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Maine
Living Lore
Old Town 1
NOTED FRENCH CANADIAN PERSONALITIES OF OLD TOWN
(As Remembered By Robert F. Grady)
/93
My parents, although not French, were born in Canada and
lived under conditions much similar to those under which the
French Canadians of that period lived. Having been brought up
in a town that had and has today a large French population;
and having gone to school with French children; worked with
French people in the woods, on the boom, and in factories; I
think I understand then well enough to write something about
them. Of the many French Canadians I have known, a number
stand out from the others in my memory.
Father Trude', one of the early priests of the parish, saw
the new St. Josephs brick church erected just before he died.
He was a shrewd, kindly man who had a habit of looking over his
glasses at people when he talked to them. He was short, stout,
gray haired, and pink cheeked. He was always complaining about
how poor he was, but he could never refuse a request for aid
financial or otherwise.
There used to be a popular superstition here among Canadians
that a priest could cure any disease if he wished to. There was
also a story of how a fellow who attempted to hit a priest found
that his arm had become paralysed. Whether or not a priest pos-
sesses miraculous ,powors might be a subject for debate, but in
the caEe of Sandy Savoy (Frnch Canadian) there seemed no doubt
about it.
Sandy, a picturesque character, had developed tuberculosis
and had been compelled to give up his work as a woodsman. People
who saw him on the street wondered just how long he would live.
Maine
Living Lore
Old Town 2
One evening Father Trudel answered a ring at his door and found
Sandy lying on the porch and suffering fro,:- a hemorrhage of the
lungs. Sandy, after he had been taken into the living room and
some how revived, begged the priest to cure him of the disecIse
which was threatening his life. Father Trudel knew something of
medicine, but as Sandy's case had been pronounced hopeless by
the doctors, there didn't se -m much that could be done. Father
Trudel promised to help the unfortunate man and from that time
Sandy commenced to improve. He went to work a lit le later in
a local -,:,round wood mill where he vorked until his death at a
ripe old age. Sandy was never without a cigar. He told me once
that he smoked a box (50) a week.
Whether the following story is true or not is hard to say.
A lot of people, including Sandy's nephew, Eddie, swear it is.
If it is true and anybody who knew Sandy would see no reason
to doubt it then truth is stranger indeed than fiction.
It was about the time of the world war when there was an
epidemic of influenza raging in Old Town. Strict precautions
were being taken to prevent a spread of the disease. An old man
Tind died and Sandy and a friend had volunteered to sit up all
night at the dead man's home. A harassed doctor who looked into
the room when he called to see a patient at the house, saw Sandy
and his friend sitting there smoking cigars.
"Boys," said the doctor, "we want to stop this epidemic,
and every one should help. Germs are everywhere. If you people
are going to stay 1.1.,xe you should wear masks. Please get them."
"Masks prote,t from de germs, eh doe?" asked Sandy.
"Absolutely," said the physician. "With masks you are safe.ti
Maine
Living Lore
Old Town 3
"Hokay, doe," said Sandy. "Doan worry. We get tem.
They did, too. A priest who looked in a little later was
horror stricken to see two men sitting in the room, smoking
cigars and wearing Fourth of July masks:
Another French Canadian, Bill Chamberlain, used to give
his particular friends a cherished recipe for a stimulating drink.
"You take wan hunnert percent alcohol, an' add 50 percent
prune juice to it she make de bes' peach brandy you ever taste."
Bill could never understand the difference betwecn 100 per
cent and 100 proof.
The Busheys, Gene and Albert, used to live in a new house
they built on tam Street. They were married and lived alone ex-
cept for a relative who kept house for them. Both were regarded
as "good catches."
They were well educated but Albert spoke ig-
lish
with a noticeable accent. It was said their folks in Canada
were wealthy, and that the boys, who came here from Montreal,
would some day inherit quite a bit of money. They followed woods
work, but not as laborers. Gene was a scaler and Albert was a
timekeeper. Neither of them worked much in the sum,er time.
Albert was a typical bon vivant or man about town. He was a
good story teller and very popular. He was fleshy, pink cheeked,
and always well dressed. I can remember him going by the house
wearing a colored band about his panama hat, a freshly pressed
light gray suit, patent leather shoes, and a flower in his button
hole. He was asked once why he never went to church.
"The heducate man," he replied loftily, "doan go to church."
Gene was slim, dark, and romantic looking. Shortly after his
brother Albert died in middle life of pneumonia, Gene built the
fine, new Strand Theater on Main Street. It was and is now
Maine
Living Lore
Old l'own
most modern in equipment. The town wasn't big enough for two
theaters, and after the skirmish which followed, Gene was glad
to sell his theater to rival interests.
He returned to woods work, this time as an independent oper-
ator. He was losing money steadily in his wood cutting operations
when he fell in love. Ill luck continued to follow him, however,
for the lady refused to become interested. One day in a fit of
despondency Gene fired a bullet from a revolver into his head.
The attempt at suicide vv.s just another failure, but although the
bullet missed his brain, it severed some nerves back of his eyes
and so destroyed his sight. I used to see him on the street some-
times, still slim and dapper, but wearing blue glasses over his
sightless eyes. Some times a friend would guide him by holding
his arm, and sometimes he would get around by feeling his way with
a cane.
"Humse Michaud, another French Canadian, used to work as a
clerk in Fred Allen's clothing store on Main Street. In the win-
ter Humpy would go up into the lumber woods to measure the lumber
jacks and take orders so that when the woodsmen came down in the
'spring new suits would await them.
Humpy, who was a hunch back, was below middle height. He
had long arms, large hands, and immense good nature.
Old timers will remember that getting a fit ir a ready made
suit of clothes in the 90s was something of a problem. A coat
4
that didn't pinch across the shoulders was apt to be voluminous
about the waist a pair of pants that was long enough was usually
large enough for a circus fat man. To even things up the vest was
generally made from four to six inches too short. It was an educa-
tion to watch Humpy dispose of one these nightmares. He would
Maine
Living Lore
Old Town 5
measure the customer and assure him that the pants were practic-
ally made to order. The vest and coat were tried al next and
while the customer was inspecting the fit in a _rirror, Humpy
would gather in the folds of the coat at the back. When the cus-
tomer turned around to see how it looked in the back Humpy would
hold the garment olst in front and assure the man that it was al-
most moulded to his figure. If the customer complained that the
vest was too short, Humpy would deliver some ribald flattery, and
double his victim up with a resounding slap on the back as he
pulled the vest down to cover an expanse of sllirt front. When
the customer got one and got a. chance to see how the suit really
looked, he was apt to come charging back with murder in his heart,
but he would generally go out
hide the suit. People always
traded with Humpy, but he was
ever complained very much.
When the French Canadians first came to Old Town they made
their homes either on an island close to the island of 01d Town,
or in a farming section that later came to be known as French
Settlement. The island on which they settled (Treat and Webster
Island) came to be popularly known as "French Island." As the
tide of immigration continued French Island came to be very thickly
settled. The early homes were bArdly more than shacks, and a few
of these still survive. A great many of the homes today are stall
and set close together. Any vacant land and there isn't much of
it is utilized for a flower or a vegetable garden. A number of
Frenchmen have told me that they would rather live in shacks that
they owned than in much better homes that some one else owned.
of the store wearing a topcoat to
expected to be victimized when they
such an engaging fellow that nobody
Maine
Living Lore
Old Town 6
There is a public school on the island, but a great many of the
children even little ones walk nearly a mile to attend the
convent in Old Town. These children used to imperil their lives
by running all over the road on their way home from school, but
last fall the sisters equipped some of the older boys and girls
with white sashes and instructed them to lead the children in an
orderly manner along the sidewalks and home by the safest route.
These older pupils are doing the job very iell.
;then the French first came here industry was represented in
the town only by saw mills. The French who didn't settle in
French Settlement to take up farming, generaly lived on French
Island and worked in the saw mills, in the woods, and on the
drives. There were few exceptions, one of which (the Morin Family)
has already been mentioned. As the irench population increased it
became the custom for owners of stores to employ at least one
French clerk to attract the important French trade. his custom
is still observed.
The town gradually developed in an industrial way. The saw
mills disappeared as the lumber gave out, but in their stead there
appeared two woolen mills, two pulp mills, two box mil s, and a
number of smaller industries. A large proportion of the workers
in these factories are French Canadians or their descendents.
Practically all of the French here now can speck glish, but the
inability of the early comers to use the language waE never a bar
to their employment, for as Mr. Ovide Morin said, "You see there
were bo many French." In the weave shop of the Old Town Woolen
plant about 50 per:ant of the weavers were French.
The que.tion of unionism was never raised among the early
French Canadians here. Several attegipts '.:ere made to unionize
Maine
Living Lore
Old Town 7
local industries in recent years, and during such attempts the
idea was always opposed by the older inhabitants. Their descen-
dents however the younger Frenchmen showed no hesitation
ab:ut joining.
There were fights occasionally between Frenchmen and those
of other nationalities, but these fights were the result of some
personal difference and had no connection with race or creed.
I've seen :rDuble arise between two Frenchmen who exchanged such
epithets as "Canuck," "Pea soup eater," or "frog." As a rule
Frenchmen were and are well lilfed. whey are good natural and
ready to laugh even if the joke is on them.
It wa, the custom in Canada anong French Catholics to use the
steps or the space in front of the church for a meeting place where
various matters might be discussed.* The French Catholics who came
here followed this custom for a time. Before every mass on Sunday
numbers of them would gather on the walk or in the yard in front of
the church to tdk things over, The custom has died out in recent
years.
The early immigrants were generally poor and not well educated.
They worked, with few exceptions, as common laborers or woodsmen.
A sense of inferiority, due perhaps to their lack of education and
their inability to speak English well, prevented them from mixing
to any extent with those of other nationalities in a social way,
or of taking any part in politics. The picture is much different
today.
*French Canadians in New England, Smyth E. C.; page 17; Hamilton
Press; 1892.
Maine
Living Lore
Old Town 8
About two thirds of the approximately 150 WPA workers in
the city are French. So are all of the foreman and most of the
sub -foremen. A high percentage of the workers in the stores
and factories are of French descent, while there are many of
this nationality occupying much higher positions. Alec Latno,
now the proprietor of a large retail shoe company, was mayor
of the town for several terms just before the present mayor was
elected. George Desjardin, owner of a local harness repair shop,
was for a long time collector of taxes: he is now postmaster.
Three of his four sons and both of his daughters attended the
University of Maine. One of the boys works in the harness shop,
one is a school teacher, and one is an extra mail carrier. Two
of the full time mail carriers, one of the clerks, and both the
porter and the janitor at the building are French. The latter,
a fellow named Paradis, has a small farm and sells eggs. One
of the four permanent firemen, half the call men, two of the
three regular policeman and many of the special officers, several
school techers, the overseer of the poor, and three members of
the city council are also French. In the city proper French peo-
ple operate 3 large grocery stores (and four or five small ones),
2 wholesale and retail fruit and confectionery stores, 2 restau-
rants, 6 barbe shops, 4 beauty parlors, I undertaking establish-
ment, cobbler shops, 1 drug store, and 1 monument works. There
are 4 insurance salesmen, 2 garage owners, 2 salon keepers, and
I French doctor. I don't think there wcs ever a French lawyer
here, and the one French dentist remained but a short time.
Maine
Living Lore
Old Town 9
The French who live on French Island are apt to resent any
disparaging remark concerning the place, but many of those who
have moved to other sections of the town sometimes feel superior
to those living across the bridge. A French woman who lived in
this part of the town was telling a friend and me about what a
nice home some newly married couple had acquired. She described
the place in glowing terms but added, "Of course, you know, it
is on da hieland."
Up until ten years ago there was only one Catholic church
(St. Josephs) here. To satisfy the church goes who understood
no French, the assistant to the pastor was usually Irish. The
pastor was always French and often people who couldn't understand
that language had to sit through a sellmon delivered inaforeign
tongue. Dissatisfaction increased among these people after one of
the Irish priest,, who was transferred was replaced by a Frenchman,
and the proposal' to create a new parish and erect a new church,
found high favor. St Marys, an attractive brick church, was built
on Main Street but a few minutes walk from the city square.
Shortly after it was completed many of the French who objected to
what they referred to as the grasping tactics of the pastor of St.
Josephs, deserted that parish and joined St. Marys. The Irish of
the latter church offered no objections: they were satisfied so
long as they had an Irish parish priest and sermons in English.
"Coffee Parties," held in the local town hall and staged for
the benefit of the Sisters of Mercy, used to be a feature in the
life of the town. Alley were held once a year and usually lasted
three or four evenings. There were booths of various kinds about
the hall, and on long tables at one side suppers were provided for
Maine
Living Lore
Old Town 10
the hungry. The stage program was different every night. One
night there might be a musical program; the next, vaudeville
acts, featuring local actors; the third, a three act comedy or
a minstrel show, during the progresb of which prominent local
characters were lampooned. or many weeks before the entertain-
ment chances were sold on various articles. Lucky persons had
their number drawn from a box on the stage at the end of the
final evenings performance. Five and ten dollar gold pieces were
sometimes used as prize.. The practice of selling chances and
holding lotteries came under the fire of reform elements a number
of years ago and the objectionable custom was abandoned. In late
years it has been the practice to hold lawn parties, carnivals,
and bridge parties to help defray parish expenses. The French
are ardent workers in these causes.
The French people are not a;ways blindly devoted to their
pastors in Old Town, and when they are not, it is because of some
real or fancied fault in the character of the priest. Father
Clary, an Irish priest who was an assistant at -St. Josephs about
forty years ao, was so well liked by the French as well as the
Irish, that members of both races requested the bishop to appoint
him pastor after the death of Father Trudel from diabetes.
Father Clary was so dark complexioned that some people thought
he had negro blood in his veins. He had dark brown (almost black)
eyes, black wavy hair, and an extremely vital and. likable person-
ality. He made many converts anonE Protestants and many of that
faith used to go to hear him speak on ''undays.
Maine
Livin,1 Lore
Old Town 11
On the other hand Father Legennec, a French Canadian who
preceeded the present pastor of St. Josephs, Father Willett,
was unpopular with the French. Some of them complained that he
lived in a very fine house and wore the best clothes while they
had nothing. They said hd thought of nothing but money and
still more money. Priests with more engaging personalities were
never criticized in this manner. His unpopularity was increased
by an incident that gave him no choice but to act as he did. It
happened in this way:
Clarence Mushrall was a very likable young fellow who worked
as a -lumber. he married an attractive and popular French girl
named ,,lorence La Bell, whlo worked in one of the woolen mills.
The couple had only one child who grew to resemble her mother.
For a time everything went well with the young mar ied pair, but
after they had been married several years Florence contracted
pneumonia and died. After the death of his wife, Clarence, who
grieved very much because of his loss, took up drinking. He also
stopped going to church. One night after he had been drinking
heavily he started home acros the railroad bridge. It was a
perilous trip for a drunken man. Whether he jumped off the bridge
or fell off nobody knew, but his body was recovered a week later
at the end of the island. He was buried in the family lot in For-
est Hills Cemetery and it seemed as though fate had written finis
at the end of the Chapter.
To understand what followed it is necessary to knnw so:ethIng
of the regulations governing the Catholic portion of the burying
ground at Forest Hills. A Catholic cemetery is "consecrated
ground," and any one not a Catholic or a Catholic whphas died
Maine
Living Lore
Old Town 12
"Outside the fold" may not be buried there.
About a year after young Mushrall had been laid to rest
some persons brought to the attention of Father Legennac the
fact that a man who had forsaken the church., who had died in
his cups, and who had very likely committed suicide was buried
in consecrated soil. In justice to the priest it must be said
that in spite of an overwhelming feeling that the body of poor
Mushrall should be allowed to rest where it was, church laws
left him no choice in the matter: he was compelled to order
the removal of it. Much bitterness was felt and the old accu-
sation was raked up that while lots in the Catholic cemetery
were expensive, the land itself had been bought by the
"for a song." Relatives of Mushrall refused to comply
order and the case was brought to the courts. Lawyers
defendants contended that the lot in question had been
priest
with the
for the
eurchased
by relatives of the dead man, that the deed was in their posses-
sion, that the lot had been fully paid for, and that in conse-
quence their clients were free to use the land in any way they
gefe fit. Opposing lawyers brought out the fact that while the Mush
rails did indeed hold the title to the land it had been sold with
certain binding restrictions that would prevent the interment of
persons not in good standing with the authorities of the church.
Judgement was rendered against the Mushralls*and they had to re-
move the body. Friends of Father Legennec claimed that persons
who wished to injure the priest had brought the matter up. Much
sympathy was felt for the Mushralls, and the priest acted the part
of the unwilling scapegoat.
-*Proof of citation is available, but the facts arc common Know-
ledge in Old Town.
Maine
Livins Lor,
Old Town 13
Father Marquis, a French Canadian priest who was an assis-
tant here just before Father Clary, was also well liked by the
French and indeed by every one but the bishop felt it neces-
sary to remove him from the parish because of alleged irregulari-
ties in his conduct. He was young, florid, and a good "mixer."
He wasn't bad in any sense of the word, but he liked to drink,
smoke cigars, atend prixe fights, and mix with the b)ys in a
pool room. It was thought that his actions constituted a bad
influence among the youth of the parish.