Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-01-13

muno ana DeOOfah (CuShmAn) sylvester,
came there from Marshfield, Mass. Their
home was log cabin, one OF the first dwell
lings on the island. They had eight chill
dren-six sons and two daughters. The
sons were Crowell, Joseph, Abial, Ed
mund, Avery, and one who died in infancy
the daughters were Ruth, wife OF Capt
William Rynes, and Salome.
"Aunt Salome," as she had been known
ever since the present generation can re-
member, was the only survivor OF the fam
+! lily. She married Joseph Sellers on Dec %,
1880. They mad six children William R.,
Lydia L., Avery F., Mial C., Albert and
Charles. OF these William is the only
survivor.
"Aunt Salome" was a most remarkable
woman, retaining her senses perfectly,
and conversing in the most interesting
manner with friends who called to see her
up to within the last few months OF her
, life.
She remembered the episode OF the pri-
yateer fight at Smali's cove, and used to
give vivid descriptions of il. She also
used to tell Of anothar privateer whose
crew was in search OF smuggied goods
She remembered that it was early on a
Sunday morning when some Of the pri-
vateer's crew came to her fathers for a
pilot to take them to Isle au Haul, and her
father and brother went with them They
found lot of -four and took possession of
it. Smuggling goods to the British was
quite common in those DAYS.
She was one of the first members of the
Martha Washington society at Sunset, the
oldest temperance organization in Maine,
which is still in active existence.
Among ''Aunt Salome's" most cherished
possessions was pair of brass CANDLE
sticks which she bought with her "surplus
money" distributed in Jackson's time.
She said some wanted to lay their money
out in finery, but she told them she was
going to have something to keep to re-
member it by. She also kept her sn uffer
tray and the fax wheel ON which she used
to spin the very incest of yarn and the
worsted combs.
Aunt Salome's days even up to- the last
year or two of her life, were never idle.
She emitted and sewed busiIy, and the
amount OF work she turned out was re-
markable. She made the old fashioned
''peg mittens',, the making OF which is
now almost a lost art. She also made
patchwork quilts, for which she found a
ready sale among the summer people,
many of whom were frequent callers on
the old Lady, and who bought pieces OF
her handiwork as curiosities.
The portrait printed herewith is from a
photograph taken by THE AMERICAN re-
porter when ''Aunt Salome" was 1O2 years
old. Mrs. Sellers, by her own sugges-
ton, walked from her own room to the
dining-room adjoining, where there was
better light. The photograph itself tells
the remarkable vitality OF this old lady at
that time. A ten-second exposure was
necessary in taking the photograph. yet
there is not wayer OF a line in the pic
ture caused by movement. Mrs. Sellers
attributed her long life and good health
to her abstemious habits. She said people
nowadays ate the wrong kind of food
when THE AMERICAN reporter took
leave of her at this visit, he said he hoped
TO come to see her again next year. Aunt
Salome said she did not dare look so far
ahead as that, but that she supposed the
Lord had some reason for keeping her
here; that there must be some work vet for
her to do, but when her time came she
was ready to go''.