The Somerset reporter., 1908-01-09
Well Known In Somerset.

The passing away of William Ray
who died last week at the aims
house in Waite rville, removes, it is
believed, the last Of those famous old
timber toters v no flCurished III the
Kennebec valley more than half a
century ago. Mr.. Ray was one OF
eight young Irish lads who left the
same city in Ireland at nearly the
same time and came direct to Amer
lea in the old fashioned sailing vessel.
With the others Ray landed at Que
bee and soon made his way down the
Kennebec road, crossing the border
at what is known as "Hilton's.o The
village of Moose River was then but a
string of settlers homes and Jackman
was but name given to a township
of wild timber land. Anybody could
stop over night or for a week with
the settlers in those days and Ray
hung up at Moose River, working his
board and waiting for the influx of
timber cutters for the next seasons
operations. His first job was that
of teamster in the logging swamp.
He had never handled horses before
but he took to the work so naturally
that he deceived the older teamste RS
and when spring came he had the
/ biggest landing on the scene to his
credit. For several seasons Ray fol-
lowed this kind of work and then he
discovered that there must be good
money in the toting business. He
had saved sufficient money from his
i several seasons in the woods, to pur-
chase four good strong Canadian
i horses and those he put on the long
/ tote between Moose River and SkoW-
hogan, then the nearest largest town
in the Kennebec valley. The dis
lance is approximately 70 miles. Ii
those days the Glidden tourist would
have found more difficulty i'll getting
record days than they did on the re-
cent trip through that section. Foui
days were often consumed in making
the single trip and the years that fol
lowed when ""Gilly the Toter" piled
between the shiretown and the Cana
dian border, were filled with HARD
tugs, break downs, washouts, vel
soused outfits and, as "Uncle Gilly'
himself has often said: "a heap OF
New England rum and no little swear
/ ing" Ray was frugal fellow and il
a reasonable number of years became
! q prominent contractor on stumpage
Rays ups and downs came and went
with the lumber business and when
the final rap hit him he went down
and out financially for good and all
In his prime it was something to be
called man "who is known from
Popham to the Canada line,n and that
was often said of BILLY Ray. He was
famous as teamster and was the
! only man, as far as is now known
| who ever took strong team from
Moose River to Portland re urnine
with load. That was in 1856 and the
round trip was made i'll % days. In
the old days when the dugways on
the road between Caratunk and The
/ Forks were always dangerous and at
/ times more so than ordinarily, Gilly
Ray was fearless driver. 1t is told
of him that on one occasion when
after severe rain the dugways had
been badly washed, he sent his six
horse outfit in and out on the full run.
The outer edge of the road usually
not more than two feet in point OF
space and usually supported by logs
laid along the edge, had crumpled
and washed away so that but few
inches of earth lay outside the regu
lar wheelpath and the Kennebec river
rolled swiftly an 100 feet below. But
Billy made the trip because he didn't
want to be stalled in Caratunk over
niph