The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-05-03

lived there the greater part Of his
life.
The distance from the East Ridge
to the Burrill Mill Road is probably
two miles. The only occupied farm
is that owned by Lyman Scribner.
1t was formerly the Samuel Fogg
place and 10 more recent years owned
by Angie Hill. A little further on
there Is an unoccupied set of build
ings on the right, probably owned
by Oren Cover. The road Is pass
able by automobile but is not recon-
mended for that kind of traffic. It
was formerly the principal highway
from the East Ridge Road to Browns
Corner country. In the 1908 the
Notch Road was built through and
since then most of the travel has been
that way. The highway selected,
which I will refer to as the Parsons
Road, has since been largely aban-
doned. A little part of the further
end Is in Skowhegan. The easterly
portion of course Is in the town of
Cornyille.
At at least one place there are
stone walls, of considerable bulk right
In among the forest trees. These
are sometimes parallel with the road
but often at right angles to it. They
are positive evidence that the land
near them was once a moving field.
OF course no one would ever clear
the land of rocks and pile them into
walls except to convert it into grass
producing meadow. These walls are
a study. Some of them are rough
ly built; others, evidently once laid
with considerable care, have been in
part upset by the heaving ground.
In other places they stand as true and
firm as the day they were put there
which, judging by the tree growth
nearby, must have been from forty to
seventy years ago. 1t makes ones
back ache to look at them, and makes
the heart ache to think of the cour-
age and industry with which some
fellow being tackled that stern pro-
position, the high purpose he must
have entertained and the probable
disappointment which was his. These
farms may have yielded living in
their early days. The fact that they
were afterward abandoned indicates
Of course that later on someone found
them Improbable and gave up the
fight
Where the trees have not entirely
grown into the once cultivated area
there is eften an old orchard and
sometimes One MAY pick fairly ac-
ceptable apple. In most cases, even
If the fruit were once of good quality,
the trees have been so long without
care that the apples are now worth
less for eating although they might
pass for cooking variety.
In the old cellars may be noted
oftentimes massive chimney founda-
ton quite frequently of granite. Where
the. chimney is not entirely gone the
old time fireplace and frequently the
brick oven are in evidence. 1t Is
fascinating to try to determine whe-
Their the house burned or succumbed
to the action OF slower destructive
Clements Usually this is readily de-
cided. If the building went down by
fire, nails, door hinges, and other iron
work will show the effect of the heat.
II it got out of repair and was allow
ent an entirely different appearance.
In most of these ruins the nails are
of the hand made sort One almost
never finds the machine cut nall of
the period from 1850 to 1880, or the
wire nail of later date. The hing
es, too, are almost always of the home
made, wrought iron period.
In my walk through this road on
the morning referred to / saw no ami
mails and only the smaller birds. al
though in this locality | have fire.
quently seen partridge. rabbits, foxes
and rarely a deer Later on In the
day toward the top of the mountain
heard a deer stamp and give his well
known whistle. the sound which this
animal makes just before he turns to
run when frightened.
After several hours spent leisure
ly along this tree-shaded and partial
ly grown up road, came out into
the road leading from the Notch to
the Burrill Mill. The two roads join
Just about at the bridge across Black
Brook. One branch of this stream
rises on, the easterly cant of the East
Ridge on the Thomas Blackwell farm.
Black Stream passes In northerly di-
rection about four miles from this
bridge, and finally turns to the east
and, having been joined by other
streams, at last lands in Moose Pond.
1t is very sluggish little brook, al
most no current. It's northerly course
is not known to many people. Most
of our streams flow toward the south,
but many maps show this one flowing
the wrong way. with southerly
trend. which Is not the case.
Shortly after leaving the Black
Brook bridge the road intersects- one
leading from Skowhegan to Hartland
Here | turned to the right, the next
mile being really In The Notch, so
called, where the highway passes over
the depression in the hill between the
Notch Mountain and the continuation
OF the ridge toward the south. Just
after getting through the woods and
before reaching the Bush schoolhouse
| turned from the highway into che
pasture. This Bush schoolhouse'
ought to be explained before / refer
to it again. There isn't any school
h