The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-06-05
whatever he was attempting to play

gan 10 SCION are lHHuIleld pio' INV
of the best of these is related by Hor-
ace Spear, who was a boy at the time
of its occurrence, and who recalls
with pride that he was a member OF
Uncle Isaac's Orchestra" of which
more will be said later One evening
in the fall, the mischievous youngsters
of the neighborhood had gathered, ac-
cording to custom, in a little store
then kept at the Center by Grin Black
we'll Not one of these boys but had
more apples at home than he could
possibly eat, but someone suggested
that ii was a good evening to pick ap-
pies and that somebody had better go
to a neighboring orchard and get a
supply of a particular delectable vari-
ETY.. All Joined in the project. includ-
ing Isaac, and the orchard visited was
on the farm of Charles Sawyer. now
owned by G. b. Fairgrieve. Accord
ing to a plan previously agreed upon.
(but with which. of course. Isaac had
not been acquainted) Mr.. Young was
! induced to climb a tree which was
/ heavily fruited with magnificent
Macintosh Red apples. The boys
were very foxy, and kept urging
Isaac to climb higher, to get some par
| ticularly juicy fruit which grew to-
ward the skyward end of the larger
/ branches. Isaac who was nothing II
not accommodating readily followed
this instruction. When they had got
ten him about as high as he could go,
and had been induced to load his peck
cts, and a meal bag which he carried
to OVERLOOKING there was a sudden
alarm Somebody had discovered that
there were thieves in the orchard
and the supposedly angry owner. bear
ing a lantern and a shot gun. came
rushing in. Of course the boys at the
foot OF the tree knew there would
be no blood shed. but Isaac who had
not been informed in the matter sup
posed that he was in peril of immedi-
ate destruction. Farmer Sawyer blaZ-
ed away Unto the air. OF course) a
couple of shots. and set up yell
which would have terrified a Black
foot Indian. Isaac was so frightened
that he came down, crashing through
the branches. bag and all. but on strik-
ing the ground made the quickest get
away OF which he was capable. His
escape took a direction toward the
lake, for a little patch OF woods near
by, on land formerly owned by Arthur
knight and now the property OF Wes-
ley Butterfield The perpetrators OF
i the joke, other than the owner OF the
j orchard, followed lesurely along the
roadside within hearing of Mr..
Young's frantic dash through the I'M
derbrush and within hearing of his
putting and blowing. He was pur-
pOsely allowed to elude his "infurat-
ed pursuer, and later on returned to
the store where, of course, by this
time all his comrades "in crime had
assembled. They had not been there
long before Mr.. Sawyer, gun in one
hand and foot rule in the other
came in, and in loud and rather an
cry voice, said that his orchard had
been robbed. the branches broken in
his favorite Macintosh apple tree,
and that he was in search Of the guilty
/ party or course, no one confessed,
and Mr.. Sawyer announced that he
| had measured the footprints made by
! the man who had fled toward the lake,
and he proposed to see if these meas
urements corresponded with the boots
worn by anyone in the store. In or
/ der to make the joke more effective
and the suspense more marked Isaac
was the last one approached for meas
urement. He showed good deal OF
agitation while this process was going
on, and before his turn arrived claim
ed to have important business at the
Hayden home where he was boarding.
He came back, however, but during
his absence he had chopped the heels
off of both his boots thinking, no
doubt in this way. to throw Mr. Saw
yer off his track In his efforts at de-
lection. Mr. Sawyer measured Isaac's
boot, which was found to cores pond
exactly with the imprint which he had
found in the soft places where he had
followed the trail from his orchard.
Notwithstanding this seemingly con-
elusive evidence" Mr. Young refused
to confess. He was good deal alarm
ed nevertheless, at the situation of
the case, aud left the neighborhood
to sojourn in other parts OF the coun-
try for several months. Bye and bye,
he doubtless felt that the danger of
life Imprisonment had passed. and re
AS to the orchestra above mention
ed, 1t should be said that Madison Cen
ter was the scene of a great deal of
musical activity In those days. The
young people concerned in the above
episode and others devoted tireless
hours to the study of orchestral and
band instruments and really did some
very creditable work. They liked to
humor Isaac in his idea that he was
the leader of the local orchestra and
the band and would often get him to
keep time or play the first violin, as
a little relief and diversion from their
studies. Isaac particularly enjoyed be-
ing assigned the duty Of drum major.
He would be furnished with a club of
monstrOus size as a baton, and would
march ahead with antics which would
bring roars Of laughter from anyone,
even the most grave and sober Madi-
son Center in those days was the
scene Of Fourth OF July celebrations.
and other large gatherings, participat-
ed in by people from all over Central
Somerset. These were days OF glory
for Isaac The band would assemble
at the Hayden Farm and would usual
ly march from there to the lake, Isaac
In the lead He would be so interest
ed that the band might halt, and he
would keep on for a half mile be-
fore he discovered that he was not
followed.
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