Radio Script #613

Little Talks on Common Things

May 3, 1964

As I have previously pointed out on this program, 1876 was an interesting year in Maine. People were much interested in the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and Maine folk attended that exposition in large numbers. Among Maine newspapers prominent in the year was the Portland Transcript. Today I want to examine with you a bound volume containing its issues from April, 1876 through March, 1877. We shall pick out only a few items of special interest.

In that year the boom in harvesting and shipping of Kennebec ice was at its peak. The Transcript said: “There are 690,000 tons of ice housed on the Kennebec, of which 447,000 tons have already been sold, leaving 243,000 tons still available to the big buyers. The going price is $2.75 a ton. Sawdust, formerly worthless, has been selling at $2 a cord. It will take 15 vessels per day during the season to carry Kennebec ice to market.”

In 1876 the Somerset and Kennebec R.R., then only recently made a part of the Maine Central, was considering plans to push on from Skowhegan to Solon and Bingham. Those plans never materialized. and the northern Kennebec Valley towns were eventually served by the Somerset R.R., built from Oakland through Norridgewock and Madison to North Anson. Solon and Bingham. It is interesting. however, to note just what the earlier plan was to build from Skowhegan. The Maine Central offered to lay the rails and run the extension. provided people along the line would grade it — that is, get the road bed all in, ready for the track. Joseph Clark of Caratunk said he would build one mile at his own expense. Whipple and Longley of Solon agreed to do the same. The Whipple referred to was the father of Lewis Whipple, a Solon native who was long a distinguished citizen of Waterville.

Railroad talk was very much in the air in 1876. Many of my listeners will recall that the original narrow gauge road out of Wiscasset was named the Wiscasset and Quebec, because its promoters had the grandiose design of building through to the Canadian city. That there were conflicting plans is shown by an item in that Portland Transcript of April, 1876: “An important meeting of the Wiscasset and Quebec R.R. was held last week in Augusta. There were present the Mayor of Quebec and several other prominent Canadians. Governor Connor presided. The road from Quebec to the Maine line is already half built, and recent sale of bonds in England assures its completion. There remains to be provided the road from North Anson to the Canadian line, about 60 miles. This is through a region at present unsettled. Augusta and Wiscasset are eager to turn this business in their direction, and they lay great stress on building a new road from West Waterville to Augusta and thence on to Wiscasset. The speakers were all for this scheme and much enthusiasm was elicited.”

I do not need to tell you that all the plans fell through. No railroad was ever built connecting Wiscasset with Quebec. ‘The plan to go through to Canada was changed into a plan to build a narrow gauge from Wiscasset to Farmington, crossing the Kennebec at Winslow. A branch line was contemplated from Weeks Mills to Albion. But that railroad never got across the Kennebec, although some relics of the stone abutments built for its b~idge at Winslow can still be seen. What happened was that the main line of the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington (the final name of that narrow gauge line) went through China to Albion, and the part from Weeks Mills to Winslow became only a branch. It was for many years an important branch, however, because it passed through the then thriving communities of South China, East Vassalboro and North Vassalboro.

People were so optimistiC in 1876 that the road would go through to Canada that the Portland Transcript published the following editorial: “The meeting at Augusta about a railroad from Quebec to Wiscasset calls attention to the necessity of opening up to settlement the northern part of our state, now an untrod wilderness. A railroad from Quebec down the valley of the Kennebec — the old Indian route from the St. Laurence to the Maine coast — would open this fertile region and make available its forest and mineral resources. When Maine and Missouri were both admitted into the Union in 1820, Maine had 228,000 people, Missouri had 20,300. In population Maine was then ten times larger than Missouri. At the latest census, in 1870, Maine had 627,000 and Missouri 1,720,000. From ten times smaller, Missouri has grown to be three times larger than Maine. Missouri has gained by immigration; Maine has lost by emigration. What has already been done in Aroostook, where a self-sustaining population is established and is growing wealthy, proves what can be done throughout the whole region. We must have the Wiscasset and Quebec R.R.”

Like many other newspapers, the Transcript liked to use little fillers of the kind the old Boston Globe used to call “Odd Items from Everywhere”. Here are a few of the Transcript gems: “We saw a grocer paying out an old Spanish quarter the other day, a pleasant reminder of old times.

“A boy born last week in Waterville has twelve toes.

“Mrs. Gulliver was the appropriate name of a lady who died recently in Waterville, weighing 300 pounds.”

Interestingly the Portland Transcript in 1876 contained not only several items about Waterville, but also a number about Colby College. then called Colby University:

“The Colby Echo is a new monthly issued by the students of Colby University. Terms $1.50 per year. Alumni and friends are urged to assist this enterprise.

“Revised plans for the new gymnasium of Colby University have been received from the architect. It is to be of brick and fire-proof.

“The resources of Colby University now amount to nearly $300,000, and the endowment of three academies (Coburn, Hebron and Ricker) is nearly completed with $100,000 more. The freshmen class already numbers 40, and the Class of 1876 will be the largest to graduate in the past 30 years.

“One of the juniors at Colby University has started an iron-clad pledge against tobacco. It is for the benefit of the faculty as well as the students. All the nonsmokers have signed and even some of the slaves of the weed.

“The plot of ground between Colby Un i vers i ty and the depot at Watervlle is to be landscaped and planted with shrubbery at the expense of the R.R. Co. and the University.”

The Transcript noted that at the 1876 commencement Colby awarded an honorary degree to Judge Percival Bonney of Portland. Bonney was long the treasurer of the college and for several years chairman of the trustees.

In July the Transcript mentioned that renowned Norridgewock institution of which I have spoken several times, the Eaton School. It said: “The Eaton School at Norridgewock is now twenty years old, and its fame has brought students from the West Indies, from Malaga and other noted towns in Spain, as well as from the chief cities of our own country.”

1876 was a presidential election year, and it proved to be one that caused a lot of excitement. But before the presidential balloting in November, Maine as usual held its September election. It was an overwhelming Republican victory. Our state, now reduced to two Congressmen, in 1876 had five. They were Reed, Frye, Lindsey, Powers and Hale. In the second district the Greenback candidate, Solon Chase — a man who was always running but never winning — polled only 535 votes. Many of you, from your reading of American history, will recall that 1876 was the year of the controversial election of Rutherford B. Hayes for President of the United States over Samuel Tilden, an election that many historians still accuse the Republicans of stealing, through their manipulation of the Reconstruction legislatures in the South. The controversy was not settled until a few days before the inauguration in March, 1877. Let us now follow the exciting events through the pages of the Portland Transcript from November to March.

On November 18 the Transcript reported: “When it was learned that New York had gone for Tilden, the Republicans generally conceded his election. But gradually it appeared possible that Hayes might still be elected and there was intense agitation throughout the country. On Thursday it was found that Tilden had 184 electoral votes, while Hayes seemed sure of 163 ~nd a chance to win the 22 then in doubt. The states considered doubtful were Wisconsin, Louisiana and Florida.

By Friday Wisconsin was believed to be sure for Hayes and Florida for Tilden. Then both North and South Carolina became doubtful. On Saturday Hayes conceded the election to Tilden, but by Monday the issue was again in doubt. By that time the election hinged on the final count in South Carolina, Louisiana and Florida. Fraud was charged by both sides in those states. On Nov. 22 the Election Board of South Carolina issued a certificate to the Hayes and Wheeler electors, after throwing out the votes in two counties because of fraud and intimidation. On the same day it was announced that Hayes had truly carried Wisconsin.”

On December 16 the Transcript said: “The electoral college met in the various states on Wednesday, but it is still difficult to say who is elected. The votes of the disputed states — South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana — were cast for Hayes, but in each state the Tilden electors also met and voted.” In an editorial on the same day the Transcript said: “The people have voted and the electors have voted, yet we don’t know who is President. Let some non-partisan body, like the Supreme Court, decide the questions at issue, and let us all acquiesce in the decision, whether it be Hayes or Tilden.”

Another month went by and on January 20th the Transcript said: “The counting of the electoral vote is the gordian knot that Congress has to untie. The case of states presenting duplicate returns offers a difficulty. Why should not the Supreme Court be called upon to decide which should be counted?”

It was finally ruled that the matter must be settled by the Congress. with disputed votes to be adjudged by the Electoral College Commission, of which Justice Nathan Clifford of Maine was chairman. The commission decided Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana for Hayes by strictly partisan votes of 8 to 7. On March 10, 1877 the Transcript reported the outcome: “The political contest of the past eight months was ended on Friday morning when, in jOint session, the Congress declared that Hayes had received 185 electoral votes to Tilden’s 184, and was therefore elected President.” “At last”, editorialized the Transcript. “the electoral count is completed and the Presidency settled for the next four years. It has been accompanied by revelations of fraud and by scenes of violence in Congress that will long spread a blot on our political annals.”

Year: 1964