The Olde Duck Hunter

by

Carroll V Strout

April 20, 2019

Current Events:

Well it is finally here, green grass. I was beginning to wonder after our long winter and cold spring; but as my old friend Bud Randall once told me Mother Nature has a way of catching up.

Thursday of this week my son Zachary went as a second stern man on a lobster boat. He brought me in a five gallon bucket of crabs; fourteen in total. Boy, what beauties I have picked out everything except the legs. Ronie and I both had crab rolls for lunch on Friday. They were some good.

The white lilac bush on the South side of our house has started developing buds in the last few days.

I understand some people have been planning their vegetable gardens.

This weekend marks another major holiday, Easter weekend. Along with all the activities that includes a major holiday dinner. On Wednesday Ronie took a fourteen pound ham from the freezer to start thawing. Along with that we will have garlic mashed potatoes, peas, squash, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and of course deviled eggs, plus a Caesar salad.

I have already mentioned the return of many of our birds. But I am still waiting to hear the peep frogs which I duly like to hear.

More of Growing Up in Milbridge, Maine

Bits & Pieces:

Back in my late grammar school and high school years there was a group of Italian deer hunters from Worcester, Massachusetts that came to Milbridge to deer hunt. One year when my father and Mit Hartford were staying in a camp and cutting wood at Bull Hill in Eastbrook. Two of the hunters had their own tag along trailer which they parked beside my fathers woods camp at his invitation. They had good luck each getting a deer.

That weekend I went to camp and for breakfast the next morning the Italians made a breakfast that I called food of the Gods. First they fried slices of pepperoni, then strips of large mushrooms and green peppers, and last of all two fried eggs.

Later that day one of the hunters and I hunted near a bog across from the camp. On the way back a doe deer jumped up in front of me. I put up my rifle, aimed and didn't shoot. That was my one and only experience with buck fever. I had two experiences that weekend, food of the Gods and buck fever.

Well folks that was the way it was another time another story. Just remember one thing no matter what life bestows upon us the smoke will go up the chimney just the same.

The Olde Duck Hunter

by

Carroll V Strout

April 7, 2019

Current Events:

Recently where the weather is getting better, we have been seeing more deer around the house.

Last week we saw our first flock of starlings and they were followed up by a small flock of robins. Now, I am waiting for the sound of the peep frogs in my neighbors pond. I am also looking forward to my first fresh mess of dandelions which is a good spring tonic.

Both my friend Dick Trott in Bangor and my neighbor Dick Paul are thinking about shutting down their maple syrup operations this weekend.

This past Tuesday evening April 2, 2019 we attended the largest funeral service I have ever seen. Those attending filled the gym at Narraguagus High School. The service was for Huddy Peterson of Harrington, Maine. That goes to prove one thing. You don’t have to be rich and famous to be well liked. All you have to be is a true, blue friend; and that was Huddy. She was well known and well liked. May the good Lord be with you Huddy.

More of Growing up in Milbridge, Maine:

I believe I have told you that when I was a young sprout my father drove the mail truck from Cherryfield train station to Cherryfield, Milbridge, and Steuben. Anyway, each year around Christmas time there would be two or three people in Milbridge who would order a bushel basket of grapefruit and oranges. I must say they were bigger and better looking than what you buy in the store today. The pink grapefruit are about the size of navel oranges now.

When in Grammar school I use to be friends with the late Bruce Hall. Bruce’s father worked for Bob Whitten who owned Minot Films. These films were distributed to the different movie theaters; but before that was done they had to be tested at Bob’s shop. So in the winter months Bruce and I would watch the films for free of charge.

Another experience I had was when Lawrence Ray and I rode our bikes down to Wyman to visit his grandfather Gus Mitchell. One September weekend Lawrence and I visited Gus Mitchell just after he had just dug his potatoes. He had them in boxes in his shed. He told me to look at their size. As it turned out he put the smaller spuds on the bottom and the larger bragging spuds on top. I got a kick out of this. Once inside Gus’s kitchen I noticed his wood cook stove had an oven door on each side of it. Gus explained that you put your biscuits in one door and then you would walk around the stove and take them out the other side.

Well folks that was the way it was another time another story. Just remember one thing no matter what life bestows upon us the smoke will go up the chimney just the same.

April 20,2019

On Friday evening April 12 twenty members of Eastern Star attended the stated meeting of Rumery Chapter #46 at the Masonic Lodge at Addison Point. Refreshments were served afterwards dring the social hour. Six Eastern Star members came from Irene Chapter 97 of Ellsworth.

On Sunday the 14, the weather turned out great, I was able to go to the craft fair at the Columbia Town Hall in the morning. Afterwards I went to check out some cemetery stones that I had cleaned last year to see what they looked like and to get some photos of stones that people had requested on Find-A-Grave site. It was nice to be out and about on such a warm day and no bugs to bother you at the cemetery.

On Wednesday Carroll and I went to Good & Plenty for breakfast and had a nice breakfast.

We had planned on going to Ellsworth after but I wasn’t feeling well so we went back to the house.

On Thursday I had to go to Ellsworth for a quick trip to Walmart before my doctors appointment. I even had a chance to check out Goodwill and find something I thought I needed.

School vacation is over and I did not get a thing that I wanted to do done because of this cold I have. Guess I will have to do double time to get caught up on the homefront in the coming weeks.

About all that I got done was to go out to four breakfasts this week and checked out the craft fair on Saturday the 20th at the Wreaths Across America Gym in Columbia Falls where I bought two pies to have for Easter dinner.

The Pleasant River Drive In, Columbia Falls is now open for the season as well as Bayview Take Out, Beals and of course Jordans in Ellsworth. We have only been to Bayview so far, but will surely try the others out as well. I already have stopped in and checked out the Columbia Falls General Store that is open now for the summer season.

Up Coming Events:

Wrestling

Global Independent Wrestling at Narragaugus High School April 27, 2019 from 6 pm to 9 pm,

The Lamb House Fundraiser Fiesta

To benefit The Lamb House , Vazquez Mexican Dinner on Saturday Apri 27, from 5 to 8 pm at the American Legion Hall in Cherryfield.

Buffet Benefit Dinner

Sunday, April 28, 2019 a Buffet and Benefit Dinner will be held at the Cherryfield Elementary School to benefit David & Gail Anderson who lost their home to fire. Donations at the door.

Cherryfield Academy

Quilt Show and Artisan Fair, Saturday May 4 from 10 am to 3 pm at the Cherryfield Academy.

Admission $5.00.

Narragaugus Jr/Sr High School

On Sunday Fun Day May 5^th the High School PTSG presents Dodgeball Challenge. Starts at 9 am to 5 pm at the High School in Harrington.

April 14^th, 2019

On Monday April 1^st I was in Ellsworth for a checkup for my car. Wow its going some that you have appointments for your car every now and then. Usually we all just keep on driving our vehicles till something falls off and it stops on us. Who knew they actually need checkups to keep them ship shape.

On my way home I stopped at the Evergreen Cemetery in Milbridge to get some photos of the Smith family for Nancy Pike. It was windy and cold out but I knew right where to go for them.

On Tuesday evening April 2^nd I drove the Harrington Hawks to Machias and East Machias for their play off games. Both of the teams lost so that was their last game for this season of Pee Wee Basketball.

I arrived home and jumped into my car and attended a bit of the celebration of Life for Huddy Peterson. A lot of folks were leaving as I drove in but I did hear that around 500 friends and family came out for it. I also got the chance to visit with the family and others that were still there.

On Friday the 5^th I drove the 3^rd graders of D.W. Merritt Elementary to the University of Machias for Career Day. They really enjoyed going and learning what all was available for them to do.

They talked to the following career people: Machias Bank, Maine Forest Rangers, U. S. Coast Guard, Lobster Fisherman, Police Officer, Sheriff, Firemen, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, License Appraisal Service, Firemen, Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Search and Rescue, The Bluebird Ranch Restaurant, One on training Horses for competition, Surveyors, How Sweet It Is, Berry Vines, Garden Blooms & Unique Finds, and to the Cooperative Extension 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Greenland Point.

On Saturday the 6^th, after getting some home front cleaning done, I took our cat Lilly to get her shots that she needed. The Clinic opened an hour earlier so it was great not to have to stand around with her. It was one of those times it was in and out of the vets in no time.

Later on we decided to go for lunch at Bayview on Beals Island. They had opened up for the coming season. Afterwards I had some errands to do in Harrington before we returned home from our adventure. It was great to get out and see what was going on in the neighborhood and to get the cobwebs blown off Carroll.

On Monday the 8^th we had a snowstorm that canceled school for the day, while I was home all day I worked on gathering information on the Epping Base Line for a project that I am doing.

Tuesday the 9^th the roads were not that great in traveling to Calais with the 10^th graders from NHS for a tour of the college. Clara Anne Freeman and I both divided the students up on our two buses for the trip. On our way back the roads were a lot better for traveling.

We had some snow showers on Wednesday but nothing to make the roads slippery.

Thursday evening April 11, the Pleasant River Historical Society met at the Columbia Falls Library for a business meeting with the following folks attending: Grace Falzarano, Ronie Strout, Roberta and Chuck Hammond, Cathy Fonda, Tony and Robin Santiago and Philip Worcester.

On Thursday and Friday the schools in the district only had half days for their parent/teacher conferences.

School vacation is the week of April 14 to April 19. I am making plans to get some stuff done around the home front if it works out for me. I am hoping for good weather during this week.

The Celebration of Life for Joan Look was well attended on Saturday the 13 at the Union Church, South Addison. She will be missed by many folks.

Letter From Homer Morrison to Ronie Strout 2013

Subject: John Puffer & Henry Caler: WAR of 1812 POWs

During this War of 1812 Bicentennial period, the prisoner of war experiences of eventual Washington County residents John Puffer and Henry Caler (full name, Jost Henry Caler) might be of interest to your “Out and About” readers: 
John Puffer (1793-1877) was born in Canton, Massachusetts and Henry Caler (1777-1867) in Waldoboro, Maine. Both were captured at sea by the British during the War of 1812, John in July, 1813, and Henry in June, 1814. John, a privateersman, was captured while a prize crew member aboard a captured British packet ship. Henry, along with a brother, a cousin and one other, was taken from a Waldoboro fishing sloop which the British then burned.
Both were initially held on Melville Island in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and later in Dartmoor Prison, Devonshire, England. John and Henry were at Melville Island at different times, but their periods of confinement in the notorious Dartmoor overlapped by approximately eight months.
Both settled in Washington County about ten years after the war, John Puffer in Columbia and Henry Caler in Centerville. They arrived in the same year, 1826, and lived and died in the towns where they settled. It is not known if they knew each other while in large, overcrowded Dartmoor, but they must have been acquainted later while living just a few miles apart in sparsely settled Washington County.
At the ends of their long lives, brief notices of their deaths appeared in the Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, each with mention of their Dartmoor imprisonment. Tibbetts and Lamson’s Early Pleasant River Families of Washington County, Maine also makes mention of this in John Puffer’s case - but does not for Henry Caler.
From my personal knowledge, John Puffer’s grave in Columbia is well marked with an inscribed stone and is decorated on patriotic holidays, appropriate recognition for an American prisoner of war.
I do not know whether Henry Caler's grave receives the same recognition, or even if its location is now known. Early Pleasant River Families, p. 68, reports an inscribed gravestone. However, a Find A Grave search locates only the grave of his wife, Dorcas Caler d. May 30, 1854, in the Richard A. Caler family cemetery, Centerville - and provides no information on Henry's grave. Perhaps a descendant or some other interested party would have information on the burial location, or want to investigate.
Henry's grandaughter Helen Augusta Caler married Sewall Marston Drisko who was Gregory P Kelley great grandfather.