The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-12-25

munity l saw for the first time more
than forty years ago when, as high
school boy, | was out canyassing and
passed through on foot. Can re-
member finding one customer there,
the late DR.. A. f. Farnham. He was
a kind-hearted joyial man and no
doubt made the investment more To
encourage the rather forlorn and
somewhat discouraged youthful sales
man than from any need he had Of
the volume. The book | was trying
to sell was something about etiquette.
think 1t was entitled Manual of
Social Custom" Surely DR.. Farm
ham needed no instruction in that
line. His department and CONVEX
sation may not have been always ac-
cording to rule but politeness and
courtesy were his birthright; he re
quired no hint from any book
This little village has always APP
pealed to me | have never run
across anything just like it, The
houses are neat and the grounds well
kept and everything has an air of
thrift and contentment
Passing little further on we turn
ed to the right on what | suppose is
the Molunkus road. This highway
was so named because the people who
first settled there came from a local
ity in New Hampshire known as
| "Mudlunkus." 1t was originally
known by the New Hampshire name
but this seemed so untouth that the
next generation asked for its mOdii-
cation. The more graceful and Gu
phonious name of "Molunkus' is now
in general use The road passes
over the outlet of Lake Wesserunsett.
somewhere down in the woods, and
the stream, to the right and left of
the bridge, forms a pretty scene. To
those who are willing to pause a few
moments will come the soft sound
of pearling waters, always an
agreeable balm to our minds too
prone to rush from one exciting epis-
ode to another. Smith Pond is in
the valley to the left of this highway
though the woods intervene so that
you get no sight of il. You can look
across to Hilton Hill where probably
ten thousand apple trees are located
1t was about bedtime for domestic
animals and at one home we noticed
a flock of turkeys. two OF which had
already gone 10 roost OH the farm-yard
bars. We watched these interesting
birds as the balance of the flock
picked up the last of their evening
meal. They were evidently search
ing for insects in the grass and find
ing lot Of them. One by one they
Joined their companions on the fence
and settled down for the night. Just
about this time the lady of the house
came from the field over on the right.
She had evidently been milking a COW
which we could see still out there.
She drove before her splendid flock
of geese. They set up quite a
squawking which the turkeys seemed
to resent for they reused up and
gobbled back a rather pompous chal-
lenge. They were not enough inter
ested however, 10 jump down and
soon arranged themselves as before
noted one thing about the turkeys
which had never previously occurred
to me- They all faced in the same
direction the east. | am
wondering if turkeys and other farm
yard fowl always adopt this custom
and if there is any reason for il, Per
haps the turkey instnctively does this
so as to face the sunrise in order to
get it's early morning warmth, or
1t is time to get mp Would be really
interested TO know if others have ever
made the same observation that did
and have arrived at any positive know
ledge about it. We asked the lady il
The turkeys roasted out at night She
said they preferred TO but she would
not allow it, As she approached
they seemed To know her purpose and
With good deal of protcstation,
dropped down and disappeared in the
barn.
This road brings YOU ont on the
regular Athens highway and this
leads you back to SkoWhegan. All
the above wandering around required
perhaps six hours. 1t was an mex
pensive afternoon but to me much
more worthwhile than tearing over
the country at thirty or forty miles
an hour. | can but feel that it WAS
more beneficial