USA > Maine > Oxford County > Porter > History of Porter > Part 9
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The purpose of the Kezar Falls Coin and Stamp Club is to pro- mote the hobby of collecting both coins and stamps as well as to enjoy the social functions held at each meeting. The meeting of the Club is held at 8 o'clock on the second Tuesday of each month at Norton's Hall. Mr. Denis is the Club's perennial president. All visitors and collectors are cordially invited to exchange thoughts, coins and stamps.
The Keswick Club
The Keswick Club was organized on November 2, 1939. The first meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Roberta Watson in Parsons- field.
Charter Members:
Mrs. Roberta Watson, Eleanor S. Stacy, Helene F. Jewell, Eliza- beth W. West, Dorothy L. Davis, Dorothy W. Huntress, Wilma L.
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HISTORY OF PORTER
Griffith, Anne G. Hadlock, Ruth G. Hadlock, Gail I. Morrow, Es- ther Ridlon Constiner, Leola C. Leavitt, Eula T. Stanley, Virginia D. Campbell, Margaret W. Jones, Miss Betty Curtis.
Officers were elected, and at an early meeting By-laws were drawn up. The name of the club and the Club Motto were submitted by Mrs. Davis; the Creed by Mrs. Watson.
The purpose of the club was mainly for sociability and to help wherever possible in Civic Affairs and Charity Work.
The club meets weekly on Tuesday evenings, and at present con- tains 14 active members.
Charter Oak Grange No. 146 Patrons of Husbandry
It was organized in 1875; reorganized on May 28, 1903 with the following Charter Members:
C. W. Cole
Alona Mason
Ida A. Cole
Irvin Merrifield
Nathan Cotton
Charles D. Ridlon
Lonnie Crabtree
Mary E. Ridlon
Lulu J. Crabtree
John S. Rounds
William E. Durgin
Lydia Rounds
Alice Durgin
Arthur W. True
Abra Fox
C. W. Young
George P. Fox
Martha J. Young
Raymond Garland
John Rounds was elected as Master at this time and was followed the next year by Charles W. Cole. They held their meetings for a number of years at the K. of P., Kezar Falls; later met for a few years at the South Hiram School House.
Charter Oak Grange No. 146 was officially incorporated on March 16, 1907.
Irvin Merrifield and Jesse Gilpatrick have both served as Master several times, and have given long, faithful service to the order.
The first meeting in the present Grange Hall, in South Hiram, was held on April 28, 1938. This building had formerly served as a stable, but with the help of several interested members, the place
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ASSOCIATIONS
was remodelled and made into an attractive and comfortable hall. The final payment on the mortgage was made in 1944.
The Grange Hall was formally dedicated on October 7, 1944, with a very impressive ceremony. State Master E. Carroll Bean and other state officers were present on this occasion.
The following Past Masters were honored on June 23, 1955:
Charles W. Cole
Thomas Moody
Irvin Merrifield
Edgar Leveille
Jesse Gilpatrick
Herbert Jones
Estella Wood
Raymond Staples
Adis M. Stearns
Raymond Perry
Wayne Pendexter
Linwood Libby
Alton Libby
State Master Maynard Dolloff and Deputy Everett Riley were present at this meeting.
The leading officers for 1955-56 are Master, Irene Richardson; Overseer, Walter Smith; Lecturer, Cecile Blanchard; Treasurer, Jo- hanne Leville; Secretary, Irma Adams Pendexter. Alta Mason is the Golden Sheaf Honorary Member.
The Charter Oak Grange holds its meetings on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, at 8 P.M. Visitors warmly welcomed.
* The following belated information relative to Charter Oak Grange No. 146 (now at S. Hiram) was received by Porter Grange No. 569 a few weeks after the manuscript of the "History of Hiram" had been completed, but owing to its historic importance, the present writer thought it advisable to include it in this First Edition. The excerpts used here come from the official records, namely; the "Secretary" and the "Roll Book" of the Grange. These two books were recovered by Mr. Ralph E. Cook of San Luis Obispo, California. He found them amongst the papers of his father, Jonathan W. Cook, a native of the town of Porter and a charter member of the Charter Oak Grange.
The extract from the "Secretary" reads: "At a meeting called by C. H. Cobb, State Dep- uty, April 8, 1875, a granger of Patrons of Husbandry, was organized and it was voted that it be called Charter Oak Grange. At a subsequent Election, the following were chosen for officers for the ensuing year, viz .: Isaac L. French, W. M., Seth Stanley, W. O., Jesse Colcord, W. Secty., W. D. French, W. Steward, G. A. Norton, Asst. Steward, J. L. Moul- ton, W. Chaplin, Daniel Towle, W. Treas., R. G. Hurd, W. Sec., W. H. Sawyer, G. K., Emma Towle, Ceres, A. M. Henley, Flora, Selina Wentworth, Pomona, Mrs. Daniel Towle, Lady Assistant Steward, J. W. Cook, Elisha Stanley, L. S. Sargent, were chosen Trustees. Adjourned to April 24, 1875.
The "Roll Book" records the names of Charter Members:
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HISTORY OF PORTER
"Isaac L. French, Abner K. Gibbs, R. G. Hurd, G. A. Norton, Jesse Colcord, W. D. French, John S. Moulton, Isaac L. Hubbard, Wm. H. Sawyer, Isaac L. Sargent, Jonathan W. Cook, Seth Stanley, Elisha Stanley, Daniel Towle, James W. Libby, Daniel Wentworth. Mrs. Emma Towle, Mrs. Annie M. Henley, Mrs. Daniel Wentworth, Mrs. Daniel Towle, Mrs. R. G. Heard, Mrs. J. W. Cook, Mrs. G. A. Norton, Mrs. Isaac L. French, Mrs. Elisha Stanley, Mrs. Jas. W. Libby, Miss Mary E. Cook, Miss Melinda Rounds, Mrs. Seth Stanley, Mrs. Isaac L. Sargent."
Ladies Magazine Reading Club
Due to the interest of Miss Jennie Moulton of Kezar Falls - she was a descendant of one of the earliest families of Porter, and later the wife of Rev. Henry A. Peare, the L. M. R. C. was organized in November, 1895 with 19 charter members. Three of these charter members are still living, namely; Mrs. Georgia Durgin, Mrs. Bertha Garner and Mrs. Lilla Gentleman. The other charter members were, Mrs. M. E. King, wife of the Methodist minister, and their daughter, Mabel King; Mrs. Ina Benton, Miss Lula Bennett, Mrs. Jeanie Chap- man, Mrs. Estelle Crowther, Mrs. Evelyn Devereux, Miss Abra Fox, Miss Eva Garner, Miss Bessie Lord, Mrs. Carrie Mason, Mrs. Alice Merrifield, Miss May Pierce, Miss Emily Ridlon and Mrs. Ella Wadleigh.
Their first objective was to obtain some standard magazines for the members and to become more familiar with standard works and authors. They soon became interested in starting a public library, and this was the special work of the Club for many years until the library became self-supporting. Meetings are held weekly on Mon- day evening from October 1st to June 1st.
Mrs. Florence Garner Norton was President of the Club from 1928 to 1940. In 1932 this Club joined the York County Union, and Mrs. Norton has served as its President, also District Director in the State Federation.
The community service department of the L. M. R. C. has been very active through the years, assisting in many fine projects. In 1932, the Club won First Prize in the Portland Sunday Telegram Roadside Beautification Contest by seeding the plot in the village. square, grading and placing a cement curb around it. In 1937, a more ambitious project was the grading of the High School grounds, laying out the driveway, planting trees and shrubs and erecting an
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ASSOCIATIONS
iron fence. $1500.00 was raised to finance this, and Second Prize was won. Funds were raised for these different projects from dues, dramas, suppers, bazaars and other entertainments. The members have lent their assistance to the church, schools, legion, and all worthy causes have been assisted as much as possible.
Pocahontas
The Degree of Pocahontas is a grade for the special benefit of the female relatives and friends of the Improved Order of Red Men. The charter for the "Neola Council D. of P. No. 14" was issued on March 19, 1900, at the Hall in the Bank Building, Kezar Falls. The document was signed by Herbert B. Seals, Great Sachem, and Wil- liam E. St. John, Great Chief of Records.
Charter Members:
Bessie Stearns, Manda Fox, Ada Fox, Annie Wadsworth, Sarah Lord, Mary Mason, Ida Quint, Mehitabel Wakefield, Joseph Mason, Susie Truworthy, Ethel Weeks, Lillian Weeks, Lillian Gentleman, Ida Davis, Alice Merrifield, Eva E. Richardson, Ella Ridlon, Abra Fox, Herman J. Fox, Charles Truworthy, George E. Davis, J. Merrill Lord, Oris Mason. The officers were Susie Truworthy, Pocahontas.
Lilla Gentleman, Prophetess. Manda Fox, Namonah. H. J. Fox, Powhatan. Abra E. Fox, K. of R. Lillian Weeks, C. of W. Ida G. Davis, K. of W.
Note - At that time the officers served only six months - now twelve months. The first Great Pocahontas of the Neola Council from S. Hiram was Frances Merrifield; Celia Holland of South Hiram was the Great Pocahontas of Maine, 1952-1953.
A scroll on "Freedom," concerning communism, signed by Presi- dent Dwight D. Eisenhower, is a worthy document in our Civil De- fense Program; and emphasized by the Great Incahone Byron Hurd. "Freedom, Friendship and Charity" is the slogan of this organiza-
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HISTORY OF PORTER
tion; and rightly so, inasmuch as the foundation of our country's greatness rests upon liberty, amity and good will to all; especially so to the poor and the suffering.
The home of the Neola Council is off Mountain View Avenue, Kezar Falls.
XVII
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS
Music is both a science and an art - the universal language of mankind! It is as old as the human race - its origin lost in anti- quity! The appreciation of music extends to the remotest corner of the Earth!
It is the part music has played in the lives of the people of Porter that concerns us here. The writer feels justified in saying that music made its first appearance in Porter in 1781 - that song gushed forth from the lips of Meshach Libby while he was at work is almost self- evident! With the Scottish essayist and historian, Thomas Carlyle, we exclaim: "Give me - O, give me the man that sings at his work!"
Others who came to Porter later also sang at their work. Further- more, on the Sabbath, either at home or at the Meeting House, they all gave voice to their feelings - their hopes, their fears, their joys, their sorrows were wafted upward on the wings of song!
About "group singing," an old timer imparts the following infor- mation: "The singing of the psalms was tedious and unmusical. Singing was by ear, and very uncertain, and the congregation had no notes, and many had no psalm books, and hence no words. So the psalms were "lined" or "deaconed" that is, a line was read by the deacon and then sung by the congregation. This sometimes occu- pied half an hour, during which the congregation stood. There were but eight or nine tunes in general use and even these were often sung incorrectly; there were no church organs to help keep the sing- ers together, but sometimes pitch pipes were used to help set the key. Violins were too much associated with dance music to be thought decorous for church music. Still the New Englanders clung to and
FALLS
BAND
CORNET
Kezar Falls Cornet Band of 1882, approximately. Photo taken of the players standing beside bandstand on Garner Island, in the Great Ossipee River. This island at that time was reached by means of a suspension walk running from the center of the covered bridge. A. K. P. Fox died in 1956 at the age of
101. Left to right: A. K. P. Fox, Jakie Libby, Sydney Stacy, Frank Shaw, Al Stone, Clint Stone, Charles O. Stacy, R. Ful- ton Wormwood, Walter Newbegin, Walter Fowler, Unidenti- fied, John Ridlon.
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MUSIC AND MUSICIANS
loved their poor, confused psalm singing as one of their few de- lights; and whenever a devout person, even in road or field, heard the distant sound of a psalm tune, he removed his hat and bowed his head in prayer."
In the earlier days many villages had singing schools, and Kezar Falls was no exception. We find that in the 1880's William O. Merrifield was the leader, and the gatherings were held in the vestry of the church. In the early 1900's the Kezar Falls Choral Society was formed with Mr. L. B. Cain as Conductor. He also organized the Saco Valley Festival Chorus, and conducted this from 1913 to 1920.
During the pastorate of Rev. H. A. Peare, from 1903 to 1909, the village had an excellent male quartet, composed of William T. Nor- ton, Preston B. Warren, Benjamin F. Ridlon and Rev. Peare. The Orpheus Ladies' Quartet was formed about this time; its members being Mrs. Lida Elliott, Mrs. Elizabeth Stanley, Mrs. Lottie Chap- man and Mrs. Jeanie Chapman.
Mrs. Florence Garner Norton, Mrs. Myrtle Stanley and Mrs. Eve- lyn Devereaux were the leading piano teachers for many years. Some time later, Mrs. Roland Stanley instructed many pupils, and at pres- ent the piano teachers are Mrs. Flora R. Carpenter and Mrs. Natalie Doe. Mrs. Carpenter received her training at the New England Con- servatory in Boston, and has taught public school music for 30 years. Mrs. Doe attended Syracuse University. As mentioned previously, Mrs. Bernice Huber is the present organist at the Riverside Method- ist Church.
Devereaux's orchestra was much in demand in the 1890's and the early 1900's. This orchestra, as the name indicates, was formed by Dr. F. G. Devereaux (1859-1935) who played the bass viol; Mrs. Devereaux, the pianist, and her sister, Mrs. Bertha Ridlon Garner, violinist.
The Riverside Orchestra of Kezar Falls was organized about 1914. It had ten members, and Frank Edgecomb was its director.
The Bel Canto Ladies' Quartet of the 1930's and 1940's was made up of Mrs. Flora R. Carpenter, Mrs. Iva Cutting, Mrs. Margaret Lord and Mrs. Doris Lord.
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HISTORY OF PORTER
Mrs. Ina Emery, who studied at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, has been a vocal soloist in many of the churches in Maine and New Hampshire, and a teacher of Public School Music for thirty years.
Mention should also be made of Mrs. Mildred Stanley Leonard, daughter of the late Orman L. and Elizabeth Stanley, graduate of Porter High and Bates College. She received her musical training at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, N. Y., and later studied for a season at Salzburg, Austria. She has taught public school music for 25 years, and is now piano instructor at Columbia Univer- sity, also conducting a private studio at her home in Scarsdale, N. Y.
When the pipe organ was installed in the Riverside Methodist Church, in 1938, Mr. Roy Frazee was engaged to give lessons to a large class of pupils.
Bands have existed in the village since before 1880, and which bore the name of Kezar Falls Cornet Band. In the early 1900's, Preston B. Warren was the leader of the village band, a position he held for several years. The Fife and Drum Corps was also very ac- tive in the early days of the village. The members were, S. A. Mc- Daniel, Oris Mason and Walter Ridlon, Sr.
The first Porter High School Band was organized in 1938, and with the changing personnel each year, it has taken the place of the so-called "old timers" and it seems to satisfy the music demands of the present generation.
XVIII
NATURAL LANDMARKS
(Elevations are above sea level)
Whale's Back, 1580 ft. Highest point in Porter.
Pine Hill, 1300 ft.
Prospect Mtn. (in Porter), 1200 ft. Highest point in Freedom, N. H., 1340 ft. Devil's Den, 1183 ft.
Rattlesnake Mtn., 1180 ft.
Bald Ledge, 1180 ft.
Burnt Meadow Mountains - highest point in Porter, 1160 ft.
Davis Mtn., 1140 ft.
Stacy Hill, 1060 ft.
Libby Hill (Bald Face), 1040 ft.
Moulton Ridge, 1040 ft.
Notch Mtn., 1040 ft.
Fork Hill, 900 ft.
Mine Mtn., 880 ft.
List of Names Appearing on the Porter Map of 1875
Berry, A. Bickford, J. Black, J. A. Blake, A. H.
Libby, W. T. Lord, F. Lord, J. Mason, A. H. Mason, F. C.
Mason, J. C.
Blake, E. Bradeen, Brooks, Brooks, S.
Mason, M. S.
Brown, I.
Mason, O. W. Mason, W. S.
This telephoto view from above West Pond in Parsonsfield shows very clearly the entire town of Porter. Beginning at the very left, the higher range is in Freedom and Eaton, N. H. The lower range, beginning with the Simeon Day, Harry Lord hill (see white building there) and running, brokenly, directly across the picture, is entirely in Porter, the last mound at the right being Rattlesnake (Eagle) Mountain. Between these two extremes, starting at the Simeon Day elevation we see, in succession, Bald Ledge, Libby Hill (Bald Face), Devil's
Den, the ridge north of the George E. Stacy farm, Danforth Mountain, and Pine Hill. The building in right portion of the picture is the old Gibbs (later the Clemons) place. The ridge looming up this side of and between Bald Face and Bald Ledge is Kezar Hill in Parsonsfield. Along its southern base we see the homes of Carroll Sawyer and Roy Harmon. 'The White Mountains, and Mt. Kearsarge (in right half) form the far background. Burnt Meadow Mountain begins just beyond Pine Hill and disappears at the right.
123
NATURAL LANDMARKS
Burbank, L. Chapman, A. Chapman, G. Chapman, H. L. Chapman, J. W.
Chick, J. Clemons, D. L. Colcord, D. A. Colcord, J.
Moulton, M. S.
Norton, B. F.
Norton, E.
Norton, G. J.
Cole, E.
Pearl, I. Pearl, I.
Cole, J. H.
Cole, J. W.
Pendexter, L. W.
Cole, L.
Pendexter, S. S.
Philbrick, W. T.
Cook, L. D. Cook, J.
Pugsley, Jer. Ridlon, D.
Cotton, D.
Cotton, W.
Ridlon, G. W. Ridlon, L.
Cousins, E.
Riley, J.
Cummings, J.
Robbins, C. Robbins, M.
Danforth, I. Danforth, S.
Roberts, A. R.
Day, E. Day, M. Day, S. Day, W.
Rounds, E. Rounds, J. Rounds, S.
Sargent, D. A.
Douglas, J.
Sargent, J.
Douglas, W.
Downs, A. H.
Drown, M. Durgin, C.
Sawyer, A. Sawyer, Capt. C. C.
Durgin, D. Durgin, S. Durgin, S.
Sawyer, F. W. Sawyer, H. H.
Sawyer, I. B.
Sawyer, J. B. Sawyer, S. Sawyer, T.
Sargent, L. L. Sargent, R.
Floyd, H. Fox, D. J. Fox, G. W.
Maxwell, S. T. McDonald, A. McDonald, A. Merryfield, I. Merryfield, S.
Cousin, J.
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HISTORY OF PORTER
Fox, M. S. French, C. French, J.
Sawyer, W. H.
Sawyer, W. T. Stacey, F .*
French, J.
Stacey, G. F .*
French, J. P.
Stacey, Jordan*
French, S.
Stacey, S .*
French, S., 2nd
Stanley, C.
French, W.
Stanley, E.
Garland, C.
Stanley, J.
Garland, J.
Stanley, J., 3rd
Gentleman, W. F.
Stanley, M.
Gould, M.
Stanley, S.
Hartford,
Stanley, S.
Hartford, E.
Taylor, O.
Hayford,
Taylor, W. T.
Holmes, J. A.
Towle, I.
Holmes, N. T.
Towle, E. J.
Howard, J. H.
Towle, J. F.
Hubbard, J. A.
Towle,' W. B.
Hunt, C.
Tripp, H.
Huntress, D.
Tripp, T.
Hurd, D.
Varney, A.
Kennard, G.
Varney, D.
Kimball,
Varney, M.
Kimball, S.
Weeks, C.
Lewis, A.
Weeks, J.
Libby, D.
Weeks, O.
Libby, H.
Wood, L.
Libby, H. M.
Wormwood, H.
Libby, J.
York, W. F.
Libby, J. T.
Libby, L.
Libby, T. B.
Libby, T. C. Libby, W.
* The name should be spelled Stacy.
XIX
AGRICULTURE.
Since the town of Porter is pre-eminently agricultural, the follow- ing extract from an address delivered before the "Oxford County Agricultural Society," in 1856, by N. T. True, M.D., is most timely inasmuch as practically the same problems face the farmer today as they did a century ago. This speech by Dr. True is to be found in the "First Annual Report of the Secretary of the Maine Board of Agriculture, pub. in 1857.
"One year ago, I attended an agricultural conference in this county, where men, who really had the least to do with agricultural opera- tions, were inclined to say the most, respecting what ought to be done. Near me sat an intelligent looking farmer, who whispered, and explained to me how he cultivated his great crop of corn. I requested him to rise, and tell us all about it. "Oh!" said he, "I am no speaker."
Now, gentlemen, I am standing here today only to be the organ of that farmer, and hundreds of others, who can raise better crops of corn than I can, or, at least, than I do, but who have not the courage to inform others how it is done. One of the most striking observations that I have ever made, is the low opinion which the really successful farmer has of what he is doing, when called upon to express his opinions in public, or even in private conversation. I never spend a single half-hour with the man of ordinary intelligence, without hearing from his some valuable idea, instructive to myself, and worthy of an article in the farmer's paper; but, were I to in- timate such a thing to him, he would be sure to stare at me with astonishment, and regard the subject as unworthy of notice. So
-
A 1904 Scene in Kezar Falls. Town Pump in foreground; Ossipee Trail (Route No. 25) and the dam in middle distance. Afar appears the north side of the west half of Kezar Mountain in Parsonsfield. The earliest settler in that area of the Parsonsfield Gore was Elijah Fox around 1805. Cecil Gilpatrick's service station and garage now occupies the bend in the road.
The Cole Schoolhouse about the year, 1898. It stood on the Porterfield road, about 1/2 mile from the Harry Trueworthy home.
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AGRICULTURE
varied are the different operations in agriculture, that every farmer has ideas of his own which are often original, and valuable. What I shall say to you on the present occasion may prove to be mostly made up of opinions expressed among yourselves in my intercourse among you; for you may not be aware, that, within one year, I have listened to fifty or more agricultural addresses in this county. Some of them were delivered by my neighbor's fireside, others in his gar- den, orchard, or cornfield, just where I could find speakers, there have I been to listen. And be assured, gentlemen, that some of the speakers were really eloquent, never at a loss for words or ideas, and always in earnest in what they advanced.
Instead, then, of addressing you on a single topic, I may take the liberty of directing your attention to a variety of subjects pertaining to the farmer's calling - and such subjects, too, as have been sug- gested by yourselves.
SOILS. The soils of Oxford county may be arranged in four different classes - intervale, meadow, sandy plain, and rocky upland.
While the owner of the upland farm must spread upon his land ashes and lime, and manure in abundance, to secure his crop, and keep up the fertility of the soil, the annual floods which overflow the intervales are to you what the rising of the Nile was to the Egyptians. The sediment which is deposited on these intervales, is in the finest state of division, and abounds in mineral and vege- table matter in a state of complete solution and decomposition. No better preparation could well be made to increase the fertility of a soil than this. The chemist will find on analyzing such a soil, that all the necessary elements will be present and nearly in due pro- portion. He is a miserable man indeed who cannot secure a good living on an intervale farm.
While on a recent visit to the White Mountains, I was forcibly struck with the value of that huge pile of rocks to Maine. Instead of regarding it as a barren waste, I look upon it as an inexhaustible mine of wealth, which does not require to be dug, but which the sunshine and frost, the drouth and the rain, serve in turn to loosen out from the rocks, and hasten onward to the rich intervales of the Saco, Presumpscot, Androscoggin, Connecticut, and other rivers. Its
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HISTORY OF PORTER
rocks and minerals are of such a nature as to be easily decomposed, and possess the elements of fertility in the highest degree. The apparently useless mosses, that cover its otherwise barren summits, are rich in such material, while the immense forests, which the hand of man can never remove, saturate the innumerable rivulets from its sides with vegetable matter. You may possibly exhaust your swamps of muck and other vegetable matter, but those mountains, like the mountains at the source of the Nile, are inexhaustible in their elements of fertility.
The next class comprises your meadows. No one thing has so forcibly struck me in the farming interests of this county, as the almost entire neglect of its meadow lands within its borders. Thou- sands of acres still exist in this county undisturbed by the hand of man, unless it be by some marauder after a cedar post, when a small outlay would fit the land to pay the interest from one to two hundred dollars an acre. Much of the meadow does not require to be plowed and manured and hoed every year to secure a crop of grass, but when once cleared and drained, it remains for many years essentially the same; and if it be situated so as to be overflowed, it is doubtful whether it ever need depreciate. A bed of muck, from one to five feet in thickness, when cleared of its stinted growth of wood, and properly drained, with a coating of air-slacked lime or ashes to neutralize the vegetable acids, and the letting in of light and sun- shine, will cause heavy crops of grass more valuable than is wont to be estimated by the farmers of this county. Travel through some portions of Kennebec county where they are far ahead of us gen- erally in scientific farming, and you may learn a lesson in the man- agement and profit of your meadows. By a system of drainage, Eng- land has reclaimed five millions of acres from her heretofore un- productive swamps.
I trust that I am addressing some here who will go home and ex- amine that mudhole which is now so disagreeable to the sight, as well as profitless, and see if it cannot be drained at a trifling expense, and rendered productive. No matter if the boys do scold, let them fag at it until it is completely drained. Most persons are deceived in regard to the ease and capability of cultivating our swamps. If they can be drained, they can be cultivated.
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