Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-07-21
THE WEEK IN MAINE.
The Most Important State News
Briefly Told.

Real estate Is booming at Rumford
Falls as result of the vote to build q
new bridge over the river at cost OF
about $4,000.
The loss by forest fires in Maine the
past week has been enormous. Hardly
a section of the state has been free from
them, while In many places they have
got 80 beyond control OF the local fire
fighters that men have been brought In
special trains to assist. At Wells, where
line OF fire two miles wide threatened
the village, several hundred men were
taken from all along the line of the Bos-
ton & Maine Railroad.
Sidney A. Tobie, q wealthy retired
leather merchant, was instantly killed at
his farm on Broadway, Haverhill, Mass,
Tuesday, by being run over by hay
rack. His daughter Eva was in the field
with him when the accident occurred.
Mr.. Tobie's horse started to run to the
barn, throwing him against a fence
and beneath the wheels of the rack,
which crushed his head and body. He
was 80 years old and native Of Poland,
Ne.
News comes from Good Will Farm,
that excellent institution In which SO
many Maine people are interested for
the continuous good it does, that re-
cent gift from Mrs. Tracy W. McGregor
of Detroit, Michigan, will establish an
other endowed home at Good Will. The
new addition will be called, by Mrs.
McGregor's request, Whitney Home,
and it will be q perpetual real home for
Is boys. These endowments are all In
a good cause, and the workers at Good
Will are to be congratulated, as we'll as
humanity in general, that so much I'M
selfish work for good is going on in our
midst.
Figures Just given out at the Office Of
the state insurance commissioner show
that the number Of fires for the first six
months of the year is 1 ,244 against LOSS
for the same period in 1907. The esti-
mated value of the property affected ID
81, 191, $40, while the estimated damage
Is placed at S2,046. 1872. The loss for the
first six months last year was 81 ,379, 042
and for the year the total was s., Ola, APO.
The damage by electrical storms thus far
this year is considerably under that for
the same period last year. The number
given for 1908 is "a against 81 for the first
Six months of 1907 and 2Sl for the year.
The money loss for this year by light.
ming is estimated at $751; against
S35, Ill for the first six months OF 1907
and S1S0,676 for the year.
The dreaded brown-tail moth has
struck Bangor, hundreds of them being
brought on the boats of the Eastern
Steamship Co. The moths began to at.
tract attention from passengers during
the middle OF last week, especially after
the lights were turned on and hundreds
of the insects flew about the brilliantly
lighted saloon. There seems to be a
good chance of Bangor being infested
Several of the moths were taken from
the saloon of the steamer City of Bangor
and the specimens were carried to Prof.
o. w. Knight, who is an authority on
all sorts Of insects. He at once pro.
nounced them to be brown-tail moths.
"Many people have brought moths to
be examined during the past two years,
but they have all proved to be common
moths. These are the first brown-tails
l have seen in Bangor" said Mr. Knight
after carefully examining the moths.