The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-10-28
An Experience in the Winter
OF 1873.
M. H. kiff Walks on the Ice From North
Haven to Northport. Early Days in Maine.

To THE EDITOR OF The JOURNAL: l
recently received 4 letter from Hon. F.
E. Boothby, then at Rangeley Lakes
Mr.. Boothby was station agent at Au
gusta for the Maine Central railroad in
1873 when | was a member of the Legls-
lature. He and his beautiful wife board
ed at the old Mansion House. where 1t
was my fortune to abide. Mrs. Boothby
often splendidly entertained US with
piano music In his letter to me Mr.
Boothby says: Il read your letter in
The Journal end l was surprised. as
thought you were among the dead. "
Last December ! began writing letters
for the Rockland Courier Gazette \and
since that time have received fifteen
letters from old acquaintance, from
several different States, and about all of
them say: 81 heard, or thought, you
were dead" The writers OF these let
tiers were rot aware that | have had a
home in sunny Southern California
which think has added many years to
my earthly pilgrimage. 1t is not unusu-
al to meet folks here who range between
50 and IS years, and | have read Of
woman living here who is 1913 years old
and is hale and hearty. Ex-senator
Cornell US Cole. who crossed the Cont
uent in 1919 for the gold diggings AID ar
rived at Suffers camp, July "a lS49
row resides in Les Angeles and is SO
wears old. H has an Office and every
dav attends to his office business. II
any of vou old Mainites want to lengtnen
the brittle thread of Ire, pack your
trunk, bid goodbye 10 the scenes OF your
childhood, take q steamer through the
Panama Canal and settle down in the
Paris Of America, Los Angeles, and you
will stand fair chance of seeing 100
years of life and joy. l am eating three
meals day, and sleep like lord who
has no trouble. Last summer, down at
Coronado Beach, / stood on my head
lust to show the kids what | could do at
76. Great country here. Plenty of
climate, and flowers that you can buy if
you have cash enough.
| read that editorial in The Journal,
''Good Thugs to Eat" and my stomach
Immediately felt empty, Oh, what
would l give if NY sainted mother was
alive and could once more fill that old
brick oven We had in Belmont some Sat
urday with beans, brown bread, lrjun
pudding, pumpkin and apple pie. Say,
did any of you ever lug in the wood for
one Of those occasions? My memory is
failing, and possibly | may magnify my
recollection, but | am sincerely and hon
estly telling my friends out here that it
took a good round half cord of hemlock
to heat up that old oven, and it was
big Job for ten-yearsold kid. Recent
ly attended G. A. R, reception and
dinner. ! reached for the bean dish.
They were simply parboiled; again l
reached for the pork in them, tried it
again and did fairly we'll They tell me
my tasto has changed. | don't believe
it. know beans when I,see them.
Reading The Journal has awakened
sweet memories of 60 to 65 years ago of
Quantabacook, 1ilden and Cross Ponds.
Many a happy day l waded around the
shore with long pole, line and hook,
skipping for pickerel when | was a
boy. One Sunday | went to the pond
but did rot get any pickerel, but did get
into sucker brook, and did we'll. | had
them on a crotched stick and was wend-
ing my way homeward when | met
gentleman ard lady in buggy. He
caught sight of this string of fish and
said: "My boy, those are-nice pickerel,
will you sell them" | replied, "Surely
l will. - and 20 cents were paid over and
he drove on; happy, no doubt, with his
bargain, and Peck's Bad Boy smiled.
l row realize that was shoddy transac-
ton, not an honest, square deal. But
boys will be boys, and this kind of boy
often makes a good man. Some of
them are now Congressman, lawyers,
doctors and ministers. Even the writer
saw the evil of his way and has been
preacher sometimes for upwards of 20
years.
Mr.. Boothby said in his letter that it
would be highly interesting to The
Journal readers for me to give an
account of my crossing Penobscot
bay on the ice in February, 1873.
1t seems have the honor of being the
only man who ever crossed from North
Haven to Northport on ice. Many of
you remember that cold winter of 1873
| went home to Vinalhaven to attend to
some town business, expecting to return
to Augusta in few days. This cold
wave struck and closed the bay from
Owls Head to Bangor. One day a re-
port came that some men had crossed
from Islesboro to North Haven. Imme-
diately my grip was packed and | was
carried to Pulpit Harbor, North Haven,
where l learned that the report was
false. had a consultation with Capt
Joseph Conant of Pulpit Harbor and we
decided to make the attempt to cross
over to Islesboro. Capt. Conant carried
a lono eel smear and I had rapu]ar ire