The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-11-02

There are more than 1900 acres
OF rocky land on the south and east
sides OF Heagan 5 Mountain. in the
northeast corner OF Prospect, Me.
where wild apple trees are SO abund-
ant that they have become weeds.
The owners of the wood lots, when
they so out TO chop firewood in the
] fall, as q rule get more than half
their supply of fuel from the wild
apple trees.
There are families who have ex-
tension tables and sofas and settees
and ordinary dining-room and kitch-
en- chairs that are made of apple
wood. and when the owners OF fish
weirS along shore go to drive their
weir stakes in the spring, nearly ev-
cry one OF them uses heavy top
maui made from the indurated and
flbrous wood Of an apple tree.
The cause for such an abundance
OF fruit trees growing wild in wood
lots and pastures and by roadsides is
due TO the eccentric conduct of Hi
ram Simpson, an aged religious en-
thuslaSt, who emigrated to this town
from the shore front of Hancock
County right away after the Millerite
excitement in 1919, at which time
more than half the people of Eastern
Maine believed they We're going to
be translated to another and bet
ter world on June 6, 1913, at the
early hour of $50 O'Clock in the
morning
Old man Simpson had made elabo-
rate preparations for the event. Not
only had he sold his farm and stock,
but he had converted all his earthly
possessions into gold, and sunk it at
the bottom of the family we'll, SO that
no soothing unbeliever could benefit
from the sacrifice he had made.
On the fateful morning OF June
6 he yoked pair of steers to a cart,
and, taking his wife and two daugh-
ters, all dressed in their best, he
drove forth to the top of high hill
and stood waiting for the great
change to take place.
1t was still summer morning, and
IS the windows of his home had been
left open, he could hear the family
clock as it recorded the passing of
time.
When the clock struck the four
persons who waited started to pray,
and when the chime for $50 was
brought to their ears, they shouted
and sung revival hymns for a full |
half hour.
On the arrival Of 3 o'clock. with no
change in the conditions OF a.fairs.
Simpson ceased his shouting and |
said:
Come, Mary. It IS time we We're
getting out of this. II the Lord had |
really intended to come this morn
ing lie would have been here before
now. We have been deceived and
must move to some place where no.
body knows us.
Fishing the bag of gold coins from
The Well, he bundled his family into
The cart and headed the steers north,
and before sunrise they were on their
way to Bucksport. Crossing the fer
y at Prospect, they went up along
He SuOIe until luey EedcHeu f1ed-
cams Mountain. where the family and
goods were unloaded, and
he old man started in to clear up a
arm among the rocks.
Among the articles carried in the
art were five apple trees of variety
ocally known as ''Simpson's sweet
ng.' which produced a large fruit
hat had the virtue of keeping until
ate in the winter and growing sweet
r and more mellow with age. In the
utumn and early winter it was too
lard to eat raw, but when roasted
mong the Goals Of an open fire it
vas better than cake or pie or candy.
In the course of a few years Simp-
on's farm became famous for its
weet apples. AS fast as he was able
e enlarged his orchard, and finally