The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1917-11-08
A Native of Dead River


Wyman Jr. I have been told he was
man of large stature and OF great
strength and activity; good man,
and just in all his dealings He
married Miss Mary Wills, beautiful
young maiden, in every way suitable
mate for such a man. Two children
were born to them, myself and a
brother two years younger. 1t was
happy family while it existed but
1t was soon broken up. That good
man and woman, so well suited for
each other, both died OF pneumonia in
the same year. My mother in April
and my father in September, before
| was five years old in December. We
two little children were left with no
parents to teach, guide and take care
OF US.
My fathers estate was settled and
there remained after all the bills were
paid two thousand four hundred dol
lars (S2400). A guardian was APP
pointed who took charge OF the prop
erty and also we two little boys. How
that guardian performed his duties
and how kind he was to we little fell
lows, | need say no word. We lived
at our grandfather's until we we're
considered old enough to work. |
was eight and my brother six, when
our guardian had us taken to his
brothers place to live. This brother
was a great big man and a great big
bully. He possessed a large farm
and fiery temper. We little fellows
were kept there a year and half We
were compelled to work in the fields
as many hours day as the men did,
and then do lots of chores, and that
tyrant whipped us enough in that year
and half, to thresh out fifty bushels
of pinched wheat Those whippngs
did no good, further than gratifying
the whipper, for we were naturally
good boys. When we had been al
lowed the privilege of enjoying all
those blessings one and one half
years. our grandfather Wyman came
and took us to his home, and we lived
with him until we were fourteen years
old Our guardian had nothing furth-
er to do with us When | arrived at
the age of fourteen, ! got a good man
to go with me to the Probate office Gt
was then at Norridgewock) He and
| Tic tAcSlSttl lOOheu lHt IeCOIuS ONtl
and ascertained that of the $4,000 left
| by my father but $4,000 remained.
The guardian and bondsmen had eth
er died or failed up and the property
was all gone.
Mr. White, one of the neighhors,
wanted me to work for him lie
would send me to school three months
and pay me fifty dollars for year.
gladly accepted his offer, remaining
with him thru the year. Mr. White
and wife were good people, always
kind, and helped me in many ways.
have always respected them. The
next summer | was about in that vi
/ entity but always at work
had a cousin Dan Wyman. We
were the same age, had been brought
up in the same neighborhood and had
always been good friends and chums
| His father had been dead several
years. His mother had remarked
and gone West. So Dan was his own
master. He was good lad and we'll
| liked. The next winter after | got
thru at Mr. Whites. Dan and | worked
with man who had been mackerel
! fishing several seasons He told fine
| stories about il. so Dan and | con-
cluded we would try mackereling too
The next March, we lit out and went
to Boston. On arriving there We
| found we were six weeks too early for
mackerellers to he fitting out. There
was a chance to ship on a whaler for
| a long voyage. We were bound to go
| somewhere, so we went on the whaler
| Dan and | were at sea a long time
and saw lots of the world but finally
knocked off and returned home in sea-
son to go into the Union Army in the
War of The Rebellion. We served in
the army all thru the war, and l was
in the Regular Army little more
than a year and half after Lee sur
| rendered. | then returned to Maine
and was in Somerset county most of
| the time during the next few years.
In 1872 ! married Augusta Williams
| daughter of the late Lemuel Williams
Esq. of North Arson She is with
me yet, the same good girl that | mar
ried more than fifty-fve years ago.
Soon after our marriage we came to
this part of the country and located at
Lancaster. y. II. Lancaster is one
of the very prettiest villages in New
England. II has population of from
300 to 5000 | commenced business
as builder and provided myself with
all necessary books on construction.
Also studied books on architecture,
and took lessons in drafting. per
sued those studies diligently and at
the end of three years I was consider
ed a master of the business, as archi-
tect and builder. The next thirty
years or more my business was mas
ter builder or supervising architect
and | had a good many large jobs,
Among others was the Mt. Washington
Hotel in the White Mountains. A two
million dollar affair. | was not the
chief architect. He was big fell
low from New York and furnished the
general plans. but not the details or
working plans | was foreman of
the workmen and had to make all the
working, and many OF the detail plans
1t was a two years job, The last
large job | was on, was at Hanover.
y. II. building the new Dartmouth
Hall for the college people. 1t is a
fine building. Before it was COM
pleted the contractors Mead & Ma
son of Boston, contracted to build
$4,000 dwelling for one of the college
Processes professor Wills and had
to superintend that also. I then, in
1906. came to the conclusion that
had done my part in the building bust
ness and would let some younger man
than L. take my place. So | quit
building and returned to Lancaster,
and soon after arriving there diSnOSed