The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-12-04
POTENT PROSPECT SMITHS.

POTENT PROSPECT SMITHS.
Tale of the Three Sons of the Late William
Smith, FARMER Who Lived and Died on
the Town Road Leading to Blacks Cor
ner at Old Bog Hill.
If there be town, plantation or city
within the confines of the State of Maine
which has not a resident bearing the
honored name of Smith, the fact has es
capped the memory of the writer. Like
the presence of the Creator to all true
Christians, they are everywhere. They
belong to all races and nations; to every
religious creed, and to all political par
ties. If they are not omnipresent 1t IS
not the fault of the Smiths.
Nearly if not quite century ago there
lived on top of Smiths Hill on the road
between Prospect and North Searsport, a
slim and most sensible farmer who bore
the very common name of William Smith.
His occupation was farming, with fire.
quent side excursions into numbering,
getting out cord-wood and cutting hoop
poles in the swampy lands. Although
far from being poor he was never count
ed as rich man. He was known near
ly everywhere in the northern section Of
Waldo county as an upright and honest
citizen.
To this Mr.. William Smith was born in
the early days of the last century his
eldest son, and who out CT courtesy and
respect for family neighbors, was named
David II. Smith, who from childhood up
to old age was muscular and fearless to
degree He worked faithfully on his
| fathers farm until he was Is or 16 years
of age, when enticed by the prospect OF
| higher money wages than he could earn
on farm he went away to Dix Island,
where he soon obtained employment as
drag tender.
He and his teamster were mutually
equipped with yoke of stout oxen,
chain and drag, since called ''stone-
boat" of three inch plank The teamster
was equipped with a goadstick, while
young Smith carried crow bar for lift
ing stable pieces of granite on and off
the drag.
1t should be remembered that there
We're no horses used in the granite opera
tons of Maine when David Smith was
boy. Steam derricks were very few and
traction cars for filling and unflling the
granite cutting sheds were entirely I'M
, known.
As is the case with most determined
! Maine boys, David Smith arose TO place
to higher trust with his employer. From
drag tender he became teamster, quarry
clerk, quarry foreman, trusted agent to
care for the boarding houses, the com
pany's store and finally superintendent
of the entire Granite Works Company
upon the island. His rise was phenom-
email, and his pay advanced in proportion
to his responsibilities.
/ The man to whom be chiefly owed his
promotion was the late Horace Beals,
who became rapidly wealthy from build
ing the old United States Treasury build
! ing at Washington out of Dix Island
granite. His riches grew like those of
the Vanderbilt's and Gould's. He liter
ally seemed to have more money than he
knew how to use. He not only owned all
surrounding islands between the Clam
Lodges and the city of Rockland. includ-
ing Sheep Island and Monroe Island both
containing several thousand acres of land,
situated between Owls Head and the
Clam Lodges.
One of the outlets for his surplus
wealth was found in erecting huge
hotel at the village of Togus, Maine.
This hotel, although backed by great
wealth. is said never to have paid rum
ming expenses, and was finally sold to the
United States government and convert
| ed into home for crippled and disabled
soldiers of the Civil war.
/ In the early SOS a sudden mania for
building federal edifices from Maine
granite broke out with great force; and
as pioneer Horace Beals needed new
capital to promote new enterprises, he
formed & partnership with Edward Larn-
ed of Pittstield. Mass, and CORTLAND P.
Dickson of Brooklyn, New York-these
three forming the famous Dix Island
granite Company, which between the
time when Gen. U. S. Grant was elected
president in 1868 and when the eight
hour law for all federal employees ceased
and constructed under the old Is per
Post Office and Court House buildings
on Park Row, New York City, and on
Chestnut street in Faiadelphia-each
costing more than five million dollars,
but which had also enGaged in much of
the work in the New Orleans post Office,
portion of the Albany State House and
score or more of publ edifices of less
cost. Having marble qua rries in Vermont,
granite quarries in MAJ le and many sail
ing craft in their owner ship and control,
they made every cen. count toward
heaping up their respee tive fortunes.
Boy David H. Smith, now grown to
a white-toothed and red-bearded man
went through the experience. He saw
some eight hundred or thousand skilled
stone cutters working for eight hours
day at the average daily pay of 81. GO; he
saw raw Scotchmen and Italians come
to Maine with nothing except their
trades as stone-cutters and return to
their homes inside of ten years with riches
enough to enable them to retire for life.
He sent to his old home in Prospect
and hired many of his old farm play
mates and neighbors at good wages,
and before he was 60 years of age he
was able to retire upon small fortune,
when he bought the old Treat place near
the river shore in Winterport and devoted
his declining years to the occupation of a
country gentleman.
He bought controlling ownership in
the Winterport ferry, purchased blood
stock from the best breeders; bought
Electioneer, from John Pierce for the
use of the New York granite magnates;
and when he died at 80 years of age, he
was counted as one of the wealthiest
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