Radio Script #370
Little Talks on Common Things
March 2, 1958
During the last two broadcasts we by no means exhausted The interesting content of the Keith diaries. So here tonight is more from That amazing record. In the very first of those eight big volumes Charles Keith noted the death of one of Watervi lie’s famous citizens. The man was, in facT, Dr. Sidney Thayer, the physician who had presided at the autopsy on the body of Edward Mathews after that young man’s murder by the notorious Dr. Coolidge. Let us see what Charles Keith had to say about him. On May 30, 1852 the diary carried these words: “Dr. Thayer of Watervi lie was buried last Thursday, age 69. He has been a member of the Congregational Church for many years and appeared to enjoy much rei igion. He had a strong passion for money, loaned money at interest, and justified himself in doing it. By his direction he was buried in a plain coffin without any plate. He was probably worth more than $10,000. His history is one upon which I have reflected much. He seized every opportunity to make money out of other men’s necessity. His house was poorly and cheaply furnished, his clothing coarse and cheap. He usually wore cowhide boots. Sti I I he appeared to enjoy religion and would stop any time and converse on that subject. He did not fear to die, bel ieving his reward and happiness were in heaven.”
By this time you real ize that Charles Keith confided his plain, unvarnished opinions to that diary. He pulled no punches. He was probably unfair in his judgement of Dr. Sidney Thayer, just as he may have been about other persons of the neighborhood. Listen to what he wrote two months later about a member of Winslow’s famous pioneer fami Iy, the Pattees: “Lithgow Pattee was buried today, aged about 75. He was the last son of Gen. Ezekiel Pattee, who was one of the first settlers of Winslow. When the general died, he left a good legacy to each of his sons. They had been indulged in frivol ity from early youth and in the habitual use of ardent spirits. Those habits became strengthened with age. AI I spent their property, or most of it, before they died. Lithgow Pattee has been a town charge for several years. James spent his last years in the fami Iy of Joseph Eaton and was well cared for. Benjamin died in his own house, and Samuel died at the old homestead. Furber, William, Arthur and Ezekiel died before my remembrance. Arthur died in New York. They were kindly men, addicted to no other vice than indolence and intemperance.”
But, to use Shakespeare’s words, the most unkindest cut of al I came from Charles Keith’s caustic pen when he commented on that fine, hard-working pioneer wife and mother of Winslow, for whom is named the local chapter of the DAR, Silence Howard Hayden, who had married the Revolutionary colonel, Josiah Hayden in 1763.
Following the diary entry for November 27, 1857, Charles set down a careful account of what he had been able to learn about his mother’s fami Iy, the Haydens. After tel ling that his grandfather’s journal stated that the American Haydens descended from one John Hayden, who had come from Ireland in the 17th century, ile commented that his own great-grand father, Co I. J os i ah Hayden, had come from Bridgewater, Mass. to Winslow soon after the Revolution. Then he wrote what shows Charles Keith to be a man who could never resist getting in a dig: “Josiah was an officer in the Revolution and received a small pension. He managed a farm and kept a public house in Winslow. Of Josiah’s wife it is said she was too fond of strong dr ink.”
In Apri I, 1853 Charles Keith served on the grand jury of Kennebec County. He tel Is us that, as late as Apri I 10, there were two feet of snow in the travel led road between Winslow and Augusta. He records some of the indictments which the jury brought in: Against Mrs. Crowe I I of Augusta for receiving stolen goods and leading 17 boys astray; against Mr. Emerson for whipping C. H. Webber, the schoolmaster at Chelsea; against Henry Hapson for assisting Bonney, the noted counterfeiter, to escape from jai I.
In his record for January 26, 1853, in his usual caustic fashion, Charles paid his respects to a ne i ghbor. He wrote: “I spent the even ing at Mr. P. Smiley’s very pleasantly. Since his marriage with Mrs. Wedgewood a great change has taken place in him for the better. Mrs. Smi ley possesses a fund of knowledge, and her reasoning powers so far exceed his that he listens rather than argues, as he formerly did. A prudent and sagacious woman will affect for the better a rough man.”
It seems that no citizen of Winslow could pass away without Charles Keith trying to assess the person’s virtues and faults. On October 12, 1853 he wrote: “Deacon Talbot died this morning, age 70. He was one of the first settlers of Winslow and did a great deal to benefit the town. He was one of the founders of the Winslow Congregational Church, but removed his membership to the one in Watervi lie 15 years ago. He possessed a very strong mind, but was rough in al I his ways and very wi 1’1 fu I. Consequent I y he had many enem i es and very few friends. But he wi I I be remembered for his sound judgement, extraordinary courage and i n d om i ta b lew i I I • ”
It was a time when a lot of Maine’s young men were striking out for the gold fields of California, but Charles Keith didn’t approve of such recklessness.
On November 14, 1853 he set down in his diary: “Simon Jones, 21, Joseph Garland, 20~ Hebron Mayhan of Chestervi lie, 19, have started for California. Numbers of young men are constantly leaving Maine for the far west, although they may be getting good wages at home. They are in haste to be rich, and many of them, having no capital of their own, wi I I get friends to sign notes for them or loan them money on life insurance policies at exhorbitant interest. Jones is paying 25% for $100 for ten years. For the past two months these boys have thought- of I ittle but the land of gold.”
Soon afTer the New Year in 1854 Charles started again for Braintree and and another term of teaching. He tel Is us that on his way he visited the Boston museum. “A I most everyth i ng there is of a cur i ous character”, he wrote. “I examined the Egyptian mummies and their coffins – a great curiosity. I also went to the theatre where Bottle Imp was played, showing drunkenness in all its deformities. I suppose some of my friends wi II say I did wrong to go to the theatre, but I have no qualms of conscience. have always desired to see p lays we I I performed. There has been noth i ng immora lin the p lays I have seen. Y!
Charles returned home to Winslow in March, and he tel Is us that the winter of 1853-54 was one of the hardest and longest in the memory of the oldest inhabitants.
On Apri I 27 he went to the Fort (Wins low Vi Ilage) on horseback. “The road”, he said, “is covered with snow from 2 to 3 feet deep. Once I had to dismount and I ead my horse through a big dr i ft. Th i sis a I I 0 I d snow.”
On the last day of April he wrote: “April is now passed, the most gloomy month ever experienced. More than half the month has been sleighing, and there are sti II snowbanks in the road three feet deep and in the fields against the fences are some drifts 8 or 10 feet. Persons who have lived in Winslow for 50 years say that they never knew so much snow to stay so late.”
Charles Keith had ambition to be a writer of books. On June 12, 1854 he recorded: ” I n Boston today. Left a manuscr i,pt of 130 pages ent i tied “Ten Months wi th the Lumbermen of Ma i nen wi th the proofreader of Ph i II ips & Sampson, 110 Washington Street, to be examined and published if they think proper. No bargain was made, as the forms were not in, but the proofreader is to write me in a few days.”
Ten days elapsed. Then Charles confided to his diary this fear: “As I did not hear from Mr. Gui Id, the proofreader in Boston, I wrote him, suspecting fraud. n Since that is the I ast we hear of the matter, we must assume that Charles’ attempt to get into print with his book came to naught.
The Boston museum wasn’t the only place where Charles Keith saw curiosities. During his second winter of teaching in Braintree he went to a neighboring town to see the Wi I d f\.1en of Borneo. “They are about three feet ta I I”, he wrote, “and were captured some 19 years ago in a Borneo cave. They are no doubt part human and part animal. Probably their mothers were orang outangs, as they resemble those animals particularly in their faculties. Their complexion is white as any American. Their little fingers and I ittle toes are sl ightly crooked, hands and feet larger than human, bra in very sma II. They are very wi II fu I but .. easily governed, as they have the same fear of man that any of the lower animals have. They possess great strength and can lift a quarter of a ton with ease.”
Charles had not felt wei I when he left Braintree for Winslow on March 10, and after he got home he began to fee I worse. On March 13 he wrote: !fDo not feel as wei I today and hardly know what to do. Have sent John Love to Watervi lie for a doctor.” The next day he could record: “The doctor came over and examined me carefully. He gave me such prescriptions as he thought proper. I rested pretty wei I last night, though at times’ had sharp pains. Perhaps I am a little nervou~, knowing that my situation depends on my being careful and on the favorable effect of the doctor’s medicine.”
The doctor who responded to Keith’s call was Nathaniel Beutel Ie, son of Watervil Ie’s leading citizen, Timothy Boutel Ie, who was then himself sti I I living. Evidently Dr. Boutel Ie had seen something to cause him anxiety, because on March 16 he brought Dr. Sawyer with him to cal I on Keith. Charles en’tered in his diary: “My symptoms are more favorab I e today, and I hope it is the wi J I of Prov i dence that J sha I I recover.”
Apparently Dr. Boutel Ie handed the case over to Dr. Sawyer, for it is the latter who Charles says attended him through the long illness, which lasted wei I into the summer. He didn’t go out much, not even to church. But he had a chance to do a lot of reading. One book he enjoyed was the “Life of Po T. Barnum”, and he said of it: “I think it is the best exposition of humbuggery thaT I have ever seen.”
On Apri 19 he felt wei I enough to go over to Watervi lie to see the doctor rather than wait for the physician to come to him. He wrote about it: “The doctor Thinks I am really improving. He made some changes in the treatment.”
On May 6 he apologized in the diary for staying at home from communion: n I fe It we II enough to go”, he sa i d, “but not to s it in a pew for so long. I am improving and expect to do some I ight work tomorrow.” The next Sunday Charles did go to church, but he almost wished he hadn’ t~ “I went to meeti n9 th is forenoon for the first time since I came home. was glad to go, but fear it has injured me, as the house was so chi Ily that think I got more cold. n Charles did suffer a relapse, but got less sympathy from the doctor than he -thought he deserved:. “May 19. Doctor came. am very sore. He says I wi II be all right if I keep on with his treatment.” Evidently this didn’t satisfy Char I es for on May 25 he recorded: “Went to Augusta and saw Dr. Nile, who said my trouble was simply inflamation and suppuration. He approved of what Dr. Sawyer was giving me and said if I am careful I shall get over it.”
And get over it he did. By October he had so far forgotten his illness that his diary record for the month tells us: “Went to Waterville to see the g i r Is ride at the cattl e show. The exh i b i tion and performance was pra i seworthy.”
And with that comment of a sick man who got wei I enough to go to see the cowgirls, we must say good night for old times’ sake.
Year: 1958