DEAR SUN SPOTS: On Route 2 in the Jefferson, N.H., area, a mile or two before you reach Six Gun City, there is a stone tower. Can you please find out what it is, and what was its purpose? — Just Wondering, No Town

ANSWER: According to firelookout.org, “Built around 1897 it is reported to have been used by the Carter family to monitor fires along the railroad track, which the family then beat out with brooms before they could spread.”

Sun Spots found a few more details on the Cow Hampshire history blog (http://tinyurl.com/nbpllvg), which offered this:

“James Richard Carter, a paper company magnate, had constructed an estate called The Hummocks in Jackson, N.H., on an abandoned farm formerly owned by the Clapp family. He was familiar with the area, having his friend, E.A. Crawford, living nearby.

“After building his home, extensive gardens and a tennis court, he decided to build a rock tower. One source states that Mr. Carter himself nicknamed the tower, ‘Carter’s Tower of Foolishness.’

“This building included a series of inside stairs to the top of the tower, where a panoramic view of the surrounding country could be seen. A second source states it had a practical application — being built to monitor fires along the railroad track ‘which the family would then beat out with brooms before they could spread.’ This story is possible, as the trains at the time would have been coal-fired and were known to cause fires along the tracks as the result of flying embers.”

Sun Spots found a lot of photos of the tower online, but no indication of its current ownership or use, if any.

DEAR SUN SPOTS, This fall we had an abundance of winter pears. I have been looking for a recipe to make pear freezer jam, but only found one and that called for cooking the pears first and using a vanilla bean. It came out OK, but I would be interested in other recipes to try. Thanks! — Mary, South Paris

ANSWER: Sun Spots, who is rather a rookie at food preservation, despite watching her mother and grandmother make jelly and can, has had some luck with advice from pickyourown.org. At that site, they offer several different pear recipes in addition to jam and jelly. Check out www.pickyourown.org/pearjamandjelly.htm

DEAR SUN SPOTS: In response to the request for the fire story (Dec. 13), the article appears in the May 6, 1974, Lewiston Evening Journal, page 24. I simply googled 224 Old Greene Road, Lewiston and up came a reference to the article.

Ms. Montoya can go to the Lewiston Public Library and have them get the microfilm for that date and the article can be printed from the machine for a small cost.— Marti Chabot, receptionist@lcwlaw.com

ANSWER: Sun Spots also googled but didn’t find the story. Goes to show you how small differences in what is entered in the search box can change the results, as well as revealing Sun Spots’ imperfections.

Unfortunately, Ms. Montoya is out of state, so a visit to the library is out of the question. However, perhaps she has a friend or family who will go instead.

Or perhaps someone at the library can help. The contact information is http://lplonline.org/, 207-513-3004, 200 Lisbon St., Lewiston, ME 04240.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: For the person looking for someone to reproduce a sweater (Dec 13), could you have him email me? I have questions. Thank you. —idontknow63@hotmail.com

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