| Charlie Marble remembered Ed Bailey (Ben Shaub, taped interview, 1958): "Mr. Bailey was first and foremost [as an expert on Maine minerals]. He usually had two or three pieces tucked away to show the professors. [They'd say] "I'll have to take that back from the college and analyze it and tell you what it is." Bailey used to say Nate Perry was the best man that ever was. ... When I knew [Bailey] he was a very educated man. They do tell the story that there was a Botany professor went with him and [who] was very careful with his language, but made a slip and called a plant by its botanical Latin name and Mr. Bailey came back at him and he could "shoot" the Latin names as well as the professor could. Awful nice fellow. He helped a lot of people." Edmund Bailey was also a historian. Ring (1938) cataloged Bailey's historical manuscripts in his private library: "Miscellaneous collection consisting of centennial address by Henry B. Poor, 1900, giving history of town from time of its incorporation; manuscript by Mr. Bailey giving history of the first church, 1800, and its first pastor John Strickland, 1741-1823, taken from old records; copy of the Oxford Democrat, February 11, 1913, giving account of the massacre of the whites by the Indians at Snow's Falls in 1755; manuscript by Mr. Bailey of story of Metalluk, famous Indian of Pequaket tribe, taken from data furnished by Mark Tapley, 1887; manuscript by Mr. Bailey of story of Mollocket, Indian woman who prophesied the future fame of Hannibal Hamlin, furnished from data by Sylvanus Poor; manuscript by Mr. Bailey of story of first white settler in Andover, Ezekiel Merrill, 1747-1830, who came to Andover in 1789. ... Poor, Sylvanus, of Andover, 1805-1891 Manuscript history of all families in Andover, 1845. Records of many of these families go back as far as 1758 when the earlier branches lived in Andover, Massachusetts." The whereabouts of these documents is unknown and they are presumed to be lost. Bailey wrote a great deal of poetry, one in manuscript on George Howe's stationary, has been reproduced in newspapers (NHS): Only by Edmund M. Bailey (1932) Only a boulder, rough of edge, Somewhere torn from its parent ledge, Yet that rock in its heart may hold Precious grains of the purest gold. Only a pebble, water worn. Only a pebble, water borne. Only pebbles, many of them. Only a pebble, perhaps a gem. Only a rock, from the quarry brought Down to the place where a Sculptor wrought, Only a rock, no trace of wings, Yet from that stone an angel springs. Under our feet, yet unrevealed, Worth and beauty oft lay concealed, Until some searcher with seeing eye Finds the treasure that we passed by. (First published by Alice Frost Lord, in "Norway has More Gem Craftsmen and Silversmiths than Most Maine Towns", LJIM, ~1933). |
| Ed Bailey - page four |
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