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Beacon

November 7, 1895

Denies He Was Dead
One Hundred Years of Age and Still Able to Hustle About
A rumor somehow got into circulation on Monday that Andrew Sampson, St. Andrews’ “oldest inhabitant,” was dead. But Dame Rumor for once was wrong, for, when the Beacon paid a visit to Mr. Sampson’s domicile, he found the old gentleman, shovel in hand, busy “banking” his house so as to protect it from the wintry blasts. He was told of the report of his death and in very vigorous language denied it. There was nothing for the reporter to do but believe it. The old man supposed the report had arisen because he had not been out of his home for two days.
            “But,” said he, “there was no reason why I should get up. The snow was on the ground, I had plenty to eat in the house, and so I laid in bed.”
            Asked how old he was, Mr. Sampson promptly replied, “About a hundred.”
            “And how do you know that?” queried the interviewer.
            “How do I know that? Well, I was born in Ireland about the time of the Rebellion, and that was in 1798. You can figure it out for yourself.”
            “It is not true then that you remember an incident of the Rebellion?”
            “What queer questions people ask! How in —— would I know anything about the Rebellion when I was only born that year!”
            (Mr. Sampson stated some years ago that he was able to walk around holding his mother’s hand when the Irish Rebellion broke out, and that he remembered seeing a fight between the two factions. If that statement was true, then he must have passed the hundred mark two or three years ago.)
            Continuing his queries, the Beacon reporter learned that in 1816, Mr. Sampson immigrated to this country from Minnemore, in the North of Ireland, “where you can place your foot on three Counties.” He spent a short period in Saint John, also at Vanceboro, and in Upper Canada, and then drifted to St. Andrews. Almost everybody is dead who was alive when he came here. He said that there were good docks in St. Andrews at that time, but there were very few roads out into the country. Where the “commons lands” now are was a dense forest and he well remembers a law suit which arose between two men respecting ship timber cut on the “commons.”
            Mr. Sampson does not go behind the bush to tell people what his politics are. He is one of the grittiest of Grits. He opposed confederation tooth and nail and still thinks it was a great mistake. The old man has been living alone since the death of his partner a few years go. She was well on to 100 years before the summons came.

Beacon

January 26, 1896

Mr. Sampson
One night last week, Andrew Sampson, centenarian, having occasion to go out of doors, stumbled over an obstruction in his doorway, and injured his arm so badly as to render him absolutely helpless. He has hitherto been able to look after his own wants, but this accident has deprived him of the ability to even dress himself, and he has been compelled to leave his home, where he hoped to spend the evening of his life.

Beacon
Feb 17/1898
The mineral spring on the Sampson property, which has recently been acquired by Boston parties, will likely be developed next summer.

Beacon
June 30/1898

The mineral water on the Sampson property, near the Algonquin, has had a granite coping built around it, and it is probably that the guests of the hotel will be able this season to quaff the life-giving fluid from this spring.

Beacon
March 16/1899

A year or two ago, Mr. Gardiner with Mr. D. B. Claffin, of Boston, acquired the Sampson property, near the Algonquin Hotel. On this land there is a natural spring, the waters of which are said to possess valuable medicinal properties. It was the intention of Mr. Gardiner to make this spring one of the attractions of the place. The first steps toward that end were taken last year, when the wall was stoned up with granite. It was intended that this season further improvements should be made.

St. Croix Courier
March 30/1933
Do You Recall these Names in St. Andrews?
Memories of Person and Events Familiar to Shiretown Residents 75 Years Ago Revived
. . .

Our next was "Andy Sampson," an old man in those years, who did a little farming on a portion of land located on the left of the road to the present cemetery, and who placed great confidence in his "priceless" mare, she who balked whenever it suited her. On each occasion he would threaten her destruction by aid of a pitchfork.

St. Croix Courier
February 18, 1943
Shiretown Items
Recollections
Here is one for the old-timers. A reader has sent me a list of truckmen who flourished here about sixty years ago. Jim Scallion, Sandy Donald, Tommy Storr, Brad Boone, John Brownrigg, Mick Cummings, Jim Cummings, Mick Holden, Andy Sampson, Dan Thompson, Jim Powers, George Swift, Arthur Dolby, Howard Chase, herb  Ross, Jim  Ross, ? Maher, John Donaghue, Alexander Bell. They all had dump carts and hauled coal direct from vessels to the householders. I can recall most of these men though quite a few were before my time of moving to St. Andrews, 1889. It was a common sight to see a dozen truck wagons parked on the square or along the street in the centre of the town waiting for a chance job. Now it is almost impossible to find a man to haul your ashes away. Another old timer has told me an interesting fact about those trucking days. Mick Holden, mentioned in the foregoing list, but whose name was really Michael Howland, was an exceptionally fine fiddler and many a fine morning he would bring along his fiddle and sit on his truck opposite O'Neill's market and play for the entertainment of the other truckmen and possible passers-by. I never knew the father but the boys, even before they left St. Andrews were fine musicians. After being away from St. Andrews for many years, they were all here together, having brought their mother home for burial. Even that is a long time ago. I dropped into Joe Handy's barber shop one morning and they were all there. Joe asked them to sing some of the old songs, and although I can recall paying as much as two dollars and a half for admission to a musical show, I never heard anything that appealed to me so much as this simple sing-song by those Howland boys. Miles fell heir to his father's violin and was a good player before leaving St. Andrews. Willie toured the States for a year or two singing with a light opera company, I think in the "Red Mill." Those boys names were Charlie, (Pat), Dick, Harryy, Miles and Willie. Some of them I believe are now dead.