Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-09-12

amounted to $4,000 now, at SO, and
now the property is idle.
So much for the brook, its business
and the people.
When I was young and living there
I did not seem to realize but they
would always be there just the same,
but now, after a seemingly short inter-
val, 1t seems to me that l must have
had Rip Van Wrinkle sleep of few
generations and then walked up. The
people we used to know. almost with
out exception. are gone.
Let US see: The Dunlap buildings
all gone. The house was our depot for
quite a while,-the first house above
the mill Of Otis Taylor, shingle saw
yer; family all gone. John and Abbie,
children by his first wife; John was
my chum at school, then to Kent's Hill
and to the West: we corresponded for
years, but / have lost track of him.
Amory Weber and Harriet: He
went West and she died. The last
time saw him he was on Gen. Banks
staff at Port Hudson, La. His father
kept little grocery store close to the
church, for years. Ira Smiley bought
the place after the old folks died, and
they are all gone but Will. A family
by the name of Ellis lived where J.
Dunlap used to. with quite family.
David Trask lived there alone after his
wife and daughter died.
Meningitis lived in the house under
(and in) the hill They went over on
Church Hill road after it was built,
and about all had smallpox; several
died. The town cleaned up there and
then burned the house. Elmer Leavitt
has lived there since Ambrose died.
Charles Weber built the house ait
erwards owned by Albert Bigelow. He
used to live where Charles Appleton
now lives, near the Grange hall.
DR.. Randall used to live in the house
now owned by Eugene l.. Baker, before
his last residence was built, and the
other houses near there have changed
hands several times. The old Fairfield
house on the corner burned; the family
is all gone. The house where the
Hatch family lived is still there, but
it has changed hands several times.
Our Grange hall went up in smoke.
but the Grange did not burn. and is
still quit lively in its old age. I be-
lieve that it has done a great deal of
good and, although we are not there
in body, I do not like the idea with
drawing: in the natural course of
events we must be counted out soon.
The Squire Cox place burned, the
old church too, and with regard to
that always thought that the society
expected that a manufacturing village
would grow up there. judging from the
size of the building.
At the time 1 went to school the Lee
family sent six scholars. Alfred. Mer-
rill and John,-Sarah Ann. Rebecca
and Olive. Edward Smell sent four
and William Smell IL children. Old
James Emery lived several years in a
small house on the Smell place, the
same house that Captain Arey said
"Winter-killed" as 1t entirely disap-
peared in one night when Will and
family lived in the house across the
road.
Joe and Nat. Hitty and Milly"
Taught all lived to a good old age. all
in single blessedness. and since then
the farm has been rather lonesome.
The Arey place has remained in the
family since 1 was . kid. descending
to tho grandson. and IL being we'll kept
up. Charles Currier lived on the Ben
Brown place. then B. Kimball, then Mr..
Shaw. and all gone.
There used to be quite large or
chard on the Weber place and we
boys used to enjoy the frozen apples
in winter. The barn contained a cider
mill
Mrs. Buxton lived over back Of the
school house and kept geese.
now realize that time brings
changes and know that the population
of nearly every town in the State has
been decreasing for the past 60 years
though the manufacturing towns have
mostly gained a few. Our Browns
Corner schoolhouse (now the Grange
horse shed) used to house 60 pupils
and now what used to be five school
districts can furnish but 80 or 40 1
tHiNh ludl INC tAiue IS uOt Lar OISldHl
when these farms will be again occu-
pied, but not by the defendants Of the
first settlers, and quite likely by for
eigners.
But what change in our country
since I entered it Maine was but
province Of Mass. .chusetts only a few
years before. and vessels just begin
ming to be propelled by steam; few
railroads and our great West one vast
wilderness. We went into the Civil
War with only 100000 Of people, and
1 hardly dare prophesy as to when we
shall be the first and leading Nation
in all the earth.
O. P. ROBBINS, 1920.