Radio Script #805

Little Talks on Common Things

May 4, 1969

In our day it is considered unethical for physicians and dentists to advertise. It was not so in the last quarter of the 19th century. On this program I have told you how some doctors actually published newspapers to advertise their own skills and remedies. Such was the case of physicians in Portland, Lewiston and Skowhegan. In that up-river town the publication of Dr. A.A. Mann in the middle of the century was widely read.

In the 1880’s both physicians and dentists placed regular ads in the papers. Let us see who some of them were who gave such notice to the public in the Waterville Mail of July 9, 1880. One ad read: “D.P. Stowell, M.D., office and residence, second house below Buck Brothers Store, Main Street near Railroad Crossing, Waterville. Mai nee n Another said: “M. S. Holmes. M. D., Homeopathist, office Hatch Block, residence Cascade House, West Waterville. Maine.”

One advertising doctor lived on Winter Street near my present residence. In fact, after his death, his niece. Miss Harriet Parmenter, long lived in the house, and at her death bequeathed it to Coburn Classical Institute. The doctor’s 1880 ad said: “George B. Howard, M.D., residence on Winter Street beyond the Catholic Church; office, corner of Main and Common Streets, over Mr. Carter’s periodical store; office hours 8 to 9:30 a.m., 2 to 4 and 7 to 8:30 p.m.”

Waterville had at least one lady physician in 1880. Her ad read: “Mr. Ann C. Martin, Main Street, Waterville, first door north of the Unitarian Church.”

As for the dentists, their ads were likely to be more flamboyant than those of the physicians. G.S. Palmer, who styled himself a surgeon dentist, with office over Alden’s store opposite the People’s National Bank, and who lived at the corner of College and Getchell Streets, advertised: “I am prepared to administer pure nitrous oxide gas. which I will constantly keep on hand for those who wish for this anesthetic when having teeth extracted.”

Another dentist. E.L. Jones, with office over the Waterville Savings Bank stated his hours as 8 to 12 a.m. and 1 to 6 p.m. He also advertised: “Artificial teeth set on rubber, gold or silver plates; all work warranted; gas and ether administered to all suitable persons who desire it.” Now that ad contains a puzzling phrase. What did Dr. Jones mean by “suitable personsll? What kind of persons were suitable to take gas or ether to have his teeth out?

These professional ads, a single column wide and one or two inches deep, filled the left hand column of the first page of the Waterville Mail on July 9, 1880. Who besides doctors and dentists used that column? The lawyers were well represented: “F.W. Waldron, attorney and counselor at law; criminal defenses a specialty.” William T. Haines lived not in a mansion on Main Street, but out in what is now Oakland.

Another lawyer was Reuben Foster, Counselor at Law. who considered himself so well known that he did not identify his office, but simply said: “Waterville”. Horace Stewart did, however, say he could be found at Room 5, Waterville Bank Block; but Edmund Webb, like Foster, was content to have his ad say merely “Waterville”. Another lawyer, L.D. Carver. announced that he made collecting a specialty.

Two music teachers had ads in that column. Mrs. H.H. PerCival, teacher of piano, and J.K. Soule. whose ad said: “Teacher of music and dealer in first class pianos and organs. Pupil s can leave their .addresses at Hendrick’s. Bookstore.” Art as well as music was represented among these ads: “Miss Sarah Allen, teacher of drawing, water color and oil painting.”

One barber got his ad into the column: “Augustus Champlin, barber and hairdresser, next door south of Carter’s Periodical Depot. Waterville; all kinds of barber’s materials constantly on hand. Give us a call and we will try to please you. We employ three hands on Saturday. Razors honed or concaved to order.”

Insurance also got into the column, with the name of a prominent citizen: “John Ware, fire insurance agent, office over the Merchants’ National Bank, Waterville.”

Just one ad in the whole column seems out of place. It could hardly be called a professional announcement. This is what it said: “George Jewell, livery, boarding and baiting stable; hacks furnished for funerals and parties; head of Silver Street.”

I have often wondered how late in the 19th century any salmon were caught on the Kennebec as far north as Waterville. I did know that as late as the 1850’s they were caught here in such quantities that they seldom brought more than five cents a pound. In that issue of the Waterville Mail that carried the professional ads I read about a catch of salmon on July 6, 1880. The story said: “The first salmon to be caught here since the building of the fishway was gaffed on the Winslow side of the river, just below the dam last Tuesday by A.N. Jones. It measured 31 inches and weighed 19 pounds. Three were seen last Sunday, and several sturgeon have been seen jumping in Winslow Bay. This is evidence that the fishway at the Augusta dam is a success, and there is hope that the fish will soon be restored to their old haunts.”

In these days when Colby Commencement is held the first week in June, it is interesting to note that in 1880 it was still to come when the Mail went to press on July 9. An item in that issue said: “Indications are that attendance at the approaching commencement of Colby College will be unusually large. partly due to our increased hotel accomodations. Among celebrities expected are Martin Anderson, President of Rochester University, a member of the Colby Class of 1840; Rev. Alfred Owen, President of Denison University, Colby 1853; and Waterville-born William Mathews, noted author. Class of 1835, who will be the commencement orator.”

Boating and canoeing on the Messalonskee were popular recreations in the last quarter of the past century. That 1880 issue of the Waterville Mail had something to say about it: “Dingley Brothers of Coalpit Ridge have built half the boats now used on the Messalonskee. They are self-taught and probably inherit their skill, as well as their liking for the vocation, from their grandfather, Uncle Charlie Dingley, a ship carpenter of the olden time. No better row boats are found upon the stream than those that the Dingleys build. They are worthy young men. who by faithful labor have earned the confidence and esteem of all who know them.”

Here’s an unusual ad in that issue of the Mail: “A fine lot of mocking birds just received. for sale very cheap at Mrs. Estes, Front Street between Appleton and Union.”

Now back to a bit more about activity on the Messalonskee Stream in 1880. Another story in the Mail told about it: “The number of row boats in active service on the Messalonskee is at least thirty, and on fair days and pleasant evenings most of them are busy.” Then the writer waxed eloquent with these words: “The embryo yarns, spun among the dreamed-of clams and mermaids that abound in the classic mud holes of that pristine stream, will no doubt grow into life as these tiny boats develop into huge commercial steamers and men-of-war  to be manned and owned by the ambitious members of the boat clubs at Colby.”

Few people now living remember the Rev. E. Leger, who in 1880 conducted the mission on the Plains that is now the Second Baptist Church of Waterville. But he was so much in the news ninety years ago that the Waterville Mail had this to say: “Nine persons were given the right hand of fellowship at the Baptist Church last Sunday. Rev. E. Leger, who had previously baptized them, assisted in the ceremony and addressed them in their tongue. for all were French Canadians and all the fruit of Mr. Leger’s mission on the Plains. Mr. Leger’s good work, not only for religion, but also for temperance and morality, is much appreciated. He has been materially aided by A.H. Evans. a junior at Colby, who speaks French, and works with Mr. Leger without compensation.”

Like the present-day Civic League. there were in 1880 several organizations fighting the cause of morality and sobriety. One was a group called the Kennebec County Reform Clubs, with individual clubs in most of the Kennebec towns. Commenting that a meeting of the associated clubs had just been held in Waterville, the Mail said: “Reports were favorable. even in the face of great efforts made by the liquor interests to gain support for their cider law. A prominent item in the program was the address of Joshua Nye of Fairfield. Referring to the backwardness of county sheriffs in enforcing the law against liquor sellers, he said with marked emphasis that, unless some special appointments were made by the governor and council as required by law, he intended to call a meeting of the State Temperance Society in Augusta on July 22, pointing toward the nomination of an independent state ticket, to oppose both Republicans and Democrats.”

In July 1880, results of the federal census of that year were just beginning to be computed. Considering what I have said on this program, from time to time, about the once important and since declining place of Vassalboro among Kennebec towns, it is informative to find what the Mail reported about that town’s population. This is what the story said: “The census of Vassalboro shows 2,620 white inhabitants and no colored. The loss since 1870 has been 299. The village of North Vassalboro has 813 people, East Vassalboro 198, and Getchells Corner 143. The town has 138 persons between 70 and 80 years of age; 37 between 80 and 90; and three between 90 and 100. Sarah Brown ;s in her 98th year, and Jabez Crowell and Martha Lawson are each 92. The number of dwelling houses in Vassalboro is 591, the number of families 640, the number of farms 327. Last year the town did have one colored person. She was Lizzie Underwood, a freed slave. who died last November at the age of 99.”

Now let us close this broadcast with two 1880 ads from the Waterville Mail that seem a bit unusual today. One ad said: “Fireworks of every description, Chinese and Japanese lanterns, political flags for flag raisings. July Fourth goods of every description: Hyde & Co., Boston.”

And here is another nostalgic ad: “Parasols! Parasols! A full line as cheap as the cheapest at Foye and Veazies, Main Street, Waterville.”

Year: 1969