Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-02-23
NEWBURY NECK.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF IN
TERESTING LOCALITY.
COMPARISON OF CONDITIONS THERE
FIFTY YEARS AGO, WITH TO-DAY
Written for The AMERICAN by arr Mudd.

FIFTY YEARS AGO, WITH TO-DAY
Written for THE AMERICAN by ar Mudd."]
Fifty years ago Newbury Neck con-
tanned thirty-four families from the
carrying place to the end. There was an
attendance of sixty or more pupils in the
same old school house that stands to-
day. The people largely followed the sea,
and a large number of Ellsworth vessels,
both coasting and sea-going, were COM
manded by men from this place.
The farms were carried on mostly by
the older men. Most Of them kept oxen;
some two yokes. They usually had two
well-fil barns and grain houses, and in
the fall they killed one or more hogs and
generally 'sbeef critter."
The winter school was taught in the
winter months for the benefit Of the
young men who followed the sea in sum
mer. The writer remembers attending
school one winter when boy. The school
was taught by 'sUncle Cal' Macomber, of
Ellsworth. Mr.. Macomber was peda-
Cog of the old school, who ruled with q
hick ory stick.
l remember well OF oeinR engaged IN
drawing bird on my slate, ana Gaining
the attention Of my seat-mate to it. Sud-
denly was taken by the collar and landed
in the aisle, given piece OF chalk
(they had no crayon tnen) ana sent 10
the black board with orders 70 reproduce
the bird for the edification OF the whole
scnooi. being an uncou.n, ossniui' iei'-
handed boy, ana oeing ophgeo 10 use my
right nano, the enor' Gan oe'ser W
imagined tnan described. l nave never
quite concluded wnetner tne oiro wouio
pass for turtle dove or an otner pro OF
Ioui require.
Inc old foiks largely MADE tneit own
clothing. well remember the last oncie
Jim" Young used 10 make ms snoes on.
1t resempieo one-hali OF an ox-yoke' ana
the shoes were not Things OF beauty when
nnlsned. Wnen suncie jim GOT oio ana
hao TO nave store snoes ne was very mucn
opposed 10 rignt ana ana ieit snoes, ana
being an ardent democrat, ne termed tnem
Jim and AUNT Deborah made good
living on the farm, which now Will not
support rabbit.
Among those who we're raised in this
place and attended school in the old red
schoolhouse, and in after years command
ed vessels, were George w. Coggins, Martin
V. b. Coggins, Daniel NJ. Curtis, Clifford
Curtis, David II. Curtis, Calvin Curtis,
Martin Curtis, Abijah Clark, Curtis Clark,
William Clark, Lyman Clark, Calvin c.
Clark, Ellis Young, Charles o. Young,
Edward Hopkins, George Young, Robert
F. Hopkins, c. B. Coggins, Levi Coggins,
7. E. Coggins, George Haskell, Holt Has
ksil.
Among those who went out from the
old red schoolhouse and became success
ful teachers were Cordelia Curtis, Octavia
Treworgy, Janice V. Treworgy, Mariana
Curtis, Eunice Curtis, Martha w. Coggins,
Ida Coggins and several others.
In those olden days Newbury was a
lively place. Let us look at it to-day.
Where there were thirty four families fifty
years ago, to-day there are but fourteen
houses occupied, and several Of those have
but one person in them. By courtesy Of
the voters Of the town there was 9 school
taught here the past year, but alas the
pupils have fallen of from sixty and more
to an average, think, of fraction over
six.
There are no followers OF the sea from
here. As fast as the young men grow up
they leave home for better fields, and as
the old people die their homes are closed
known as mo Mans cape, and II the
present rate OF depopulation continues, in
another decade 1t may well revert to the