the steps of the grand entrance, reading a copy of the Bangor "Daily Whig and Courier" that had just come by mail that day. News from home, he declared, had more charm for him than all the old masters. I have heard him tell with glee the follow ing incident that took place in a country tavern in Unity, when on his way from Ban gor to Augusta to be inaugurated as gov ernor. The stage stopped atUnityfordinner, and when about to start again he called to the landlord from the stage for a cigar. Now the landlord was noted for his kindness and attention to his guests; so he went into the office and having selected the best cigar he had, proceeded to light it himself for his distinguished guest, to whom he handed it from his lips thus prepared for use. The governor was amused, declined the prof fered honor and good-naturedly said : " Land lord, before I was elected, I could, perhaps, stand that; but now that I am elected, it's too democratic." Of all the incidents in his life relating to his friends and his loyalty to them his re mark at the dinner table at Portland one day is the most pleasing. It was during a politi cal discussion relating to the influences that govern men in their actions. A gentleman who was then a man of great power and high in influence in the opposite party said : "Any man or politician might be bought." He instantly replied that there was a man in Bangor that could not be bought, and that his name was Allen Gilman. No fur ther conversation in that line ensued, as it was known that the offer of a high office had been tendered to Gilman, with the expecta tion he would accept it, coming from the gentleman who had made the remark. There are many anecdotes of Judge Kent illustrative of his wit as a lawyer, and his humor as a story teller. It was perhaps humor rather than wit that he indulged in himself and appreciated the most in others. I have often heard him relate his experi ences and tell his stories; but I never heard
him tell one that could not be repeated in the presence of children and women. On one occasion a counselor appealed to the Judge in regard to a difference between him and the clerk in the casting of interest, and he "wanted it right." "Wherein do you disagree? " asked the
Judge. " " " "
He makes it less than I make it." What is the difference?" Six cents, your Honor." Here is the difference. The Court can be better employed than going over that long account for six cents," and the Judge handed him the money. "I don't want the money," said the coun selor; " I want it right." "Oh, that makes it right," said the Judge, and then turned his attention to other bus iness. He possessed much literary taste, and contributed to the " Knickerbocker Maga zine " and other periodicals besides writing political leaders in his early days. In 1848, several benevolent ladies of Ban gor conceived the projeet ofpublishinga book, "The Voices of the Kenduskeag," contain ing original contributions from Bangor writ ers, for the benefit of an orphan asylum. Judge Kent furnished a humorous paper, entitled " A Vision of Bangor in the Twenti eth Century," from which the following extract is a specimen of the Judge's fancy and humor. The paper presented a colloquy between an old man of 1848 and a young man of 1978. "In an adjoining building was the tele graph office. I looked and saw that instead of wires they had, near the ground, rails of a small size. I asked why this change? and was told they sent passengers on them, driv en by electricity, to Boston in four minutes. ' But how can the human system stand such velocity?' 'Oh, we stun 'em,' the fellow said, ' with the Letheon, and then tie them in boxes on little wheels, and they go safely and come out bright.' ' There are rival
