Christopher Columbus COBURN, the diary Nov. 15 to
Feb. 11, 1916., in Crystal, Maine, (part ten)

Contributed by wagga719@idt.net (Sally Ruscio)
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm


This was the story from Nov. 15 to Feb. 11, 1916.
On the latter date he (Christopher Columbus COBURN,
at 68 years of age), went to Ashland and was at
Ferdinand's until Mar. 3, when he and his second
Cousin, Jasper COBURN, went to his camp at Portage. 
Jasper stayed with him till the 23rd of March, when
he, Jasper, went back to his father's, Arthur
Coburn, who had moved back to Ashland from Caribou,
where he had been for two or three years.  The
subject of this diary remained at home cutting and
storing ice for himself and others.  He attended
town meeting Mar. 27.  About the middle of April he
was hewing timbers for a new building, presumably
for Fred PETERS next door.  The first part of May he
plowed and planted his garden and worked on the
PETERS building. He says that he celebrated his
birthday, May 20, by taking his grand daughter,
Elizabeth, to the movies, staying with Ferdinand
over night at Ashland.  Back home, his son Arthur
and family of Moro came to visit on the 27th and
they all went to Ferdinand's in Ashland and Sunday,
the next day, they went over to Haystack Mountain
for a picnic breakfast, returning through
Frenchville and Sheridan.  Arthur returned home and
his father back to Portage.  June 12 he went to
Allard's in Ashland and back home.  About this time
he was working on the town road back of his camp,
grubbing stumps and grading, beside his garden work
and helping PETERS.  Sunday, June 25th Oren Coburn
and family and Miss Flossie SMITH, of Ashland spent
the day with him on the shore of the lake at his
camp.  July 2, Sunday, he visited at Elwin
GARDINER's in Ashland. Gardner married his second
cousin, Bertha COBURN.  After spending the 4th at
Ferdinand's, Arthur came up from Moro and picked up
him and F. R.'s family and took them in his Ford to
Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield and over to Grand Falls
in New Brunswick, and back.  The rest of this summer
and fall up to Nov. 10 was more or less routine work
around town.  The whole month of August he was
working for a Mr. MAGILL, the place and nature of
work not given.  And the month of October he was up
at Red River working for George SUTHERLAND.  Various
times he visited his sons in Ashland and entertained
them at his camp.  Sept. 11 he voted at the state
election and Nov. 7 at the national election. Nov.
13, after spending Sunday at Ferdinand's in Ashland
he went down to Moro, where he worked for COBURN&
DARLING for a month.  Then back to Ferdinand's and
began working for the American Realty Company which
had started a project across the Aroostook River
from Ashland, finishing the year.

Jan. 25, 1917, finished work for the American Realty
Co., and staying a few days with Ferdinand, went to
Portage Feb. 3 and to camp the next day, having to
shovel the snow away to get in.  Feb. 14 and 15 he
threshed out his yellow-eyed beans that had been
stored at Sam. STEVEN's, taking dinner with Cousin
Arthur's family who had moved to Portage again.  He
put in some time for Mr. MAGILL again, apparently on
the shore of the lake north of Oak Point.  Mar. 22,
he went to Ashland and worked three weeks for
Ferdinand.  Then back home.
   
April 10, 1917 he records as the roughest day of
winter, snowing and blowing all day and night.
Jobbing around town unitl May 28, he again went to
Moro and was working on a new log house for son
Arthur, whose buildings had been destroyed by fire
from lightening, a short time before.  They also
built a stable and began to peel pulp.  He made a
short trip to Ashland and Portage where he planted
potatoes, peas and beans for Ferdinand on his lot by
the camp, and then back to Moro.  Here he worked on
Arthur's farm and new buildings; also making sleds,
peavy stocks, pulp rack, etc.  Aug 5, which was
Sunday, Ferdinand and family came down in their new
Ford touring car, and again Sunday, Sept. 2. This
time they drove down to the old homestead in Lower
Crystal.  The next day he went back with Ferdinand
and to Portage and helped harvest the crop.  This
time he shipped his goods to Moro, and going back
himself, he continued work on the farm and building
a shop and then in the woods.  He reports a heavy
snow storm Oct. 11, breaking down trees and
telephone wires and other damage.  Nov. 13 to 23 he
was in Ashland helping build a stable-garage for
Ferdinand, returning to Moro on the 24th, where he
worked for Arthur through January, February and most
of March, 1918.