The Republican journal., 1914-11-05


you will sometimes find frequent charge,
of 1-2 pit. rum 3-2 and perhaps at the
same time Id ID Tea, l5s-or 2 OF z Z,
Using ardent spirits freely at such .
price will partly account for the poverty
of those early days. Yet 90 strong wat
the conviction of their necessity-or "a
imperious the demand of appetite. tina,
they would 60 in debt for N E. rum a,
2s Sd half pint.
But let US not suppose that these
fathers were sinners above all men. II
took their sons more thar half q century.
after they had passed away to make the
discovery that ardent spirits were not
necessary for vigorous and successful
labor-and that total abstinence is the
only sure remedy against the evils of in
temperance.
The season of the revolution was a
time of privation and peril, as well as pow
erty to the early inhabitants. This for
tlfication having been dismantled and
destroyed, afforded no protection to the
citizens. Castine was in the possession
of the British in 1779. The people were
required to take the oath OF allegiance
to the King of England. The inhabitants
of Belfast, then an incorporated town,
and the only one in the valley of thePenob-
scot, rather than take the oath left
their homes and returned to N. Hamp-
shire from whence they came. Most
others took the oath of allegiance. Still
this did not save them from various an
noyances. There are those now living
who remember the alarm and terror
following the defeat of Castine, 1873.
Part of the vessels of the American fleet
fled up the river, and were pursued in
the night by British vessels, which kept
up firing upon the shore as they pro-
ceeded. The inhabitants fled to the for
ests for safety. Parents took their
children to some deep glen, out of the
reach of the enemy's shot. There wrap
ping their little ones in blankets, and
laying them upon rude bed of bougns,
they watched them with sleepless anXl-
ETY.. Still the flash Of hostile cannon
illumined the dark forest, and their balls
whIstled through the trees, making hav-
o. of trunk and limb to the imminent
hazard of the unconscious sleepers at
their roots. There yet llnger among US
some individuals, whose memory reach
ing back forescore years, calls distinctly
to mind that fearful sight They recol-
lect with what fear and trembling they
gathered around their more anxious par
ents, and were led by them to the dark
forest, the home of the wild beast, that
tbev might escape the rage of civilized
man.
They sent a small party to Mt. Ephra'
i'm to burn the house of Richard Stinson,
with whom lived his father and mother.
Ephraim Stinson and wife. Among the
party was one Turner, a refugee. Wher
thew came to the house Turner fired in.
to it, and the ball passed through the
post of the chair in which the old gentle
man was sitting. They plundered the
| house of what little was worth carrying
away. Turner said he would have done
more damage, but the sight of one Of
the old mans daughters there, a young
maiden to whom he took strong fancy,
prevented him. He afterwards married
her.
While the British had possession Of
Castlne, they frequently sent their boats
across the bay for plumber. Subsequent
ly the Americans kept small force a
Camden for the protection of the lnhab
itants of that vicinity. Sometimes small
parties from thence would come as fal
as Belfast, and stop in some of the de
serted houses. A small party, OF which
Richard Stinson was one, had passed
night in one of those houses. In thu
morning one of their number went t.
the shore to shoot wild fowl. A part.
from Castine, commanded by one Arm
strong, had just landed; and they tool
him prisoner. The better to decelv
the men still remaining at the house
I they marched him from the shore witt
his musket over his shoulder. III
Americans seeing them approach, AM
supposing them friends, went out to NEE
them. AS they met, struggle ensued
Stinson, though small man, was brav
and strong. Being summoned by Arm
strong to give up his gun and surrende
he dropped it, knocked aside the muzzl
of his enemy's gun, sprang In upon him
seized him around the waist, and threv
him. In the struggle, a British soldie
stabbed Stinson through his right arm
He called to an American to come to hi
aid. who shot Armstrong in the head an
killed him. Some of the small shot er
tered Stinson, but he and all his part
escaped with their lives.
These incidents in the history of tn
early settlers must suffice to lllustrat
the perils and inconvenience they sui
fered. A full recital of all they encoun1
cred would be necessary to know tn
entire indebtedness of their descendant
to them for the manifold blessings the
now enjoy.
Let the memory of those pioneers b
cherished with respect and gratitude
They were benefactors to their posterlty
They subdued for them the wilderness
They periIled all to procure, establish an
transmit the precious boon of Liberty.
Little did the men who erected Fol
Pownal, or the men who under its pr
lection first settled the shores OF OF
noble Penobscot, apprehend what change
the succeeding century would Wltnes
Had some seen with prophetic vlslol
looked down to this day and foreto
what we now see, he would have bee
deemed an enthusiast, if not a tit sui
. iect for a lunatic asylum. Standing
this promontory. and speaking OF thing
to come as if already present, he mlgl
have said:
, "Instead of the dark forest lining tt
shores, see smiling villages and t1ou
ishing cities, with their stately dwelling
and lofty spires. Instead of one soiltal
truck house for all this valley, l b
, hold marts of business on either banl
( Some merchant princes make their i
, fuence felt in both hemispheres. Il
, stead OF the frail bark of the Tarratln
, these waters are whitened with the cor
j merce of nations, Instead of dope
dent province with few thousand sea
, torod aloro her shores and rivers, Mali