Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-02-07
Stray Bits
Here and There

rather inspiring conversation with
an elderly man in Waldo County the
other day. 1t was about the elderly
mans father. who at the age of 100
years was about to set sail for
Sweden to clear up his title to prop
erty left by father who had lived
to be 1O5 years old.
81 suppose you are in a way to in
hcrit some Of that" remarked the
agent.
Not much of it,. the elderly man
replied. You see. father married
his second wife when he was IS
years old and raised three children
from that marriage. They will get
the most of it,
Discussion of the recent vote get
ting campaign in this city brought a
confession from one of the group.
1t was to the effect that once on a
time he turned bolshevist. and 1t
came about this way: Being inter-
ested in a young lady who was one
of the contestants he had gone about
the vote getting tooth and nail
with his heart in the cause.
In the town where this campaign
was held one dealer only was inter-
ested in it and he had made a hand
some offer to the one securing the
most votes, these being obtained
with purchases at that store. When
our friend had enough. as he
thought. to win he turned in the
votes rather early. A wellto- do
father of another contestant got
wind that his daughter was not like
~ to win and went into that store
with determination to buy the en-
tire stock if necessary. Anyhow he
secured enough votes to afford his
daughter "a cinch".
1T was then 1 became a red-for
the moment-though Lenin had not
been heard of in those days the
speaker admitted. adding but the
experience has paid rich dividends
ever since that day"
Here We are in the midst of an
eat-a potato campaign and not all
the dealers have "spuds' in stock
Excuse-"Too cold and drifted for
the farmers to bring their potatoes
to market"
A sort Of would-be reminder to the
Augusta House patrons is displayed
in a neat frame on the wall. 1t is
n bill of fare Of that house in 1856
But is it all it purports to be? True,
the list of dishes remind US that peo-
pie hereabouts seventy years ago had
good things to eat. but tradition has
it they also had things to drink, but
that bill Of fare does not reveal it
Perhaps if we might see the back of
the menu we could obtain more of
highland then again perhaps we
couldn't. The art of keeping up APP
pearanceS was known to that gen.
GRAFTON.
And near by this souvenir is an
other. an advertisement Of the Ban
gor to Waterville stage. 1t is said
that once when the lights of the
States Supreme Court were sitting
about in the lobby Justice Spear
hailing from the back part of the
State and offered to prove it. For
evidence he turned" to this adver-
tisement on the wall and read there
from: "Waterville. where it inter-
sects with the Winthrop and Port
land back route 1t is said the
Chief Justice ruled the evidence in
admissible.
And this about eminent justices of
the court recalls an incident con-
firmatory of the suspicion that after
al; they are quite human. One OF
them. the other day. was heard to
declare that the cleaneSt. best order
ed court house in Maine is that of
kennebec County. Joseph ii. Hodg-
kins in charge. And conversatio
further revealed that Mr.. Hodgkins
once observed the justice referred to
resorting to his usual habit of
scratching a match on the under side
of an arm of his chair. The next
day the Justice found a piece of
sandpaper neatly glued to that place,
and now he is declaring that even
the basement floor of that court
house Is kept as clean as q dining
room table. Presumably. too. the
justice is no more impressionable
than are most mortals.
Among the most successful Of the
many schemes that have been tried
by state governments IL Australia
to relieve the monotonv of isolated
life. inevitable in a land Of sucn vast
distances. are the travelling libraries