The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-12-12
TROY: ITS EARLY HISTORY
By HARRY W. ROWE.


The story OF ancient Troy, or lllum,
as it is often called, is one of that great
body of stories half myth and half
truth that keeps its charm in spite of
the years that have passed since the
events related took place. Around this
name there centers a chain of events
and circumstance that will last as long
as the world.
Troy was situated on the eastern
shores of the Aegean Sea opposite the
more northern parts of Greece. By its
location it was admirably fitted to be
the scene of a charming and interesting
story. The gentle breezes of the sea
could blow over it, bearing with them
faint odors OF beautiful groves not far
distant, where the gods walked with
men; the southern sun Shone kindly on
it and nature itself seemed to make the
background and the surroundings for a
narrative that would live.
The story that is most closely allied
with Troy is the abduction of Helen
Over the sea in the court Of MenelauS,
the King of Sparta, she was its chief
ornament. Styled as one of the most
beautiful women in the world, is it any
wonder that Paris, the son of Priam,
King of Troy, became Smitten with her
charms? What he could not accom-
pliSh by persuasion he resolved to gain
by force, so he carried away the kings
wife to Troy.
The Ancient Greeks were not ones
that would sit tamely by and see one of
their chiettains insulted and so at the
call of Menelaus the warriors took up
arms and started out to avenge his
wrongs. The siege of Troy was long,
nd r wet to Nd foi,
stand the combined assaults OF the OPP
posing forces, when at last by an act of
strategy a huge wooden horse designed
by the crafty Ulysses, was carried into
the city, The story of the securing the
entrance of the horse into Troy is IN i'll
terestlng one, and the results are more
than interesting. Under cover of night
the Greeks came to the city wall, a
traitor within opened the horse which
was full of Greek soldiers, the gate
was thrown open and then the whole
Greek force entered and gave the city
over to the torch and sword Some,
escaping from the general slaughter
and destruction, made their way to
Italy and there laid the foundation of
the mighty Roman Empire. Homer in
the lliad and Virgil i'll the Aeneid have
given faithful and graphic accounts of
the siege, fall and destruction of Troy
1t was not fitting that a name so
closely joined with events interesting
and thrilling should die out. And SO
it has been many times reproduced in
the names OF our own cities and towns.
1t is short, convenient, easy to write
and is well suited for the name of a
town. There are in tine United States
thirty towns that boast the name of
Troy. Missouri. New York, Vermont,
Maine and many others all have thriv-
ing and enterprising centerS given to
industrial progress. 1t is with the lat
ter named State that our interest cen
tiers, for it is the Troy of Maine that
most interest us.
When the sturdy settlers of Old
England came and cast about for a
place in which to settle, the rugged
hills, the peaceful wales and rushing
rivers Of America met their gaze.
Here, they said is the place where we
can plant colonies and institute gov
ernmentS according to our own ideas
And so it was that all over the hills of
New England there are scattered the
peaceful, quiet homes of a race of
people finding in the earth their food
III the forests their warmth, from the
ANIMALS their clothes, and best of all,
finding over all of these One Supreme
Governor TO whom as a natural thing
should revert their homage
We of the present age and genera
ton little know of the struggles and
hardshipS, and the Joys and happiness
eS, of our hardy forefathers. Our pres
ent day civilization is less rugged and
eXactlng than was that of one hundred
years ago. Today at the call of the
machine there springs into being all
things that are necessary for the main
tenance of life. In the ease and com
parative luxury of our modern life we
are apt to forget the men and women
of old and their struggles to carve
from the wilderness State which
should stand for their highest ideals.
And so it is our purpose today to
turn back the pages of history and go
t. the early beginnings of our town.
AS Irojans we are proud of Troy; as
descendants of the early settlers we
should be interested in their work and
their day.
1t was the pleasure of the writer of
this article to sit beside one of the old
est men in the town. Mr. Lorenzo Gar
celon, and hear from his lips the &C
counts Of the early days and events of
Troy. Mr.. Garcelon is at present over
eghty-tive and yet shows striking
faculty for remembering of events and
dates. He is specimen of that sturdy,
self reliant class that helped make our
Name towns, and which we are sorry
to say is rapidly passing away. He
might, in imitation of the title that has
been given the late lamented Glad
stone be called the Grand Old Man of
Troy"
Nj. Garcelon is not only one of the
oldest men in town, he and Mr.. John
Hillman being nearly of an age, but he
lives in the oldest house in town. Con-
nected with the house, there is an
interesting story.
Joseph Green, one of the pioneer
settlers of the town, built this on the
knoll back of the present residence of
David Piper and lived in it for twenty
five years. Then it was moved over
the Hill, which the early settlers iok-
ingly called The Backbone of the
World, to it's present situation. 1t
required the services of so yoke of oxen
and the aid of several gallons of the
best Old West India rum to move it.
The main house is 40X2S, solidly built,
nylng reprOach to the present day
hurriediy put together buildings. The
main tlnbers were white ash, II inches
square, the studding was white ash >
inches through to which were nai ed
pine boards an inch in thickness, with
1iYt-lnch wrought iron nails. The plaster