Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-01-03

The Late James L. Saunders, OF
Bluehiif, Held That Title.


A few weeks ago the press wires OF
Maine carried dispatch announcing the
death Of James l.. Saunders. OF Blnchili,
at the age Of nearly eighty years, as the
result Of an accident. A few days later
another paragraph in the Maine papers
set forth that at one time MIR. Saunders
was the champion ox-teamster OF Han
cock county. Tits last was true, but it
didn't 90 quite far enough.
In his day Mr.. saunders was the great
est handler Of ox-teams in Maine. He
could pat longer string Of steers through
thcir PAGES than any man who was then
in the business. That be vas entitled to
that honor at the time Of bis death, ts
not Questioned. for the USE Of cattle IS
draft animals Is bet littie at this time,
though u Is coming more and more into
vogue zach year.
In the days when Jiu saunders, as
everyone called him, made his reputation,
the on was the thing. In those times farm
ers depended upon their yoke OF oxen TO
break up the land, haul the cordwood,
get the hay and do all the other hard pull
ling work OF the farm. The horse was
little used, other than Tor driving par
poses.
Mr.. Saunders began teaming oxen when
be was yOangster. He yokee ap "a pair
OF small calves which his father owned
and learned TO drive them. From the
start be showed an aptitude Tor the work.
As he grew older be Vas entrusted With
the handling Of the tuil-grown steers In
the work upon the farm. He soon estae-
lisbed q reputation e. = driver. Then he
sent into the lumber woods Of q winter IS
a teamster, and at wages which no other
driver could command. He was worth all
they paid him. His team brought in more
logs, day for day, than any other in the
crew. Old men, who kne~ OF his work,
have said that he did with his team bali
again a. much as any other team.
"why," said one OF bis old friends, tell
ing the writer about saunders some years
ago, "Jim could take the serawniest.
meanest pair O. steers as ever grew ~ on a
Maine farm, and out-haul the best pair
ever owned in the State II they were
teamed by the average OK driver"
1t is believed that MIR. saunders was one
of the first, IL not the very first, to discover
that it was possible to transplant pond
lilies. Between his house and the main
road, between Bucksrort and Bluehill viii
iage, was a small pond. II wasn't much
more than q quarter OF an acre in area.
One day Saunders was atone OF the nearby
ponds which was weli-filled with lilies.
Without any previous knowledge, he de-
cided to try transplanting them. He did
so. When he got home he put the lily
pads and roots into the little pond and left
them. No one supposed they would
thrive, but they did, and the last time the
writer passed there, Mr.. Saunders had q
fine crop of the beautiful aquatic flowers.
But there was one ambition which he did
not live to see satisfied. That was the
development OF gold mine on his farm.
This ambition, first possessed him back in
the early eighties of the last century. II
was when the mining craze swept over
Maine. At that time the copper mines OF
Biuehill were opened up. II was great
boom. With many others, Mr.. Saunders
started prospecting. He devoted his
labors to his own farm. tie opened upa
ledge. Tests made showed gold bearing
quartz.
Soon after this the bottom fell out Of the
mining boom. 1t was impossible to in
terest capital in mines. He could do moth
ing with his. He chung to the theory and
the belief that there was gold there and
that some day it would be developed into
a paying proposition. He was never tired
of telling OF his experiences with the mine
experts in the days of the boom. He
would show his friends who came to see
him in the shaft which he had blown out
on the hill side, but which for years had
been filled with water.
III may never live to see it, but believe
there's gold there, and some day 1t will b.
worked to advantage" he would say.