was made, resort was had to companies beyond the limits of the State, some of which had of late been employing agents here. But, in consequence of certain restrictions imposed by our Legislature, their further operations here were, in June, 1828, suspended. In anticipation of such suspension, the Thomaston Mutual Fire Insurance Company was incorporated, Feb. 23, 1828, adopting by-laws and commencing business, Oct. 17th. Its first board of directors were, J. Ruggles, president, J. Gleason, treasurer, H. Prince, Joel Miller, Oliver Fales, and H. Healey of Thomaston, and A. H. Hodgman of Warren. H. Prince, Jr., was secretary. It has since been in successful operation, having its office on Main street, Thomaston; enjoys the reputation of paying its losses promptly; and its assessments have fallen short of one quarter per cent. yearly. It is one of the earliest companies of the kind incorporated in the State, and has property at risk to the amount of about $2,000,000. Its present directors, (1862,) are Atwood Levensaler, president, M. R. Ludwig, T. O'Brien, R. Jacobs, O. Robinson, L. B. Gilchrist, O. W. Jordan, and W. R. Keith, secretary.

Not long after the formation of this company, the citizens received a hint of its utility by a fire which broke out about three o'clock on the morning of Dec. 10th, in the rear and roof of the building owned by J. D. Wheaton, in which the Post Office was kept and also the offices of Messrs. Farley and Cleland, together with the broker's office of J. Swan. A fire-engine, still owned by an individual, with no organized company to take charge of it, was brought to the spot, and, by its aid, the partially consumed marble manufactory of S. Dwight, but three feet distant, together with the adjacent buildings, mills, and cotton factory, was saved. The principal loss fell upon Mr. Wheaton. Most of the letters and papers in the Post and other offices were saved, except Mr. Cleland's, and his valuable law library, which was insured for $500. The building burnt, stood on the site of the store now owned and occupied by S. Waldo

snow,

After the open winter before spoken of, with little or no it is remarkable, that the warm weather continued, with drought in April and heavy rains in May, succeeded by a fine growing season, with good crops, and no frost till Oct. 12th. At that time, a cold snap occurred, producing ice and frozen ground, but was soon followed by mild weather, which continued, without snow, to the very close of the year.

On the 9th of June, 1828, John Smith, one of the Hessian soldiers, who remained in the country after the revolutionary

war, living in the upper part of Cushing, having taken passage here on board the sch. Milo, for Boston, was knocked overboard shortly after leaving Green's wharf, by the fore boom, and drowned, at the age of 80 years. Capt. Simon McLellan, Jr., of this place, in command of the schooner Mary, at Richmond, Va., while returning from another vessel to his own, on the evening of Dec. 18th, was knocked down, robbed, and thrown into a lighter, where he was found the next morning, with fractured skull and many wounds, but died without recovering his senses to give any account of the matter. On the 22d August, Oliver Gay, at the age of twentyone years, whilst drilling out the tamping of a charge in the lime quarry, had his hands dreadfully mangled by its accidental explosion, and a piece of the rock driven through the side of his neck, cutting the large artery. He was led a few rods towards a house, but soon fainted from loss of blood, and in a few moments expired.

1829. On the 9th January, the cotton factory at Mill River, was, between 11 and 12 o'clock at night, discovered to be on fire, the flames having already spread so rapidly through the whole building, as at once to preclude all hope of saving it, and soon producing such a heat as to prevent all near approach. The engine however was brought out, and so skilfully managed by the Mill River Engine Company, now fully organized under the command of Wm. K. Stevens, as to preserve the neighboring buildings, and even the factory store, only twelve feet distant, already on fire. Nothing was saved from the factory, which had been lately purchased and fitted up with new machinery by Isaac Snaith, McGee, and

Thomas Thacker, from Dover, N. H.; who, though partially insured, were thought at the time to be losers to the amount of $15,000. It was not known how the fire originated, but subsequent events in connection with Mr. Snaith and the Thomaston Bank, led some to doubt whether the fire was not kindled intentionally by the owners. In addition to the Engine company, the old Fire company still continued its operations, and, at the annual town meeting this year FireWardens for the first time were chosen, fourteen in number.

The cause of temperance had now made such progress in the State, that the legislature passed an act giving towns the power to grant or to withhold as they thought proper the authority of the selectmen to license innholders and retailers to sell ardent spirits. But this town, at their September meeting, voted to grant such authority; and the licenses this year granted, viz., 3 innholders, and 30 retailers, show that the

traffic here, had not yet become disreputable. In the following year, however, 1830, a different result was arrived at; when, Sept. 30th, the town voted not to allow the selectmen to grant any such licenses.

Among the marine disasters of this year may be mentioned the death, March 15th, of Capt. Josiah Spalding, of the schooner Leo, at the age of 36, who, when forty miles S. W. of Monhegan, "wind blowing N. W. with a heavy sea, was knocked overboard by the parting of the tiller rope, and, being incumbered with overclothes, perhaps injured by the tiller or benumbed with the cold, disappeared before assistance could reach him. The schooner Ann, Capt. Reuben Mosman, loaded with lime and bound to New York, left Chatham early on March 22d, and, a violent storm coming on, was wrecked on the eastern shore of Nantucket. The crew attempting to make their way to some place of shelter from the fury of the storm, the first mate and the steward, sons of the captain, became exhausted with fatigue and cold. Finding that they were unable to walk, the captain, with the energy and fortitude of an affectionate father, bore them alternately on his shoulders for about a mile; when one of them died in that position, and the other he found dead when returning to take him up. After this, Capt. Mosman was barely able to crawl upon his hands and knees to the house of which he was in search. Another of the crew, George Hart of St. George, also perished. The two young brothers were buried side by side, in the same grave. Our shipping at this time was still occasionally troubled by pirates, the lingering remains of those nests nurtured by the late war with England; several vessels from here being chased and fired upon near the Florida Keys. On the 17th of April, three boys at the Shore village, Joseph Guptill, seven years old, Isaac Spear, six years, and Charles Marshall, four years, were poisoned by eating, as it would seem, of the root of Cicuta maculata, or American hemlock; that plant being found near where they were at play, and some of the same, to appearance, being thrown from the stomach. The eldest recovered, after severe vomiting; but the other two were thrown into most violent convulsions and died, one in twenty-eight, the other in forty-six hours.

The year 1829 commenced with a severe spell of weather. On Friday, Jan. 2d, the mercury at sunset stood at zero; on Saturday, sunrise, 6° below; noon and sunset, 2o below; on Sunday, sunrise, 18° below; noon, 6o below; sunset, at zero; and on Monday, sunrise, 14° below, noon and sunset, 6o above.

Two great snow storms, one late in February, and the other the first week in March, blocked up the roads and retarded the mails two or more days, each. Shortly after, a fine deer, weighing 200 lbs. was shot by Lincoln Levensaler of this town-probably the last slain here of these rare and beautiful tenants of the forest. A severe drought prevailed in July and August, during which some 400 acres of wood and uncleared land were burnt over in the north-western part of this town and Warren.

A second sail-loft was about this time established at Brown's wharf, or graving ways, by Richard Elliott; who, six years later, removed to Colson's stand at Fort wharf. Other establishments of the kind have been since set up in this neighborhood, by G. K. Washburn in 1835, on Central wharf, and by Tobey & Dunn in 1856, on O'Brien's wharf; besides several at the eastern village, now city of Rockland. At that place Gen. George Thomas from Vinalhaven had been engaged since 1827, or before, in his successful career of shipbuilding. Col. Healy, who had for many years been the principal shipbuilder and business man at Mill River, launched, Nov. 10th, of this year, the brig Pensacola, the last of his operations in that line. Using materials and employing workmen from this and the neighboring towns, his business had been a great public benefit in stimulating the industry and increasing the wealth of the community. In the course of it, besides the large amount of lime and other products required for outward bound freight, he had built one ship, twelve brigs, five schooners, and one sloop, amounting in all to 3390 tons. It was, therefore, to the general regret, that his beneficial course of business should have been, by unforeseen reverses, brought to a premature close, particularly so, to the immediate vicinity of Mill River, then the general centre of business for the whole town, St. George, and Cushing, but from which it began, after this time, to remove eastward to the Shore, and westward to the Bank corner, Prison corner, and neighboring wharves.

CHAPTER XIX.

NEW CHURCHES, NEWSPAPERS, AND PARTIES.

1830. On the 26th of March occurred a memorable high tide and storm of wind and snow, which blocked up and for many days rendered impassable the roads on shore, and destroyed vessels and lives at sea. The schooner Thomas of this town, having left Herring Gut about two hours before the storm commenced, with a cargo of lime, was supposed to have been unable to enter Boothbay harbor from the thickness of the weather and severity of the gale, and was subsequently found, sunk keel uppermost in fourteen fathoms water, six miles E. S. E. from Seguin light. Those on board, who thus sank to a watery grave, were the master, Capt. John Spalding; two seamen, Wm. Thompson, and John Barrett; and two passengers, Capt. Edward Crockett, and Albert Baker; all, except the last, of this town, and leaving wives and children to deplore their untimely fate. This disaster was followed, May 2d, by that of Capt. Jas. Sayward of this place, who sailed in the schooner Fame of Warren, from Gloucester for Norfolk, with a cargo of 179 tons of granite, and was last seen off Cape Cod, in a gale and heavy sea, with pumps at work. From the 16th to the 24th July it was unusually hot, -the mercury ranging from 90° to 98o. A four days' rain succeeded, drenching the parched earth, and accompanied with cold which rendered flannels and over-coats comfortable. Severe gales were experienced in August and September; in one of which, the schooner Bradford, nearly new, Capt. John Lindsey, which left this place for Richmond, Va., Aug. 12th, with a cargo of lime, was thought to have foundered, when five days out at sea, with the loss of all on board; of whom, besides the worthy master, this place had to lament Thos. J. Bentley, mate, and perhaps others not recollected.

According to the census, taken here by Henry C. Lowell, the town had increased in population, since 1820, fifty-nine per centum; and in that respect stood, we believe, the second town in the State.

American independence was this year celebrated at East Thomaston village, by the supporters of Jackson's administration, then in the full tide of increasing popularity. The decorations of the brick meeeting-house; chapel services by Mr. Woodhull; reading of the Declaration by E. S. Hovey; the oration by Mr. Ruggles; the procession conducted by Col. Meservey; and the dinner provided by Jeremiah Berry,