Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-10-06
A Glance At My Late Visit.

A Glance at My Late Visit.
CThis may seem somewhat unseasonable,. but
that 10 not the fault Of the writer. II has been
in the Democrat ONCE for some weeks, hut has
been delayed BY the pressure OF osher masserJ
It was on o receht Monday morning
that our much better half and self start
ed for an outing, thinking to be absent .
week, more or less, a. circumstances
might seem to dictate, but nothing that
savored Of programme being In It.
Our first objective point was Locke's
Mills to see our daughter, Mrs. I. w.
Swan, and. family, where We stopped
over night, and the next morning having
heard q good deal about Howard
Maxim's raspberry farm, and learning
that walk OF about two miles would
take me there and also that 1t was then
harvest time for that kind of fruit and
lots of girls were there at work, what
would be more natural than to see 1t at
once and at close quarterss
After pleasant walk found myself
on the premises and was somewhat sur
prised to find myself among family rela-
tions, the farm being the one formerly
owned by Moses Cummings, who with
bis wife still lives there, and Mr.. Max
inns wife is their daughter. Although
acquainted with each other years ago We
had not met since the civil war, but 1t
did not take long to find out "who's
who" and when Informed Of my object
in coming there he seemed pleased with
the idea and gave all the information
asked for.
He first showed me the raspberry
field consisting of about twelve acres,
with the girls scattered all through 1t
busily at work, then two-acre field OF
blackberries just beginning to ripen, and
lastly three acre field of Green Mount
ain potatoes in full blossom; and all in
one body only divided by roadways.
That Mr.. Maxim is making money rails.
ing small fruit is undoubtedly true, and
that it costs q good deal to raise II, in
Guiding all expenses, is equally certain.
Mr.. Cummings has been engaged in
the bee industry for many years and
consequently what he doesn't know
about 1.-THE little busy bee" is of small
account. He has twelve colonies at
present and his management with them
is such that they seldom swarm and fur
nish him with honey, which he keeps on
sale both in the comb and extracted.
Mr.. Cummings is one of those persons
on whom the irony of fate laid heavy
hand in his younger days. He became a
conscript during the civil war, and the
next day after leaving home his wife
was taken i'll and died in few weeks.
| he was in the war more than two years,
in half dozen battles. His pants, cap
and knapsack were pierced with rebel
missiles and yet he came out unharmed
Great must have been his rejoicing
when witnessing the surrender OF Cen
eral Lee, knowing as they all must that
the war was virtually ended.
Considering his advanced age. "a
years, and the exposure he endured In
cident to army life, Mr.. Cummings is
now enjoying good health, and OF course
Uncle Sam Is paying him literally fol
his hard and dangerous services when
the question was being settled at fear
full price as to whether our country
should be ruptured or preserved and
made forever free for our posterity.
NV next call was on D. A. Coffin OF
Milton, and found him enjoying normal
health, while his wife is nearly blind
from disease of long standing and she
has the sympathy of all.
After a few hours / turned my face
southwark and in due time reached the
little hamlet formerly known as Pin
hook, but now as North Woodstock
Here were found two old acquaintance
who were slightly convalescing from
severe attacks Of disease; William Jack
son from the grippe and Washington
Billings from typhoid fever. Also call
ed on q former neighbor, Lawson Cole
whose housekeeper, Myrtle, lost bel
bearing when a little girl and later the
faculty of speech, 30 that she can con,
verse only by means of slate. She is
la fair young lady of twenty years and
why should fate lay it's iron hand upor
her thus?
Again starting toward the south pole
not expecting to find it, however, my
next call was on G. A. Whitman to see
| his Belgian hares, a few of which he hal
kept since the boom number Of year.
ago. He had some fine specimens Of
full grown animals to show, and also
Others but few days old. Mr.. Whit
man next took me into his flower gar
Iden, which was really fine, and showed
me in addition several rare plants, gin
lseng among others which he had import
ed at considerable cost.
The house in which he lives was first
built for a tavern nearly 100 years ago
and being a natural mechanic as well a!
farmer he has remodeled part of 1t in
most fancy style. Lastly Mr.. Whitman
lis a first class vocal and Instruments
musician and has led in singing much oil
the time for more than forty years
Last of all, however, but not least, h'
was a soldier in the civil war, and lik'
nearly all the rest of the boys in blue II
being compensated for bearing hant
when called for and 80 much needed.
Proceeding on mile or two l ther
called on an old couple living on the lat
Benjamin Bacon place, and now ownef
Iby their son-in-law, Edwin Pike, who II
kindly aiding, and his Oldest daughter
lives with them. This venerable pair
who are no other than Elon G. Whitman
and wife, have reared family OF MINI
children, seven SONS and two daughters
lSix of the family are living, all sons, ont
having been killed in an accident sew
eral years ego at North Woodstock.
They seem to enjoy fair health for sc
old people, although Mr.. Whitman Is sc
deaf az to be unable to converse excep
by the aid of slate. He can talk ant
the other person writes his reply ant
hands 1t to him to read. There is some
thing that savors of novelty in the dat
of the births of these old people ant
may perhaps be worth giving away
Mr.. whitman was born July 81, 1923
and his wife Lucy on the 4th of July
1929, and II there are those who care t.
keep their ages in mind they have onl!
to remember these figures.