Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1923-05-23
AS OTHERS SEE US.
Press Herald's Special Correspondent
Writes Up Ellsworth.

| period of days during which all
| buildings in the city were without a
| drop of running water with one note
| worthy exception. That was the Han
| cock House.
On the day before the principal
| part of the city, which is on the east
side of the Union river, was de-
prived of water, light and power by
the flooding of pumping and power
stations, the Hancock House and all
other buildings on the west side had
been cut off from water by the break
ing of the main across the then
standing bridge.
But when that water main broke,
Frank H. Gould, who has been the
proprietor of the Hancock House for
thirty-five years, did not fold his
hands and wait. He did not wait
even for the raging waters which
swirled about the hotel porch to sub
side.
He got in touch with the fire de-
partment right away, and soon he
had so feet of discarded hose. That
length was sufficient to reach a
brook on the hill back of the hotel
Connections were made quickly, and.
presto, all floors of the hotel were
getting water service again just as
if nothing out of the ordinary had
happened. The emergency service
afforded an uninterrupted supply
during all those dark days when the
only water the east side had was
that pumped into the main by
steamer which Bar Harbor loaned to
the city.
The foregoing incident, hitherto
unrecorded, typifies the spirit of
Ellsworth. 1t is because it does that
Ellsworth is a live and progressive
community, whose growth not even a
disaster which would have paralyzed
less enterprising city can retard.
To be a resident of Ellsworth stands
for something in the grain which re-
fuses to surrender in the face of the
greatest havoc ever wreaked upon it
by elemental fury.
No one in Ellsworth is moping or
incoming over the devastation the
flood left in its train. Everyone is
up and doing. Under the energetic
leadership of Mayor George s. Fos-
ter, it's non-partisan business execu-
tive, the city is fast getting over the
effects of the blow. 1t never will look
the same, it is true, but only because
it will look better
Ellsworth had been growing in
population for fifteen years before
the flood hit it, and it will continue
to grow. The deluge succeeded in
putting it out of business for more
than week, but it was unable to
crush its spirit It's striking and
forceful individuality is asserting it
self more impressively than ever.
OF course, it has had it's industrial
climb in population, but the periods
of depression have been shorter lived
than in most industrial centres of it's
size. The trend has been upward
and onward, and from year to year
this city has assumed greater SEM
blance of the flourishing days it en-
joyed in the shipbuilding era.
According to the United States
census of 1920, the population of
Ellsworth had slipped several hun
dred in decade and was only 305S.
But Ellsworth looks Uncle Sam in
the face and tells him his count was
incomplete. Whether it was or not,
however, Ellsworth has a family of
nearly 1000 to-day and several
thousand neighbors who depend upon
it for many of the necessities and
Injuries of life.
THE census of 1920 was taken at
time when we happened to be fiat
because of postwar conditions" said
Postmaster Charles H. Leland to-day.
81 have little faith in it's accuracy,
however, and l believe we had many
more people than it showed despite
the dullness we then were experience
ing. Ellsworth to-day hasn't a soul
less than 300, and it is going ahead
all the time"
Postmaster Leland has been bust
ness man for many years, and has
been a democrat mayor of Ellsworth
and the incumbent of other public
offices. He is president of the board
of trade, which is live body ever
on the watch for new enterprises to
add to the attractiveness of the city,
and which has been helpful force
for all the favored shore and noun
tain region to which Ellsworth is the
key.
Look at that block across the
street." continued Mr.. Leland, point
ing to the Main street corner where
he formerly was in business. ut was
not so long ago that it had seven
vacant stores. To-day there isn't
one.
Newcomers are waiting for houses
to be built before they can get rents,
for nearly everyone owns his own
home and occupies it. But there's
going to be a lot of building this
year aside from the reconstruction
which the flood has entailed, The
Ellsworth Hardwood Corporation
n hnt G