Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-17
Maine Gossip

Maine Gossip
The Lewiston Journal has found the
following interesting paragraph in an
old diary possessed by William Plum
mer of South Auburn, venerable gen.
| tleman who has treasured some cher
! ished heirlooms of his pioneer family:
| 1872, Tuesday, May STILL snow
| ing very brisk / am writing this and IL
| looks like winter and Little or no hay
| in this town A great part of the peo-
| pie have been out this fortnight AMI
cattle very poor and many died already
and many fear will die from hun
ger"
| Business men of Dexter are consid-
ering the presentation of a petition
and plea to the Public Utilities Com
mission to require the Western Union
| Telegraph Company to open an office
! there. Although Dexter has popu
lation of 1000, there has not been a
| telegraph office there since the New
| England Telephone and Telegraph
1OLlpdtIy cOliuiueu Will Tie w SSlSih
Union Telegraph Company. Since
| the combination was effected the SER
vice has been sometimes fairly good,
sometimes quite unsatisfactory The
Dexter business men say that the re-
lay plan by which messages were
telephoned to or from Dover or Bangor
was usually satisfactory up to the
time the federal government compelled
a dissolution of the combine There
has been much complaint of late for
one cause and another.
Dexter pastors believe that action is
worth more than preaching in some
cases. Rev. s. G. Spear of the First
Universalist church, Rev. Rinadlo Olds
of the First Baptist church, two dea-
cons, and Deputy Sheriff Brown raided
the Dexter House Monday afternoon
and seized four ten gallon kegs of
whiskey and SS6 pints of whiskey bot
tied. The warrant was sworn out by
Rev. S. G. Spear.
There are rumors in Bangor that
spoilers have been brought to the city
from a Boston detective agency to
keep an eye on the police for a time.
Bangor's mayor Is trying strenuous
enforcement campaign and it is said
that these spoilers are to be part of
it for time at least. The rumors are
generally believed and apparently are
we'll founded-for rumors. Whether
there are spoilers in the city or not,
the belief that there are may cause
some officers to be less delinquent
than they otherwise might be.
Bath is now an envied city. The
award of two ship contracts by the
federal government to the Bath Iron
Works means prosperity for the ship
building city. The Bath Times says,
speaking editorially:
with the award of the two des-
troyer contracts to the Bath Iron
Works. following the barge contracts
at the Kelley-Spear Co. yard and tor
pedo test ship at the Works, doubt
less means that the Bath is over the
bunch and on the way again to ship
building prosperity The inquiries be-
ing received by wooden shipbuilders
and the general situation in the mari
time field all point to coming activity
in shipbuilding When it arrives. Bath
is certain as always to have her full
share. Meanwhile, there is enough
work in hand to assure work for Bath
artisans for many months
1t is hardly possible to draft so COM
pick and lengthy law as the new Pub
lie Utilities law in perfect form and in
text to satisfy ideal conditions. From
time to time little "snags' may APP
pear in the new law. One such "snag'
now interests the fire departments of
the State. There are frequently oc-
casions when it is necessary to rush
equipment and men from one city to
another and in such an emergency it
would be quite disastrous to the cause
of these asking for aid if the fire
chief were forced to take time to
| make requisition for cash with which
to pay fares and other expense Incl
dent to the railway journey. The pos
sibility of answering a call for help
at night would be possibly precluded
by such a necessity. Yet the new law
requires that all passengers shall pay
and that there can be no discrimin-
alton for anyone under any circum-
stances. The railroads require that
fares be paid In advance. Should a
fire company arrive at a depot to take
a train for burning town the con-
| ductor could not carry them except
he were given tickets, for such is the
| law; the ticket seller could not give
the f1remen tickets except he were
given cash in advance, for such is the
rule of railroads. 1t Is apparently a
"snag," isn't it? The new law is not
| meant to be a nuisance, however, but
an aid to public welfare, and if the
| conditions mentioned above are as
serious as Statewide discussion would
have them, they will without doubt be
remedied.
Rev. Leavitt H. Hallock, D. D., of the
Pine Street Congregational church,
Lewiston, rendered his resignation
Monday evening. Dr. Hallock stated
| that he had no reason for leaving the
parish but felt that his resignation
ha we a xzl,.