The Republican journal., 1910-05-26
William FarrCN's Autobiography.
Was Born in Islesboro. Has no Settled
Religion and Thinks Life is Failure.
Fears a National Crisis is Coming. His
Travels and Obs ervations.

Travels and Obs ervations.
From the Rockland Courier Gazette
1t has been The Courier Gazette s
pleasure during the past six months to
publish a series of biographical sketches
which have treated some of the more in
teresting incidents in the lives of certain
we'll known residents OF Knox county.
This time We offer a novelty in the form
Of a quaint autobiography written by
Capt. William Farrow, well known
Rockland sail maker and resident of Ma
sonic street. The editor has taken little
liberty with his manuscript, believing
that his friends and the public at large
will thoroughly appreciate the plctur-
esque and blunt manner with which he
has traced the most interesting events
of his career and set forth his views on
certain subjects. If his ideas as thus
promulgated seem little radical, and
shock some OF our readers thereby, they
should remember that the author has a
keen sense of humor and some of his
statements should not be taken with too
much seriousness. This foreword would
not be complete without stating that Mr..
Farrow and his excellent companion are
among our most highly respected clti-
zens, whose friends will all wish them
more happy years in the journey toward
life's sunset Read now the story of
Mr.. Farrow as penned by his own hand
The writer, William Farrow, was born
in Islesboro, county Of Waldo, State of
Maine, October Is, 1926. My parents
We're William and Charity (Coombs)
Farrow, natives of Islesboro.
| recall when | was six years old of
asking my father what Christmas meant,
and he told me all about it. Seventy
eight years have passed since then, but
have never forgotten the incident.
We lived at lslesboro till | was eight.
My father then moved to Belfast, across
the bay, and lived there till he died in
1870, aged 79 years and months.
Most everyone | saw went to sea for a
living, and took my first voyage at IL,
my father being captain of good styled
coaster of the times-a topsail schooner.
He was chartered to 60 to Port of Spain,
Trinidad, and took me with him. The
hold was nearly full of fresh water for
the 81 horses which we had on the main
deck. We were 81 days on the passage,
and to see the sun rise out of the water
for 80 days in succession was quite a
sight for a youngster of IL. We got
there all right, discharged and came
home in ballast, with perhaps 80, 900 or
10000 oranges and cocoanuts. We had
fine run across the caribbean sea, and
pointed north under snug rig, maintop-
mast and Observation-Disclosures lashed on
the deck.
Sailing along one day when there was
very little wind, someone noticed large
shark with his pilot fish following the
vessel under the quarter. One Of the
sailors got some beef and fed him a
little, then tied piece of beef on a
string and tolled him up alongside. Then
they took a good sized rope and tied a
bowlin and blight in it and coaxed the
shark straight into it. When they haul
ed him in on thebight and caught theman-
eater it was dreadful hard work getting
it on deck. 1t must have been 10 feet
long. They cut him in pieces and took
out the backbone for cane, and | saw it
years afterward about our home. The
pilot fish quickly disappeared. l saw
lots of flying fish, and ate some. was
about like the old woman who said she
believed there were mountains of sugar
and rivers of rum, but to believe that
fish ever flew she did not Yet in the
night time some would strike the sails in
flying over the vessel and drop on deck,
where the sailors would find them in the
morning.
We worked north, and in the vicinity
of Hatteras had dreadful gale of wind.
While we were laying-to several seas
broke over the vessel and one of them
took a sailor overheard We never saw
him again. His name was Matthew Kel-
ley and he belonged in St. George, Me.
He was nice fellow, and losing him put
quietus on us during the rest of the
voyage. At last we made port at.New-
port, R. l. think it was January. They
hauled the vessel up there and 1 came
home by packet from Boston. Thus
ended my first voyage.