Ellsworth American., 1923-11-14
A CASTINE IN CASTINE.
Descendant of Baron Castine Visits
Town Named for Him.


Town Named for Him.
Col John w. Castine, M. p, with
his daughter Miss Castine, his son,
Ernest j. Castine, and grandson and
granddaughters, John w. Castine,
jr., and Misses Jean Vincent and
Mary A. Castine, last week trod in
the footsteps of an ancestor of 25O
years ago-Baron Jean Vincent de
Castin, in the old town on the Pc
nobscot that bears his name. The
visit was of historical interest-the
first visit of a Castine to Castine
since the Baron sailed away 225
years ago Accompanying the fam
lily party was Rev. j. A. Kealey of
Lewiston, an authority on Castine
history. The Castine party left
Australia last April for a trip around
the world, with a visit to Castine as
one of the principal objectives.
The distinguished guests reached
Castine Thursday, and remained Fri
day. They went over the ground
which was the scene of many bloody
battles for possession by the Indians,
French, Dutch and British and were
shown the still existing landmarks
carefully marked and preserved.
Thursday evening there was ban
quet at Richardson hall, followed by
public reception at Emerson nall
The visitors were entertained in
some of the fine old homes of the
town-Col Castine and Mr. and
Mrs Ernest J. Castine by Mr.. and
Mrs Boyd Bartlett; Miss Castine and
FIR. Kealey, by Miss Anna Witherle;
No IA ct inc bV
Miss Amy Witherle, and John Will
liam, jr., by Mr.. and Mrs. William A.
Walker.
The banquet at the normal school
dining hall was the big feature of the
day. About $50 were present The
tables were decorated with pines and
red berries, while Red Mcintosh ap-
pies added touch of color Sweet
cider was the "wine" of the toast
master. Chef Hanson was caterer,
and young ladies of the normal
school acted as mattresses. The
place-cards were the CaStine coat-of-
arms, hand-painted by Miss Caroline
Walker, and at each plate was
souvenir booklet of Castine by Miss
Nellie Perkins Arthur w. Patter-
son, chairman of the board of select
men, was POSTMASTER.
Col Castine spoke particularly OF
Australia, where he had lived for
sixty years, and the mistaken impress
sion some parts of the world had OF
the country. Touching particularly
upon the educational system, he
mentioned the fact than on popu-
laton area of 250,000 people, $780,
600 was appropriated for school pur-
poses; that a student who passed
examinations in high school was
given a university scholarship, and
university graduate, upon receiving
his diploma, was loaned about
$4,000 with which to buy land and
given thirty years to pay it back.
Ernest j. Castine, who is farmer
and wool raiser, spoke of his $4,000
acre farm and of the fine climate of
Australia where it is seldom below
sixty degrees. He mentioned that
school teachers were scarce, and Sug-
gested that some of the e. S. N. S.
graduates migrate there.
FIR. Kealey spoke on some of the
historical facts of Castine's history,
of the many times it had changed
hands, but now was in possession OF
the Australians. He said that it was
a fond desire of his that some
descendant of Baron Castin become
permanent resident of the town.
Mrs. Boyd Bartlett, daughter of
DR.. George A. Wheeler, who wrote
the first history of the town, men
toned that four different artists who
had painted ideal portraits of Baron
Castin, had all pictured him as an
old man, while the facts were that
he was but fifteen years old when he
came to Castine, and only forty-nine
when he left She hoped that some
time an artist would put on canvas
a conception of the baron as youth
full, alert and sinewy.
At the general reception, Emerson
hall was crowded with the people of
the town and nearby. DR.. E. E.
Philbrook introduced the distln-
guished visitors. A beautiful paint
ing, The Departure of Baron Cas-
tin" by John Parker of New YORK,
was presented to Col. Castine, as a
souvenir of his visit. The presenta-
ton was gracefully made by William
A. Walker Selections were given
by "Ye Village Choire," in costume.
Dancing followed