The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-02-24
A PAGAN FOR MAINE.
Her Men Born Leaders and Her Lands
Productive and Cheap.

Her Men Born Leaders and Her Land,
Productive and Cheap.
To THE EDITOR OF THE N. Y. SUN: A
letter about Maine farms which / recent
" wrote to The Sun having been copied
py other papers and raised the question
now such productive land can be bought
SO cheap, perhaps ! ought to add word
OF explanation. Maine is preeminentlv
State of pioneers, and the nionear
spirit remains with her people to this
day.. In proportion to population she has
furnished more men who have been
prominent in the affairs of other States
and foreign nations than any other State
in the Union.
In Tar Eastern country at the Ger
emory of raising large capstone to the
top OF public building the order was
given that if any one spoke during the
ceremony he should be Immediately ar
rested. Such is the story. When the
stone was within an inch Of its place the
word came down that the ropes were so
long that the stone could be raised no
higher. ''Wet the rope" cried STRANGE
voice in The crowd. The man was imme-
diately arrested, and as the police were
leading him away he shouted: ''Tell the
lubbers to wet the rope and it will shrink
it into its place." The rope was wet
and the immense stone quietly slid into
position. After the suspense of the null
titude was broken the cry went up,
'tWho is he?" The man was Abe Dun
ton, common sailor from Lincolnville,
Me. When French passenger steamer
took fire in the middle of the Mediterra-
mean and both the officers and passengers
lost their heads voice as of one having.
authority rose above the babel of sounds.
and the frightened passengers beheld a
powerfully built, half dressed man, who
soon brought order out of chaos. 1t was
old Captain Phineas Pendleton of Sears
port, 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 chimes. Thus it
is that we have not the abundant popu-
lation that is to be found in many Of the
other States. We have no tenant farm
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
emphasize what has been said. A man
from Aroostook county purchased farm
IN Thorndlke two years ago for 1000
and made but small payment down. He
has paid for it and purchased another
farm for the same amount and has paid
for part of that too. Another man three
years ago bought farm of 100 acres for
81, 900 and has raised over So, 900 worth
of crops on it IN the meantime. A farm
of 800 acres recently sold for $4,000 is
producing $4,000 in crops besides the
stock sold and has $4,000 worth of wood
and lumber on it. A farm Of $50 acres
sold three years ago for 49, 500 and has
paid for itself twice in that time On
one place the owner raised over 5000
bushels of potatoes at the cost of 16
cents a bushel, including his own labor
and that of his team and reckoning in
terest for use Of land at Sc an acre. This
farm of over 500 acres (the buildings and
tools could be replaced for 81, OOO) is now
valued at more than $4,000. The owner
keeps but one hired man the year round
and raises over $4,000 worth of crops
year.
In former years many of our best
young men used to go to the cities and to
other States, but they are not doing so
now, having found that there are as good
opportunities here or better than are to
be found elsewhere. Probably over one
hundred men from other States purchas-
ed farms in Maine last year. There are
very few foreigners in Maine, not that
we object to good class of immigrants,
but we have arrived at our present state
of advanced prosperity by our own I'M
assisted efforts.
c. E. SMITH.
rTbor,1;I-o No E'oh,,,or, IN