The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-04-05
VOTERS HOLD OFFICE
Maine Town Where There Are No
Political Job Hunters.
Only Really Perfect Place for Patron
age In the COuntrv-EveHy
Voter In Perklns IL Pro-
vAAoA With = Berth.

Unique among all the towns Of the
state and nation Perkins, bearing the
honored name Of Col. 7. H. Perkins,
founder Of the deaf and dumb home at
South Boston, Mass, has an Office for
every voter, and on election day every
citizen suffragist draws some prize. 1t
may be a selectm berth or it may
be a job a. fence viewer, but there is
an official plum for everybody, and
thus this little republic of ~ souls and
16 voters has solved the eternal prob
lem of popular government, says the
Boston Evening Record.
The presidency may be thrown into
the house Of representatives. "a dis
gruntled senator may overturn the
Affairs of his state, but in Perkins
vocabulary there is no such word as
disappointed Office seeker. There Is
patronage for all. and it is the only
real land where milk and honey flow
in ceaseless streams into the very
mouths of the men who want a place.
Every Office holder is his own constit-
renely over calm seas to the harbor of
political content.
Aside from the fact that there are
only 16 voters in Perkins, with pop
ulation of r., the town has other at
fractions which combined with its po-
litical perfection make it veritable
beauty spot in the American common
wealth.
Perkins as town is confined within
ho oh - :~vc - i
on all sides by the waters of the Ken
nebec, whose channels on either side
are navigable to steamers of appreci-
able draught. About four miles long
and one mile in width, it lies like a
bower, its inhabitants at peace with
themselves, for every voter gets an
office, and at peace with the world be-
cause there is no discomfort to carry
abroad
This summer many Boston people
have visited the town. which is re ched
by an old-fashioned chain ferry across
the Kennebec channel. 1t was in Per-
xins that Miss DumaresQ, who became
the wife of Col. Perkins, of Perkins
deaf and dumb institute fame, was
born, and here she used to make a pill
grimage to her old home until recent
years. Many other old Boston fans,
lilies, from the Bowdoins to the
Holmeses. have family traditions
which cluster around the island town
History says that Aaron Burr met a
beautiful Indian girl with French
blood in her veins on one visit to Maine
and had by her a daughter, who was
the one soul on earth to be faithful
to him al the time Of his demise, whe n
the world knew him not. The town is
} rich in Indian legend and lore. and
some terrible tragedies have occurred
on its verdant slopes. Capt James
Whidden, of the Massachusetts militia
, and his family of 10. SO the story goe
were wiped out in a single night by
/ some OF the Norridgewock tribe ir
1880, those who were not tomahawked
being carried to a worse fate as cap
tives to Canada. The great sachen
Abhagadassett is said 20 have had hi.
wigwam on the island in years Of hi.
, power, and when Arnold made his trir
| up the Kennebec in his invasion of tn.
; northern country he rested for thu
night in the now prosaic town of Per
kins.
What has conduced to its presen
, ideal political state the residents know
, not. Whether out of the bloody an
nails of the past has come the brotherl,
!, love and perfect government of to
day no one will say. hut Perkins stand
before the world politically and social
, ~ the modern Garden of Eden.