Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-21
Memorial Drinking Fountains.

memorial Drinking FOUNTAINS.
| 1t is a gratifying announcement that
| the heirs of the late Orville D. Baker
are to erect in Market square a memo
rial drinking fountain in memory OF
Mr.. Baker and his father. the late Jo-
! intention to erect such a memorial on
that spot to his father and permission
had reen secured of the city govern
| ment for its erection. Death came,
however, before he had carried his
plans to completion and it is the fitting
thing that his heirs should carry out
his wishes in this respect and also emil
nently proper that the fountain should
be memorial to Mr. Baker himself as
we'll as tc his father. Such fountain
in the center of the city's busiest sec
ton will not only be an ornament to
the square and a thing of such use
fulness that it's presence will be daily
blessing to man and beast, but it will
two of Augustus most honored citi-
zers, men who stood for many years in
the front rank of it's professional life
ami whose fame extended far beyond
the borders of their native state.
Such memorial drinking fountains
may well be priced by a city and there
is no danger that it will have too many
OF them Augusta already has one,
that at the corner of the Cony High
school grounds at the top of Cony hill.
This was erected in 1897 by the late
Joseph II. Manley in accordance with
Manley, as a memorial to her brother,
Daniel A. Cony. Some have assumed,
without taking the trouble to inquire
into the facts, that the fountain was a
memorial to Hon. Daniel Cony. one of
the leading men in the early history of
Augusta and whose name is perpetual
ed ry the Cony High school which is
the successor of the COny Female
Academy which he founded. Hon. Dan
lei Cony Was q veteran of the Revolu-
ton and was member of the medical
profession which he practiced for half a
century in this city He represented
the town of Hallowell and later the
town of Augusta, after the division, in
o,,I
was a leader in the division movement
In fact. it was at his suggestion that
Augusta was given the name it has
since borne. He was a judge of the
Court of Common Pleas and judge Of
probate for Kenncbec county. He died
in 1912 at the age of 80, leaving several
married daughters but no sons.
The Daniel A. Cony in whose mem
DRY the beautiful and substantial foun
tain at the top of Cony hill was erected,
was of another branch and of Il young
err generation OF this same family
which has been SO prominent in Au
gusta history. He was the son of Gov
ernor Samuel Cony and for q great
many years was leading merchant of
the city, his store standing on the cor
ner which this fountain faces.
1t would be splendid thing for Au-
gusta if such memorials as these were
to be erected in various parts of our
city. The neighboring town of Win
throp is especially favored in this re-
spcct and on all the principal roads of
that town are substantial watering
troughs of stone, in memory of the late
DR.. Fillebrown. AS a cOrnty doctor he
mad div over those roads hundreds
of times, and when he died he made
provision in his will for many such
drinking places. SO that his memory
was perpetuated and many thousands
of travellers and their horses have
proiitej from his thoughtfulncss.