Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-05-14

HOME AT LAST.

HOME AT LAST.
Chapter ~
Since nothing special occurred aftel
leaving Rumford Falls on my return
home, which was reached four day.
later, l will omit the most of that par
of my story, perhaps already too long
and make mention OF few persons, anC
possibly an incident or two should there
happen to be time and space for sc
doing.
| A half century ago Perry's axes were
well and favorably known over large
territory, including part of Canada
and therefore the manufacturer seems
to be entitled to few lines of notice
even at this late day.
Barnabus Cushman Perry was one Of
1.-The two SONS of Capt. Samuel Perry,
who, If he told correctly, was distant
relative of the celebrated commodore OF
Lake Erie fame. Capt. Perry was the
Buckfield village blacksmith, and by the
time Barney, as he and everybody else
called him, had reached his teens he
could do a good job of any common
work in the shop, being born natural
mechanic.
Being an expert workman Capt. Perry
had a good many axes to repair, and
that is where Barney first got his hand
in for manufacturing them. After
working in this way several years with
his father he rented small factory in
the village and gave his whole attention
to that kind of work, making some
broad axes and ADDE'S; the machinery
driven by water power, consisting of
trip hammer, grindstone and three
emery wheels.
In the fall of 1858 hired out to him
for the winter, my work being to put on
the finishing part after tempering, that
is, grinding, polishing, painting and
preparing them for market. 1t required
three men to manufacture that kind OF
goods, the other being the late George
Ripley of Paris. Our boarding place
was with Capt. Perry, and no person
ever liked fun or good joke better than
he. Mr.. Ripley played the violin, and
when the captain wasn't too tired he
would put in the quicksteps equal to
many of the young craft of the present
day, although past the meridian of life
and wore spectacles.
soon learned the trade 80 as to give
good satisfaction so far as known, and
when the spring opened Mr.. Perry tried
to engage me for year, but as part
of the work was so dusty, such as turn
ing down the grindstone, which had to
be done every day, Sundays excepted
| as to endanger my health, hardly dar-
ed to work at it longer.
Ny pay in part on leaving consisted of
50 dollar gold slug, SO called; and |
mention 1t here on account OF the
novelty of the coin. 1t was hexagon
| in form, and in addition to the spread
eagle aud the lettering usually seen on
large coin, were the words California
Gold. That was the only piece of the
kind ever owned, and ten years later 1t
was worth nearly three times that
amount; such was the premium on gold
during the civil war.
As Mr.. Perry's axes became better
Z known their sales increased so that IN
| time more room was required and that
was the reason of his going to Rumford
Falls. There he made him a home, dug
canal of considerable length for a
water power, and in due time PeIry's
axes began 10 appear on the market
again: but only for limited time.
During the fall Of 1868, just ten years
after commencing my work for him in
Buckfield, be sent for me to come and
work for him again the following winter,
il no longer. That, however, was out OF
the question, being then married and
settled on farm. But being interested
in the man, and wishing to see what he
was doing, found time to visit him and
A. =. Ia A M
his plant had cost him much more than
he expected, that everything had risen
10 consequence of the war, which was
then raging in full blast, so that he was
obliged to mortgage it in order to get
along. That told the whole story; it
was cause and effect, the result being
, what one would naturally expect.
Since no mention has been made of
Mr.. Perry's family perhaps some might
get the idea that he was single man all
these wears, but such is not the fact.
He had been married year or two
, when went to work for him, became
, father during that winter, and when
! visited him ten years later, three more
! had been added to the family, If my
memory is correct-and all boys.
There is another man who is richly
entitled to few lines of notice on &C.
count of the way he has prospered all
the way along, and much OF that time
under adverse circumstances. That
man is Edwin Howard, cousin OF the
writer, and lives in Hartford. Calling
on him for an hour or two when passing
through that town, he gave me some
facts in connection with himself, very
few of which and the leading ones, l
will reproduce.
He was born so years ago on the farm
where he now lives and was one OF six
children, three of each sex, and he the
oldest of the sons, if not of the family.
As far back as he can remember his
parents were in very moderate circum-
stances, living on a rocky farm, cutting
but few tons. of hay, the buildings old
and much out of repair. But that was
not the worst of it. Even before his
father reached middle life he began to
lose the use of his limbs, both arms and
legs, 80 that in few years he became 30
helpless as to be unable to walk or feed
himself.
Edwin being the oldest boy the care of
that diseased father naturally fell upon
, him, and while the other children grew
up and got married, or went out for
themselves, he stood by both parents to
the end, his father living in that helpless
condition for thirty years. He married
the widow Darrell, who had two little
children by her former marriage, and in
process of time four more were added to
the family.
Quite number of years ago Mr..
Towards wife had the misfortune to
fall and fracture her hip, and from that
time her husband had her to care for
long while, as he had for his father
years before. until her death, which &C.
Cured some time ago.
But although SO many things seemed
to work against Mr.. Howard, by con-
tinual hard labor and good calculation
he gained property, improved his farm
and in time erected good set of build
ings. His daughter-in-law, Ida Darrell,
never married and always remained in