Radio Script #745

Little Talks on Common Things

December 3, 1967

Recently I talked about Dr. William Mathews’ recollections of Coburn, as he reported them in the Waterville Mail on July 11, 1879. In fact two entire pages of what was then a weekly newspaper were devoted to the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Coburn, which had originally been called Waterville Classical Institute. A few years later Abner Coburn would build the new building and provide a generous endowment so that the grateful trustees renamed the school Coburn Classical Institute.

It is interesting to note the familiar names of Waterville’s early families that appeared in the list of students enrolled in the school’s first year, 1829-30. One was William Mathews himself, who became a noted college professor, lecturer, and the author of more than a dozen books. Timothy Boutelle had three of his children in the academy: Nathaniel, who would be Waterville’s best known physician in the middle of the 19th century; Artemas, who died of tuberculosis at the age of 20; and Helen, who became the wife of Edwin Noyes, first superintendent of the Androscoggin and Kennebec R.R., and for whom her father built the fine home on Temple Street that was the headquarters of the local YMCA when it was demolished only two years ago to make way for urban renewal.

The Gilman family was represented by Nathaniel, Jr. and his sisters Nancy, Caroline and Lydia. The Heywood family, for whom was named the Heywood Apartment House on Silver Street, that also gave way to urban renewal, had a daughter Caroline in the school. The first President of Colby, still on the job in 1830, enrolled his own son, Judson Chaplin. The Drummonds were there in the person of John W. of Winslow. Another student was Daniel Wing, destined to become the distinguished and long serving publisher of the Waterville Mail. Only one member of the large Redington family was in the list, Caroline, who became Mrs. Reed. But there were three Shepards, two Stevenses, two Getchells, two Dows, and there was at least one each from the families of Percival, Moor, Paine and Dunbar.

Since we have been depending on that 1879 issue of the Waterville Mail for this information about the early Coburn, let us glance at other pages in the same issue to see what was going on in Waterville in that summer 88 years ago.

Because many people were thinking about the state election that would come in September, the Mail told its readers that a Waterville Republican Club had been organized to promote the fall campaign, and that they met in a hall in a new building at the corner of Main and Temple Streets. That new building in 1879 was the brick block on the first floor of which was for a long time a book store conducted by Kelliher and later by Carl Cook. When that building too fell before urban renewal, its corner store was occupied by Bea’s Candy Shop.

The Mail praised another Waterville man in these words: “Mr. Phillips of the Unitarian choir loses no opportunity to charm an audience with what is rare and good in music. Last Sunday he invited Madame Garceau, a distinguished teacher of music in Boston, who was visiting in Waterville, to take the soprano place in his choir. Her voice of rich culture and power was greatly enjoyed.”

One paragraph in the paper shows that in 1879 commencement exercises at Coburn were considered quite as important as were those at Colby. The Mail commented: “Such a quiet time we are having after the tumult of two commencements. Farmers are busy in the hay fields, the stores are almost deserted because no one outside the village can spare a horse to come to town.”

Temperance was much in the air in 1879. The Mail tells us that a Grand Mass Meeting for Temperance would be held in Winthrop on July 30, and every local temperance society was expected to send a delegation. For the occasion the railroad was offering reduced fares: round trip to Winthrop from Waterville and Oakland, 50 cents and from Skowhegan, 85 cents. One could make the trip all the way from Bangor and home again for $1.50.

Among the churches, the Methodist was then booming. The Mail said: “Eighteen persons were received into membership by the Methodist Church in this village last Sunday. Most of them were converted in the campaign conducted here by Earle and Hodges last fall.”

As for sports, it seems the Colby baseball team had played a pickup nine of townies called the Conglomerates and Colby had come out the victor 16 to 11. The Mail explained: “Neither club had its regular nine out, and there is still chance for the town boys to improve.”

Little suspecting the storm that would be stirred up, the Mail calmly announced: “Mr. James King — who from his long experience in the excellent establishment of Mr. C.F. Hathaway ought to be qualified to turn out good work — has leased Temple Hall and has gone into the business of manufacturing shirts. Mr. King is a worthy and reliable man, who did good service for his country in the War of the Rebellion, and he has here many friends who hope that his new venture will prosper. (See advertisement in another column)”

So now let us note what that advertisement said: “King’s Shirts. Give them a trial. The subscriber, having had 12 years experience with C.F. Hathaway in the manufacture of shirts, has taken rooms in Mathews Hall, Temple Street, and will there make a specialty of custom made shirts and ladies’ underwear. Unlaundered shirts are priced from $1.25 to $1.50; laundered from $1.50 to $1.75. A lady of experience will be in attendance to receive orders for underwear or machine stitching.”

Now Charles Hathaway was a man who never relished competition, and when that was provided by one of his former employees, Hathaway was hopping mad. He tried to bring suit against King, but the latter was using no patented process and Hathaway had no vested, contractual interest in whatever he had taught King about the shirt business. So Hathaway turned to price cutting. King tried to meet it. The result was that for several months a man could buy a first grade Hathaway or King shirt for 50 cents. Citizens lined up on one side or the other. Finally Hathaway let King alone, but the latter could not long compete with the quality and the fame of the Hathaway shirts, and it was not long before Charles Hathaway was again the sole shirt maker in Waterville.

Although it was still mid-summer, one man who was looking forward to the time of autumn foliage was F.E. Boothby, local agent of the Maine Central R.R. He was already soliciting passengers for a grand fall excursion to the White Mountains, at a package price of $14 for fare, hotel lodging and meals for two days.

Speaking of excursions, one of the most popular in the summer of 1879 was the steamer trip on Messalonskee Lake. Frank Sawtelle of Oakland operated the Steamer Ina. which made a trip every Wednesday and Saturday, leaving Oakland at 2 p.m. and returning at 5. then making an evening round trip the same day from 6 to 9. Sawtelle announced that the trip went to the Head of the Lake, stopping both ways at the island. Round trip fare was 25 cents.

The Mail proudly pointed out that present at those fiftieth anniversary exercises of the Waterville Classical Institute was a distinguished benefactor of the school. It said: “Ex-Governor Coburn. the generous patron of Waterville Classical Institute, was present at the commencement, with his brother Stephen and the latter’s wife and daughter.” That niece of the Governor was Miss Louise Coburn, who was graduated from Colby in 1877.

One item in that 1879 issue of the Mail gave statistics concerning livestock in the town of Fairfield. The town had 586 horses, 137 colts, 100 oxen, 539 cows, 552 other cattle. 170 swine and 4.445 sheep. Today it is hard for us to realize what a big wool producing state Maine was a hundred years ago, and Somerset County was one of the largest of those sheep areas.

As I have often pointed out on this program. the best way to see how people lived in Maine in any given period is to note the ads in the newspapers. The ads in the issue of the Waterville Mail that we are now discussing show what people were interested in buying 88 years ago. J.A. Vigue called special attention to his molasses. and I suspect bread and molasses was regarded as a treat by many a child of that time. Vigue’s ad said: “I have a new and choice stock which I sell for 35 cents a gallon. ”

Albert Dunbar was a Mr. Fixit that folks turned to often. His ad said: “Albert M. Dunbar repairs umbrellas and parasols, fans, locks and knives, also photograph albums. Bibles, and all kinds of books. Magazines bound at low prices. After a year, dining and tea knives wear thin and turn over on the edge. Bring them to me and have them cut over and made as good as new. My place is on Union Street, fourth house on the right hand side, going from College Street toward Front Street. Or drop a card in the post office and I will call.”

Not a word in that Dunbar ad about picking up the telephone and calling him for his services, for of course no one in Waterville had then ever heard of a telephone.

Now let us see what George Dorr was featuring in his drugstore during that summer of 1879. His ad said: “At Dorr’s Drug Store you can buy for 25 cents a nice atomizer filled with Dorr’s Bouquet Cologne, also any of the new, popular perfumes by the ounce or bottle. At Dorr’s you will find the best in Toilet Waters, Soaps, Powders, Puffs and Boxes, cosmetics, pomades, hair oils and bay rum. Also the best assortment of hand mirrors in town.”

Mark Gallert called attention to Ladies’ French kid boots with side lacing at $2.50 a pair, as well as men’s box-toed boots at the same price.

As for food prices, various ads tell us that sugar was six cents a pound, rice was 12 pounds for a dollar, Rio coffee 22 cents a pound, and 15 bars of Babbits’ soap went for a dollar. Isaac Bangs announced that he would soon receive a carload of flour which he would retail for $5.50 a barrel. G.H. Mathews was making a specialty of crackers made by the Kennedy factory in Portland. Milk biscuit and small Boston crackers were ten cents a pound, while the big common crackers sold for eight cents.

Of course there was the inevitable ad for a livery stable: “George Jewell, livery, boarding and letting stable. Hacks furnished for funerals and parties. Head of Silver Street.”

And with that way of providing you with transportation to funeral or party, we must say goodbye until next week.

Year: 1967