davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
FIRST SESSION OF CITY COUNCIL
IS SLATED FOR FRIDAY NIGHT
To NAME DEPARTMENT HEADS
Meeting Will Be an Important One and is Anticipated
With Considerable Interest The Special Tax
Ordinance Will Be Adopted at This Meeting and
All Heads OF Departments and Election Officers
Filled as Well

The special meeting Of city council
on Friday night next Will be really the
first one of that body as now consti-
tuted and the first of the new year.
1915. 1t will be an important session
in many respects, as the special liz
cense tax ordinance will be framed
and adopted, governing as it will all
business interests that are special tax
ed. In addition, all heads of munich
pal departments in the city hall, as
well as employees generally, will be
elected for the next year at this meet
ing.
This will include the offices of mayor
pro tem., city engineer and assistants,
city attorney, city marshal, chief fire
department. superintendent of streets,
sections and the filling of minor posi-
tions as well.
The special license tax on near beer
saloons will be among other matters
commanding consideration at thH
meeting. These dealers are paying
$500 at present, half that amount as
city tax and the remainder to the state
and county. 1t is not known whether
all now engaged in business will con-
tinue, or what will be the pleasure of
the new council in the amount of tax
required.
In fact, the members of that body
are, very largely, non-committal re-
garding what will be done next Friday
night, more especially as concerns the
election Of city employees and the fix
ing of salaries for 1915. That there is
going to be retrenchment in expendi-
lures very generally there is no doubt,
as the council deems such procedure
at this stage imperative, and it is not
improbable that re-adjustment of the
existing salary list may be agreed
upon.
At all events the meeting of council
next Friday night is going to be of
great interest to a great many people
in Americus, and there is much quiet
speculation regarding the outcome.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
BRUNSWICK PROTESTS
ENGLAND'S DECISION
AS To NAVAL STORES
(By Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 29.-Tel-
egrams were received here today from
the Board of Trade of Brunswick, Ga i,
protesting against England's listing
naval stores as absolute contraband
of war. Senator Hoke Smith today
presented the protest Of the Brunswick
Organization to the senate and asked
that body to take vigorous steps to
change England's ruling
Brunswick is one of the leading ma
val stores ports Of the world and is
feeling the effect of England's ruling
already Thousands of barrels of
rosin are waiting on the Brunswick
docks for ships to carry them across
the pond to the European nations.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
Man Learns
| Monkey Talk
Especial to Times-Recorder.)

ATLANTA, Ca, Dec. 29.-The man
who has spent fifteen years in trying
to learn monkey talk, and who has
succeeded fairly WELL. is in the South,
after many years of absence in the
tropics. He is r. L. Garner, formerly
Of New Orleans, who has spent a to-
tai of several years-in broken doses
in a steel cage in the midst of South
American jungle.
Mr.. Garner believed that through
finding whether monkeys had real
language and learning that language
science could go a long way toward
bridging the gap between apes and hu-
mans. He occupied the cage to keep
dangerous animals away from him,
while the monkeys came up and chat
ted with him through the bars.
Mr.. Garner succeeded in learning
many words" used by monkeys to ex-
press primitive emotions and when he
initiated those words" the monkeys
responded. He believes that dogs,
cats, horses and other we'll known ami
mails can talk to each other He is now
completing an exhaustive work on
the subject.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
PRESIDENT WILSON SENDS COM.
MUNICATION TO ENGLAND DE-
MANDING THAT LEGITIMATE
AMERICAN COMMERCT NOT TO
INTERFERED WITH
Neutrals Should Not Be Forced to Suf.
fer by War They Are Not Interested
In, Says President of the United
States.
(By Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 29.-Off-
cials in every department of the gov
ernment here are greatly Interested in
the result of the conference at Lon
don today between United States Am
bassador Page and Sir Edward Grey,
the British secretary for foreign af-
fairs.
During this conference, which is
looked upon by officials generally as of
supreme Importance to American in
dustrial and trade expansion, the
presidents official representative at
the Court of st. James will present to
the British government a note, bear
ing upon alleged undue interference
with American commerce by English
warships. The note was prepared by
President Wilson personally, and is
conceded to be one of the ablest and
most direct protests against what the
president considers an interference
with privileges of American shippers
yet present a foreign government
in the name of the United States. Other
communications addressed to belliger-
ent powers since the beginning of hos
tilities in Europe have not dealt so
plainly with the matter in controversy
as does the note to be presented by
Ambassador Page today.
The words absolute" and "condi-
tional" contraband as applied to the
relations between neutrals nations,
should not exist. The note is said TO
insist, the position taken by the Unit
ed States is that trade relations be-
tween nations not concerned in the
war are the same today as before the
European disturbance began. In other
words, the United States government
is insisting upon its right to conduct
49,
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
LAWYERS CAN De
DIVIDED into 8
GLASSES SAYS JUDGE
Especial to Times-Recorder.l

ATLANTA, Ca, Dec. 29.-Lawyers
like Caesars Gaul, are divided into
three classes by Judge w. d. Ellis, OF
the superior court, who described them
in an address to young lawyers being
admitted to the bar.
There are little porcupines, court
bullies and honest, high-toned law
years." declared the court.
"The little porcupine Of the bar
runs around shooting quills at every
body and irritating everybody, but
accomplishing nothing. The court bull
lies, feeling safe behind the protection
of the bailif6s, 9bufldoze witnesses, in
suit fellow attorneys and are disre-
spectful to the judge. The third class,
the honest, high-class attorneys, are
the leaders Of men. In war they are
the best fighters, in peace they lead
the thought and deeds OF their COM
munities."
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
CONGRESS CONSIDERS
SUPPLY MEASURES
(By Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 29.-Both
houses Of congress re-convened today
after the Christmas holiday season.
Many representatives and senators ar
rived this morning and others are still
at their homes.
The house is faced by a crowded leg
islative program, and many important
measures remain to be acted upon
by that body. Supply measures will
be among the first bills to be con-
sidered.
In the senate appropriation meas
ures await action and one or two bills
remain to be passed in order to COM
plete the administration program.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
(By Associated Press.)

LONDON, Dec. 29., British war OBJ
servers today point to an official an
nouncement from Austria to substan-
tiate their claim that Russia has COM
pletely defeated the Austrian forces in
the Carpathian mountains and sue
cessfully checked the advance of Aus
trian troops there. The official bulle-
tin acknowledges that the Russians are
in possession of the most important
passes in the mountains and that the
Austrians are falling back all along
the front.
Such a victory means much to Rus
sia Just at this time when the Aus
trians are making desperate efforts to
cross the mountains and join their
German allies in a concentrated at
tack on the Russian forces. 1t is
thought here that Austria will with
draw practically all her troops there
and dispatch them to other points
where the Russians are attacking the
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
RUSSIAN CRUISER NOT
AMERICAN THREATENED
TO B0MBARD TR|POU
(By Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 29.-Cap-
tain Oman, commander of the cruiser
North Carolina, today telegr2phed the
naval department from Beirute that
it was Russian cruiser which threat
ened to lombard Tripoli, and not an
American ship as first reported. This
sets at rest the rumor that an Ameri-
can vessel, presumably the North Car
olina, had threatened to fire on the
African port.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
English Ships
Sunk By Mine
(By Associated Press.)

LONDON, Dec. 29.-At the offices of
the British admiralty early today it
was announced that another English
ship had struck North Sea mine and
gone to the bottom. The Glasgow
steamer Gem, of five hundred tons
displacement, is the latest victim of
these floating menaces. Two of the
crew of the wrecked vessel were res
cued. All others on board perished.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
Office OF LIGHTING co.
INSTALLED IN new PLACE

The transfer of furniture and effects
of the Americus Public Service Co.
from its OLD quarters next the Kress
store, to its new. location opposite,
next the Tillman & Brown shoestore,
has been completed and Supt. Emory
Mathis and Chief Accountant H. C.
Davis are already feeling quite at
home there.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
LONDON FORGETS ZEPPELTNS
IN FEAR OF AEROPLANES

London has forgotten all about the
possibility of a Zeppelin raid and is
now concerning herself with other
fears. The latest scare thrown into
polite London circles has been occas-
ioned by successful flights over the
isle pulled off by German aeroplanes.
The London papers realize the danger
from these incorporated birds and
have published instructions and warn
ings as how to best circumvent danger
from this source.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
President Wilson Would
Stop Wholesale Murders
Of Mexican Politicians

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 2s.--
President Wilson today confirmed the
report that he had asked the Guittierez
government in Mexico to grant gem
eral amnesty to all political prisoners
in Mexico. The president said that
though ME believed that reports from
there Of wholesale executions Of these
prisoners had been greatly exagger-
atd, that nevertheless he was anxious
to eliminate them entirely.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
SLOW TEDIOUS WARFARE

Slow, tedious warfare continues all
along the western front, according to
dispatches from Paris. Neither side is
able to report other than minor gains
The London papers concede the loss
of certain trenches south of the Ypres
to Germans. Intensely cold weather
continues in both theatres of war, it is
stated in communications from Petro-
grad and Paris.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29

Continued on Page 81
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-12-29
1000 SOLDIERS
DESERT CARR4NZA
sa, FOR GEN. VILLA
(By Associated Press.)

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 29.-(via wireless)
Seven thousand soldiers today de-
serted Carranza and Joined General
Villas army at Tepio on the west
coast of Mexico. Foreigners at Tepio
took refuge aboard the United States
ship Gracia, stationed there.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-02-19
OLDEST VOTER IN MADISON.
Is Now Deceased. Was Cousin OF
the Noted Singer, Emma Eames.

William Preble, who was the old
est man in Madison, passed peace
fully away, at the home of his daugh-
ter, Mrs Sidney Watson on Weston
Avenue. Monday afternoon.
He was born in Bowdoinham,
March 16, 1922 and if he had lived
exactly one month longer would have
passed his 92d milestone He was
the son of John and Mary Hayden
Preble and has always been a very
active man. Never until this winter
since he left off actual labor, has he
missed being on the streets and down
town. In early life he was a ship
builder in Bath and came to Madison
in 1912. In 1847 he married Miss
Lavina Washburn, a daughter of Rev
Hosea Washburn, who was a we'll
known Free Baptist clergyman Mrs
Preble has been dead for many years
and the last years of his life he has
made his home with his daughter
Mrs Luella Watson. Besides this
daughter, he leaves three others. who
are all residents of Madison, Mrs
Susie Haynes, Mrs. Anna Mcintyre
and Mrs. Sadie Ward Mr. Preble
was at the head of four generations
having one great granddaughter,
Miss Beatrice, little daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. Harry Lessore. Mr. Preble
was cousin of the noted singer,
Emma Eames.
The funeral was held from the
house today, Thursday, and many old
friends were present to pay their last
respects to one who was so we'll
known and universally respected
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-02-19
1890 History of Skowhegan oseies and Their Owners l2l4

and Washburn Brothers. who sold to
Tuttle Brothers, the present proprie-
tors
William G. Heselton sold the Elm
House in about 1869 and bought the
Turner House. He made important
changes and additions to this property
and carried il on until burned as
above noted in 1881. After the fire
a son, Frank B., built the Heselton
House which was opened in December
of the same year. Other brothers in
b.. and Edward c.. were owners or
proprietors from time to time Ed
ward c., the last named was the more
prominent and developed and enlarged
the business until it was one of the
best known public houses of y. England
His tragic death by drowning in
Boothbay Harbor, August "a, 1895, will
be recalled by many Somerset county
residents of the present day. William
Chandler also ran the HcSelton, un
der a lease. for few years and the
property was finally sold to the late
Richard ". Brown. The Heselton
was burned in about 1899. but before
this event one wing was moved to the
vicinity of the Skowhegan depot and
rebuilt to make the present Maine
Central Hotel. Mi Brown sold the
Heselton House lot to the town of
Skowhegan in 1906 and it is now oc-
cupied by the Municipal Building.
Very early in the history of the
town, the site now occupied by Hotel
Coburn was used for hotel purposes.
No one recalls the first structure, but
the older residents remember one
story house which was spoken of as
the "Old Red Dragon" John Wyman
either built this hotel or bought 1t OF
some unknown predecessor. He was
conducting it as public house in
1880. 1t was afterward sold to Fred
RAYMOND a brother to DR.. Raymond,
we'll known physician Of those days.
RAYMOND was succeeded by Samuel
Searle in about 1912 Searle enlarged
the property and must have carried it
on for quite a time as his name is the
one most often mentioned in connec-
ton with the hotel business Of that
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-02-19
FAMILY FORCED To
FLEE FROM
Burning Home Scantily
Clad
House Owned by Major Foster and
Occupied by $. Sagarin Burned TO
the Ground. Insured,

Forced to fee from their burning
home scantily clad was the expert
enee which Mr.. and Mrs. s. Sagarin
and their five children were compelled
to undergo about midnight Monday.
The house which they occupied ON
the River Road on the outskirts of
the town, was completely devastated
by fire and the family had only time
to catch up a few articles of clothing
and make hasty exit from the
doomed structure. Mr.. Sagarin is the
proprietor of the Paris Cloak Com
pany doing business on Water Street
The house which was one and
one-half story building was owned by
Major Foster He had refused an Of
fer of 81 200 from would-be pur-
chaser and intended to make the same
his home later. 1t was insured for
$1,000. The occupants of the house
were awakened by the roaring of the
flames, which they think must have
originated about the chimney of the
kitchen. Their household effects.
which were destroyed, were insured.
The house occupied by the Sleeves
family next door ignited at one time
but was saved from serious damages.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-02-19
IMPORTANT MEETING OF
BOARD OF TRADE
Is TO Be Held Tomorrow Evening.
Annual Meeting Will Occur ON
March 20.

This meeting OF the SkoWhe ear
Board Of Trad Will b. on. Of -.
most important Of the entirs var
The eommittee on street sprinlI.l
will make thoif report. and nh qBes-
ton OF Fire District for S5o0heeau
will be discussed
The problem of road bm'd.as. So
far as il relates 10 Tie m1..ass ef a
road traction eneluc vii b. cansld-
eled.
Five delegates viii be chosen IL at
tend the "State-Wide Development ol
Maine Movement meeting at Augusta
February 9th.
Other business Of Importance in-
cluding the proposed lev town gov
ernment is scheduled for this meeting
and it is sure to be worth the tine
of any member TO be present The
next will be the annual meeting
March goth.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-02-19

daughter cf a Norridgewock citizen.
Joseph Hall, sheriff and jailer, who
was spoken of by the rather unusual
term of THE Old Officer
On coming to Skowhegan, Mr. Tur-
ner rebuilt and enlarged the three
room house which he bought of Lewis
and it thereafter was known as the
Turner House until its destruction by
fire in May 1881 Those who fol-
lowed Silas Turner as proprietors of
the hotel by that name. though per-
haps not in the order given, were So
Ion and William Hapgood, a Mr. But
Ter from Pennington, and Hight &
Hussey who sold to William G. Hes
elton.
William G. Heselton, who was born
in Belgrade, was prominent in the no
tel business in Somerset county for
many years. He was in business in
North AnsOn for time, running a
stove store and later a grist mill, saw
mill and blacksmith shop. He came
here with his family in 1866, and be-
came proprietor of the Elm House on
Russell street The hotel business in
that location runs back to a man by
the name of Pease, who put up trav-
ellers occasionally, though his place
seems to have been more on the order
of boarding house than a hotel.
Previous to Pease's ownership there
had been dwelling house on the same
location in which the family Of which
our present townsman, Simeon Saw
yer, was son. The same house was
later occupied by Joseph Snow and
the late George Snow, was born there.
Pease was the proprietor of the stage
route from Augusta to Skowhegan.
He was succeeded by Samuel Lyford,
who enlarged and rebuilt the estab-
lishment Lyfords successors were
Grey Brothers, Samuel Jewett and
Joseph Grey, who sold to William G..
Heselton. Following Mr.. Heselton
came one Fletcher Drank or Free
MANI Asher Savage and Messrs Getch-
ell & Springer. Thos. Springer, the
junior member of the above named
firm, succeeded in ownership and af-
ter him the Elm House was run sue
cessively by Fred Dore, r. w, Haines
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-02-19
FUNERAL SERVICES
For the Late Jane +. Hinckley.

GOOD WILL FARMS Funeral ser
vices for the late Miss Jane f. Hinck-
ley We're held at 1870 o'clock Friday
morning at the Moody chapel at Good
Will. Rev Theodore Halbert Wilson
of Skowhegan, pastor of the Congrega-
tional church, and Rev. Fred w.
Peakes of Everett, Mass. conducted
the services. Rev. Mr.. Wilson was
pastor of the church which Miss
Hinckley had attended and Rev. Mr.
Peakes was a friend of the deceased.
The chapel was filled with friends and
relatives. Music was furnished by
the Good Will Boys and Girls Choir,
which Miss Hinckley had founded 18
years ago.
The bearers were Norman Hinckley
of Good Will; Alfred Chubbuck of
Skowhegan; Joseph Jordan of Oak
land; Samuel Eccles of Lewiston.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-02-19
FERvENT RELIGIOUS
EXERCISES
Mark the DedicatOry Exercises at the
Bethany Baptist Church, Which Are
Being Held This Week.

Following the raising of enough
money to clear the Bethany Baptist
Society of Indebtedness, the re-dedi-
catory exercises of the church edificc
were taken up Sunday morning. The
pastor, Rev. George Merriam. preach
ed an inspiring sermon with Look
Upon the Face of the King as the
principal theme, His sermon was
prefaced with appropriate words of a
dedicatory nature. Special music
was furnished by the choir with Mrs.
c. NJ. Lambert as director and organ
ist and a solo was sung by Albert
Watson.
In the evening Pastor Merriam was
assisted by Reverends Theodore Hal
bert Wilson, H. G. MacGlauflin and J.
G, Osborne. who offered suitable brief
addresses. Solos We're sung by Mrs.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-02-19

period. 1t still retained the name of
the Old Red Dragon but this is un-
derstood to have been a term not rel
ished by either Seallc or his predeces-
sors. 1t seemed to have been taken
up by the public. who justified the
term from the color, brick red, of the
older buildings, and from the fact that
the beverages sold there were in such
quantity and of such a nature as to
create dragons and like monstrosities
for those who drank them 1t was
during Searle's ownership that the ell
was raised to provide a hall for dane
ing, doubtless the first special room
for this purpose opened in town
Scarl was succeeded by Jeremiah
Webb and later on this property came
into the hands of stephen d. Brewster
by whom it was rebuilt and enlarged.
Fire completely destroyed the build
ings in about 1864 and the lot stood
vacant for five or six years. Joel
Gray of Embdon, who was at that
time also proprietor of the City Hotel
in Boston, bought the lot and built
quite pretentious structure for Mr.
Brewster, which thereafter took his
name. Brewster was succeeded by +.
b. Maybury During Maybury's pro-
prietorship, "SkoWhegan Hotel was
printed on both fronts in large letters.
but the building was always spoken of
as the Brewster House and was
known by that name when it burned
in January 1874
The lot was again vacant for several
years and this time came into the
ownership of Silas Leland. The late
Governor Coburn seems to have in
terested himself in the matter and it
was at his suggestion that Mr. Leland
bought the property. Governor Co
burn was anxious to see a hotel built
on this lot, which should be of credit
to the town and county. With this in
view an arrangement was made with
the pesent owner. Robert w. Haines,
and the lot decided to him upon his as
surance that creditable structure
would be built Mr. Haines carried
out his part of the program in an ad-
Continued on Page Two)