Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-10-12
LOOKING BACKWARD
a Chapter Deeofen 70 Familiar
Characters Of 50 Years Ago - BY
George G. Hail

Characters Of 50 Years Ago - BY
George G. Hail
Before taking up the subject Of
this chapter il might be we'll 10 add
word or TWO IN reference to Mr.
Morse the photographer before men
,sisned- Ee Is stiIl apie. though not
IN the business Of taking pictures.
despite MS So years Mr.. Morse Is
active and asa1e from hearing his
faculties are keen ana many an in
teres1ing anecdUte could De related of
the art Of photography. past and
present
How we'll do We remember. some
times with fear the tail. bent tpIrn
OF Joe Soulard. q relic of the old
slavery days ''befo de war With
tears rolling down ms cheeks old
Joe would tell rs youngsters of how
the old slave masters treated their
subjects and the suffeEings he en-
dured before he fed north.
Then we recall Jimmy THOMPSON.
the cobhler. VINO put OH soies IN or
DER, but business was so dull that
poor Jimmy would have gone 10 the
house over the mill had not a freak
Of nature visited his dog kennel
Even that discouraged him as he
looked for renewed capital. Friends
took pity on him and procured a
nRgnlfyIng case TO exhibit ms
freak. and every evening Jimmy
would stand on the street corner
and shout Have a peak al the w.
dog. only 10 cents and everybody
mad a look. The freak was three lit
tie puppies whose bodies were 1uin-
ed together IN the form Of the letter
Y
On another corner stood Charles
10 ne found II the three cities. Dur
ing the Wasilingtunian movement
Charles was induced 70 sign the
pledge. the writer's father being in
sTr-umentEl in retaining him from
ms old ways. For more than score
Of Years Charles annual testimony
AT temperance prayer meeting was.
Well, they said when the ice went
out in the spring Charles would go
with II. but thank God the ice ~
gone out and l am still on the solid
rock-Praise the Lord
Perhaps t,fe best known character
was Charles Watson He was man
II kindly face and nature ana weigh
ed close TO 800 pounds He had an
exceptionally large frame and was
especially q mark for the students
OF the Classical school. He mad a store
II the basement Of what was then the
j g. Thomas shoe store at fouI OF
Central street where ne bought and
sold anything from an old copper
cent TO q house furnace. About 1873
or 1879 the boys al the Classical
school started q sort Of snirrwalst
and knee pants style. and they offer
ed 10 III Charles out. and did and
YOU can imagine what handsome
kewpie he-was- All the above have
long since entered irtu their last
sleep
Among the living Is one VINO never
knew what fear was and the dare
devil stunts he would perform. some
times fer fun but preferably for
money. would astound the onlookers
This is Fred Bovnton. lie is still
active mt il is very doubtful If he
Io0iu ataISIi me young or SHOCK the
elders as in DAYS gone by
One OF his favorite stunts was to
climb the rope ladder of Il vessel.
shin" 10 the peak Of the highest
mast. lay ON his stomach On the ball
up there and whirl round and round
Another risky performance was
climbing 10 top Of steepie Of the
present Congregational church. sit
ting ON the ball. folding his hands
and taking in the glorious view from
that nigh attitude.
John Messrvey. long since gone
was lubber-thar is he would take
any kind uf Jub offered him never
questioning the price TO be paid or
length of hours worked He often
boasted OF how he petidlsd fish Said