Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-30
THOROUGH JOB.
Re-indexing OIdRecords
Of Probate Court.
Access 10 The Early Records
Is Made Much Easier.
Present Card System Takes Care OF
All Cases Since sos.

1 sums Oli AOi SOHlc liilt 4lluei ttAe VI
rection of Register of probate Ralph
| w. Leighton, is a mueh greater un-
dertaking than any one not familiar
with the work would imagine, and a
brief statement of what has been done
cannot fail to be of interest TO resi-
| dents of this county, especially those
who desire access to the probate rec
| ords from time to time.
First of all the old file, covering
| the records of the court from its es-
| tablishment in 1899 to 1865, which had
reposed for long time in the vault
| in the basement where it was both
difficult of access and improperly ar
| ranged, was brought UP stairs. Both
| the cid file and the index were gone
| over thoroughly, a new index made
and the file completed.
The index is an entirely new one,
not a revision, and has been made di-
rectly from the files. This work re-
quired a large amount OF time and
| labor as it necessitated going entire
ly over the old papers and completing
the vowelizing of the index. In doing
this work, the old index was first
copied and then compared with the
files. This necessitated the correction
of the vowelizing, as in many cases
| in the old index names were simply
grouped under the same letter, where
one was as likely to find the name OF
Small after that of Southwerth and
Smith before Savage. as to find the
names grouped in their proper order
Then a complete copy of the index
as revised was made. That book
which has lately been completed,
probably contains 5000 names.
Work has already begun upon what
is called the second file, covering the
period from 1866 to 1908. The name
index to this file is contained in three
volumes, the first covering the period
from 1865 TO 1877, the second from 1877
to 1893 and the third from 1888 TO
1908. This index and the files will be
gone over in the same way, making
a revision of everything and what is
now contained in three volumes Will
be included in one, which will make
it much handler for reference. This
index win contain between 1000 and
1900 names.
In this file already many cases OF
double or triple filing have been
found For instance. a guardian was
appointed for a certain person whose
name is included in the record, in
1865. this guardian died in 1870 and
another one was appointed, and new
record was made of this appointment
finally the ward died in 1885, causing
| a third record to be made covering the
will and settlement of the estate. The
proper vowelizing of the index at once
| took care of that for the three occur
| rences of the name were thus brought
| together.
The work on the new file-has pro-
ceeded as. far as the letter F and viii
| probably be completed sometime next
year. This work of revision of the
records is in line with what has been.
taking place in the county for the
past few years in accordance with
provisions made by the county COM
| missioners. The registry of deeds was
first brought up TO date by a thorough
| system of indexing and two years ago
special appropriation was made for
| the clerk of courts office and when the
job of revising the records In that Of
| flee was completed an appropriation
was made for the work which is now
in progress in the probate Office.
| It was found necessary to make an
addition to the general index as the
| files were gone over, for under the old
system of filing and doketing no pro-
| vision was made for filing adoptions
and change of names, so a special card
| index has been made of all adoptions
| and changes of names for period OF
so wears from 1858 to 1903.
The old system of fling and index
ing was changed, beginning Jan. /.
1908, and the system adopted of using
a new filing by number, each case
having its file and docket number,
which are identical. The system now
in use is the same as that which OBJ
tains in Suffolk county, Mass, and in
| several counties of Maine. Everything
that may come up is taken care ol
under this system, while under the
old system the papers We're filed al
phabetieally and several dockets Were
Eused, one for administrations anf
| wills, another for guardians, anc
others for other classes of cases, now
general docket is used fora every
/, thing.
Before the work upon the old file'
is completed a complete index ant
. complete new filing must be made fol
ali of the old insolvency papers. which
: date from the time when the probate
court first acted as a court of lnsol
yency to the passage of the Nationa
bankruptcy act in 1893.
The card file for the adoption ant
change of names. which has alread,
been mentioned, is indexed beth ways
, , so that II the name of the ward L
| known and not the guardian the record
? can he found just as easily, and tn
: same holds true in regard to the orig
inal and the changed names.
All cases that have been indexe'
since 1903 take care of themselves il
a general card index to what is calle'
: the general docket and to the mum
8 bered files This card index is per
: petually vowelized and perpetually u
. to date, thus doing away with an,
! further necessity of work of revision
OF indexes and files, such as IS Il
progress at the present time.