The Republican journal., 1915-10-14
"reminiscences of a Seafarer.
Shipbuilding in the Early Day at Stockton,
Standpoint and Deer Isle.


Standpoint and Deer Isle.
When our folks had moved down from
Massachusetts to the district of Maine
one of their early industries became
shIpbuilding, in small way. Many CT
the coast villages soon had its shlpyard
along the beach. The vessels were not
large nor graceful; but later on they in.
creased the size and improved upon
model and lines.
Among otner places, Stockton and
Standpoint had become ambitious and
very ingenious building places about the
time of the Civil War, and as ketch of
the names and career of the fleets built
there would now be interesting. Those
places produced many of the most
staunch and graceful vessels of medium
size to be found on any seas. Brics and
banks, generally employed in the West
India and Atlantic trades. The brig
Nigretta was one of the finest looking
vessels ever saw, and also the Arthur
Eglesso.
In 1865 there was fine brig launched
at Standpoint that shot across and caught
on Otom's Ledge, where she hung up by
the middle through one low tide. with
but little injury, l believe. l think the
vessels were largely owned in the places
which gave them birth, though probably
but few OF them, when once away, ever
returned to their native homes.
The brig H. Houston was named for
minister who afterward came from San
dypoint church to Deer Isle and preach
ed there for many years. His voice and
bearing was the most kingly of any
handsome man ever saw in pulpit. l
believe the brig was built by deacon,
and was named for minister, and at
one time commanded by minister's
son, she was sometimes called the "Con-
gregationalist church.
happen to have ancestral reasons for
nv interest in Standpoint and It's ore
time shipping. My great grandmother
Haskell was Dorothy Shute. 1t was
long, long way for the young man to go
accounting, in boat, but he captured
his bride and brought her to Deer Isle,
where they reared considerable family
in the good old severe way-in terror Of
the Lord and in hatred of the devil. My
grandfather was the baby of the brood.
All the boys. by Inheritance, became
mixtures of builder and master mariner.
1t took but little ready money in those
days to build vessels. But it did require
energy. industry and perseverance.
Grandfather named one vessel ''Perse-
verance."
Every chip of wood for hull and spars
was cut from their own nearby lands.
Fine, old-growth timberlands, which had
been decided to their grandfather Dy the
State of Massachusetts for about dol
lar an acre. And, by the way, the home
of the writer of these Ines stands upon
some of that cheap land which has never
been bought or sold except through lin
cal deed or inheritance down to this sixth
generation. The better class of work
men-laboring in summer fifteen hours
day-took shares in the vessels for their
pay. Merchants of Boston furnished all
"top-bils" on time until the vessels
earnings could pay them.
Previous to 1912 they built two ships,
side by side, carrying the enormous car
goes for those days, of nearly two hun
dred tons each. One of them foundered
off the coast of Ireland when loaded with
English iron and other hardware. There
was a popular song made from the story:
how lady passenger
worked at the pumps.
Her precious life to save"
At the age of seventeen | was before
the mast in the Lorena, built in Stock
ton Harbor, perhaps the largest vessel
ever built there, and commanded by
Emery Berry. She was fine, new craft
and Capt. Berry was good man, though
nervous and sharp of speech. Guss Pat
terson was the mate young, long
legged, bright fellow and a worker!
Afternoon watch below? Never!
One morning it was my wheel when
pelican roasted on the weather mainyard
arm. The old man fired half dozen
shots at the big bird from a new revol-
yer with no other effect than slight
hutter of wing and surprised look.
Some years afterward | was introduced
to Capt. Berry, and in conversation l
remarked that l was at his wheel when
he tried to shoot pelican off the main
yard with toy gun. He looked me
over-up and down and cross wise-a
asked if were the boy who caught the
batten; and by that l knew he remem-
bered me.
In those days it was common enough
for all ships to have the spawn of future
captains in the forecastle; hence it was
nothing new for an older master to again
meet with his one-time saiors-perhaps
one whom he had sometime cuffed over
the wheel-after the boy himself had be-