The Republican journal., 1915-08-19

Nh landing suggested that | write
Int Old homes or the Castine Press.
.-.c5a women's perversity | changed
subject. So please be prepared to
H." r,r. I'M in Abner Lees old stage-coach
=. ,eq sailor 5 tavern, The Green Dragon,
Voter street, and sit out on the dilap-
.s... ,erandah while you sun yourself
.e- real the local items from the Castine
Is-str-. Perhaps your attention may be
:svr rom the newspaper by the stories
:Ir- spanish Main told by that swarthy
5,,m-Jese sailor sitting there at your
--y bis gold earrings dangling and his
,,,ur myers weaving Turk 's-head out
:; r7r. As ne spins his sea yarns. Or you
r,r rss in the Castine Eagle there on
Nv fab The terrifying fact that bears are
common numerous this year, from one
- +5a- raying been seen at one time in
he corn ield.
Since Brete Harte gave to American
+.r,ure uba Bill' the western stage
,v-l bas had an immortal fame. In
Tsrscrsr sketches of the extreme South,
rs still inds the stage-drlver an impor-
s-t factor. Years ago he figured largely
a,-ar jn the Eastern States. But now
ss p5rtlon of our fine country has been
III thoroughly intersected by railroads,
ay. only in remote corners OF States
NJ. Name and Vermont that an old-fasn-
,-a stage route is found. With the de-
-2rtur5 Of the numbering e-coach,
,a idea prevails that the genuine old
esre,5river with his quaint sayings de-
-srtaI also
he ragular mail of Castine has been
srr75 only by stage line since the
-srr late of 1898, when George Russell,
,s1riy citizen, carried the mail on foot,
mes week, from Castine to St. George
md atermediate places. We wonder if
d went barefooted in the summer
nmtls. If so, he must have punished
Unset severely climbing up "Hard-
.natbIe" with all it's sharp and rolling
stones He carried the mail, at first,
Ne. Qp in a bright yellow handkerchief.
T3 near that his business increased to
gcn iegree that he was at last obliged
nlse saddle-bags. The authority does
not state whether he then had a horse or
aiie1 himself with the bags.
The earliest mail from Castine to the
aNern part of the State was car
Nj from Passamaquoddy, by Machias,
5ldsooro, Sullivan, Trenton and Blue
bill u Penobscot and back again over
Toe same route by John Grindell of Sedg-
9.s. once in two weeks. This was in
-5and the contract is still in existence.
L, was paid at the rate of S84. so per
usrr OF year. He carried the mail
q small boat along shore, and owing
I'll storms was often delayed in the
sv--y Of the mail. Yet l doubt not
that descendants of this same Mr..
ga.- forgetting his delinquencies,
1g gumble if the stage is half an hour
IT, 7st mail to Ellsworth, that has
-ar p nembered, was taken by Mr..
sT-f ZEE of Castine. He at first, in a
~-4. r4l of style, drove pair of horses,
- was fated to lose one of them.
several years after he drove with a
gs and heifer harnessed together.
4 s team must certainly have present
A aoy-i appearance. One can almost
i @.lre him driving up to the steps OF
M Esworth tavern with this odd pair,
INC with final crack of his whip, blast
Gls norm, and a jerk at the reins show
4 lG tas PAGES of his horse and heifer to
ls asmiring gaze of the eXpectant pub
4 which even in those days was won't to
What will a Yankee think OF
@u.'
q Ing Hrst regular mail carried from
@cl0s to Bucksport was in 1919, and ii
Vas taken by Benjamin F. Stearns.
4 Dayd Howe, ESQ.,, was the postmaster
y ysstlne then the was appointed 1900,
I record. We cannot tell whether he was
& Repubican or a Democrat; probably
Il aefs We're then nearly as many applicants
y E the position under government as
2ets are nowadays for similar position.
stage on a letter to Boston at this
ire Was twenty-five cents. The frs
la mail to Castine was inauguratee
@14 time during the month of February
A-' The exact date when the mail was
y'ill5d by the different stage driver
rave been unable to discover.
Daniel Robinson of Bucksport is re
'ited as having driven over the rout'
IL F'Teen Castine and Bucksport every
u @ Sundays excepted) for thirtyfiv'
q ssfS- When the time was up he mus
s,e felt like an old stager. Old MAJ
q aHehal was another celebrated stage
1Eef who did excellent work for thu
II az service.
-'s stage-driver of earlier days wht
-hs to i've brightest in the memory O
q s'sSi2e people was one John Poland. HI
\ lsaorted as being young, tall, slim, darl
=. Lan1Snma He was considered" hrlph