638
RIDLONS OF HOLLIS, MAINE.
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time to burn the logs and planted his corn between them on the newly
burnt ground; from this plantation he sold one hundred and sixty bushels
of nice corn at fifty cents per bushel toward paying for his land. After
his brother Samuel married and moved from home, Matthias returned to
Hollis, purchased eight acres of the Field farm, -land now owned by
Hobson, where the old juniper-tree stands, and lived in his father's
house. In 1838, he sold his property in Hollis, and moved upon a tract
of new land in Sweden, Oxford County, where he established a perma-
nent home, and continued the remainder of his days. He lived in a part
of Robert Morrison's house while clearing his land and building his log-
cabin; but in the month of April, when his daughter Sabra was but a
few weeks old, the river-drivers came to Morrison's to board, and he was
compelled to move into his unfinished house, which had neither floor nor
roof. He immediately hauled boards and covered a piece of the roof over
his bed, and to keep out the rain, shingled it with birch bark. He built
a stone chimney, chinked the walls with moss, plastered up the inter-
stices between the logs, laid a rough board-floor, and lived in the warmest
house he ever owned. He subsequently erected a good frame and clap-
boarded house, and suitable out-buildings for a large farm. The home-
stead of Mr. Ridlon was situated on a high hill, overlooking several ponds,
and commanded a wide prospect of the country round about, a rugged,
mountainous, and romantic section. The soil was strong and sustained a
heavy growth of hard-wood timber, especially of oak, which during later
years has nearly all been manufactured into hogshead-staves, and shipped
to the West Indies. The farm of Matthias was good and abundantly
productive, but hard to work, and so broken that his corn-harvest was
drawn to the barn on a wood-sled instead of a wheel-cart. Mr. Ridlon was
not as large as his brothers, but built like them. His complexion was
light, his eyes small and bright, and shaded by long, outstanding brows.
His features were very coarse, a good type of the Shetlanders from
whom he was descended, and his face florid. He was not as bald as his
brothers in early life. His hair in later years was snow-white, and worn
long in winter. In temperament he was like his father's family, quick,
impulsive, and determined. His voice was rather harsh and sharp. He
had a superabundant courage, and persisted in driving young, rampant
horses when old; by these he was several times thrown from his carriage
and slightly injured, but he was never afraid to try again; he frequently
made journeys of a hundred miles with his "colts," as he called them,
when an old, decrepit man, and greatly against the entreaties of his family.
When more than eighty years of age, he purchased a horse which proved
to be unsound, returned him to the original owners, and commenced legal
action to recover his money. The case was tried at Portland. The old
man, with his long, white hair, bowed with years, excited great interest in
court, and public opinion was strong in his favor; but when he took the
witness-stand, holding his memorandum in his bony hand, and with
strong, clear voice, described the bargain with the circumstances; when,
under a wearing cross-examination, he patiently endured, but still main-
tained his original testimony; and when, as his examiner intimated that
he had misrepresented the statement, he stopped short, straightened himself
in the witness-box, and with quivering lip and fire flashing from his eyes
demanded of the lawyer as follows: "Sir, you have known me for more
than forty years; do you call me a dishonest man?" and while the people
in the crowded room were hushed to stillness, waiting in suspense for the
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