Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-15
ALMOST FORGOTTEN PAGE IN HISTORY
RECALLED BY STORY OF CHAIR
JACKSON ADMINISTRATION SURPLUS

it stood on the back porch Of the
pleasant home of Mrs. NJ. E. Fuller
at 122 State street. posing for its pic
ture.
II was purchased with 81 present
which Eliza Ann Prescott, Mrs. Full
ler's mother. received. when in 1887.
during the administration Of Andrew
Jackson, the surplus Of the national
treasury was divided among the chill
dren of the land. A 81 bill in those
days. went much longer distance
than 1t will at the present time. The
chair, while built on slender lines. is
solid. we'll built and appears more the
worse for wear.
The chair is what is known as a
Boston rocker. 1t is somewhat like
the Windsor chair along general
lines, but is Of later period and is
not so rare. Its period Is placed at
1S4O by authorities on the subject of
antiques. As Mrs. Fuller recalls hav-
ing heard about 1t, the chair was
purchased in this city and has al
ways been here, in the home Of some
member Of the family.
For a number Of years the chair
was in the homie of an aunt and she
used it great deal. A rather un-
usual story is told in connection with
it. A neighbor had been i'll for some
time and as the warm weather ap-
preached she wanted to go out on
the porch and get the air. She asked
n ne bn 81 ,ni al q
thought 1t would be a nice one for
porch use. The chair was loaned her
and the woman used it a great deal,
in fact, up to the time of her pass
ing away. The story is that she fell
from the chair dead. a member of
the Prescott family also passed away
while in the chair.
For over 20 years the chair has
found peaceful abiding place in the
attic of the Fuller home. There it
has remained all this time, an al
most forgotten reminder of an al
.. most forgotten page of history. Mrs.
Fuller read in the kennebec Jour
nals last summer of Belfast woman
who had some spoons which were
made from the money which was
presented some of her ancestors at
the time OF the jackson administra-
ton, being from the treasury surplus.
In reading that story it came to
Mrs. Fuller that she had heard her
mother speak of buying a certain
chair with the same sort of a gift.
Inquiry was made of several people
but they were unable to enlighten.
Then she was told if she appealed to
State Librarian Henry E. Dunnack
that he could tell her about it, if
anyone could.
This is what Mr.. Dunnack sent
Mrs. Fuller in regard to the distri-
button of the surplus:
During the administration Of An
drew Jackson, the national debt was
entirely paid. The surplus in the
treasury was estimated at S9.0O0,UOO
annually for eight years. This sur
plus was mainly the accumulation
due to the compromise tariff and the
sales of public lands. 1t was very
evident that a large surplus with no
debt was bad finance and a danger
.ous Indictment to speculation and
extravaganza. The plan finally
agreed upon provided that the sur
plus in the treasury on January l,
1897 in excess of S5,00O,000 would be
distributed among the states as a
loan in proportion to their represen-
tation in Congress. This plan be-
came a law, June %, 1886 and is a
part of what is known as the DE
post Act" No one expected, how
ever, that the money distributed
would be recalled and it has never
been. Three installments of the sur
came the panic of 1887 and the dis
tribution ceased.
Maine, by act of the Legislature Of
January 20, 1887, accepted this de-
post from the United States and by
further act of March s, 1887. pro
vided for q census to be taken of
each town in the State in order that
the money which the State received
as its share Of the surplus might be
distributed to the towns in the State
according to their population. Some
of the towns distributed the actual
money among their inhabitants,
others used the money for municipal
improvements and in some cases the
towns did not apply for their share
of the money.
Sibley's History of the town of
Union has the following to say in re-
gard to the surplus revenue:
"a surplus of public money having
accumulated in the treasury Of the
United States, Congress voted, June
%. 1885, that it should be apportioned
among. the several states of the