The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-10-16
A Charming Story In Prospect
fBy r. T. Patten

Forty or more years ago drove the
American Express delivery team In
Skowhegan. say THE team advis
eddy: one team did the entire work at
that time 1t was the. best job ! ever
had. Not entirely carefree. even to
my then boyish makeup. but nearly
so and ideal from the standpoint of
splendid, helpful and vigorous out
door exercise.
Eben G. Emerson now of Portland,
worked in the Office with me- Per-
haps it would be more appropriate to
say | worked with him. He was my
boss. Eben used to go to the station
with me for all trains when heavy
shipments were expected. | think 1t
was during the Christmas rush that
he went over one evening as usual. |
know that there was plenty of snow.
1t was bitter cold and the platform at
the station was icy and frozen so that
its surface was about as yielding as
granite pavement. The late Ben
Eaton was then station agent He
had a son. a great big strapping fell
low. whom we will all remember as
Fred. This young man and | got
INTO a friendly but animated scuffle.
L
worse of it and Eben came to the res
cue. The result was that We all three
fell, bringing my elbow down on that
frozen planking with the weight OF
the three of us upon my shoulder. |
was surprised to find how quick that
part of my body could be disjoined
and the end of the numerous bumped
up against my chin. We were all a
. It.
frolic but we made the best of it. The
boys piled me into the express pung
as if it were all ambulance and drove
me to my home, which was then in
the Jack Weston house on the Island.
My father, the late DR. S. A. Patten,
had been practicing for more than
forty years. He had seen all sorts of
disarranged humanity but perhaps
had never had son with dislocated
shoulder. However. he soon got to
work on me much as he would had
| not been a member of his family. |
can recall that E. B. Curtis happened
in about that time and helped little
in the operation. l wash given ether
ana when | woke up my shoulder
blade and arm were in their proper
relation. 1t was sore for few days
but within week | was on the team
again and doing about the work | had
before the accident.
All the above comes to mind as if a
month instead of a generation had
passed since the occurrence. 1t is
thus resurrected by the receipt of the
following very friendly letter from
Erred NJ Eaton, now of San Francisco.
Let me congratulate you, readers of
the Reporter, that such a pleasant
story is in prospect. Mr.. Eaton's
narrative will appear on the Big
Woods Page of an early edition. 1t
is a tale of a trip up the kennebec
River bringing in the name of IrVe
Young, that famous oldtime stage
driver Also tells about Corridor
Pelkey, Fred Philbriek, Wilder Colby,
AL Blunt, Hiram Spanlling. Joseph o.
Smith and other names and scenes
familiar. by tradition at least, to the
independents Reporter family. Mr..
Eaton's letter follows:
1854 O'Farrell st.
San Francisco. Calf.
9-29-24
Roland T. Patten,
Mgr pehdent-Reporter
Skowhegan. Maine.
Dear friend Roly:-
have been reading your
Backwoods page pretty religious
ly. and that article about following
Arnold's route through the Maine
woods put me in mind of time, "A
little while ago, rs, that | fol-
lowed it about the way he did
only it was further down the riv-
er.
Now | have sent you a couple
of notes. in a friendly way, and
you have been rather up-stage.
1t isn't on account of your should
err, is it? You mustn't forget
that it was you and Eben that
picked on me and committed that
unwarranted assault. / shall
never forget how your father
came over and hauled me over the
Goals for manhandling his boy.
You know, fathers never know
when their children have grown
up. And you weighing ten or
fifteen pounds more than | did.
You had dandy father. just the
same. and | never felt any grudge.
However, | am going to send you
that story.
Yours truly.
F. NJ. EATON