Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-29
Maine Gossip
Fiinis.

Houston Post.


The Portland Iron and Steel Com
pany, which has conducted a rolling
mill at South Portland for many years,
is now adding a furnace to it's equip
ment and will soon be manufacturing
steel by the open hearth process. The
furnace has a capacity of 81 tons so
that 100 tons Of steel can he produced
each day.
Mrs. John Frost of Calais has a
violin which is reputed to have once
been the property of an English noble
man. For the last 90 years it has
been the property of DR.. Morrison of
Halifax. n. s., and only lately was
given to Mrs Frost
Bath boys have become interested in
wireless telegraphy and there are sew
eral stations in that city, built and
owned by amateurs.
Harry Fl. Mitchell, who was a ia
miliar figure around the Union station
at Portland for number of years,
was once a slave. At the age of % he
escaped from his owner on Florida
plantation and made his way north
ward to the Union lines at Raleigh, N.
&. He now drives the wagon which
carries the United States mails from
station to station in Portland
II. G. Brown and Mrs. S. w. Durham
of West Paris We're both so years of
age on Dec. 20, so Mr.. and Mrs. Brown
and Mr. and Mrs. Durham celebrated
together with a dinner which Mrs
Durham prepared. Mrs. Ezra Ridlon
of the same town was so years of age
on the same day, but illness prevented
her from joining the unique gathering
West Bath boy, Walter T. Brown
has attached a cream separator and
churn to his fathers gasolene engine
and has invented butter press which
does the work much more quickly and
easily than by the old hand method
Capt. $. c. +. Smith of South
Presque Isle. who recently returned to
that town from Portland. where he
moved after living in Mapleton, has
been showing remarkable physical
ability and endurance at II years of
age, by cutting ten solid cords of Sec
ond growth of hard wood and has it
nearly stacked up at his door. 1t is
MS purpose to get it into convenient
lengths by use of bucksaw and the
captain does it Just for exercise"
Horace j. Langdon of Sanford who
is IS years of age tells of an interest
ing experience he had when boy at
sea. He states that shark had fol-
lowed the vessel several days and that
all efforts to make the fish give up the
pursuit failed The captain ordered a
cannon ball heated red hot. 1t was
then dropped overheard and landed in
the mouth OF the shark. The creature
sank like lead and when it came to
the surface again it was dead-and a
mole was seen where the ball had
burned it's way through the under part
of the body.
Inc congregational Society of Free
port recently celebrated it's 10th ami
Nersary. Tie First Parish Congrega-
tional Church was organized Dec. q
1883, the same year that George WASH
ington took the oath of office as Presi-
dent, and 81 years before Maine became
a state. The first meetings were held
| in meeting house located on the Var
| mouth ROAD, near where the residence
OF Hon. r. B. Mallet is now located.
1T is understood that this meeting
| house was undenominational. and was
| used for general worship. In 1918 the
| first meeting house was built, and lust
| as 1t was about finished the building
| caught ire and burned to the ground.
The members CT the society We're not
| discouraged, however, and at once set
cut TO Dulld again and on February 25,
| 1872 the new church was dedicated
The church was located on the lot next
to the mouse now known as the Cod
man Tavern, where the papers We're
| signed when Maine was set off from
massachusetts, in 1920. The church was
rebuilt, with interior changes, and re-
dedicated in 1857, and was burned in
the great fire of April a. 1894. The Pres
ent church was built and dedicated the
following year.
Brewer reports the finding of May.
flower blossoms Christmas day. 1t
might be well to postpone shedding
winter fannels, however.
Recently wallet containing a
memorandum of prices in 1868. was
shown at meeting of the Bowdoin-
ham Colonial Club. In 1863 an axe
handle cost s.25; e quart of kerosene
cost $50; half pound of tea cost
s.4S; pair of buclsskin mittens, $15s
a barrel of flour 1890; pound q
mackerei, $40; q bushel of apples, ~
Ito 81. 90. -. VI, -.