COUNTERFEITING SCANDAL

 THERE WAS AN INCIDENCE OF COUNTERFEITING ON SWIFT RIVER IN 1830.
 
A MAN CALLED GENERAL ALVAN BOLSTER, FROM PARIS, WITH THREE MEN FROM HALLOWELL, CAME TO RUMFORD, CALLED IN AT THE HOME OF RUFUS VIRGIN AT RUMFORD FALLS FOR HIS ASSISTANCE.  IT WAS EARLY IN THE MORNING AND VIRGIN WAS NOT READY TO LEAVE JUST THEN, BUT PROMISED TO FOLLOW THEM UP SWIFT RIVER AS SOON AS HE COULD. HE CAUGHT UP WITH THEM LATER IN THE MORNING AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT THEY HAD ARRESTED A MAN IN CHESTERVILLE THAT WAS PASSING COUNTERFEIT COINS AND HE HAD REVEALED WHERE IT WAS BEING MADE. THE MEN HUNTED ALL DAY.  NO SUCCESS, AND ADDITIONAL MEN AIDED IN THE SEARCH.  THEY TRIED EVERY TRAIL AND ROUTE AND STREAM AND, AT LAST, THEY FOUND THE SPOT.  THE COUNTERFEITERS WERE GONE, BUT THEY HAD LEFT ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO PROVE WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED THERE.

SEVERAL MEN IN TOWN WERE ARRESTED AND BROUGHT BEFORE BOLSTER.  THEY WERE PLACED UNDER BOND.  THEY NEVER APPEARED SO THE BONDSMEN CAME FORWARD AND SETTLED THE DEBTS.  IT WAS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT SOME OF THE MORE PROMINENT LEADERS WERE INVOLVED BECAUSE THERE WERE NO PROSECUTIONS AND ALL WAS SOON FORGOTTEN.

THERE WERE MANY TALES TOLD OF THE 'NIGHT RIDERS' ON SWIFT RIVER IN THOSE DAYS.

AT THIS TIME MEXICO WAS A FARMING COUNTRY.  CATTLE FARMS WERE HERE TOO AND THE BEST CROPS WERE THE 'SUGAR CROPS' AND GRAINS.  CIDER APPLES WERE IN THE MAJORITY WITH VERY FEW GOOD 'EATING' APPLES.

THERE WERE MANY VARIED INDUSTRIES, ALTHOUGH, THESE WERE USUALLY A ONE MAN BUSINESS, SUCH, AS TRADERS, HOTEL-KEEPERS, CARRIAGE MAKERS, CORDWAINERS, CHAIRMAKERS, POTASH MAKERS, AXEMAKERS, FARMERS, MERCHANTS, LUMBERMEN, BAILMAKERS, COOPERS, OXEN DRIVERS, CATTLE DEALERS, COACH DRIVERS,  TAVERN-KEEPERS, BOXMAKERS, SURVEYORS, CABINET WORKERS, CARPENTERS, BLACKSMITHS AND MILL WORKERS.