Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-25
A PAGAN FOR MAINE.
Her Men Born Leaders and Her Lands
Productive and Cheap.
iNew York snn1

WE" ork SUM
To the Editor of The Sun-Sfr ,ot
ter about Maine farms which "a
Gently wrote to The Sun having hoon
co"ied by other papers and raised tna
question how such productive land ran
be bought so cheap. perhaps / ought to
add word of explanation. Maine is
preeminently State of pioneers, and
the pioneer spirit remains with her
people To this day. In proportion tn
population she has furnished moro
men who have been prominent in the
affairs of other states and foreign ma
ttons than any other state in the
Union.
In far Eastern country at the GER
emory of raising large capstonc to
the top of a public building the order
was given that if any one spoke dur
ing the ceremony he should be immc-
dlately arrested. Such is the story.
When the stone was within an inch of
its place the word came down that the
ropes were so Icing that the stone could
be raised no higher. WET the rome"
cried strange voice in the crowd. The
man was Immediately arrested, and as
the police were leading him away he
shouted: Tell the lubbers to wet the
rope and il will shrink il into its
place" The rope was wet and the i'm
mense stone quietly slid into position.
After the suspense of the multitude
was broken the cry went up, WHO is
he?' The man was Abe Dunton, a
common sailor from Linculnville. Me.
When Il French passenger steamer
took lire in the middle of the Mediter-
ranean and both the officers and pas
sengers lost their heads a voice as of
| one having authority rose above the
babel of sounds, and the frightened
passengers beheld powerfully built,
half dressed man, who soon brought
order out of chaos. 1t was old Cap
tain Phincas Pendlcton of Searsport.
Me, one of the finest shippers that
ever trod the deck Of an American
ship.
Maine for the last seventy years has
been giving the best of her manhood
to meet the demand for leaders in all
the other states and in all climes. Thus
it is that we have not the abundant
population that is to be found in many
of the other States. We have no ten
ant farmers in Maine. Everyone car
ries on his farm with the aid of hired
help. Farms that can be bought
about Thorndike are owned by people
well along in years who do not need
to do any more work, or the farms
are in the market to settle estates. Let
me note few instances that Will en-
phasize what has been said n man
from Aroostook county purchasedSsa
far in, rT6nrnlilSp FOR
$1,000 and made but small payment
down. He has paid for it and pur-t
chased another farm for the same
amount and has paid for part of that
too Another man three years ago
bought i farm OF 100 acres for $1,000
and has raised over $4,000 worth of
crops on it in the meantime. y farm
of soc acres recently sold for $4,000 is
producing $4,000 in crops year PC
sides the stock sold and has $1,000
worth Of wood and lumber on IT..
4 farm of $50 acres sold three years
ago for $25OO and has paid for itself
twice in that time. on one place the
owner raised over 5000 bushels OF po-
tatoes ut the cost of Is cents a busllel'
including his own labor and that or
his team and reckoning interest Tor
use of LAND at Sc an acre. This farm
of over 800 acres (thc buildings ana
tools could be replaced for A,00O) IS
now valued at moro than Slo,G0O. inc
owner keeps hut one hired man the
year round. and raises oyer $4,000 worth
of crops year.
In former years many of our best
Young mon used to go to the cities ana
to other states, but they are not DONG
50 now. having found that there are
as good opportunities here or better
than are to be found elsewhere. PROD
ahIv over one hundred men from 9TH
er states purchased farms in Maine
last year. There are very Few LOT
eigners in Maine, not that we object TO
a good class of immigrants, but we
hove arrived at our present state OF
advanced prosperity by our own I'M
assisted efforts.
G. T.. SMITH. b.
ThornGikc Nc, February 10.