The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-04-24
CAPT. GEORGE A. coBBETT
Observed his 83d Birthday April 9Th. A
Retired Master Mariner, he has Visited
>hA,~.. M =. xho World

|
Observed his 83d Birthday April 9Th. A
Retired Master Mariner, he has Visited
Many Places in the World.
Capt George A. Goblet. one of the last
the deep water shippers, observed his 83d
birthday, April Ct b, at the home of his daugh-
ter, Mrs. Samuel R. Hamilton. on Austin
street. Portsmouth, N. H. He was born in
Belfast, Me-, April g. 1880. the son of Leona I'd
h. and AdeEne Cobbett. His father was
blacksmith and did great amount of work for
the ships built at Belfast. and at an early age
his son expressed desire to follow the sea.
When he was II his father allowed him to
make a trim to the West Indies on the brig
Michigan commanded by his fathers brother.
| The object of the trip was to scken young
Cobbett of the sea, but he came back with
greater craving for it. :.
! After his return he TOOK six months
/ course in navigation and the drafting of rig
ging at the Winterport High School. He then
began his career, which lasted nearly Is years,
during which he visited all parts of the world.
His first real voyage was to Havana and his
next to Straits of Sunda On his return he
went to Barcelona.
| When % he was made mate of the brigan-
! tine AlousZah. Capt Matthews. The brigan-
tine was two days out OF Portland for
Cayenne, South America, when the mate was
ta,en sick and as the second mate was not
versed in navigation, young Goblet was taken
out of the forecastle and placed second in
command. On his return to PHILADELPHIA he
took his examination before Loyds and re-
cived mates papers. He then .~ade trip
| to Para and on his return went to the coas' Of
Africa in the brigantine Ohio for ivory and
palm OIL The brigatine touched at Liberia
| and then went down into the Indian Ocean.
touching at many small places on the African
coast.
While in the brig St. Helena of Baltimore in
1856 Capt. Bartell was injured by falling over
spar and left his vessel at Brazil for Capt.
| Cobbett to bring home. this being his first COM
mand. For five years he went as master in a
West Indian trader, visiting the Windward
Islands and other places. He made one trip to
Hudson Bay, going as far north as 56.45. which
| he states satisfied him. He was for rs days at
| Matanzas in the schooner D. K. Arey, while
the yellow fever was raging, awaiting a cargo
for New Orleans. During that time Capt.
! Cobbett had to go ashore each night to collect
his demurrage. He states with pride that he
never lost man and came away with a clean
bill Of health.
Twice during his career he was wrecked, the
first in December, 1857, while bound to Antigua
in the brig Abbe Wells. Capt. Wing. The
i. brig encountered a Northwestern off Virginia,
became waterlogged, and for IL days was at
the mercy of the sea. They were finally pick
/
Several years later, while in the schooner
Cherokee. Capt. Morgan, the vessel was wreck
ed on the Isle of St. Pierre, and Mr. Goblet
and Is of the crew were rescued by the
natives, saving only the clothes they wore.
They were taken in an old English shallop to
| Prince Edward Island. thence over to Char
lottetown, where they were sent to the United
States by the American consul.
| On July a, 1850 he married Miss Hannah
| Curtis of Belfast, the ceremony being per
formed by Rev. Henry Davidson, pastor of the
Congregational Church. Four children were
bett of Lynn and Mrs. Samuel R. Hamilton of
this city, with whom Capt. Cobbett and his
wife make their home For few years after
marriage he followed the sea. making short
cruises. After deciding to remain ashore he
learned the shoe business and followed it to
within a few years. He made his home in
Belfast up to 1880. when he went to Ports
mouth, N. H.
I Capt Goblet enjoys excellent health and
has not required the services OF a physician
since he had typhoid fever when he 16
years old. He reads without glasses and his
hearing is still good. He has very retentive
memory and talks Interestingly of the foreign
places he has visited. Although he has been
ashore for many years he still retains some of
the habits acquired in those days, and accord
| ing to his family it is his custom each night
to don his hat before retiring and hang it on
|
taught to have all his clothing handy in case
he had to get out in the night in hurry.
my child was burned terribly about the
face, neck and chest. applied DR.. Thomas
Eclectic Oil. The pain ceased, and the child
sank into a restful sleep."-Mrs. Nancy M.
Hanson, Hamburg, N. Y.
Mrs. Florence Collins Porter, formerly
of Caribou, Me-, and Miss Helen Brown
Trask, former resident of Bangor,
have just edited and published book in
Los Angeles, Calf, entitled Maine Men
and Women in Southern California. The
publication is one of rare interest and
beauty and does great credit to the
authors. The purpose of the book,
which has been happily accomplished, was
to awaken anew feeling of pride and
loyalty for the old Pine Tree State.
Photographs and biographical sketches
were secured from large number of
men and women of note who have in one
way or another attained success, or from
a younger generation who will eventually
make a name for themselves. Several
chapters have been devoted to the
achievements of Maine people in Califor-
MIA, interspersed with attractive half
tone cuts of both the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts. The books are bound in full
morocco with designs of pine tree and
cones, also the California poppy, making