Oxford Democrat., 1920-05-18
Maine News Notes.

In exchange for deed from Cumberland
County was the final step In the transfer
OF the country farm to the state for use
as state reformatory for men. This
includes the personal property Of the
institution.
Did you ever hear tell of o slime eel?
asks the Rockland Courier. Gazette
Waterman's Beach correspondent. They
are about 18 inches long, nearly always
caught from clay bottoms in deep water.
II you put them into pail of water they
will turn to slime, like piece of soap II
left in the water too long.
The town of Franklin respectfully
demurs to the claim OF Livermore Falls
as having the youngest selectman In
Maine, II not In New England, as II has
on It's board Of town fathers now serving
bis second term, Grafton l.. Bunker,
who will not be 21 years until June.
And franklin goes further and claims
that he Is not only the youngest but the
biggest for he weighs 1923 pounds.
Joseph Paradis, q milkman OF Lewis
ton, qualified last week as competent to
take part In one of those strenuous NOV
Ing pictures, when he, bis horse and
wagon and $50 quarts went into the
canal at the point where 1t crosses the
lower end of Cedar street. Incidentally,
the quarts were pure milk and nothing
stronger. Paradis was rescued, as was
the horse, but the milk and cart still
rest at the bottom Of the canal.
George A. Stanchfield, aged "a, OF
Veazie, the psroled state hospital
patient, who shortly after midnight Sat.
urday attempted to kill his former sweet
heart by shooting her with a shotgun
and set fire to two farm buildings with
heavy loss, is held under SIS, 900 bail
$4,000 on each of three charges-two for
firing the buildings and one for at.
tempted murder. The victim of the
maniac's assault is expected to recover.
Sometimes there comes question as
10 just what nationality person can
claim on account OF the accident of birth.
Persons born in England becoue Eng
lishmen, or in Canada, Canadians, but II
person is born at sea outside the three
mile limit, what nationality are theyp
Among the Intentions of marriage filed
with the city clerk of Portland recently
was that Of young lady, Miss Carrie E.
Corey, who was born at sea on ship
commanded by her father.
Old Fort Weston, located on the east
side OF the Kennebec river In Augusta,
which has been presented to the city by
State Senator Guy P. Gannett In memory
Of his mother, Mrs. William q. Gannett,
shows the marks OF time and is used as a
tenement house, being occupied by sew.
ersl families. In connection with this
proposed change there Is widespread
movement In the city to have the city
buy and remove the hotel directly oppo-
site City Hall, thus clearing the space
between Fort Weston and the river and
beautifying to still greater extent the
east side of the Kennebec River.
For every person In the United States
there Is at least one rat and 1t costs
every person an average of one.bslf cent
g day to support the rat population.
This is q conservative estimate of the
number of rats which infest the country
says the Maine Department Of Health,
quoting from figures and facts gathered
by the United States Public Health Serv-
Ice. In warning Maine people of the
menace which the rat is to both health
and prosperity, the Department further
states that 1t costs the United States at
least $3.50, ,000, 900 a year to support its
rat population and urges that 1t is high
time to get busy Kidding the country
from this pest.
In the Superior Court at Bangor
George L. Nelson and bis wife, formerly
the Baroness De Beck of London and
Paris, were sentenced for arson, Nelson
to not less than two nor more than four
years In state prison, bis wife to one
year in Bangor Jail. The pair were
charged with having burned their house
in Carmel on March with the intention
of defrauding the insurance companies.
While In Jail awaiting hearing the wom-
an confessed the crime, but In court
Nelson made q lengthy statement In
which he claimed that the FIRE was OF
accidental origin, and that be merely let
1t burn, the idea of getting the $4,000
insurance on house and contents In this
way having been suggested to him by
previous accidental fire.
Having recently been painted and
looking like new boat, the Maine Fish
mmission steamer Sea Gull, Capt.
Isaac Gray, arrived in Portland from
RockIand, and after taking on supplies
started ont cruising In search for seed
Holsters. The United States Fish Com.
mission abandoned the propagation of
Holsters at the Boothbay hatchery two
years ago, and since that time the Sea
Gull has been carrying out q program
for the state which Capt. Gray believes
will have better results than the old
With money furnished by the state Capt.
Gray now purchases from the fishermen
along the coast all female Holsters found
by them, the orustaceans being then re-
leased with the eggs attached, he first
punching hole In the middle fipper.
Until this hole heals over, which re-
quires about two years, this particular
lobster is protected by law from further
seizure or sale.
People who have been looking forward
to cheap and abundant sardines from
this years pack might as we'll stop fg.
uring. 1t seems that there is very
small arrival of fish all around, and
down east where they have been coming
along fairly we'll, they have almost
stopped, the spring rush OF fish being
much smaller than usual and ending up
much sooner than 1t usually does. Add
to this the fact that 1t is almost impos.
sible to get the tin With which to make
the cans, that the supplies Of oil In
which the fishes are put up are very un.
certain, and that the labor situation 10
not at all satisfactory, and We find Q
situation that does not please anybody.
1t is almost certain that the factories
which have been running will shortly
close down until Aug. in order to give
the can makers q chance to catch up;
also to make sure of the other things
they need for their business, but moro
especially to be sure OF hitting the second
run OF fish.
Mrs. Rafferty,, a gypsy queen, who, by
the way, Is said to weigh only ninety
pounds, made life interesting not only
to her good.sized husband but to ths
dozen or more other members of the
tribe one day last week, while they were
In camp In the town of Scarboro. The
trouble started over supper. Her hus-
band, Byron L. Rafferty,, feasted oo pork
chops, but tossed the queen Of his heart
and Of bis people can of salmon. She
objected, objected strenuously, and
straightway started something. She
ec;ttad orOor daur and rica about tha