Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-05-13
FARMER BOY IN MAINE.
Interesting Paper by a Maine Boy
now in California.

unfPffSltur
now in California.
ep..dhvP. G.. Wooster, OF Pasadena, Cal.
a. meeting of the sons and daughters of
Maine in Pasade pa, Feb %. 1905
The life Of the farmer boy in Maine.
That depends largely upon the age in
which be lived and acted. In the day OF
on, grsndiat hers, in their boyhood. on
farm, Of Maine, circumstances and con-
ditiops differed very materially from those
Of our boyhood days, and those OF the
Maine boys at the present time.
Our boyhood, with allthat it meant to
Us, was the product OF evolution that had
worked its way down to our time, like the
opening Of bud, showing the petals Of q
flower, the turning Of the leaves Of book,
finding some undiscovered truth; and thus
we escaped, or lost, il you choose to put it
that way, many OF the features OF the
boyhood life OF our fathers, the first white
settlers Of Maine, beginning in the year
1921, when it vas . part OF Massachu-
sets, and continued to be until 1S20.
In that early time all, or nearly all, Of
the 2@,0O acres, comprising her
domain as it is to-day, was covered with
primeval forest Of spruce, pine, hemlock,
maple etc, which was full OF wild beasts
and trescherous Indians. 1t was time Of
first principles in farming; . time OF dar-
ing and courage on the part OF our fathers
and mothers, and their sons and daugh-
tiers.
The first farming with them was on
shores Of sheltered bays and coves OF the
coast and along the banks of the rivers /;
and Is the forest was filed with game, so
the bays and rivers abounded in fish, and
the farmers and the boys had to do with
both in order to contribute to the support
otthe family while subduing and training
the wilderness so that after a while it
came to blossom as the rose, and they too
greatly reioiced in the harvests that fol-
lowed.
The boys Of that generation lent willing
hand in whatever had to be done to build
and improve the home, and were rewarded
Tor their toll and privstions with home
spun for clothing, and splendid appetite
Tor the game and fish they hunted and
caught, and Indian meal bannocks cooked
before the fire OF rude fireplace, and
smoking hot beans taken from the bean
hole, and hulled corn and roasting ears.
Tonight you have eaten baked beans
and you said, How good the beans are !;
they remind me of home; we always had
beans every Sunday morning for break
Ast" No one doubts your statement.
Inc beans were good, and we all were
reminded OF the dear old home country
anu our associations with it and our
trends there. Nevertheless, think you
reserve the right to say that even the
oeahs which so tickled our palate at the
@oie from which we have just arisen,
we're not quite up in quality to beans that
we're brought in steaming hot from the
Osahnole, in times bygone.
no baking of beans can beat the beam
aoie baking. The old fashioned brick oven
'oa'es In second in bean-baking, and we
.suemoer it with great pleasure. But the
..nnoie and the brick oven are things
historic to the boys of Maine to-day. and
.Aeept IN case of the former being found
: some logging camps, they had passed
~ " use in my boyhood, and to large
Nnt before my time. OF that day we
seuRnt to recall potatoes that were roasted
. ao' ashes covered with glowing Goals;
~ you cannot improve on their flavor
.'n any OF your new-fangleds ways OF
cooking them.
ning by our fathers, the first set
- was done in very primitive fashion.
-. Trees had been felled and brush
= lined there remained for long time the
RI Aened= stumps in the way. In order to
. .u'' the ground had to be hoed of, and
~ ~ was done by the boys, If they were
4, enough, and with no modern hoe.
49, yes, much of the work, had to be
49, WIN mattock, pick and crowbar.
put on muscle in those days; they
M nardy fellows, and grew into robust
-. 'esoiute manhood. The sense they
~. sometimes from force OF circum-
~Aces' perhaps, was common sense; and