Radio Script #531

Little Talks on Common Things

March 25, 1962

As long ago as 1890, a year before I was born, the Maine Central Railroad was supplying excellent passenger service in and out of Waterville. When we consider that today we have no railroad passenger service at all, that schedule of 72 years ago seems wonderful.

Trains left Waterville for Portland by way of Augusta at 5:35 and 9:20 A.M. and at 2:30, 3:10 and 10:08 P.M. via Lewiston, there were trains to Portland at 9:20 A.M. and 2:25 P.M. Running east from Waterville were numerous trains. Already in existence was the through train to the Provinces, later called the uull. ~t arrived here from Hoston at 3:12 A.M. other trains to Bangor left Waterville at 6:10, 7:15 and 10:00 A.M., and at 4:30 P.M. There were through trains daily between Waterville and Skowhegan, and two shuttle trains between Waterville and Oakland.

Despite the fact that, in 1890, the horse car line between Waterville and Fairfield had already been electrified, the Maine Central advertised daily round trip excursions to Fairfield for 15 cents, to Oakland for 40 cents, and to Skowhegan for a dollar.

Seventy years ago on Waterville’s Temple Street, next to the Congregational Church, where a barber shop is now located, was the fashionable house decorating establishment of Spaulding and Kennison.

In 1890 they ran this ad in the Waterville Mail: “Spaulding and Kennison, House Painters and Glaziers. Graining, kalsomining, paper hanging and ceiling decorating a specialty. All work promptlyattended to and guaranteed to give satisfaction. Shop on West Temple Street next to the Congregational Church.”

In 1890 George S. Flood, founder of the G. S. Flood Fuel Company, was still living, though he then lived in retirement in his home at the top of the hill on Upper Main Street. He must have taken pride in the ad which his brothers Charles and Alpheus Flood, then proprietors of the company, were able to place in the Waterville Mail just two years before their older brother George passed away: “Wood and coal. Coal of all sizes constantly on hand and delivered to any part of the city in quantities desired. Blacksmith’s coal by bushel or carload. Dry hard and soft wood, prepared for stoves or four feet long. We will contract to supply green wood in lots desired at lowest prices. Pressed hay and straw, hair and calcined plaster. Nenwark, Roman and Portland cement, by pound or cask. Agent for Portland Stoneware Company’s drain pipe and fire bricks; all sizes on hand; also tile for draining land. Down town office at Stewart Brothers, Center Market.”

I have been asked if I know any more good Pattangall stories besides those I have already told from time to time on this program. Let me say first that, if you are interested in William R. Pattangall’s spectacular career and some of his famous stories, you should read a book published in 1954 by Judge Raymond Fellows, then Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Court. Entitled “William R. Pattangall of Maine: Lawyer, Politician, Jurist”, it contains a lively, appreciative sketch of Patt’s life, followed by extracts from his “Meddybemps Letters” and his “Maine Hall of Fame”. Many, but not all, of the stories I have told you about Pattangall come from Judge Fellows’ book, but some of them I secured from other sources, and I especially prize several that were told me by my good friend, the late Harvey D. Eaton.

One of Judge Fellows’ stories about Pattangall will bear repeating tonight. Pattangall was always fond of Washington County, where he had been born and where he gained his first fame both as publisher and as lawyer. But Patt was not above poking fun at his beloved county, just as he often poked fun at himself. Well, down in Washington County, in the days when the railroad was new and the trains ran slowly, a man somewhat inebriated sat down in a seat behind a clergyman. As the train chugged its slow way through the seemingly interminable blueberry barrens, the drunk tapped the clergyman on the shoulder and said: “Excuse me, are you a member of the cloth?tt “I am”, was the reply. “ls it true, Reverend, that the Good Book says that God made the world in six days?” “Absolutely true”, avowed the minister. Then the intoxicated fellow, waving an unsteady hand toward the out of doors, said: “Don’t you think, Parson, he could have put in another day to advantage in Washington County?”

Some good stories are told about Pattangall after he was appointed to the Maine bench. Always trying to bring litigants to an amicable settlement, Patt often let his humor shine through his dignity as a judge. On one occasion the county attorney of Hancock County was prosecuting a drunken driving case in the court where Judge Pattangall was presiding. At that time a man convicted of drunken driving usually got a jail sentence in addition to a fine.

It was the last day of the term and Patt was anxious to finish the cases and get home. A prominent lawyer appeared for the defendant. Before the trial began, Judge Pattangall said to that defense attorney, “Now Bert, I want to tell you this is Bargain Day. If you have any doubts about your client’s innocence, you’d better settle now.” The lawyer replied, “My client is not guilty, Judge”.

‘l’l:i:a trial began and the prosecution presented its case. Before the defense could start, Judge Pattangall called a recess and said, “1 want to see counsel in chambers.” There the Judge said to the defense attorney, “Bert, you are not going to be fool enough to try to beat this case, are you? You know I said this is Bargain Day. Why don’t you settle?” The lawyer replied, “I have tried to settle, but the County Attorney won’t do business.” “Well”, said Patt, “what have you offered him?” He offered him $100 and no jail sentence. He won’t take it.” “Now Bert”, add the judge, “when I said this is Bargain Day, I didn’t mean it was a Bankrupt Sale. You’d better settle for the County Attorney’s offer, $300 and 60 days in jail.” And that’s just what the lawyer had to settle for.

One of Judge Fellows’ stories about Pattangall concerns Waterville and it also reveals Patt’s great kindness and warm understanding.

A Waterville man asked Patt to draw his will. He said he wanted his property left in trust, with the trustees required to supply his widow with all funds necessary for her support and that of their children. Then the man went on to lay down numerous cumbersome provisions to take care of contingencies and emergencies for years to coine. Patt listened carefully, made many notes, and told the client it would take much time and study to make such a will, but he would try to have it ready in a couple of days. So Patt went to work and prepared two wills: one a long document containing all of the client’s provisions; the other a short, simple will of just one sentence.

When the man next appeared at the office, Patt read him the long will. The client said; “Mr. Pattangall, that is just right. let in some witnesses and I’ll sign it.” “No”, said Patt, “you.’re not going to sign that will. Here is the one you’re going to sign.” Then Patt read the single sentence will, leaving all the property without conditions to the wife and making her the executrix. “Why should I sign any such will?” demanded the client. “I might say, to save you money”, said Patte “I’ll charge you $100 for that long will. This short one I’ll give you for nothing. But I can tell you a better reason. You have lived with your wife a long time and have always had confidence in her. She can handle the property just as well as a trustee, because she will have the sense to get a lawyer to advise her when there is any doubt. That long will may bring all sorts of law suits to enforce its numerous provisions. This simple will is uncontestable.” The client was convinced and signed the short will.

Patt was not above poking fun at his own profession of lawyers. He told of advice he once got from an old lawyer down in Washington County. “Young man, J..f you can cite decisions on your side, you just dwell on the law. lf, on the other hand, the authorities seem to favor the other side, you stress the facts in the case. And if neither the law nor the facts favor your side, you just roar.”

On many occasions I have mentioned one of Waterville’s most famous families, the Stackpoles. The last of the family to be well remembered was Miss Julia Stackpole, who conducted a private school in Waterville for many years. Still living are a few elderly people who as children attended that school.

It is both interesting and sad to note how famous local family names often die out. For instance, not one of the descendants of Timothy Boutelle, generous benefactor to churches, schools and college, now remains in Waterville. Let us see what happened to the Stackpoles. The first James Stackpole came from Sligo, Ireland to Kittery about 1670. His great-grandson, also named James, moved to Winslow from Biddeford in 1784. He was commislsioned a captain of militia by Gov. John Hancock in 1787. He became a prominent trader and ship builder, having his shipyard near the site of the lower Lockwood Mill. His son James, born before the family left Biddeford, married Mary McKechnie, daughter of John McKechnie, the man who surveyed the lands of this region for the Plymouth Company, settled on the west side of the river in what was then a part of Winslow, and built the first mill on the Messalonskee.

They had a son James, the third of the James Stackpoles to live in Waterville. He graduated from Bowdoin in 1819, practiced law in Waterville and was Treasurer of Waterville College for 17 years. He was married, but had no children. So with him the line of the James Stackpoles ceased. But he had plenty of relatives. His grandfather James, who had come to Waterville in 1784, had thirteen children, five of whom were boys. One of those boys, Samuel, moved to Albion and had 12 children. John was father of four, Jotham of seven. James had three girls and a boy and, as we have said, the boy died without issue. Joseph was a bachelor.

So we have to consider what happened to the descendants of three sons of the first Waterville Stackpole, the three named Samuel, John and Jotham. None of Samuel’s many children resided in Waterville; in fact most of them scattered far from their native Albion. John had two sons, one of whom died unmarried, and the other had one son, whose only children were two girls. Although Jotham had 7 children, only two of them were boys. One of those boys had two daughters but no sons. The other did have a son, Samuel Hill Stackpole, who was killed by an engine when he was station agent at Farmington in 1911. He left no children.

Of course as the many Stackpole girls of successive generations married, they took their husband’s names. It therefore happened that when the Waterville teacher, Julia Stackpole, died unmarried in 1918 at the advanced age of 89, she was the last of the great family of Waterville Stackpoles.

Year: 1962