Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-04-06

Father Fishers for an earlier one. and
who can calculate the influences for good
that have come down through the years to
Us from the lives OF those two old-time
| clergymen.
In one respect Ellsworth is now far and
away ahead Of Bluehill, in its wells sup
ported and energetically carried on VII
lage improvement society. am told that
since its Inauguration the beautiful city
fairly shines with neatness and order.
Now, Bluehill homes and the grounds sur
rounding them are almost without an ex-
ceptiop kept in an irreproachable state. /
remember the last time that was in nv
native town, stopping often to admire the
grassy. terraces and closely cropped lawns
that surround the town hall; they were
beautiful, a credit alike to the janitor and
to the town.
But directly across the street, the vacant
lot between the old Fisk mansion (called
now, believe, the Exchange) and the
house above, was bowling wilderness Of
tangled weeds and vigorous growth Of
burdocks; 1t seemed to be q hospital for
all the superannuated and dilapitated
vehicles that conld be mustered, and a
convenient dumping-p place for refuse.
And this in the very heart of the village.
Who is responsible for the abatement Of
such abuses! Is it q case Of what is every
body's business is nobody's? It seems as
II the summer residents who pay 80 large
| proportion OF the town taxes should be
| considered in matters like this, and q
| small part, at least, Of their money, be ex-
pended in removing such denominations.
How many Of my friends present this
| evening remember the first steamboat
that made her appearance in our waters?
Should Uncle Sans entire white squadron
| drop anchor between Long Island and the
Neck some bright morning, it would not
create half the sensation that did the
the arrival OF the little side-wheeler T. F.
Secor, in those primitive days.
| There was no wharf for her accommoda-
tion, and rather than brave the unknown
dangers Of the "Narrows" and the
middle" ground", her complement of
passengers and freight was delivered in
boats of the "Harding Shore. Every
mothers son and daughter among the
| children were on hand to assist that
never-to- be- forgotten morning, you may
be sure. What mattered it that we had
footed it all the way from the village; a
few miles more or less, was as nothing to
us. / recollect that my running mate on
this gala occasion was the present digni-
fled designer OF the Boston court house,
| and he got over the ground with more
celebrity because he was not hampered by
and stockings.
In those long-ago times there was not a
fruit-store or stall at every street corner.
Occasionally some vessel returning from
the West Indies would bring, among her
miscellaneous cargo, sundry mysterious
looking earthern jars containing pre-
served tamarinds, and also few cases Of
very small and very sour oranges, and l
have vived recollections of the oriental
looking box's Of guiana jelly. Bananas
were unheard Of.
The apple orchards of the town, being
with one exception that of long-suffer-
ing Uncle George Stevens--very young,
hardly come to a bearing state, one did
not, so far as the fruit question was con-
cerned, measure up to the privileges of the
present-day child. However, this I'M
fortunate state had an occasional mitiga-
ton when a trader took us by storm. AS
l remember them, they were a kind Of
floating junk-shop which brought to us
children the most wonderful things, ''as
they sailed, as they sailed" and their an
nual arrival at the town wharf was an
epoch in the the lives OF every one Of us.
Such oranges and Boston apples; such figs,
dates and nuts; candies, the like Of which
Huyler never dreamed Of - old fashioned
sticks most gorgeously striped; ''goose-
berries" and "Gibralters" and funny little
red and white peppermint hearts, and
strangest of all, these delectable delicacies
were delivered to US ''without money and
| without price" so far as the ''coin of the
realm" was concerned; all that was asked
in return was specified weight in old
| iron and 'ssich".
We began as soon as the vessel passed
through the 'snarrows' on her out bound
passage to save up for the next year, and
our wealth among our compeers was
estimated by the size OF our pile of junk.
Small wonder that fathers and mothers
hunted long and fruitlessly for the miss
| ing household hardware long after the
sstrader" sailed away.
| The 'little bay" is full Of rocks and
shoals A friend OF mine says OF it: THAT
is a deceitful little bay, just like some
people-all fair and smiling, and planning
| to trip you up or run you aground at any
minute" There is great danger, unless
one keeps a steady head and hand, Of run
ming, in local parlance, 'right slap bang
onto the triangles"; many the expedition
that has come to grief on the triangles or
the half-tide ledge.
One of my earliest recollections is of
trottipg down street, tight hold OF