Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-07-25

iAlNE, TUESDAY,, J
his neighbors the Great Eastern. b
was engaged In the lumber business 9
we'll a farming during all the years q
, bis residence on the Asgallowsy, an
drove his own team In winter, drawin
timber from the woods, after bis recov
cry from the sickness before mentioned
: when he was moro than eighty years old
His oldest son, Thomas, who va
larger than his father, and the stronges
man on the river, never, ~ far a. hi
neighbors knew, employed his grea
strength to any important purpose. Al
ter commencing life for himself, wit
farm, q house, and an industrious wife
be suddenly disappeared from the coun
try, and % far as the writer Of this eve
knew, never was heard of afterward. NJ
memorial Of him now reDaius on tn
river, save the walled excavation, nov
in the midst OF the forest, which wa
once the cellar of his humble abode. Hi
4 mysterious absence dates from about tn
year 1S46.
| In striking contrast with the athletic
pioneers last noticed, another Of tn
heroic number now claims our attention
who In weight and in stature hardly ex
lceeded the ordinary boy of twelve years
his greatest height during life being
hardly five feet, but what he lacked II
physical proportions was more thar
made up in certain quality commonly
called "grit," which was nothing lest
than phenomenal and wonderful. Thii
was Alvsn Wilson, of Westbrook. Maine
He bad formerly been . cabip-boy, Of
sailor before the mast, on a c0asting yes
sci. and no amount Of 0ld-time sailor
rufianism could intimidste or subdut
the desperate temper, when aroused, oi
this puny grandson and greatgrandson
of two who served in the great struggle
for American Independence.
Arriving on the Magalloway In 1881
he applied himself vigorously to clearing
| up farm on It's western shore, some
three miles below the falls, built log
house, married one of the fair daughters
of the patriarch Richard Lombard, and
commenced career Of industry, pros
perity and usefulness, which terminated
only with his we'll extended life. He
was q man of extensive reading, and
compass Of intellect;-a citizen Of the
world, rather than of the obscure hamlet
where his lot was cast, and to the up
building OF which he faithfully contrib.
uted. He was chiefly instrumental In
the erection of the first covered bridge
across the river, connecting the Maine
and New Hampshire settlements; and
was SUCCESSFULLY clerk, assessor and
treasurer Of the plantation for many
years. The writer of this has the state.
ment from his own lips, that 1t was ct
his suggestion that the article was
written and sent to the Portland Adver-
tiser, which led to the building Of the
Atlantic & st. Lawrence (now Grand
Trunk) railroad.
Mr.. Wilson was an instance OF great
disparity between body and mind. His
intellect and manly dignity lowered
above bis diminutive person, like Charles
the Great over his dwarf parent, Pepin
le Bref. his soul was not circumscribed
| by the circuit of mountains around his
rural home, or by the ocean bounds of
bis dear native country. The loss of the
beloved wife OF bis early days, and after
ward of his only and promising son, who
fell valiantly In the great civil war, were
bereavements from which he never re.
covered. He died In 1888. at the age of
seventy five, being succeeded In his es-
tate by a married daughter, the sole
solace and comforter of his declining
years.
Captain John NJ. Wilson, uncle OF the
preceding and native OF the same town,
commenced business on the Magalloway
near the year 1929, but made no perma.
nent settlement there until five years
later. Attracted thither by the prevail.
ing timberland speculation of the times,
he engaged arduously therein, and soon
having the entire township at his dis
posal, Immediately commenced opera
tions for the manufacture of the valuable
pine timber with which the territory
then abounded. Having located farm
and residence on the west shore of the
river near the foot of the falls, he
straightway began the erection of saw
mill and stone dam, which last being car
ried away before completion by sudden
freshet, was replaced by q dam of logs
which proved permanent barrier and
conserver of the tremendous waterpower
ut that point.
In 1912 he erected q grist mill on the
opposite shore and the following year,
his saw mill having been burned by the
gross carelessness of neighbor who
had been entrusted Herewith, be imme-
diately rebuilt the same, from which he
supplied for many years the increasing
demand for building material in all the
surrounding region.
At about this time, by an article pub
lished In the Portland Weekly Adver.
tiser, be aroused public attention to the
project of railroad from the Atlantic to
the st. Lawrence, and Mr.. John A. Poor
of Portland, being Representative that
year, seized and embodied the idea in
bill which was presented to, and passed
by the General Court OF Maine, granting
charter for o railroad from Portland to
Canada line, which action being recipro-
Gated on the part OF the Canadian Par
lament, preparations for building imme.
distely commenced.
Captain Wilson himself piloted
through tho vast wilderness between bis
home and Canada, late in the autumn Of
1874, the first expedition for the survey
of route for said railroad, intending II
possible to have the valley of the hagal-
lowsy adopted - the great international
thoroughfare. This experience at that
season of the year, of traversing, through
foot of crusted snow, an unknown and
trackless wilderness moro than fifty
miles in extent, With only such provis.
ions a. they could carry on their backs,
and the crew meanwhile on the verge Of
mutiny, fearing they were lost and
would stsrve to death, this, Mr.. Wilson
considered one of the most trying ex.
periences OF his pioneer life.
The next year he piloted similar ex-
pedition, but with less hardship, through
the valley of the Connecticut, but In
these, a. In many subsequent efforts
toward opening up bis adopted wilder
ness country, he Was doomed to grievous
disappointment.
His next enterprise for home improve.
| ment was the location Of q carriage road
thence, east OF Umbagog Lake, to the
| nearest town beyond, and the building
| on its route, of the flrst and only bridge,
ever built over the inlet Of said lake;
this project also, - far 10 related to the
road, failed through the opposition Of
| local tax payers, and to this day the only
exit for the isolsted Magallowsy commu-
nifty is by water, or down the west shore
OF the river TO Enrol, N. 81.