The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-10-07
Martin Kiffs Memory Book.
H, Recalls Various Knox County Happen
ia4s Including Hunt for Capt. Kidd's
-L.-,.r,ra
[Rockland Courier-Gazette.l

lilasure.
TRockland Courier Gazette.
Il not too late | would like to congrat-
l.at- you on your booster" edition,
prr ed iast month. Surely that kind of
say.rtlsing is what old Maine needs. In
Ms travels from the Atlantic to the
2ai,ic and from the Gulf to Newfound-
lard | never have beheld grander and
nors beautiful scenery than meets one s
yis10 approaching Penobscot bay and
Koch and, with its magic setting at the
gateway; Rockport. Camden, Lincoln
gise with their shining white homes
I'D background of mountains; on the
-as, Inc Fox Islands, lslesboro and hum
ireI- Of smaller islands, such as no other
part If the world provides. It's not to
L. wondered at that its shores are now
y.ted with beautiful summer homes.
an now writing monthly letters to
Ia- Republican Journal of Belfast. My
ss,4er took The Journal as far back as
->5 | write also for Tower City Topics
ard Lisbon Free Press of North Dakota.
This takes much of my leisure time.
When | was about 20 years old | was
% BUSINESS in Rockland, carrying on a
clam chowder, pie, cigar and tobacco
sE1p opposite the old bakery on Sea
street. Needless for me to say soon
vert into bankruptcy, SO my first mer-
camille venture was a failure. ] remem-
ber that | went as an ordinary seaman
On the old schooner John. We made
foreign voyages to New York. Sailors
generally delight in buggy rides. took
Ole over to Thomaston. When l got
back to the corner of Sea street, the old
rag, no doubt seeming oats, took bit IN
mouth and made about 20 knots for the
stable. An lrishm an crossing the street
laturally got run over. Soon as possible
ran back. expecting to find corpse.
His friends had dug him out of the Rock
and mud of those days ana were busy
-leanlng him up. | apologized, explain
ing that the horse had run away with
NE, One of the crowd looked at me and
SAD: ''Begorra you served him right.
He'd no business crossing the street
Waen a gintleman was driving" That
surely eased my mind.
When captain of the packet Grey
hound | attended dance at the North
end The Greyhound lay at Atlantic
Vtarf. | can't now remember just how
Many miles stretched between those two
points, but it was a long way. After
I-nlght, making my way to the wharf,
lMet near the Rankin block a man who
!ol~ me hard luck yarn, said he was
allgry and bescugnt a quarter to fill
alm up. Truth to say, | was short just
that amount and Informed him kindly of
Ja4t fact. Still he persisted that | must
nave some loose coins about me. By
'1a-by we arrived opposite the Lindsey
House and told my friend he had bet
f4r .rn yhot h. -
alleviate his hunger, and there left him,
standlng t., on the sidewalk, cycling the
aotel. When got down to Five Kilns,
:oung, and 10 and behold it was my
friend. How he got there l cannot tell.
Angrily he said: 81 can't fool any
longer with you! l know you are the
eapt-in of the Greyhound and you al
ways have money. Now shell out. !"
In my overcoat pocket l had very
large meerschaum pipe in a case.
pulled it out, stuck it close to his head
ana said
II scatter your brains over ten
acre lot if you don't get going.''
! am not sure but he is still going.
You have read of the notorious Capt.
kldd, the robber of the seas, who all
along the coast from Portsmouth to
tastport, buried vast sums of money
ana valuables. Judge James Roberts
came into possession of chart and
specltlcations showing where treasures
Of kidd's were buried at Dark Harbor,
vest side Bay of Fundy. Capt. Ezra
turner of Isle-auH aut, Judge Roberts
and Samuel t. Pcase chartered the
1reyhound for treasure hunting expe-
AtIon. We easily found the described
marks, cut in large granite boulder on
The shore. We carefully measured the
distance given on the chart, but nc
buried treasure turned up. We visited
the homes of several of the natives, in
41n1ng if they had ever heard of Kidd
being in that harbor. One old lady OF
ABOUT 80 years related the story of Kidd
beng there, and that many years after.
ward man accidentally found a large
copper kettle fun of gold and treasures.
Mr. Pease sun lives at Vinalhaven.
yet him to tell you the particulars.
DO you know Charlie Roberts Of
smalhaven? He Sometimes was cook
Tor Capt. Greed and myself on the Grey.
mound. Black Charlie up, give him 6
set Of bones" and no darkey on earth
could excel him. Charlie once did me 6
mean trick. We gave an entertainment
Al "nlcn several OF US used the burnt
cork. The night was dark and foggy
When the show broke up. looked fol
my girl but could not find her. Yor
may have some idea of fellows feel
inngs when his best girl had vamoosed.
Oharlie had taken her. He initiated my
Voice and she never found out the mis-
take until nearly home. l never laid il
up against Charlie-''them were the
happy days." Some of your Vinalhaven
readers remember the dances we had uI
al Uncle Jimmy Smiths. Sometimes
SSney would last three days and nights
some would 60 home and come back
again, and others stick to the ship unit
the show was over.
=, am told they don't dance now as in
nose days. We had square dances
reels. waltzes and fore and alters.
haven't been to dance or theater fol-
over 30 Years Some will aau I havf