Cumberland County, Maine - Joseph N. Martin
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Biography
Joseph N. Martin
Biographical Review
Cumberland County, Maine
Boston
Biographical Review Publishing Company
1896
Page 476-481


Joseph N. Martin, locomotive foreman at the Portland station of the Grand Trunk
Railway, whose portrait is herewith presented, was born at Falmouth, N. S.,
March 8,1828, his parents being Joseph and Abigail (Davidson) Martin. The father
was an old and respected farmer of Falmouth and a valuable town official,
serving as Street Commissioner for many years, besides holding other offices. He
possessed good musical ability, for thirty years being the leader of the choir
of the Baptist church, to which he belonged. He reared a family of seven
children, namely: Harris D. and Jacob N., both of Falmouth, N.S., Eliza, who
died when twenty-one years old; Maria, deceased; Joseph N.; Gideon D., of
Halifax, N. S.; and Theresa, wife of Stilson Hutchins, formerly of Dubuque, Ia.,
but now of New Hampshire, one of the prominent Democrats of that State.

Joseph N.Martin was bred and educated in his native town, remaining there until
after he. had become proficient in the blacksmith's trade, coming here when
about twenty years of age, just prior to the death of his parents. Mr. Martin
worked for the first two years in the machine shop of Freeman & Gould, being
afterward employed for a year in a shipyard. In 1854 he began working for the
Grand Trunk Railway Company, during the first three months as a common hand in
the shop, and the remainder of the year as fireman on a locomotive, subsequently
becoming engineer on a gravel train under Captain Everett, an old and well-known
conductor of the road, running this engine four months. He was then given charge
of a freight engine, which he ran for a number of years, being then promoted to
the position of passenger train engineer, for seven years running to Paris and
return, and from Portland to Gorham and return. He was next placed in charge of
the repair shops in this city under Jonas Hamilton, who was locomotive foreman;
but, when the main shops were removed to Gorham, he began running on the road
again.

In 1870, on the resignation of Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Martin succeeded to his
position, which is particularly responsible. He has entire charge of all the
locomotives, locomotive repairs, the firemen and engineers,and the shop water-
works, besides which he receives and distributes all of the coal for the one
hundred and fifty miles of the road under his charge, this including the main
line from Portland to Paris, the Lewiston branch, and the Norway branch. It is
also his especial duty to look after the wrecking crew, and attend to the
clearing of the road from all obstructions. Some forty of the sixty-five men
under his charge are located in this city. He is one of the oldest men in point
of service on this part of the Grand Trunk Railroad, and is held in high regard
by both his employers and his employees.

Mr. Martin married Miss Anna D. Whitmore, a daughter of Joseph Whitmore. Her
father was born in Salem, Mass., and lived there until after the birth of his
children, when he removed to Portland, where he has been engaged as a clerk in
the Post-office for many years. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Martin is at 15 Fort
Allen Park, a most desirable location, commanding an extensive view of the
beautiful bay.

Mr. Martin has found very little time to devote to politics, but is a Mason and
an Odd Fellow, belonging to Atlantic Lodge, A. F. A. M., No. 81; to Beacon
Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and to the Eastern Star Encampment of
this city. He is likewise a charter member of the Crumple Duck Shooting Club,
and no pastime affords him greater pleasure than its yearly excursions. This
club held its first duck shoot at Jonesport, Me., in 1876, with headquarters on
Great Wass Island, where, in May of that year, they erected a small shanty near
the mouth of Wilmouth Cove at the south end of the island, which served as their
camp for two years.

In the winter of 1878 two of the club members, J. N. Martin and A. B. Moulton,
of Portland, purchased Crumple Island, containing thirty-one acres, more or
less, from the widow Kelly, of Jonesport. In the spring of that year the Crumple
Club, with the following charter members, Warren Noyes, of Gorham, N. H., C. M.
Wormwell, of Bethel, Me., Fred W. Noyes, of Gorham, N. H., G. C. Cobb, W. W.
Thomas, Jr., John Dennis, A. B. Moulton, and J. N. Martin, of Portland, was
formally organized. They soon erected a fine club-house, eighteen by thirty-six
feet, and one and one-half stories in height, with a cook-room, fourteen by
fourteen, attached to the north end. It will accommodate twenty men, and is
furnished with stoves and all necessary equipments for comfort and convenience.
This is truly the best ducking locality in the State of Maine. Six men, shooting
six days, not over five hours per day, have bagged four hundred and seventy-five
birds.

During the second week in the month of May, 1879, after the life-saving service
crew had been dismissed, and the Crumple Club were on their annual ducking
excursion at Crumple Island, they had two very exciting and dangerous
adventures. About nine o'clock on the morning of May 9, after having come in
from gunning and eaten breakfast, J. N. Martin, one of the club members, was
looking through his field-glass, when he discovered a man standing on Egg Rock,
which lies due east a mile and a half from the Crumple. The day previous there
had been a heavy storm of wind and rain from the southeast, and the sea was
still running very high. Mr. Martin spoke to Captain Church, and asked him if a
boat could land on Egg Rock, to which he received a negative reply. He then told
the Captain of his discovery. The latter felt that there must be some mistake;
but, on taking the glass himself, he saw three men, and upon looking again saw a
fourth. Mr. Martin then took the glass from him, and saw, not only the four men,
but a smoke rising from their fire; and, turned toward the south-east end of the
rock, the glass revealed the stubs of two masts sticking up through the water.
They immediately came to the conclusion that it was a shipwrecked crew.

There were at the time a number of guests at the club-house, and, a consultation
being held, it was decided to get into their boats and pull for Browney's
Island, two miles or more to the north-west, where the life-saving station and
buildings were located at that time. Breaking the locks, they took out the life-
boat with all the equipments, and manned it with a crew determined to rescue
those men or die in the attempt. They pulled to the west end of Egg Rock, and,
watching for a favorable opportunity, drove the life-boat on to the beach. The
men jumped out into the water and seized the life-boat, and with the next wave
she was borne up on to the beach out of harm's way. When this had been
accomplished and greetings exchanged, they learned that the schooner "Zina,"
Captain Bradbury, with a full cargo of groceries from Boston for Machias, had
run on to the southeast end of Egg Rock in the fog, and at the second crash the
sea had swept over her, carrying the cook and galley overboard. The body of the
cook was found three months later on an island near by. The other four men, who
made up the ship's company, managed to get up on the rock. After Captain
Bradbury and the other three men had been got into the lifeboat, their rescuers
started for the club-house on Crumple Island, where they arrived in safety; and
the rescued men were soon enjoying a hearty meal served with plenty of the
club's delicious coffee, steaming hot, and in a short time had recovered from
the effects of their exposure. Some of the crew were in bed when the schooner
struck, and consequently were minus much of their clothing, boots, shoes, and
hats; but their necessary wants were promptly supplied by the club members, and
the following day the crew were sent in a fishing-smack to Jonesport, whence
they were conveyed to Machias by stage.

The day following, the club and their guests were out early on the gunning
grounds; but the wind continued to blow from the south-east, a dense fog still
prevailed, and there was a heavy sea running. About nine o'clock, the ducks
having let up on flying out, the party returned to the club-house, and while
eating their breakfast the discharge of two guns was heard. One of their number
suggested that some of the fishermen were gunning at Sile Rocks, but Captain
Church thought that the guns sounded near by. After breakfast the fog lifted a
little, and through the mist two topmasts were seen outside of the Crumple in a
south-westerly direction, and about a half-mile from the club-house, very near
duck ledges. Captain Church and Darius Norton asked the loan of Mr. Martin's
boat, which was promptly granted; and, jumping in, each with a pair of oars,
they pulled out between the Crumple and Great Wass Island, more commonly called
the Flying Place or Pond Gut, and around the Crumple, where they found the
schooner "Mary B. Harris," Captain Crowley, commander, at anchor with her stern
within seventy-five feet of the western duck rocks. There were ten men and one
lady on board the schooner, which hailed from Indian River, and was bound for
Jonesport. Owing to the very heavy sea that was running at the time, the chain
cable was liable to give way at any moment, and in such an event not one of the
eleven persons on board could have been saved. Another rush was made for
Browney's Island, the life-boat again taken out, fully equipped and manned, and
pushed to the rescue. Fortunately the chain held the schooner in her perilous
position nobly. All the while the sea was running at a fearful height; but the
eleven were lowered into the life-boat one by one by means of a bowline from the
schooner, the charts and valuables taken off, and all landed safely in the cove
on Crumple Island. The lady bore up through the whole proceedings with wonderful
courage and fortitude, never speaking or murmuring from the time she was taken
out until she was landed in a chair near a good hot stove; and then she fainted
dead away, but by the application of camphor and a little cold water she was
soon restored. The first words spoken by her were, "Thank God we are saved, and
I hope and pray that God will be as merciful to all you rescuers as you have
been merciful to us; and I hope God will bless each- and all of you." She was
soon taken with a part of the crew of the "Mary B. Harris" to Jonesport. Since
returning the life-boat to Browney's Island after this second exciting
adventure, the club have not been called upon to act as life-savers. The crew
that performed this service, according to the memory of Mr. Martin, were Captain
A. G. Church, Captain Sam Crowley, D. Norton, A. B. Moulton, G. C. Cobb, J. N.
Martin, and two other men whose names he does not recall.

An account of their heroic deed reached Captain Merriman, chief of the life-
saving service at Washington; and a letter was shortly received asking the
Crumple Club to render a bill for board 'and services. Mr. Martin immediately
wrote in reply that the club had no bill to present, feeling that they had clone
nothing more than their duty in saving life when it was in their power so to do,
to which he asked the suggestion that the life-saving station should be on
Crumple Island. Two weeks later the club received a second letter from Captain
Merriman, asking when he could meet the Crumple Club on the island to arrange
for a site on Crumple Island for the location of a life-saving station. On May
8, 1879, the day appointed, the chief and his aids were prompt on time. One
little circumstance took place which caused considerable surprise on the part of
the life-saving people. Crumple Club had prepared a three-course dinner of wild
fowl, the first being loon steak. "Loon steak, did you say, Martin? " repeated
Captain Merriman. "Yes, Captain," replied Mr. Martin. "My dear sir," returned
the Captain, "loons are considered worthless in the way of food. I have followed
the sea for years, and this is the first time I have ever seen loon steak on the
bill of fare." "Captain, try a small piece," said Mr. Martin, "and then give us
your judgment on loon steak." He took two good-sized pieces; and his verdict was
that it was very good, indeed, adding, "We are never too old to learn." Later he
said, "I have thoroughly enjoyed this wild fowl dinner at your club-house on
Crumple Island, and shall in future blow for loon steak."

After their meal was over, they proceeded to locate the spot for the life-saving
station, the Hon. W. W. Thomas, Jr., who was a member of the club, acting as
attorney for the club. Early in June a deed was forwarded to the government, and
a check returned to the club for the amount agreed upon. The signal and lookout
station was soon placed on Red Head, which is the turning-point into the Bay of
Fundy, at the extreme south end of Crumple Island, and is one hundred feet above
the level of high-water mark, commanding a clear view east and west of from
forty to sixty miles, taking in Mooseyback Harbor, the Seal Island Lights, and
Grand Manan to the east, and Petit Manan and Baker's Island Light to the west.
There has been talk of the government purchasing the island, and the club are
willing to dispose of it at a reasonable price.