Radio Script #965

Little Talks on Common Things
March 18, 1973

Today we have some nice items from early Maine newspapers.

In 1824 there was published in Norridgewock a weekly paper called the Somerset Journal.

One curious item concerned the petition of several Somerset persons to change their names. Manasseh Rogers wanted to be Charles Rogers, and George Ramsdell wanted to change to George Littlefield.

A more significant bill in the Maine Legislature, then only in its third session since Maine became a separate state was to change the town of Warsaw to the town of Pittsfield.

As for politics, that Maine paper reported that excitement was so intense in Tennessee in favor of Andrew Jackson that Clay supporters were being driven out of the state. As history records, the election ended with victory for neither Jackson nor Clay, but for John Quincy Adams. Four years later in 1828, Jackson ousted Adams from the White House.

What do the ads in that paper tell us about Somerset County 150 years ago?

“Wanted to hire by the year a faithful man to work on a farm, one who is acquainted with clearing land, laying stone wall, and other farm work. This farm is situated in Weld and has 100 acres under cultivation. Also wanted, a young woman who is well acquainted with the management of a dairy and with weaving.”

“Charles Stanwood is owner of the patent rights for running a circular saw and clapboard machine in Kennebec and Somerset counties.”

“Miss Lyman will open her school in Norridgewock on April 3. Tuition for young ladies in geography, history and grammar $3 for the term. Arithmetic, rhetoric, chemistry, natural philosophy and astronomy $4.”

Eleven years later in 1835 a paper far downeast in Maine, the Eastern Democrat of Eastport, was getting enthusiastic about a railroad that, like so many proposed lines, was never built. It said: “A select committee of the Maine Legislature is considering a charter for a railroad to Quebec. The plan offers advantages to the interest of Lower Canada. The Governor General of British America has offered to meet with the authorities of Maine. The Maine Governor states that Col. Long of the Corps of Topographical Engineers has been engaged to make a survey of the route for a railroad from the Maine seaboard to the Canada line.”

This paper too had an item about Maine’s public lands. It said: “The Land Agent during 1834 sold 93,847 acres of the public lands for $108,775, for which he took notes for $84,307 and the balance in cash. There now remain of the public lands about 3,250,000 acres estimated at one dollar per acre.”

The paper had an ad about beds of 1835. “Windlass bedsteads on sale at Chapman’s warehouse. By means of the windlass, these beds can have their cords kept tight with no sagging in the middle.”

Here’s a reminder of how people in Eastern Maine got around in 1835.

“The U. S. Mail stage leaves Eastport, via Dennysville, Machias and Ellsworth, for Bangor, Portland and Boston, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4 A.M.”

A lot of utensils in 1835 were made of iron, as witnessed by this ad: “John Hartley manufacturers of sheet iron – kettles, rain pipes and deck iron are specialties.”

The general stores certainly sold a wide variety of goods in the 1830’s. One of the Eastport paper’s ads said: “Loring Wheeler has just received 20 chests of Souchong tea, a hogshead of St. Croix sugar, 20 kegs of tobacco, 25 boxes of dipped candles, 70 coils of Manila rope, 10 boxes of soap, and 30 sides of sole leather.”

Now note this ad for odd mixture: “Bates and Blanchard have for sale all varieties of hairwork – bunches of curls, frizettes, mohair puffs, bands of long hair. Also a variety of schoolbooks.”

Now for the latest in dress goods in 1835. “E. C. Morgan announces that the Schooner Boundary from Boston has just brought him bleached sheetings and shirtings, American and English prints, linens and damasks, cambrics and Naples silks, and superior Italian handkerchiefs.”

Prices of several commodities are listed in that 1835 paper. Farmers could get $103 a ton for their pot ashes. Down there in Eastport anchors were sold by the pound – 8¢ a pound. Brimstone cost $1.25 a hundredweight. Goose feathers were 30 cents a pound, gunpowder five cents, and hops for homemade beer 10 cents. White soap was seven cents a pound, but brown soap only five cents. A pound of brown sugar cost 8 cents, but loaf sugar in huge lumps to hang over the dining table and chip off as needed cost 17 cents a pound. In those days there was no such thing as refined, granulated white sugar. The Eastport merchant would also pay five cents a pound for tallow suitable to make candles.

Nathan Shaw announced that he had a large supply of fine buckets and could furnish fire companies on short notice.

In 1826 the Portland Argus had an item about slavery. It said: “The Minister from the Republic of Columbia has asked the U. S. government to give more effective enforcement to the law abolishing the import of slaves. The same complaint comes from the Island of Haiti. Conditions in Cuba and Puerto Rico are of even deeper concern. Allover the Caribbean smuggling of slaves still continues.”

Here is an Argus of 1826. “Mr. Abadie informs the inhabitants of Portland that he proposes to give a course of 24 lessons at the moderate price of $5 for the course if the number of subscribers is sufficient. In this course a scholar can get a good knowledge of the French language.”

Long before the days of the dry cleaners, there were workmen to clean men’s clothes. Note this ad of 1826. “W. H. John, at the head of Union Wharf in Portland, cleans coats, vests and pantaloons. Cashmere and merino shawls cleaned and whitened without injuring their borders.”

As for the fine arts, note this ad:”Signor A. Meucci from Rome will be in Portland for a few weeks to make miniature paintings. His room is on Middle Street over the Portland Bank, where specimens of his work may be seen. As reference he gives Hon. Stephen Longfellow.”

That reference, we may now note, was none other than the father of the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Mention of the perennial dispute over the Northeast Boundary popped up again in the Hancock County Advertiser of Ellsworth in 1835. It was in fact news on that subject from England. The item said: “In the House of Commons Mr. Robinson asked Sir Robert Peel whether any progress had been made with the U. S. over the Northeast Boundary. Sir Robert replied that the boundary was a complicated question because it was necessary to set the limits of the State of Maine on the part of the U. S. and the limits of New Brunswick on the part of His Britanic Majesty. The dispute arises out of a treaty between U. S. and Britain in 1783 – certain highlands were to be discovered between the waters of the St. Lawrence and those of the Atlantic, and those highlands were to form the boundary. But the highlands have never been discovered, and it is physically impossible to find them. Hence the question was submitted to the King of the Netherlands for arbitration. He decided it was impossible for him to give an opinion on the highlands, but he suggested an amicable compromise which the British Government accepted but the U. S. refused. The U. S, suggested a new survey, and the British Government consented with reservations. That is where the matter now stands.”

Sir Robert Peel made that statement in 1835. It would be seven years later in 1842 before the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, following the farce of the 1839 Aroostook War, settled the dispute.

Probably most of us never heard of the attempt to kill President Andrew Jackson in 1835. The Ellsworth paper had the following account. “The assassin Lawrence seemed to be demented. He said, ‘I am under the protection of my father at home. The throne of Great Britain and the throne of this country rightfully belong to me. I am superior to this court. You have no right to try me.” The defendant kept questioning the impaneling of the jury. His counsel finally persuaded him to sit down, and the Marshall stood beside him to keep him quiet. The defense attorney tried to get a verdict of not guilty because of insanity. The jury agreed with the attorney and brought in just that verdict.”

The Ellsworth editor was already looking forward to the Presidential election of 1836, the election that would bring victory for Jackson’s hand-picked successor, Martin Van Buren. In the year before that election the Ellsworth paper said: “The merits of the prominent candidates are sufficiently known, and if it were not for the numerous expectants who seek the office for their own interests, there is no doubt on whom this choice would fall. Daniel Webster is the man of the people, a man whose powerful mind and talents have been exerted for the best interests of his country. Martin Van Buren, the heir apparent, is a man of the office-holders and self-seekers, who have banded together to support him. He has served a chief whose only merit has been to trample ruthlessly on the Constitution. Andrew Jackson said, ‘I am the government and my cabinet is a unit.’ He meant himself as the government and Mr. Eaton as the cabinet.”

Here are a few of the Ellsworth ads.

“Boy wanted as apprentice in the cabinet making business.”

“Runaway from the subscriber, a boy named Joseph Colson, who was bound to serve until he should be 21 years old. All persons are forbidden to employ or harbor said Colson, and one cent reward will be given to any person who will return him.”

Finally here is a curious notice in the Skowhegan Sentinel of April 22, 1835.

“Get rid of your one dollar bills. The law passed by the Legislature concerning one dollar bank notes goes into effect June first. Here is a method by which some people can avoid trouble with the law. Let all our subscribers who are indebted to us for one, two, or three years subscriptions send us all their one dollar bills some time in May. They will thus not only save themselves the trouble of going to the bank to get the bills changed, but will also confer upon us an obligation we shall be happy to acknowledge.”

Year: 1973