Old Chipman is dying and although Tom is only an aged horse many here in Mechanic Falls inquire each day as to his condition for of all the horses in the town, Tom is the best known. Everyone here has ridden by the ol horse. When he was a colt and that was over twenty years ago, his owner, Melvin Chipman, used to let him out and many are the married couples in town today who first made love while being carried along the country roads back of Old Tom. Then, too, Tom has been let out to haul woods, to assist at haying time and to do a hundred and one things. When anyone wanted to hire a horse, it was Tom which was usually called for, and since he has been so ill for the past few days, on several occasions the neighbors have arisen in the middle of the night to go over and work the animal. Everything that can be done to save the faithful heart’s life is being tried.

50 Years Ago, 1956

Hebron Academy will celebrate, Tuesday, the 250th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin, whose likeness has appeared on the school seal for 151 years. A special program will be held by the students, and an extensive collection of Franklin material will go on display in Sturdevant House.

President Eisenhower presented Congress a $35,457,000,000 Pentagon spending budget patterned to what he called the “increasing availability of new weapons of unprecedented strategic and tactical importance.” And, said the President, outlays for “conventional weapons” will decrease.

25 Years Ago, 1981

President Jimmy Carter gave his farewell address to the nation while under the same dark shadow which haunted the last 14 months of his administration: The holding of 52 American hostages by Iran. The farewell message included a pledge to support the new President, Ronald Reagan, “to the very limits of conscience and conviction.” There was no explanation of what that means.