The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-07-21
Tenants Harbor Days.

Tenants Harbor Days.
["Boze' in the Rockland Courier-Gazette.]
"The Golden Rule, the Golden Rule,
o that's the ship for me-"
My first ocean voyage was made in the
good schooner Golden Rule, of which my
Uncle Charles was master. Like my last
voyage it was from the Harbor to Calais,
but it was as a passenger and not as an
article man. The history of St. George
does not state that the above-named
schooner was built in our town, so pre-
sumably she was bought elsewhere.
l fancy that quite fair percentage of
our famous captains made their debut in
the Golden Rule as master. My recollec-
ton of that voyage is trifle indistinct,
as it was nearly 40 years ago. My aunt
was with us and as she was going further
east l accompanied her. We returned,
however, from Calais to the Harbor on
the schooner. l do remember of our
being at anchor in Quoddy Head on our
return voyage.
The old Volta, Capt. Haskell, lay near
us. Ellis Haskell came on board of us
to visit my brother, who was fore-the-
mast. The revenue cutter paid US a
friendly call, on the lookout for snug
gled articles, and l distinctly remember
Of the matches which we obtained at st.
Stephens, N. B., being put in the stove
oven. "Children and fools speak tbe
truth" and it is risky to let child see
anything like that done, as one OF our
Harbor captains had reason to know
once He had just arrived at New York
from the West Indies, so when the GUS
toms officers came on board, the captain
gave him some good cigars, out of box
that was open on the cabin table.
''Have you any more cigars on board
captain?' asked the officer.
mo, sir" replied the captain
ooh yes you have, papa said his lit
tie boy, who stood beside him, "you' We
got whole lot down aft.
The captain had about ten thousand
! cigars slowed away and it cost him
nice little sum to square that matter
with Uncle Sam.
One time when my uncle came from
Calais he had some articles for home
consumption, so he brought them up the
creek one night in the boat 1t was
flood tide, so they took the articles out
on the shore and then carried what they
could up to the house. leaving the bal
ance on the shore until their return. The
tide came in more rapidly than they an
ticipated and case of Old Tom gin float
ed away and at the last account had not
been reported as arriving anywhere.
To look at the creek now one would
not think that frequently two or three
vessels would be unloading lumber there
at the same time. | can remember my
mother taking me out in the shipyard in
her arms the night that the barn burn
ed and Dr. Codman's horse was burned
with it.
The schooner that was on the stocks at
that time was the R. F. Hart. 1t was
the last vessel built by Capt. John Bick-
more; the year was 1869. The record
gives it that he built the following YES
sells, viz:
Brig J. Bickmore, 1868; bark Leoni-
dus, 1866; brig George Gilchrest, 1865;
brig VIM. H. Bickmore, 1868; schooners
Four Sisters, 1864; John L. Tracey, 1867;
S. S. Bickmore, 1867; R. F. Hart, 1869
After that the scene shifted and the
Harbor became the seat of active ship
building, beginning with the Annie Jones.
built by John E. Daley, 1871. Alas, how
are the mighty fallen! The creek and
the harbor resound no more to the sound
of the axe, hammer or caulking mallet;
the grass is growing now where once the
ships keel was laid down. The two
blacksmith shops where once the anvils
rang, are gone, the sail-lofts deserted,
and the harbor is given over to the motor
boat and the summer visitor.
Even yet in my dreams | see the schoon-
ers building and the men going to and
from their work. Holly Bean and Whit
ney Long are around the vessels looking
after the work. Uncle Thomas Sweet
land is looking after the boring, John
Ahlquist is doing the adze work, Joe
Studley and dad the caulking, and P. P.
Robinson the blacksmith work-and so
on through the list.
Covering many rood of ground,
Lay the timber piled around;
Timber of chestnut and elm and oak,
And scattered here and there, with these
The knarred and crooked cedar knees;
Brought from regions far away
From Pascagoala's sunny bay,
And the banks of the roaring Roanokep'