THE PORTLAND TRANSCRIPT, January 28, 1871

                                                MATTERS IN MAINE

         
          The report of the Investigating Committee traces the history of the  "Paper
     Credit" frauds back to their source, which they find out of their jurisdiction, in
     the office of the Provost Marshal General of the United States.  General Frye
     is directly charged with having allowed certain lists of names presented to him
     by substitute brokers of the state, which he must have known to  be fraudulent,
     to pass unchallenged. One or two witnesses, not however, entirely reliable,
     being parties deeply implicated in the fraud, swear that General Frye received
     from them a direct bribe for passing their lists-a check for $3000 having been
     sent him by Delancy, if that worthy and his partner, Mr. Yates, may be credited.
     A good deal of  "small game" has been hunted down by the commission-hardly
     "worth the candle," The only personage of political prominence in the state, who
      is handled with much severity is Honorable A. B. Farwell, of Augusta. His sworn
     statements, made at various time, are compared with each other, with very
     damaging effect. The Commission find a great deal of difficulty in getting
     information from the Adjutants General's office, as also from the office of the
     Provost Marshal General at Washington. Import documents seem to have been
     "mislaid" or destroyed without the usual regard for the sacredness of red-tape. It
     is calculated that town paid to private persons for names from their list, at least
     half a million dollars.
          "T. H. T.," our Franklin Plantation correspondent, writes that in July 1844,
     Thomas Thornton, of that plantation, walked from Oak Hill, Scarboro, to Portland,
     thence by old stage road by way of Gray, Livermore, Canton, and Dixfield, to
     Rumford Falls, a distance of 82 miles in one day, between sunrise and sunset.
     A very remarkable day's walk, indeed. Mr. Thornton is now in his 103rd year,
     and is hale and hearty.
          The Maine State Agricultural Society met at Augusta last week. Honorable
     Samuel Wasson, of Ellsworth, was elected President. On account of the loss
     occasioned by the accident at the last fair, only fifty per cent of the premiums
     have been paid. The Legislature will be asked to make up the full amount.
     Bangor wants the next fair held in that city, a committee will confer with parties
     interested there.
          A correspondent writes in regard to the case of Mr. Norton, of New Portland,
     tarred and feathered by his neighbors in 1866, that it was not on account of
     disloyalty, as we intimated in a recent paragraph, but he was mobbed for the
      purpose of robbery. The finding of the jury indicated that they did not consider
      it a case of robbery, whatever else it might have been.