Radio Script #1178

Little Talks On Common Things
November 19, 1978

Let us begin today’s broadcast with a few items gleaned from issues of the Clinton Advertiser in 1880. Of course most of us have heard about pulling wool, if only having it pulled over our eyes. On April 18, 1880, the Clinton paper said: ”McNally, Flood and Company have suspended work in the wool pulling line until next August”

By the way, Clinton residents may be. interested to know about their native son whose grandfather was in that wool company. Wayne McNally, though for several years retired as an active educator, is still very busy in various parts of the nation. After a residence in Spokane, Washington, where he was a vigorous promoter of the successful World’s Fair, Mac now spends his winters in Lexington, Kentucky, and his summers in Vermont. During recent years he has promoted university courses for the elderly, both in Kentucky and in Washington. He is a graduate of Colby College in the Class of 1921.

Here’s another item from the Advertiser. “One of Dodge and  Jaquith’s customers complained because he had been told the paper collars he bought there ~ou1d wash. Mr. Jaquith explained, “I told you they would wash. I didn’t· tell you how they would look afterwards.” In the same issue we read: “The first vessel came up the Kennebec April 6. The river is free of ice.and ready for navigation. River drivers ran logs down the Sebasticook last week, destined for the mill of Heath and Cresley at Benton Falls.”

As late as 1880, there were school districts that preferred male teachers in the one- room schools the year around. Most of them still wanted men as teachers in the winter when the attendance of older boys demanded severe discipline.; but in the spring and summer.Then the boys’ work was needed on the farms, women were more often the teachers. Evidently this matter was a hot issue in Clinton in 1880. According to the Advertiser, at the March meeting the voters of School District No.2 had voted to hire a male teacher for the summer term. Then at a special meeting in April they rescinded that vote and decided that a woman could do the job.

In May 1880, fire wiped out Clinton’s unique industry, the croquet factory. The paper said, “On Wednesday the croquet factory was found to be on fire. So rapidly did the flame spread that all was destroyed. It seems to have .started in the basement under a large heater. Loss is estimated at $15,000. It was owned by ten different parties, including the Peoples Bank ·of Waterville. It was leased and operated by Zimri Hunter and Company.

“This is the season when croquet business is at its height, and the firm had large orders ahead. They were turning out 150 croquet sets a day and had more than 2,000 sets on hand. Lumber in the yard was also destroyed. This is the most disastrous fire Clinton has ever suffered, throwing 32 men out of work and putting an end to a monthly payroll. of $800.” Consider for a moment that financial figure compared with wages in 1978. If that croquet factory distributed $800 a month to 32 employees, their average monthly pay must have been $25, or about $6 a week. And that was indeed the average pay in 1880 – one dollar a day for a ten hour day, $6 for the 60 hour week.

The Advertiser warned folks to be ready for the 1880 census takers. They especially warned people living on the farms. Besides the usual questions about sex and age of each person in the family, and relationship of each to the head of the family, and many other personal items, the farmer must be ready to tell the census taker who owned the farm, was there a mortgage on it, what portion of it lay unimproved, the value of buildings, machinery and’ live stock, number and compensation of hired help, cost of seed and fertilizer, return from sale of produce or animals, the number and value of all horses, oxen, cows and young stock, sheep, swine, and fowl. Also the returns from milk, eggs, and chickens.

It is interesting to note that more information was requested from farmers than from merchants in 1880. During the subsequent century, think how the pile of paper work has risen, and how this has affected many areas ,of life. For instance, we are now told that the reason why a patient in a hospital so seldom sees a registered nurse is because they are all so busy filling out government forms. Fortunately the hospitals give their patients competent care through practical nurses and nurses’ aides.

On June 3, 1880, the Clinton Advertiser said: “With this issue the Advertiser closes its third year. More than fifty new subscribers during the past two months encourage us to continue publication. Our columns will be open to all who , have communications of interest, except on the subject of politics. On this the paper ~vill remain neutral. As usual, the ads in the old Clinton paper reveals a lot about the way people lived a hundred years ago.

Here’s one, “I cannot tell a lie. I did it with one of Billings’ axes. All kinds of edged tools manufactured by J. P. Billings, Clinton.”

“Mr. F. Waite, manufacturer of harnesses and dealer in trunks, robes, whips, blankets, curry combs and brushes.”

“Dodge and Jaquith. General Variety Store. Ready made clothing, woolen goods, umbrellas, oil cloth, carpeting and crockery. Boots and shoes.” That was indeed a variety store. “Coffins and Caskets. Black walnut, rosewood and elm coffins constantly on hand and trimmed in first class style. Rooms under Continental Hall.”

Now, the start of that ad intrigues me. It said, “coffins and caskets.” Why both words? What was the difference between the two? I decided to look that u~ in the most famous publication on English words, the Oxford English dictionary, published in several large volumes. I found that coffin was the general word for a box in which to bury the dead. It was a word used by the first American colonists, as they brought it from England, and was the only word for that particular object for nearly 200 years in America.

At the same time in England there was in use the word casket, but it had nothing to do with funerals. It was a small chest or box in which to keep jewels. From your high school days you may remember that it was the word used by Shakespeare in Merchant of Venice concerning Portia’s mysterious jewel box, or casket.

It seems that, for a long time, American coffins were plain, unornamented boxes made by ordinary carpenters. Gradually, especially for more wealthy patrons, they came to be made of more expensive wood and to have brass handles and other metal ornaments, even exquisite carving. To distinguish those. finer products from the simple coffin they were given the jewel box name of caskets. After that interruption, let us get on with a few more Clinton ads of a century ago.

“Allen and Totman •. Agents for the Buckeye Mowing Machine. Price reduced. Haying tools of every description. Fairfield, Maine.”

“Dr. Dyer’s headache, dyspeptic and liver pills •. Warranted to give satisfaction in every case. Charles Wentworth, Clinton.”

“For rent in Burnham. House, shed and stable in good repair, and about four acres of land. Half a mile from Burnham Depot. $8 a month.” Wow! What a difference from today’s rental figures.

“Are you going West? Get your through ticket from G. W. Parkman, Clinton, Agent for Lake Shore, Grand Trunk’ and’ Hoosac Tunnel lines.”

“You will find all kinds of new and secondhand schoolbooks at Hendrickson’s, one door north of the Post Office, Wateryille.”

That is a reminder that in·1880 the towns did not furnish free schoolbooks.

“Mrs. A. W”. Kimball, over Charles Wentworth’s store in Clinton, is both milliner· and dressmaker. She has a complete line of hats and bonnets in all the best shapes, also dress trimmings, puttons, hosiery, hamburgs and kid gloves.”Listen to this combination. “Second hand organs, pianos and sewing machines. P. S. Spratt, Clinton if n December, Christmas ads began to appear in the Advertiser,

“Gifts for the holidays. Books of all kinqs. Bibles, albums, biographies, novels. Also vases, toilet sets, shaving mugs, all at extremely low prices. E. G. Hodgdon, next to the Post Office, Waterville. If When spring came in 1881, the Clinton ads reminded readers that it was time to think about crops and produce. One ad concerned planting:

“Bradley’s Super phosphate will be on sale this season by Dodge and Jaquith.The best farmers always use this fertilizer. Another ad warned orchard owners to be sure their apple blossoms got pollenized. 111 will furnish swarms of bees to orchardists who furnish their own hives for $3 to $5 a swarm according to quality. John Runnels, near Clinton Town Hall.”

In the closing minutes of this broadcast, we have just time enough for another mention of Waterville’s famous educator, James Hanson, principal of Coburn Classical Institute.

In a previous broadcast I have told you that when Hanson became head of the old Waterville Academy in 1843, he was guaranteed no salary. He was to have all the tuition receipts, out of which he must pay for any assistance and all current running expenses except fuel and maintenance of school buildings. I can now tell you how he got along during two of those early school years, 1845-46 and 1846-47. In the first of those years his total receipts were $592 and expenses were $332, leaving a balance of $260.

In the next year, receipts were $869 and expenses $626, with a balance of $243. Think of it! The man who made Coburn one of Maine 1st most distinguished preparatory schools supported his growing family for two years in the 1840’s on a total pay of $503, an average of little more than $250 a year. How in the world did the Hansons have regular, nourishing meals?

Year: 1978