Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1921-03-29
here and There.

here and There.
The sword 10 an absolete weapon. Ii
once was o formidable thing used In
warfare public or private. II long was
Q mark of distinction worn by gentle
men. Until recently Ii was the insignia
of An army or navy officer. In the days
Of close fighting IL was used by them for
defence; but the invention of gunpowder
and long range guns made this impos-
sible. OF late years about Its only use
to them was 20 get between their legs
on double quick, and make them appear
ridiculous In the eyes Of privases. Be
cause OF these reasons there were not
many swords worn during the world
war. There Is q romance about the
blade, however, which has been and still
10 being perpetuated by military
branches Of such orders as the Masons,
Odd Fellows and Knights Of Pythias.
Expert use Of the sword or foil in fenc-
ing was once . polite accomplishment,
bat now Its deyotees are rare. One just
died, however, In Almeda, California
Robert Reid Frier. he was so years old
and Q veteran OF the Crimesn War. He
had made his home In California for
about twenty years. He was widely
known az q swordsmsn and had fought
during bis lifetime several duels. He
was In South America In 1898, and chal
lenged the secretary Of Spanish embas-
~ 10 one Of the countries In southern
hemisphere, Offering himself In the
place Of General Fitzhugh Lee, who had
been challenged by that official.
At an executive session OF the educs-
tional committee Of the Massachusetts,
Legislature last week senator asked
for legislation which would bar from
schools q text book known a. "a Study
OF Nations" written by Harriet E. Tuell
of the Somervills High School faculty.
He called attention 10 passages which
asserted that England was the mother
Of Ill liberties, and that the aims OF
America In the Revolutionary War were
distorted. The question the senator
brought up was one Of patriotism. He
did not question the truth OF the ssser-
ton; but took the ground that II the
colonies did anything they were ashamed
of we, the descendants OF those old days,
should keep still about IL because II
was In the family. Well, perhaps 1t Is
al right to shield the family-to put the
skeletons In the closet-but there is an
other duty In the interest OF good taste
and that Is not brsg about what we did,
or rather did not do. Students, when
they 90 out into the world, cannot but
be struck by the difference between
school histories and the public docu-
ments from which they are or should
have bean written. Revolutions are
always considered disreputable unless
they are successful, and II the truth
about ours cannot be told the rising
generation, they may form the idea their
forsbears have been trying to white
wash IL.
The Grand Trunk Railway during the
past week has had . re-vamped version
Of the famous goat story, only this
time 10 was . man and q red sock. IL
seems there was Q wsshout on that road
near Holland Landing In the Province
Of Ontario, which was found by one Sam
Lowe. There was an express train COM
Ing which would run into the washout
unless stopped; 30 Sam pulled Oh bis
boot and bis sock, which was red, and
tagged the train, saved the passengers,
who took up Q contribution for him,
and, incidentally, got into all the news
papers. The other story which obtained
note ran ~ follows:
Io..,.k n.hla
who bought goat, just for his stable;
One day the goat, too prone 70 dine,
Ats Q REQ shirt right on the line.
Then Cable TO the goat did say,
"Your time has come; you'll die this day"
And took him to the railroad track.
And there he bound him on his back.
The train them came, and the whistle blew;
And the goat well knew his time was due,
Bus with mighty shrek Of pain,
Couxhed up the shirt and tagged the train.
Some of our senators think there In .
bargain sale In islands. II one takes the
trouble to examine the map down In the
Caribbean Sea he or she will find them
a-plsnty and these are che ones IL 10 pro-
posed TO buy. They are now owned by
Great Britain and France, and ID Is pro-
posed that these countries shall turn
them over to the United States In can
COLLATION. Of part of their Indebtedness
60 %. It might be advantageous to
have these islands under one govern
mont and that government ours. There
would be less likelihood Of foreign mill
tary or naval bases near our country 10
the future, but otherwise they might be
Q sourse of trouble. Then again, the
inhabitants might want word to say In
regard to the transfer.
Perhaps there has been no more pop
ular play on the stage during the last
half-century than the "0ld Homestead"
and "Uncls josh" a. beloved . charac-
ter a ever walked the boards. For
years Denman Thompson was "Uncle
Josh"--so many years It seemed no one
slse could all the role. He died In 1910,
but tho 'Old Homestead" went right on
and perhaps NO one could sense the diff
ference. His successor In the role was
william Lawrence, . sailor and fur trap
DOR before he went on che stage, who
had been an under study Of Thompson's
for some years, taking the part during
any absence Of the principal. Lawrence
died In Boston last week, collapsing dur
Ing performance. He had played the
part 20 the company announced, 5000
times.
Up In Katahdin township there 10
mountain full Of iron. Il Ia 30 full thar
leaves falling 10 the ground from the
trees become impregnated with the min
srsl and turn almost to leaves OF meta; ;
vet the ore 10 unworksd. 10 was worked
once but improved methods OF trsnpor-
tstion put the mine out OF business.
There 10 big furnace there, one hun,
drsd fest high, which consumed $1,000
cords Of wood Q year, making charcoal
snough 10 smslt twenty-four tons OF pig
iron 8 day. This was hauled to Bangor
10 foundries. That Was prior to 1882.
since that day the furnace and the tall
have been the monuments 70 o
aefnpcf business. Can't there Do o.