The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1921-05-05

Maine claims the only real" Son Of
the Revolution In Osborn T Allen
of Canton, who Is now "a years old.
The reason that he can call himself
a real son of the Revolution is be-
cause his late father, James Allen,
Jr., was "a years of age when the
latter's young wife gave birth to a
babe, the youngest of the boys in a
genuine old-fashioned family of 10
children.
1t fs doubtful II another living per-
son can tell the story of George Wash
ington and the experiences at Valley
Forge as heard from his own fathers
lips, or the story of the capture of
Fort Griswold when Colonel Ledyard
was murdered, or the battle of Tren-
ton, or Of how the colonists marched
seven days when their boots wore out.
and with bleeding feet they left their
tracks on Jersey soil.
Mr.. Allen, still mentally keen and
gifted with an excellent memory, was
8 years old before this veteran of the
Revolutionary war and of the War OF
1912 died, at the age of 104 years and
II months. The tombstone over the
hero's grave bears the even 150th year,
as may be seen by any visitor in
Canton. So it Ia not strange that
under such unusual circumstances,
relating to the age OF his father and
of himself, Mr.. Allen is one OF the
most remarkable men living today.
He knows intimately the story of
colonial customs and experiences here
in Maine-then a province-as told by
his father, how the latter came to this
near wilderness. settled in Scarboro,
lived time in Portland, then moved
to Hartford and Canton; how he
learned the art of medicine, healing
with herbs and roots, from an uncle,
Mr. Scott; how he taught the singing
school and shared his musical talent
with his children, usually having a
family orchestra of some pretensions,
and Of how liberal his father was, a
Naturalization deemed heritical
by the orthodoxy-while his political
leanings were toward the Wings.
Mr. Allen was born in Canton, at
tended the old winter terms Of the
country school, watched the big boys
"try out" the schoolmaster and throw
out one into the snowdrifts who de-
pended too much on q piece Of raw
hide and long ruler, played round
ball" with the other boys, this being
the nucleus of the great American
pastime known today as baseball, and
celebrated Fourth of July by using his
fathers old Queens arm. He attend
ed the musters on Canton Point when
he was too young to partake OF the
cider or the New England rum. The
latter was sold for 25 cents a gallon,
and was drunk with Goldfish, which
sold for three cents pound. But he
did enjoy squares from the huge cakes
of gingerbread which his father
bought for him-the best Wand he ever
tasted, as Mr.. Allen declares to this
day.
When he was only IA years old. Mr..
Allen enlisted In Company 1 of the
18th Maine Regiment and saw service,
mostly in the band, until '63. He was
at Gettysburg and Anuetam, at st.
Mary's Heights, Fredericksburg, Mis-
sionary Ridge and Charlottesville,
among other notable battles, vindicat-
ing the ancestry that fought for free
dom in the war of the revolution, and
showing the same courage and endur-
ance. He escaped with one slight
wound on the right arm and sun
stroke, the latter finishing his useful
ness in the army as he was sent up
to the hospital from the march from
Gettysburg to Rappahannock station
on that hot July day. and after a long
recovery, finally came back to Maine.
The next period OF his life was
spent in Starks, in northern Maine,
where he carried on farming and took
his bride Miss Carrie Frances Sterry
of that town, whose death occurred
at the age of 96, leaving him to re-
main a widower the remainder OF his
long life.
Finding that sheep-raising and cat
tie breeding did not pay him more
than a scant living, Mr.. Allen quit
farming for keeps, and became the
first travelling agent for the New
England Farmer in Maine, when that
periodical came into this State in
competition with the old Maine Farm
or. He toured ON foot many Maine
towns, and often lodged and break
tasted where night overlook him, in
the first farm house where he sought
hospitality, and paid Is to rs cents
for the accommodations, when any
thing was asked at all. For 1t was
not uncommon for the farmer to tell
him, on leaving that his company had
repaid all trouble.
Mr.. Allen recalls that one OF his
wedding gifts from his wife's moth
err was a pair OF wooden shirts, which
she had carded, spun and woven her
self. There was some Maine grown
wool in them, and they lasted him
seven winters He has never seen
their equal since.
He is proud OF his aff1liation with
the Sons of the American Revolution,
dean Of them all as he Is, since the
others are only grandsons and great
grandsons. He Ii reader of his
tory, once ran ON the peoples party
ticket for county commissioner, sup