Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-12-16

Eighty-six years OF age, the mother
Of IL children and the grandmother ~
a flock Of 100 grandchildren ana great
grandchildren. and on her s6th birth
day held a newborn babe, the NTH
generation Of her family, is the rec
ord Of Mrs Julia King vigue Cronin
OF Head Of the rails, Waterxilis.
Mrs. Grouin came to the United
States 81 years ago from the province
Of Quebec and. with the exception OF
returning to Canada for . nine weeks
stay and living a year In Lewiston,
she has made Waterville her home
ever since her arrival In this country.
She is hale and hearty and IL espe-
cially active for one Of her age. When
the Journal reporter called at her
home to interview her she was busy
getting dinner, and the manner in
which she hustled about the house do
ing her work did not resemble q person
Of nearly 30 years Of age.
what do you think Of the styles
the girls of today appear forth in"
was asked Mrs. Gronin. II think it is
just awful" she said. "Why, to think
of the way they go right out on the
their knees and their hair cut off most
as short as a boys, and all ruff
fed up so their head looks like a
hcathen; and powder and paint-merey
me! I should think their mothers
! would be ashamed of 'em. When I
was a girl, girls had something to do
besides half dress and walk the
streets Ye sir, we did. We had to
| cook and wash and sew and do things
| that amounted to something and I have
brought my girls up that way, too.
! oh, they had time to play and do things
! that girls like to do. but had to help
in the house. too. should hate to see
| my grandchildren galavanting around
| like some Of the young high-steppers
are doing"
Her mind is very keen, and when
asked if she could remember some of
the happenings that occurred in the
| city years ago, she laughed and said:
When 1 first came here there wasn't
any city, only few streets and these
| were not thickly settled. should say
that it was about the size of Fairfield"
Mrs. Gronin thought a moment and
then started off quietly and repeated
F, several interesting tales regarding the
town which probably very few in the
city today can remember or ever heard
Of
She can plainly remember the old
railroad shops where. under the guild
ance of Master Mechanic J. w. Phil
brick, locomotive was designed and
built. She also told of he big freshet
in the year 1869 which carried away
the Ticonic toll bridge. It seems that
the bridge did not sink, but floated
down the river. or rather was carried
by racing water which flowed over its
banks and swept nearly everything in
ITS path. The bridge must have resem-
Died Noahs ark, as it was several hun
dred feet lin length and was a covered
wooden structure. Hearing of it in
Augusta, large crew was organized
to see what could be done towards
stopping it before it reached the Cap
ital City. The crew got as far as Vas
salboro, when they saw the strange
craft coming at great speed, carried in
It's flight by the turbulent rapids, and
by aid of strong ropes were able to
stop it and hitch it two several large
tees on the shore before further dam
age could be done. Mrs. Gronin said
that during the same food the water
raised to such a height that it reached
within six inches of the ceiling in one
OF the houses by the river bank. and
that a woman who was confined in the
house on account of sickness had to
be carried away in boat,
Mrs. Gronin has always been a devot-
cd Catholic and told of the struggles
the church had encountered before il
was established on a firm basis in the
city. Up until about 1887" said Mrs
Gronin, I'VE had building on the
Plains which we used TO attend when
visiting priest could DO obtained to
offer mass. but after that we had a res
ident pastor. / think it was in the
year OF 1870 that the large church was
started and from that time to this
things have gone very nicely with u.s."
Mrs. Gronin says she do3s not like the
winter with all it's snow and ice, as il
is very hard for her to attend the
services. but in summer she never
misses them.
Mrs. Gronin while married to her
first husband, man by the name Of