Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-14
Poor Oil, Good Baggage Smashing.
Editor Kenebec Journal:


Through the medium of the Kennebec
Journal l desire to call TO the attention
of the present Legislature two urgent
needs OF the people of Maine.
The first is in regard to the poor quality
of the kerosene oil sold by the merchants.
II is something fearful TO contemplate.
There seems TO be but one grade sold and
that is of SO rotten a quality that one has
to strike a match sometimes to see if the
lamp is really burning
The farmer is the one who is hit the
hardest by this imposition of the Oil
Company. He cannot have gas or cleo
tricity as his city brother can. so much
be dependent upon the stuff sold at the
corner grocery as kerosene oil. One
would think the stuff came from the same
place the darby thought the gas did, A
company was boring for natural gas in
West Virginia and they worked the men
in relays, working day and night on the
last night, about midnight they struck
a heavy flow of gas, and just as it gushed
forth it took fre-by a stroke of lightning
believe-and the darkies fled in terror
One of the leaders ran to the home of the
boss of the job, who was in bed. and
wake up quick. we've bored clean through
into Hell,' IT wound seem to require
such a heat as came from that famous
place to get good light out of the stuff
we now use for illumination in the
country.
at night is about the only time the busy
farmer has TO read his daily paper, and
| usually he is obliged to lay it away in
disgust before he has finished it, Incl
dentally. if the newspapers of the State
would help him to obtain a better light
they might increase their circulation to a.
number that would happily surprise
| them.
The school children do their studying at
| night and probably a better light to
study by would very noticeably decrease
the number of little children who are
obliged to wear glasses. Mr.. Farmer,
consider this matter carefully, and see if
am not right; if so, touch up the repre-
sentative from your district and let's have
more light on the subject.
This is really serious matter and 9TH
er states have taken it up and forced the
oil company to sell better oil One state
in which the writer has lived, was treated
| DIS pi.iS dts we are mere ana the people
became desperate and a law was passed
raising the test of oil, and oil inspectors.
appointed by the governor, inspect every
barrel or shipment of oil sent into the
state The people there now have decent
oil. ! would like TO hear from other
| farmers on this subject
The second great need is for the travel
ing pubic, those unfortunates who have
had a brand new suitcase or trunk
smashed into kindling wood by some lazy
tout OF an expressman who tried to see
how far he could throw the trunk or suit
case over the truck and make a record.
the writer has been a victim of such I'M
I mitigated cussedness
There was a law in New Hampshire a
| Few years ago-I think il is still i'm force
which made reckless handling of bag
gage or freight a felony punishable by
fine and Imprisonment. | think the pen
atty was $50 fine and one year in the
penitentiary. Why not try that remedy
mere IN Maine? 1t might increase the
number of visitors into our beautiful
state every summer
| fSigned) A Ma,na r-armar
Augusta Maine Feb. 1S, 1918. .sssl