The Republican journal., 1913-05-22
CHAPTER XII. (lYl5-18.)

trace for life''
CHAPTER XII. (lSl5-lS.)
In the winter of this year, for the first
time since 1880, the Bay was frozen so
that travellers on foot passed from the
main to the head of Long Island. On
the 18th of February the British sloop
of war Favorite arrived at New York
bringing the Treaty of Peace concluded
at Client on the oath of December previous
and ratified by Great Britain on the 9th.
1t was forwarded without delay to Wash
ington and ratified by Congress. lntelli-
gence of the joyful event was trans
mitted 20 New York by express messen-
gers, thence to Boston, and reached this
place by due course of mail early in
March. The news was hailed with all
the demonstrations of joy which the
place and people had the capacity to ex-
press. The ld-pieces were brought
from their hiding-place, salute fired at
the junction of Main and High streets,
respectable quantity of window-glass
broken, and still larger quantity of
still thicker glass subjected to manipu!a-
tons which would be entirely unintelli-
gible to many of the people of these
days. The dark clouds had passed away
and once more the sun shone out. Bust
ness began again to flow in its wonted
channels; numbering and ship-building
revived and the fisheries were resumed.
Belfast brought out her working clothes,
which had been laid aside for two and a
half years, busted them, and with
sleeves rolled up went to work. The
heart heavily laden threw off the old
burden and cheerfully took up the new
the dark, gloomy winter was at last
''made glorious summer"
1t proved, however, not to be cloud
less summer; grim visaged war had
smoothed his wrinkled 'front.'" but the
face Of Nature scowled on the labors of
the husbandman. The season of plant
ing was cold. wet, discouraging; autumn
made but lean return for the outlay of
summer. The "Ohio Fever" which had
attacked individuals here and there pre-
dis posed to it In the early spring, began
to be more prevalent; it was not, how
ever, until the next year that it became
epidemic.
This year, 1916, was long remembered
by the farmers of New England as the
Year eighteen hundred and starved-to-
DEATH; throughout Europe and America
as the ''year without a summer" In
this latitude the spring was wet, cold,
and unusually backward. The month of
April, although at its commencement
mild as ordinarily, terminated with snow
and ice. In May ice made an inch thick.
June was the coolest ever known" on
the tenth there was severe frost and
snow fell. July the fifth ice made of the
thickness of window-glass. August was
still more cheerless; corn was SO frozen
that it was cut for fodder, and almost
all field and garden vegetation was cut
off. For about two weeks in September
we had the i:Lest vts,ln Il III sc
son; but before the month closed we had
ice quarter of an inch thick. October
was abundant in its products of frost
and ice, and early in November we had
good sleighing.
1t was not then matter of wonder-it
would not be now under the same COM
bination of circumstances that the
captivating stories told of the rich lands
in Ohio and Kentucky, where the climate
was represented to be mild, the soil fer
tile, the summers long, articles of food
abundant and cheap, should add fuel to
the fever-fre which carried off many
from this place and from the territory
adjacent who really constituted part of
the wealth of our population. 1t is true
that many of them returned after the
fever left them, but they returned finan-
cially weak and exhausted. 1t was esti-
mated that this feverish excitement
carried off some ten or fifteen thousand
of the population of Maine.
As indicative of the financial condition
at this time Of the people in the towns
back of us the following anecdote from
the lips OF a gentleman then engaged in
business in this place will not be inap-
propriate. A very respectable and ap-
parently well-to-do resident in Beaver
Hill Plantation, now lthe town of Free
dom, happened into the store of the gen.
tleman referred to one day when the
''hard times" was the topic Of CONVERSE
ton. ''How is it out at Beaver Hip
was the inquiry made. bad enough, "
was the reply; Gust ~ much ~ we can