Oxford Democrat., 1920-06-01
Here and There.

A railroad station Is always an inter-
esting place, especially on the arrival of
trains. South Paris station 10 no excep-
tion to this rule Stepping on the plat
form one instinctively cocks up his
weather ear for any sign of the approach
ing visitor. Yes, II can be heard. The
molecules of even the strongly cohesive
steel rails rattle about and make a faint
hum, and in the air the more volatile
outrush of steam sounds q stronger
o-o-o-me, o-o-o-me, O-me, ONE as the
locomotive whistles for the Stanton
Crossing down in Oxford, or some other
crossing further down. Through the
windows of the station sits the telegraph
operator with far away expression on
his face, thinking, perhaps, where last
years dollars have gone to, or his girl
over In Pinhook, or some other place.
The telegraph instruments tick OF the
Morse code like q swarm of industrious
insects, yet he pays no attention until
there comes q call just like the others
only different, when he wakes up, sits
up, writes few words, pulls round the
telephone transmitter on the long tube
and speaks into it words something like
this: Number Thirteen (t-h-i-r.t-e e-p),
engine 207 two s-e-v-e-D), west, has
right Of way to Brysnt's Pond (B.r-y-
ants Pond according to Rule Blank,
where 1t will cross Number Four (t-o-u-r)
engine Ala f-o-u.r to-u-r-te-e-n), east
South Paris OPERATOR" or some other
combination Of numbers or places. Then
the train comes In. The brakeman de.
scends to the platform, helps out every
body who needs help and dozens who do
not but who might be mad II they were
not helped, there Is so much force In
custom; then he reverses the operation
and yells "Trsin for Bethel, Island Pond
and Montreal" The conductor comes
from the telegraph Office with two slips
OF written tissue paper, one folded and
wound around the second finger Of his
left hand, and the other which he gives
to the engineer. This is their authority
for right Of way. Ooe can be sorry for
any stray COW, automobile or wild en-
gine that gets in the way and Is reduced
into component parts, but as long as
these slips of paper remain the utility
commission cannot but decide they were
not In their proper places and have
simply "got what was coming to them"
With this issue of the Democrat, June
arrives-the month of roses, weddings,
sweet girl graduates and presidential
candidates, and there are about as many
of the latter as the former. Every sec
tiOn of the country seems to have one,
unless 1t may be Oxford County. There
Is something in common about these, in
asmuch ss all of them are in love-most
Of them with themselves-snd theolo-
thing in the world. II can make q man
a saint, fool, hypocrite or combination
of the three, so perhaps the campaign
may induce somebody to love bis coun-
try and thus be patriot; anyway, this
year, we can all be pay-triots and il we
riot much in food, clothing or Injuries
we shall probably have to pay enough.
Within fortnight, four bird-hunters
OF Newburyport, Mass, have reported to
the state ornithologist, Edward b. For
bush, that they have seen and positively
identified pair of passenger pigeons in
wood near Ballardvsle, that state.
Every once in q while some one comes
AOA oAo ohd ooyo uo hao ooCu -
pigeon, but 1t generally turns out to be
some other variety, quite commonly the
mourning pigeon; but it always recalls
the half-mythicsl tales of our fathers as
to their numbers right here in Oxford
County years ago. The writer can re-
member when they were plenty, and an
old hunter, Samuel Dudley, in Oxford
set snares for them in his rye field and
caught them in great numbers. He sold
them in Portland for sixty cents dozen
and did quite thriving business.
Mrs. Eleanor Hodgdon Porter, the
rather noted author, died at her home
in Boston last week. She Is chiefly
known through her "Pollyanna" books. |
"Pollyanna" was q creation too good to
be true; nevertheless as an ideal she had
many worskipers, and perhaps the
world 10 better because she was created. |
Rates Of Pafrolmen.
Road pstrolmen within the County OF |