Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-02-27
Maine News Notes.

Irving to catch on TO steam log
hauler while il was in motion Charles
Chambers. age about IA, and the son OF
Richard Chambers, slipped and was
crushed TO death at Island Falls on the
18th. When he slipped the boy fell in
front of the driving wheels and the
heavy steel legs caught him and drew
him under, tearing his arms from his
body.
A decision has been rendered in the
damage suit against the Canadian Pacific
Railroad Co., in favor OF the plaintiffs,
and they were awarded damages amount
ing to s13S,5O0. The suit was brought
in the United States Court at Portland,
and was heard before Justices Clarence
Hale and A. r. Savage. The plaintiffs
were cumberland owners 10 Somerset
County. Louise II. Coburn ct al, was
awarded s75, 900 in one sum and $1,000 in
another; Great Northern Paper Co,
Sal 900; Bin Page, Skowbegan, $1,000;
John Y. and Charles Clark, $4,000; Brad
street Co., $1,000; A. Z. Moore, executor,
$1,000 The suit was brought to recover
damages for the loss of timber at Attean,
in 1908, by fire. The plaintiffs alleged
that it was caused by sparks from the
defendant company's engines. Hon.
Forrest Goodwin and A. K. Butler of
Skowhegan conducted the case for the
plaintiff and E. c. Ryder OF Bangor and
Hon. III. NJ. Heath OF Augusta appeared
for the defendant company, there being
associated with them in the interest of
the Moore claim, Bernard Gibbs of
Madison.
Norridgewock correspondence of the
Lewiston Journal carries a thrilling tale
of flames bsffled and landlords bias
phemous. No one can say that Norridge-
wOck's new fire company is amiss 10 its
duties, for without permission of the fire
company Teller can't even light his
pipe without having it put out instanter
Yesterday, the fire company turned out
for an alarm at the Norrdgewock Hotel,
and found one of the big chimneys burn
ing cut, fire was streaming out five or
six feet above the top and smoke was
pouring out of every seam; the company
got busy with hand extinguishers and
put the fire out, and all the while visions
of hot coffee and cigars mebbe, toated
through their minds "a complimentary
from Landlord Whiting for their valorOus
assistance. Now what do you think he
said? Everybody calls the landlord
"Crib," because he's a good fellow when
all is said and done. When Crib showed
up. his conversation to the jealous fire
company was something like this: g! -
? " you turning them
things into that chimney forl Il set
that chimney on fire purpose to burn
that SCOT out, it smoks so like that
anybody can't live in that kitchen, and
cow you've gone and put II out! J" 3
"(meaning all kinds of an opinion
OF the fire company In the meantime,
the fire company had nothing TO say,
feeling that Landlord Whiting in bis
righteous wrath was using all the words.
In the year 1911 not a single raft of
lumber came down the Penobscot River
10 Bangor, is the declaration of the Ban
gor News. Forty years ago, and down
to comparatively recent times, the river
above Bangor for ~ to Is miles was
lined with saw mills, many of them
operated by water power, and their
product, aggregating in good years from
100000, 900 to $50, 900, 900 feet of lumber
of all sorts and sizes was made up into
what were known as ''long RATS" and
sent in that form down the river in
charge of men skilled with the scull oar
and familiar with the navigation of
"white water" As late az 1880 the
long RATS from the up-river mills were
many and the docks along Washington
and Hancock Streets were filled with
lumber OF every kind, in process Of over
hauling and making into small RATS to
be sent to the waiting vessels 10 the har-
Dor, below Bangor bridge; from that
time on the up-river saw mills gradually
disappeared, either by fire, decay or
through the conversion of water power
to other uses. and the long RATS became
correspOndingly fewer, until in 1911,
with only four mills running between
Bangor and Milford, and al of them
shipping their product by rail the time
came that no one had ever expected
when not one raft came through the
sluices and the occupation of the daring
runner" was gone. The remarkable
circumstance noted does not indicate
the complete decay Of Bsngor's lumber
industry, however, but il Is significant of
the great changes that have taken place
in the business in the past 80 years.