Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1923-05-30
BRING FLOW ERS.

FIOWeTS. J
, Bring flowers to streW
At the warriors tomb;
He has laid off his armor,
He is resting at home.
Though his furlough seems long,
At the tap of the drum
Or the call of the trumpet
With his comrades he'll come.
Disturb not his sleep,
IT'S the sleep of the brave.
Bring flowers to strew
At the warriors grave.
Dear Aunt Madge and NJ. B. Sisters:
The M. b. column has been of great
interest to me during it's entire ex-
istence, but I have never felt that
could add to it's interest, and so have
not asked for admi ssion to the circle
Recently a friend has been urging me
to write, and having learned by close
observation of my fondness for picnics
and "all the appurtenances thereuh'o
belonging" she has added, as an IN
ducement that she wished me to attend
the NJ. B. reunion with her this sum-
mer. -
"Nothing venture, nothing have
do like to attend picnics, ana IL
venture something.
The napers have been filled with the
report of the late freshet ana its ois-
astrous work in the cities ana larger
towns, but / have seen only one ar.i-
Gle about it's doings in this little VII
lape on the bank of the Penopscol'
aiebteen miles northeast of Bangor SO
7 will tell you little in regard to IT,
The week beginning April ~
Wrought n gradual rise of the river
and we anticipated a freshet such as
they have here very frequently III wy
snr;np when the streets are hooded
and the low-lying fields ana pas'uie
lands are overlooked. BY SUNDAY
morning, April 20, we knew that the
freshet was well started, as the river
had gone beyond it's conf1nes' anu was
making it's way into the helos. nus.
who had wood in the yard pooneo
the piles, that the water Hnsh. nv
carry it off and the occupants OF pase-
ment henhouseS were removed " hish
and dry quarters. 1 know of one poui-
try family that was moved again
Monday morning to still hlgher anu
drier quarters in the shed chamber.
Orr near neighbor did not retire at
oil Sunday night, but kept watch OF the
rise and reported to us several times
At o'clock Monday morning We "e'
raadv for breakfast, and from that
time until o'clock at night there was
no idleness in any home in this VI
c;nitv Early in the forenoon three
families were obliged to leave thelr
homes for higher ground, but all three
eventually had to go still higher
All the lighter articles of furniture
were removed to the second Story pu'
in spite of all precautions niue"
furniture was seriously damaged as no
one anticipated that there would De
such a rise of water as came
At o'clock that afternoon our fam
ily stepped from the kitchen threshoiu
into waiting bateau, and salleu
across the low pastureland, parualiy
wooded, until we reached the railroau
track. then along the ditch BESIDE 'he
track until we came to dry place LOT
landing. North of us, as far as we
could see, the track was covered Win
water.
We found a cordial welcome in
home situated on an elevation sufhclent
TO insure safety from anything in the
line of freshets, unless some large dam
should give way. All Monday after
noon and night the water continued to
rise at the rate of two inches an hour'
Late Tuesday forenoon we received the
encouraging report of slight decrease
in the rate. This decrease continued
until dark Tuesday and we were
reasonably confident that by morning
Wednesday the water would be going
down. Such was the case.
By Friday morning many of the
twenty or more families, which
had been forced to leave their homes
were able to return and begin the work
of cleaning and drying. The height to
which the water rose depended upon
the location of the house The lowest
mark of which we have learned was
eight inches. In one home it rose to
the ceiling. The owner of this home.
a hard working widow, lost small
flock of hens, pig which she had Win
tered, and the most of her furniture.
This was the only loss of livestock ex
cepting a small calf, but number of
animals had to be dragged through
water to safety.
When the water receded from the
buildings, it left deposit of nearly an
inch of Shiny mud which struck hor-
ror to the housewives on their return
home. But this was not to be COM
pared to the wreck of a piano, the
partial ruin of a sewing machine, and
the injury to the walls. Yet in this, as
in every calamity, there was reason for
deep gratitude that matters were no
worse.
Some small buildings, including two
woodsheds and an ice-house, were car
ried away. One shed, filled with wood,
soon tired of sailing and anchored in
the low land nor far away. The
schoolhouse was moved from it's foun-
dation, but having been secured by
heavy lines. did not drift.
Many motor boats visited the scene of
1xr