Oxford Democrat., 1920-06-01
Oxford County Notes.


Oxford County's animal dealers, the
Flint Brothers of Waterford, do quite .
business In capturing and selling porcu-
pines, sending them by the hundreds to
England and other places. Just what Is
considered desirable about these animals,
that Maine people are more than willing
to get rid of, over across the water 10
unknown; but just now there are people
who are advocating the use of their bod
les for food. The animal, 1t Is pointed
ont, is Q vegetarian and for this reason
possesses special merit over flesh eating
animals. Porcupine meat, when soaked
In soda and salted water over night, may
be roasted and with q dressing substi-
tuted for roast lamb without any one de-
tecting Its identity.
There is quite q variety of minerals
scattered through the Oxford bills, al
though the quantities found are not
large. Some Of them are rare, not in
the matter Of quantity but variety.
Among these rare minerals is molly ybde.
mum. It Ia found In small quantities in
several places 10 Oxford County, notably
on Crocker Hill in the town of Paris,
and outside the county there is, at least,
one deposit in Hancock County of con-
siderable extent; although the great
deposit OF the world, so far as is now
known, Is In Climax, Colorado. So
great Is this deposit that it controls
eighty per cent of the worlds supply.
Molybdepum adds toughness and
strength to steel, increases resistance to
corrosion and aids in the absorption of
carbon in case hardening Up to the
present time the army and navy, espe-
cially navy. has controlled the output
largely for the hardening of armor-plate
but the output now has become 80 large
that mOlybdepum hardened steel is used
for many purposes including the build-
ing of automobiles. This means that
lighter weight cars can be built, and
lighter weight cars means smaller gaso-
line bills and less wear on tires. The
general appearance of moly ybdenum Ia
like graphite and perhaps It can be found
among our hills in quantities sufficiently
large to pay for mining, and so add to
the advancement of the world.
Colby College will celebrate its first
hundred years OF life this month. Any
institution like this Is of interest to the
people of any part of Maine, and it is of
particular interest to Oxford County be-
cause three memb bers of her board of
trustees have been prominent citizens OF
that political division. At the instii u
ton of the college one of the trustees
was Dr.. Cyrus Hamlin, resident of
Paris Hill and first clerk of courts for
Oxford County, and 1t might be added
that his distinguished SOD, Hon. Hanui-
bal Hamlin, was also trustee. Judge
George A. Wilson of South Paris was,
during his lifetime, member of the
same board. Members of the alumni
and alumns are signifying their intsn-
tion of attending the centennial, aud Of
those already registered with DR.. Her.
bert c. Libby, chairman Of the commit
tee OF arrangements, can be found the
names of several people who have made
Oxford County their home in the past.
Among them might be mentioned J. E.
Cochrane, whose present address is given
as Old Orchard, retired major and chap
lain, who at one time held the pastorate
Of the Baptist church on Paris Hill and
South Paris, Hon. Charles P. Barnes of
Houlton, and one.time resident of Nor
way, attorney and member of the legis
lature, and Major Spaulding Bisbee of
Portland, formerly lawyer of Rumford,
who has but recently returned from over
seas with decoration from the king of
Italy.