is the
''railroad worm.' tiny white chap
about q twelfth of an inch long. He
leaves no outward indication CT his
work as does the larvae of the aphis
but literally honeycombs the apple.
rendering it unfit for use. The new
pest is immune against spraying. but
fortunately it mas not been introduced
into the mort hcrn part Of the State
yet.
There arc. two kinds of houses in
Portland = UNCOVERED, three-story
brick houses and thrccstory brick
mansions without ivy. Portland is Il
very etaid and respectable old city and
the people never let the casual visitor
forget that it was the home Of Long
fellow.
Augusta is a city Of well kept and
attractive homes and if You ask what
distinguishes it YOU will be told that
it is the seventh city in the United
states in. the volume Of its mail mat
ter This distinction comes from the
family" papers Of the "ComfOrt' type
published in Augusta. The aggregate
circulation Of these papers runs into
the millions | visited one % the
plants. The Nicllc.y & Hill concern,
which claims a circulation for its
three papers OF 1.25h.o00 copies .
month. \ clcrica! force Of 900 young
1
women is required to handle the mail
received by the concern.
| enjoyed while in Augusta a visit
| to the Kenenbco Journal office The
paper WAS established in 1922 and is
| ore of the biggest and best dailics pub
| ishcd in any city of Augustus size.
| Connected with it in the past ana pres
| cnt. too. have been some of Maine S
most distinguished sons. Luther Sew
| .rancr while its editor, was sent by
| TAYLOR as first minister IT, Hawaii, and
| later John L. Stevens. its editor. act
| ing as minister to Hawaii first raised
| the stars and Stripes over Hawai-. Ii
| wasn't his fault that Grover Cleveland
| ordered the flag pulled down. and SUBJ
seuucnt events justified the wisdom CT
| his course. Blaine was editor OF the
Journal in 1913. and three of it's editors
! Severance. Blaine and l5urleigh-'
have represented that district of Maine
| in Congress Mr.. Burleigh has just
been reelected for the seventh time
This is in line with the Republican
| nolicy in Maine and is the cogent rea-
son of the State getting what it wants
| in Washington.