The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-08-24
A Checkered Biography.
u,,s Nerriman's Sea-Fariag Life and
the Nierriman Pioneers.


' e. 4. Weber in the Richmond Bee.
y father, Isaac Merriman, who, with
D brothers, David and Walter, came
70 70, Harpswell to Richmond when it
o o.gisted of Whites Landing, a rich
. .', of undulated forest, and scattered
1Te9bins. was one of the pioneer settlers
Z sea captain as well. David and
ia. ~ cleared a spot of land, and built
90 . two-story house that is now owned
K Thomas Merriman. On either side
!, an ell, one of which each occupied,
~ presumably the house part was
n in common. The lumber felled to
T \. way for these buildings was nearly
'f2c,ent to build them, and the barn
, o the gully from the house was built
.rlely Of the lumber that grew on the
,,, where it stands. Isaac's preference,
,g,.y4r was for the sea, and while
.ri5 stayed at home and cared for the
rss. he went on long voyages. Capt.
au! shaw of the Reed neighborhood,
..tIries went with him.
H. Ir,s a1 wonder that his son Tom early
RE turned toward the sea. No doubt
r4uraI love for it was whetted and
,.rgth-ned by breezy sea tales eagerly
ark IT. on long winter evenings when
I fstHer entertained them around the
,r..y bsarthstone, and longing kindled
..fi1 ann that ended in definite resolve.
H he was thirteen years old, he worked
. farm and went to country schools,
II AS many a New England country lad
=. 1ons. The first man he worked for
~. low Curtis, and he had thirteen dol
If, month for two months.
'T7en. at sixteen, came his first sea
,rsge. He went to the island of Cuba,
,:ppag at Havana, Matanzas and Car
srs. and year later shipped in Bath
an the Oliver Moses, and went to New
r-aas. The next ship he sailed in was
T. Buaeo, and it took him to Cronstadt,
Tssta From that place they came to
Tlpaburg, Sweden, loaded with iron,
NJ went 10 Boston.
-re7 came visit home, a delightful
ri. We can imagine. as home visits al
5srs are; but it lasted only month.
ee sane snip Borneo came to Richmond
In repairs, and Tom Merriman sailed
gs, rom home in her again.
.fEN Hcill " MODliS Will cargo VI
.r and there took in load of cotton,
ri sailed across the Atlantic ocean,
.ro..-s the Mediterranean sea, and up
r- straits to Trieste, Austria. Many of
sr.a.t have given something to have
,9s chat voyage. Passing through the
;.sit Of 0tranto at the foot of Italy,
3av uttered the Adriatic sea, sailing the
T,5t ength of that sunny Italian coast
4a. mas been so renowned in story and
@g On the opposite shore of the sea
4. grsey, Montenegro and Austria.
Al Trieste they loaded with marble and
az, and turned the vessel homeward
.s sading at New York. Then there
NJ chance for another visit home.
q. >ted a year.
E.s. be shipped in the Columbus, went
=. Kew Orleans and from there to Liver
v. where they loaded with emigrants
-.- undred Irishmen-and came to
.g Merriman going as second mate.
[e armed to Liverpool with a cargo
) a1uer, and loaded there with salt for
A.s.u &c, Ga, taking cotton back to
IT, hey came to New Orleans, bal
H the sea phrase has it, which
-.a 7o load at all, and took a second
IA. O.. -ltton to Liverpool. From Liver
la Hosron they came with railroad
|. Irea Mr.. Merriman left this ship,
IT, af IN the ship Tranquebar to
@ rance. Probably this was the
built by John Howard near Har
road or crossing in 1853. The
s1sH If the late Susan T. Goodwin
BIT captain. David W. Toothaker,
pur respected and aged citizens,
pc make her cabins, and put them
irished the captain S room. About
2.a after Mr.. Merriman left this
zt vent to the bottom with all on
second Tranquebar was built in the
mites by Howard and Theobald
H. @harf next to Bradslreet's saw
David Toothaker did the finish
0a a4oughout. They built four ships
.- sr he did the joiner work on all.
uuar went in this new Tranquebar
nnq mate, Thatcher Howard as
4 a- oat Merriman only went as far
L AeV Iork. The strife of the Civil
ar aas on and he came back in '62 to
lslIa the oath Maine Regiment.
i a- July before, he married Carrie D.
sn-s # Richmond. He was in the war
var The next ship he went in was
y Jamestown, Capt. Call. He went
H. Philadelphia to Iquique on the coast
4 isrl then to Antwerp, Belgium, and
ION thefe to New York, ballast.
Il .1fn he took another ship, the Kate
sgeaport of Bath, Capt. Otis, and went
Il New Orleans, thence to Liverpool,
A. from there to New York with rail-
H. ron, He was mate of these YES
4 On the Belle of Oregon, Portland, Ore
he shipped as first mate. Captain
lar'nan of Topsham, cousin of his,
j q captain. They went from Wiscasset
4 liverpool with lumber, and there took
4 @a for Hongkong, China At Hong
H. they loaded three hundred China
and took them to San Francisco.
Il they went to the South Pacific and
load of guano for Antwerp, Bel
10, thence to Cardiff, Wales, and took
9ad Of coal to Hongkong China, then
A to Portland, ballast.
hey stayed here five months, Their
"a st to Havre, France, with load OF
59at, discharged that, and came to Car
81 Wales. At Cardiff, first mate Mer-
@an got dismissed and came home.
al ended the twenty-four years of his
Staring life.
RI HAT was twenty-five years ago.
8 u Mr.. Merriman, Il haven't seen the
snce then, and l don't want to."
Z last October he was seventy three
Z ms old His wife died in 1875, ant
3 E.y before that he lost little son O
Ta One daughter remains, the wifi
81 colbert Stewart. Perhaps Mr. Merri
= Italian voyage was the most in
s astrg Of all. 1t took him through tn.
IN Of Gibraltar, past the historic rocl