Radio Script #972

Little Talks on Common Things
May 6, 1973

Last week I told you about an account of industrial and commercial Fairfield published in a Bangor magazine called the Industrial Journal in 1911. Today I want to mention some other items in that same magazine of 62 years ago.

Let us first take a look at public transportation at that time. In 1911 very few people owned automobiles and there were no paved highways on which the few existing autos could travel. A summer ride in a 1911 auto was a dusty, bouncing affair.

Travelers chiefly used the MCRR and Maine’s half dozen narrow gauge lines. If one wanted to take the Pullman from Bangor to St. John, he had to board the car at Bangor at the unearthly hour of 3:45 a.m. He could do better by Pullman to Boston, leaving Bangor at 8:00 p.m. Another express, called the Flying Yankee, left Bangor at 5:45 p.m. There were frequent trains, especially in summer, to Ellsworth and the Bar Harbor Ferry. There was then no bridge to Mt. Desert Island.

In 1911 there were five trains daily from Bangor to Aroostook and five the other way. The railroads did not claim all the passengers out of Bangor. The Eastern Steamship Co. then operated their big steamers on overnight trips between Bangor and Boston. The landings out of Bangor were announced as Winterport, Bucksport, Searsport, Belfast, Camden and Rockland. Fare one way was $3.50, round trip $6.50. The same ship line operated boats on regular schedule between Rockland, Blue Hill and Bar Harbor, while smaller boats made frequent runs from Rockland to the Havens and to Matinicus.

That 1911 magazine gave statistics on Maine game kill in 1910. 5,551 deer had been registered by hunters, as well as 64 moose and 50 bears. A total of 1,669 registered guides had served 13,269 hunters, 94 hunting camps has entertained 15,963 guests, and diners at the camps had consumed 274 deer.

In 1911 agriculture was still Maine’s leading industry, far exceeding either lumber, pulp and paper, shoes or textiles. Not only were farm products exhibited at the numerous fairs between July and early October; there was also a big agricultural exposition at Portland in November. The Portland Board of Trade also ran a spring excursion to Aroostook, with stops at several towns and visits to half a dozen of the larger farms.

Now note some of miscellaneous items given brief mention in this old magazine. Here’s a pertinent one: “Airship travel is coming into vogue this season. At least three balloon trips and one airplane cruise into Maine are planned.”

The prosperity of resort hotels in 1911 is shown by this item: “Over 4,000 yards of new carpet have been laid at the Kineo House.” Here’s another: “The Wayland at Dunston in Scarborough is a favorite resort for automobilists, and for supper and dancing for parties from Portland. It is directly on the trolley line to Old Orchard and Saco.”

Another indication of Maine’s interest in summer business is shown by this item: “In New York and Boston the larger department stores are devoting a lot of floor space to camping supplies, including set-up tents and canvas houses. Many new styles of tents are offered, with all sorts of fly projections for porches, and with windows of flexible transparent material such as is usual in automobile tops. There is a lavish display of folding furniture, including bathtubs that fold up, sleeping bags with blankets laced inside, khaki wall products that make a good-sized cupboard, folding shelves, tables, rockers and stoves, collapsible hammock stands, and all sorts of kerosene lamps.”

As for sports, how about this item? “The Maine Horsehoe Association held its annual banquet in Portland, Maine. Its 1912 meeting will be in Bangor.”

The old magazine announced newly elected officers of Waterville’s Board of Trade as Dr. Luther Bunker, President; H. R. Dunham, V.P.; Lewis Whipple, Secretary; and Perham Heald, Treasurer. Directors were Dr. J.F. Hill, C.J. Clukey, Frank Redington, Harvey Eaton and Horace Purinton.

Some of the ads that appeared in that paper 62 years ago reveal what was going on.

“Keyes Fibre Co. fibre pie plates, butter trays, etc. from pure green spruce fibres”.

“Get your household electric devices from the Waterville and Fairfield Railway and Light Co. Electric wiring. Everything electrical.”

“Edward P. Mayo, editor of Turf, Farm and Home. Institute speaker for granges and other organizations. Subjects: Twelve Leaks on the Farm; Some Ideas on Potato Culture; The Profitable Horse to Raise; Swine as a Farm Crop; The Grange in Agricultural Development”.

“Wanted. Man to carry a side line of gloves and mittens on commission.”

“Reddy of Bangor, builder of yachts, motor boats, row boats, dories and bateaux. Plant located at Hampden Highlands.”

“The Chapman Detachable Rubber Heel keeps the body in natural position. Locked in instead of nailed. Price 50 cents attached.”

Here’s an ad that shows Bangor’s domination of the lumber industry more than fifty years ago. “Boom chains, cant dogs, peaveys, cordage, anchors, boom augers. Largest manufacturer of log driving tools in Maine. T.F. Cassidy and Son.”

Finally, here is an ad by the Bath Iron Works. “Bath Iron Works, shipbuilders and engineers. Boilers, smokestacks, tanks, penstocks, sheet metal and copper work.”

At this time when agitation is being revived for a second bridge across the Kennebec between Waterville and Winslow, it is well to be reminded about the first bridges in this area. Few people, I suspect, know that the bridge across the Sebasticook near Fort Halifax is more than ten years older than the Ticonic Bridge across the Kennebec.

The corporation to finance and build the Sebasticook Bridge was formed at a meeting in Winslow on February 13, 1813, within a few days of another momentous event, the chartering of the Literary and Theological Institution that became Colby College. In the early years of the 19th century, major bridges across Maine’s big rivers were not built by the state and the towns. They were erected by private corporations, whose stockholders hoped to take in sufficient tolls to pay all expenses and yield a dividend on the stock.

President of the Sebasticook Bridge Corporation was James Stackpole, Jr. Samuel Paine was clerk, and Thomas Rice was treasurer. Timothy Boutelle and Moses Appleton were named a committee on accounts, a job that substantially meant keeping an eye on the treasurer and auditing his records. The toll collector was James Child.

Of historic interest are the regulations set up for operation of the corporation and its bridge. Notices of meetings had to be published in some newspaper in Kennebec County, preferably in a Waterville paper whenever that town should have one. The directors of the corporation agreed to keep the bridge in repair and make annual contract with the man who was given the title of “toll gatherer”.

They were also empowered to levy assessments on the stockholders for major repairs. At the end of each year, any surplus was to provide a dividend to the stockholders.

One article provided that the toll gatherer give bond for $500. Every Saturday evening he was obligated to hand over to the treasurer all his collections for the week.

The directors might set an annual fee for a man or family to use the bridge, graduating the fee according to the expected use, but in no case were they allowed to issue such annual passes for less than one dollar. Toll rates at the opening of the Sebasticook Bridge were two cents for a foot passenger, 10 cents for one person on horseback, 5 cents for a man wheeling a wheelbarrow or hand cart, for a team drawn by more than one horse but not more than four horses, 20 cents, for one horse and chaise or sulky, 25 cents, for one coach, chariot, phaeton or carriage, 35 cents. For cattle or horses, other than those ridden or attached to vehicles, 3 cents each, for sheep and swine, one cent each.

An especially interesting provision read as follows: “If any person transports any logs or lumber across the bridge, except upon wheels, a sled or some other vehicle, he shall pay the treasurer for each offense a sum not exceeding $13 nor less than $5.”

Now let us close with another subject. A hundred years ago a number of families often helped each other get an education. Such an instance is shown by a distinguished Colby graduate, General Henry Clay Merriam of the Class of 1858. At the close of the Civil War, Merriam was a colonel, but he remained in the regular army through the Indian Wars and even in the Spanish-American War. Only seven years after Lee’s surrender at Appomatox, Merriam received an appeal from a younger brother then at Colby, an appeal that shows the student was already indebted to the older brother. Written from Waterville on April 21, 1872, the letter said: “I have delayed send for a draft from you, supposing I should have nearly enough to carry me through this term. But after paying last term’s expenses and the fraternity initiation fees, I have only $12 left. I shall enclose a little bill of my expenses, taken from my account book, that you may know more particularly about them. I expect they are higher than you anticipated. Probably the new term’s expenses will be even higher on account of South Colby now being heated by steam. Last month we managed to pick up what wood we burned in our stove. I fear the year is going to cost me nearly $300, and that is a lot of money.”

In another preserved letter, Gen. Merriam himself commented on a military situation when he was a Colby student. He wrote: “In the middle ages there was a great military commander named Charles Martel. When I was in Waterville College a man of the same name gave us military instruction. He appeared daily on the campus in full dress uniform and armed to the teeth. He held us to exact lines and steps, demanded smart salutes and stiff attention. The kind of marching we actually did in the army would never have passed his muster.”

And with that reference to Colby military drill in the 1850’s, we must say goodbye until next week.

Year: 1973