Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-01-03

1 n A~S" As"A -
| earth.
| O, waken We children Of men, and behold
| The wonderful things the year will unfold,
| And take We your portion of darkness or light
| TIL as an Old Year it bids you "good night"
! Dear Mutual Friends:
To each and all, wish to say sincere
| s.thank you" for the many seasons greet
ings, and codial good wishes conveyed
| to me in 30 many ways. II l am not able
| to respond to each personally right away,
do not think your remembrance OF me is
not appreciated, for 1 always have you all
in mind.
You will all be sorry to hear Dell is
| having 80 much trouble with her eyes
| that she cannot use them either to read
or write. We hope to hear very soon that
she Is much better. We want her well
enough to enjoy that golden wedding
| which she has been anticipating.
| Do you know 5. J. Y. has been away on
an outing, and after the holidays and
after she gets settled down from her trip
have no doubt she will tell US about her
trip to Boston and other places, and her
! impressions OF Billy Sunday.
Esther attended State grange. / have
an idea she may tell us about some OF the
addresses and interesting features Of that
gathering.
One who was interested in our column
passed away not long ago, OF whom in
tended to make mention. Some OF you
knew personally Capt. NJ. v. B. Babbidge,
| who in the past, has remembered US with
letters.
wonder sometimes il New Years res
There is so much that is new nowadays
"modern" is the word / should use, l
suppose-that sometimes we are in doubt
as to what of the old is still preserved.
Standing between the old and the new,
those no can look back two generations
before their own and see one generation
and almost two succeeding them, have an
opportunity to understand the real pro-
gress OF improvements.
An aged grandfather reads his one
weekly paper by the light OF a single
candle which he holds in one hand and
with which he follows the lines OF print
back and forth.
The next generation, in addition to
candles, uses sperm oil IN lamps with
round wicks, and the little tubes through
which the wicks are placed have tiny
'.windows" in the side in which one can
insert a pin or small scissors point and
shoist" the wick a bit higher, il it does
not smoke too much. No chimneys to
those lamps.
Then ''fiuid" was used by those brave
enough to risk an explosion. The light
was put out by dropping cap over the
wick, the cap being hung by short chain
to the top of the lamp. ''Kerosene" was
source of some anxiety at first, but with
its soft light produced by ''ground
glass" chimney it was considered ''the
best yet," only that expression had not
then been coined.
A little later gas was illuminating our
wsy-now electricity lights even many of
the smaller towns, and we are wondering,
what next!
Can't you see that every generation has
Its "modern improvements"
The New Years magazines are full OF
good things ''too numerous to mention"
The american Magas,ne, as usual, con-
tains much information. Those living on
r. F. d. routes will be interested in an
article entitled "a Wonderful Question
Answerer." 1t says William J. Spillman
is the father confessor of the r. f. DIS.
He has bigger acquaintance on rural free
delivery routes than any man in the
United States. Those who know him look
on him as q sort Of helping hand society,
SO that he is both well and popularity
known.
Spillman is chief of the office of farm
management in the bureau OF plant in
dustry at the department Of agriculture.
He gets more mail than the President Of
the United States. His province is to
answer questions. He knows more than
any man in the country about how to
make the farm pay; SO he does not run .
farm, but tell others how. He knows just
what to do in any part of the United
States.
Spiliman has to have some 800 assistants
to help him get out the answers to the
questions sent.
few years ago man wrote Spillman,
telling all about his farming operations
over period OF good many years, and
said he didn't seem able to piacs himself
Sloan's Imminent for stir .yoipts