The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1917-03-22
The Crocketts of Winterport.

scription given. l felt sure would be
more than ordinarily interesting to me.
With this feeling of confidence in the
statements made l enclosed my check
for the subscription price in advance,
which it was claimed was made neces-
sary by lack of funds with which to
meet the terms of the publishers.
never had an opportunity for a careful
mental digestion of the contents of this
book, Gan Old River Town." until this
present winter, and am simply amazed
at the stupidity or carelessness, not to
in the prospectus, which was held out as
an inducement to its confding patrons.
The author claimed that this book would
be comprehensive, complete and au-
thentic history of the town of Winter.
port, and in this respect the book, from
my standpoint, was and is most dis
NAL failure. As a single illustration of
this fact l would name an incident OF
which the book relates on page IS, thus:
1t sometimes seems as if captains
were born not made when we read of
these experiences.
Years ago when the cabin boy and
he could sail a vessel from Rockland to
Stockton the answer was yes The
boy was twelve, his brother of eight
acted as mate, and probably no man has
rough voyage than those two little chaps
when they had steered the Ceylcn safely
into Stockton harbor. Sailing papers
he had none, but from that day there
could be no question to his title. Today
no part of coastwise waters is unknown
to him, he has owned long list of YES
sells, and now when ne has retired can
look back over life of faithful service,
free from accidents and always attended
by good luck. -
Now here is related one of the most
remarkable stories that ] have ever
known, and every word which the au
thor has chosen to say upon this subject
is absolutely true; but why did the au-
thor not tell the readers of this book the |
facts which lead up to this wonderful
display of efficiency and courage exer
cised by these skilfuI and intrepid young
mariners The facts in this case Mr.. |
Editor, are these: Capt. Thomas Crock
EFT, one of the most fearless and success
full captains who ever walked the deck |
of any vessel, at this period in his life
lived in Stockton and be owned the yes
sci mentioned in this story, the "Cey-
lon,' which was at Rockland. Capt
Crockett had bought another vessel,
which he proposed to take to Stockton,
and he asked these little sons of his if
they thought they could take the Ceylon
to Stockton. They assured him that
there was no doubt in their minds of
their ability to do it and they did it.
These two little boys were named, re-
spectively, George w. Crockett and
Charles A. Crockett. and both now re-
side in Winterport and have done so for
half century. Both have remarkable
records as captains of their own vessels
Capt. Geo. W. Crockett, the older of the
two boys, has record of over 500 round
trips in his own sailing vessel from Ban
gor to Boston. His brother, Capt. Chas.
A. Crockett, has followed him close
second in his remarkable maritime ex-
plots as master of a vessel and just how
and why the author of "An Old River
Town" should have so far lost sight of
the alluring promises which were made
in the prospectus as to consider her book
complete without mentioning the names
of these captains to whom have refer
red | cannot understand, for certainly
no such work could be properly over
looked.
History tells US that Capt. Geo. W.
Crockett had vessel built for him in
Stockton, Me-, and named after his
wife, 'M. L. Crockett" Not great
while ago the daily papers had a long
article commenting upon the wonderful
experiences of Capt. Crockett's life.
A few weeks ago, while visiting friends
and relatives in Boston anu. ,~~'
towns, Capt. Chas. A. Crockett came
across an old resident of Hampden,
Capt. Albert Dean, who in the course of
the conversation expressed surprise that
the book, can Old River Town." made
no mention of the brilliant achievements
of the Crockett family as successful nav
igators Of the river and coast of Maine.
Capt. Chas. A. Crockett has, indeed
very remarkable record as a successful
skipper. In this connection might be
named the vessels which Capt. Crockett
managed very satisfactorily, and among
them was the Hockanom, the schooner
President and the schooner Henry Clay.
The next was the schooner Emma"
named after the Captains wife, and also
built for him in Stockton by the firm of
Mudgett, Libbey and Griffin. A large
party was launched upon the vessel,
which comprised the most prominent
people in Stockton, among them the
shpbuiiders' families and friends, max
ino a nartv of ahout 40 neonla with