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v\l{landitersNotice#,cellingc inchesjr inscr-charge.rn in ' ends ml then e who to the the let-nd lords seek to »er. B'lt sed t-j-ind the will be nearbyo show. They gUckii lis sec-y bean-Jt ri\ als »ees its m pres-; to be are en-nd oth-several aver akor.ws is beenuncom-t they [‘where.to find le oom-to man ico Ba, to be fr. Voulat ure’s n com*k» mat* tiejr rehat theizes as written apprr-d Judge•D.ir busl-el pro* islands in ours mostn class * fromAlmost a CentenarianT1ChiDoubtless the most Interesting character to the visitors at Casco Day t« Capt. Hugh Slnnett of Bailey island whose picture Is printed with this ar-i Sinae wa® ,Krn on Balletoi S!* 2*’ 1815, whlch makes himS»1 years of age. It Is a question wheth-inland °u ?hePhM PnriinK,on lt;* Grea; island Is the oldest man In the stateHe was the second oldest of eight chiedren. only one other of whom is no^CAPT. HUGH SINNETT.living. Capt. Janies Slnnett. 81 yea ** of age. whose home is on the northern end of Bailev islandWhen young. Capt. Hugh had few opportunities for -schooling*—to .ism his own words he went to school oniv once in a while.’* He says that in those days school was taught mostly n the summer lime” and that th-glrls had the best show * because the teacher ‘was an old maid and abus.M * the boys so that they didn’t care to Klt;. He calculates ihat In ail he secured but four terms’ tuition of thr?e months each. After that he studied in the school of life.In 1838 Hugh Slnnett was married to Miss Margaret Perry and they lived happily together for 03 years and were never once obliged to call in a doctoi except when their two sons were bom. Both sons are now living. David P.. with whom he resides In the oid homestead and Charles N. who Is a preacher” In .Nbrth Dakota. Capt. Hugh Slnnett is proudly happy in being surrounded by four generations or his descendants.Most of his long life has been in as a deep-sea fisherman. At the age of -o he became captain of the Lydia and cleared vessels from the custom house in Portland as master for 30 years.He has many interesting rem in Licences of his sea faring days which he tells tc the summer visitors, nearly all of whom insist upon visiting him frequently. The story which he like* best to tell Is of how he once accom-plished what no other captain has been known to have done. He had been coasting along the Bay of St. l-aw.-enc-and was bound for the Bay of Chaleui after mackerel. M Inadvertently hetook with him th© wrong packet oi papers and left his fishing license behind him. This he did not discover till It was too late to return. Fortunately he was able to obtain from custom house officer Marshall at Pori Mulgrave. N. s.. a receipt for lign: duties on the Northern Bagle” without being obliged to show his manifest and license. Soon afterwards he was overtaken by the custom house boa; •Scarlet Feather.” by which was forwarded to him his papers from the Portland authorities.In 1850 Capt. Slnnett was afflicted with the gold fever and went to California. Another Interesting experience of his was while he was journeying west. He took a steamer from New ^ork and then with nine companions was obliged to paddle 60 miles up the Shagrus river in a log dug-out. This tedious process occupied five days and five nights. Then after arriving at Gorgon a they must needs cross 28 miles by land to Panama where they could lake a Pacific coast steamer.One woman in the party, whose husband had preceded her. was from Lu-bee. Me. Her husband, named Bell, had been a ship builder, but had been Innoculated by the gold bug. Mrs. Bell had decided lo take a mule to carry her to Panama while Capt. Sin-nett Intended to walk the distance. Oi. ihe second day. however, he overtook her sitting by the roadside. Her mule had died from exhaustion and she was penniless among strangers. Capt. Sin-net hired another mule to carry bet to Fanama where it was learned that the boat for which she had tickets had broken down somewhere ih Soutti America and no one knew when It would arrive. The Bailey islander provided as best he could for the necessities of the lone woman from his state and later chanced upon her husband who had been ill In a hospital. He advanced Mr. and Mrs. Bell monev to cover their expenses by steamer to San Francisco while he himself tooK passage on a sailing vessel. Speaking of this good Samaritan act Capt. Slnnett modestly observed—“I did no more than any man should do—1.0 more than I would want some man to do for my own little woman—my wife —if I was not there to care for her.”And the story has a happy climax in that when the Rising Sun sailed into San Francisco he found the happy couple on the wharf awaiting him They reimbursed him for his advance and could not do sufficient for him while he visited with them at their home in Sacramento.For two years Mr. Slnnett was more successful than the a\erage” as a miner and more than once took as his share of a day’s work something like $300. His largest lump’’ was worth $600. This he divided with his partner. He says that those were rough days when a man had to holo his own against the rough element Which flocked Callforniaward from the entire world. He was forced to cnduie many hardships. Laicr *'» life Capt. Slnnett devoted his tim^ to farming. Nbw he says he Is “growing old—deaf, lame and blind.** Most of his days are spent on a bench In-fore the comfortable home that a thrifty daughter-in-law cares for and he enjoys nothing better ihm. to describe to summer visitors the beauties of Casco Bay. of Bailey's Island or to tell of how he is superstitious as all sailors are.He attributes his long life and strong frame much to the fact that he cornea of a sturdy stock—more to the fact that he has never lasted liquor or used tobacco.f0u£table boati spot i utes* You ’ PartiMHBGlow ries Geai of tt andeites^land Mrs. Purlnton of BowdoinhamHiNPleat;table.encesA1
Newspaper Details
Portland Casco Bay Breeze
Portland, Maine, US
Thu, Aug 30, 1906
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 02 Mar 2023
Other Publications Near Portland, Maine
The Portland Gazette
Portland Gazette And Maine Advertiser
Portland Casco Bay Breeze
Portland Daily Press
Portland Sunday Telegram and Sunday Press Herald
