Radio Script #143
Little Talks On Common Things
April 6, 1952
A few weeks ago I told you on this program that very few people, given a chance to guess how much money Uncle Sam Is spending In this year that ends in June, 1952, came anywhere near the correct amount. Many guessed in the mlllions.
Only a few guessed as high as 25 bi Ilion, whereas Congress actually appropriated 91 billions, Since that broadcast several listeners have reminded me that the guesses need not seem surprising, because to most of us there Is no difference between 50 bi I I ion and 50 mi I I ion. The latter figure is too big for our comprehen … sion — without even thinking of the former.
That is probably true. So let us tonight get an impression of this huge government spending in another way. Everybody knows that the government is not paying its way. Only by pi ling debt on debt — that is, by deficit financlng — do we keep going. Suppose Uncle Sam took from the people enough money in taxes to pay this year’s bills as they fall due, without adding to the national debt. Suppose the government did as many of us individuals try hard to do, pay as we go. What would it mean to our national economy? This is what it would mean, and i hope its significance impresses you.
If Uncle Sam had to pay cash for his current spendings, he would have to take in taxes the equivalent of al I the Incomes of every state west of the Mississippi River. Yes, I said all the income of those 22 states — all the Income of the farms, the earnings of factory workers, of professional people, of the self-employed, the dividends on stocks and bonds, the rent of real estate all the earnings of the 53 million people who Inhabit those western states.
Think of the wealth included In that region — the 01 I incomes of Texas and Oklahoma, the rich black soil crops of Iowa and Kansas, the great cattle herds of Nebraska and the Panhandle, the varied riches of California — all of it not quite meeting the spending spree in Washington? for It would take the income of Alabama and most of that of Mississippi, added to the 22 western states to offset entirely the government’s spending of fiscal 1952.
By no means al I of this spending goes for the anmed forces, although they do take the biggest s lice. More than seven b i I lions wi II be spent on natura I resources, housing,social security, welfare, health and education — all of them des i rab Ie domest i c benef i ts, But the i r price is equa I to a II the income of the two states of Washington and Kansas combined. Even the amount spent on federal highways, airports and farm subsidies wi II be more than the total income of Arkansas and Alabama. As for the armed services, what they wi I I spend for weapons and materials alone — entirely exclusive of soldier’s pay, transportati on and other expenses — will be more than earned by the enti re popu I ation of the booming, rich state of California.
Just one more fact to drive the point home, President Truman has asked the Congress to appropriate $7,900,000,000 for the foreign aid program for just one year, from July 1, 1952 to June 30, 1953.
Now the share of total federal taxes borne by the people of Maine is about one-half of one percent. Our share of the proposed $7,900,000,000 for foreign aid would be $33, 180~OOO. That is three times as much as all the money collectted by the State through the sa les tax, and the ‘lew sa les tax is now the major source of all our state government revenue. Now get this: In Maine our share of the foreign aid program for just one year, under the President’s p Ian, would be $42 for every man, woman and ch i I din the state.
know a lot of folks think I am just a pessimistic old fogey to keep talking about this subject. Perhaps t am, but I somehow can’t forget that many, many years ago a writer much wiser than I wrote these words: nWhosoever soweth the wind, shall reapeth the whirlwind”.
One of my Augusta I isteners who prefers to remain anonymous writes me an interesting letter about One Eleven cigarettes. Surprisingly he tells me they were not as old as I had suspected. Probably the reason I never heard of them is because I am not a cigarette smoker. My informant says those One Eleven cigarettes had their vogue in the early 1920’s, then sudden’ly disap’peared from the market. They were popular with thrifty smokers because each package conta Ined not the usua I twenty, but twenty-f ive cigarettes. And the price was the same as for other brands. Let me quote my correspondent’s own words. He says: “Those One Elevens were equal to any domestic cigarette in quality and better than some. I was acquainted with an American Tobacco COmpany representative, who explained that it was company policy to give a little extra to encourage pipe smokers to sw itch to ci garettes.”
I wonde r why it I s that any I i stene r who w ri tes me on any s ubj ect soone r or later brings up narrow guage railroads. This anonymous Informant on One Eleven cigarettes is no exception. It seems that he too once rode the ral Is of the old Wiscasset and Albion line. I am grateful to him for adding another to my list of nicknames given that little two-foot road. He says the natives of South Ch ina used to ca II the train “The Li tt Ie Wi gg ler”. He recalls a Iso that the locomotive, tiny as It was, had a standard size whistle, either to warn cows off the track or perhaps to impress the populace. He remembers one spring day when the railroad had a specially heavy load of freight bound from the end of the I ine that then ran out of Winslow. A string of freight cars were all loaded with tanning bark, en route to Wiscasset, there to be loaded on a boat for the leather tanneries of Peabody. Bas I des the bark there was an unusual number of passengers, off to see the launching of a schooner at Wis-casset.
Word came down the I ine that the Little Wiggler really had a load at last. The road was always In precarious financial straits, and here was a chance to boom its shaky stock. The chief stockholders turned themselves into salesmen. “Just see what our road can do”, they said. “Here is your chanc:a to make money. Buy th I s stock wh lie f t can sti II be had.”
The engineer and the fireman took tUrns holding down the whistle cord with the result that so much steam went into the whistle that they had frequently to stop the train to get up steam again. My Informant says that the engine crew were enjoying themse Ives so much that they forgot to take on water, but rumor has I t they d i dn ‘t forget to take on plenty of rum. Anyhow, the train finally came to a stop from which no urging would make it recover. At Wiscasset a pompous welcoming committee waited in vain. After frantic efforts with the telegraph from station to station, the train was finally located In a wooded section up In A Ina. Whether the load of bark ever reached Wiscasset, or whether The passengers saw the schooner launched, my informant sayeth not. In spite of his anonymity, I am sure we all thank him for a very interest I ng story.
Another good friend, whose identity I do know, but who doesn’t like to have his name mentioned, adds to the considerable Information I have been able to collect about old-time Fairfield. He says that part of Fairfield which Is now included in the lands of Good Wi II homes and schools, was one of the very first sections settled between Ticonic Falls and Skowhegan. The oldest histories which record the Arnold Expedition mention Pishon’s Ferry, which we know was near where The Hi’nckleybrldge now crossesthe river. That fact I already knew. But what Is entirely new to me Is this Informant’s statement that a few mi les easT ,of Plshon’s Ferry is a sect’ion of land which certain old documents refer to as a French settlement. One of the old accounts of the Ar … nold Expedition also refers to a French settlement. What was that settlement?
Was it actua”Y a settlement of people from French Canada long before the time when we have supposed those people first came to the Kennebec Valley? My Informant states it is his belief that Plshon’s Ferry and Norridgewock are the only names on the upper Kennebec which remain the same as they were when Amo I d made his memorab Ie march. Pi shon ‘s Ferry and Norri dgewock. Can anyone name a th I rd? On the grounds of Good Wi II is a house known as Wi Ilow WOOd. For many years it was a tavern where horses were changed on the stage coach route. During the Civil War it was the post office and the center of life on the west side of the Kennebec between Kanda II s Mill s and Skowhegan. Pe rhaps ‘t was even the first frame house in that part of Fairfield.
I wish th lsi n formant cou I d te II me one more th I ng. Whe re stood the house near P,lshon’s Ferry where \’1illiam Bryant lived after he moved from the house at Nye’s Corner? His descendants th ink it was near the present Good Wi II grounds, but they do not know exactly where. The grounds of Good Wi II have a number of famous connections. On them Is a marker sh@wing where stood the house in which Gov. Se Iden Connor was born. Elsewhere on what are now Good Will’s broad acres was born Forest Goodwin, representative to Congress. In the house which George Hinckley made the first unit of his great school was born the father of our present U. S. Senator, Margaret Chase Smith.
The other day I was look ing aga in at that county atl as of 1879. Its map of Winslow reveals how populous were the Simpsons along Benton Avenue. The old farm and one other are marked H. Simpson; three pieces of property are marked D. Simpson, and one place each was owned by G. Simpson, R. Simpson, W. Simpson, L. A. Simpson, F. L. Simpson and E. A. Simpson.
As would be suspected the road from the Garland Road to North Vassalboro was lined with Reynoldses: C., S. E., G. W., A. M., Mrs. E., L., J., and F. On the Garland Road itself, Just beyond the present Reynolds place, after crossing the OutleT Stream, were three Garlands — D., J. M., and H. — while on The stream, JUST before it entered the Sebasticook, was the plant of Hayden and Flye, and near it the home of J. D. Flye. On Benton Aven ue, bes i des the many S i mpsons, we re the Spen ce rs, the Hunters, the Watsons, the Freemans, the Bartons, the Walls, the Camp be I Is, the MCKfnneys, the Pol lards, the Dearborns and the Browns. On the China road, where Mr. and Mrs. Proctor now live, resided C. Seco. On the other side of the road were four houses owned by l:ebomes and Gu II I fers. Near where the present road from Wins low to Yassa I boro crosses OutleT Stream lived J. D. Land, and close by was h is woolen factory and a grist mi II.
In 1879 no less than five families lived along the east shore of Pattee’s Pond. They were named Prentis, Wyman, Furber, Hamlin and Littlefield.
Now for a few more odd items about the town of Fairfield. I understand that town was not named for any family by the name of Fairfield, but rather for its fair appearance. Can anyone verify that story?
The total area of the town was originally 42 square miles. Among the pioneer names worTh mentioning is that of Emery. Samuel Emery was said to be the first white chi Id born in Fairfield. David Emery left his farm on the River Road to join Arnold’s i II-fated expedition in 1775. One th i ng I shou I d II ke to know is whethe r Pi shon and Pushard are just different spellings of the same name. The old records of Revolutionary times refe r to both Peter Pi shon and Peter Pushard. Were they both the same man? At any rate in 1774 Peter Pushard bui It a log cabin on the site of the present Law re nce horne.
There were at least two ferries in old-time Fairfield. The more famous of the two was Pi shon ‘s Ferry, situated not far from Nye’s Comer, where the road from Fairfield Center joins the main highway from Watervi lie to Skowhegan. Mr. Arthur Ell is tells me that the road from the main highway to the river bank, where the ferry used to land, is still a public way. It passes through the chicken farm Just a few hundred yards on the Fairfield side of Nye1s Corner. How many present Fairfield names do you recognize In that town’s list of taxpayers in 1798? Here they are: Allan, Atwood, Bowerman, Bates, Burgess, Blackwell, Connor, Davis, Fish, Fuller, Hoxie, Holway, Lawrence, Nye, Shepherd, Tober and Tozer. Note thatln 1798 the Wings and the Totmans had not yet come. Did you know that the act incorporating the town of Fairfield was signed by the same man who was the first to put his big signature on the Declaration of Independence? Yes, in 1788, when Fairfield became a town, John Hancock was Governor of Massachusetts. In 1808 the Fairfield town meeting voted that wheat, rye and corn be accepted as legal tender in payment of taxes, fixing .the prices respectively at 6, 5 and 4 sh i I lings a bushe I •
Finally let’s see what a Fairfield directory of 1904 — only 48 years ago — says about what is now one of the great industries of Centra I Ma ine. Says th i sol d directory: “The Keyes Fibre Company ope rates a sma I I pu I p mill at Shawmut, where they manufacture pie plates. The business was opened last spring and now employs twe Ive hands.”
Year: 1952