The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-09-05
Incidents OF Past Years Recalled by
Sale of Russell Place

him. The place thus disposed of
was built by him in 1893. he doing
practically all the work This was
the third house which he had built for
his own occupancy One of the other
two was the Cushing house on Madi-
son avenue, which he built in about
the year 1851 Here he lived for six
years This is the two story house
on the left hand side of Madison
avenue Just above the Viles place.
For the past 20 years, it has been
the home Of Mrs Mary c. Brainard
and family II takes its name from
the late George Cushing, who lived
there for about ten years preceding
1881
Another house built by Mr. Russell
was in Maiden, Mass, where he lived
for twenty years, going there in about
1870 He bought the lot for the Lea
witt street place from Col. W. r. G.
Estes. The lot for the Madison ave-
nue. home was purchased OF Bben H
Neal.
Mr.. Russell's brother, Charles B.
Russell of Maiden worked with him
on the Cushing house and lived there
for few years. He also made his
home with his brother in the Maiden
residence for quite time. Charles
Russell recalls that Columbus Arnold
built the chimneys in the Cushing
house The older generation will re-
call Mr. Arnold, whose home was, for
time just off Madison avenue, and
in recent years, tas been owned and
occupied by Nat dcQuillan and fam
lily. Fuller Eddy did the plastering
in the Cushing house, as Charles b.
Russell now recalls. MIR Eddy lived
for many years on Pleasant street in
the Moses Littlefield house. This is
the one story structure which sets
high up on the bank just to the west
to recall that In the days when we
had a curfew bell, Mr.. Eddy was the
bell ringer for several years. The
Methodist bell for part of the time
at least, was employed and was rung
at 7 a. m. and p. m. Al eare-free
youth OF those days, now carrying the
years which have since elapsed, tells
story of keeping company with a
young woman who lived over on the
South side Her father was stern,
unnecessarily so his daughter and her
companion believed. Looked at from
the lapse of time, however, hiss-paren-
tai solicitude may be viewed az about
right At any rate, he used to insist
that his daughter arrive home before
the nine O'Clock curfew bell stopped
ringing. Uncle Eddy used to keep it
going for about two minutes. and Of
tentimes the young woman referred
to and her companion would make a
sprint, on the last end OF their jour
ney home, to reach the doorstep be-
fore the bell stopped ringing.
This piece has wandered away,
somewhat, from the story which it
started out to tell, and may as well
stray a little further Mr.. Russell,
last above referred to, worked for a
couple of years in the Office of the
Somerset Telegraph, one of the prede-
cessors Of the independents Reporter.
The owner and editor at that time was
Joseph L. Patten, whose widow, for
merly Miss Lizzie Scates of Winthrop
still lives, in Brooklyn, N. Y. OF
course, the composing in those days
was all done by hand. Mr.. Russell
recalls that the proprietor offered
him a premium of 81 for every galley
(about a column that he would set
without an error. Mr.. Russell furth
er recalls that he rarely If ever sue
ceeded in landing this premium. 1t
may be said that, in the present day,
when the composing is largely done
by machinery, a column without an
error of any kind Is only possible
when the machine is working per-
fectly and the operator Is of the most
skillful sort The same prize as that
offered by the editor in the sixties
could be put up at the present day
without becoming a great expense to
the publisher Among Mr. Russelps
duties, was that of selling the paper
after it had been printed, and he used
to start out with copies under his
arm in regular newsboy style. Rum
or has it that Mr.. Russell did not
take as his LIES partner the first
Skowhegan girl with whom he fell
in love. The story does not tell
why, and probably the two parties
concerned have cherished this as a
secret between them through all
these years. Both married; one is
now a widow and the other a widower.
Friendly interest has tried to con-
clude the story by having them con-
clude the romance of those early
days. While this would be happy
ending from a novelist's standpoint,
ot prncap+ n does not seem likely 70