Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-10-21

which it belongs lifts its majestic head toward
the sun.
Outdoor demonstrations.
The festivities of the day commenced with
the firing of cannon, the parade Of citizens un
der the escort of the Wachusett Cornet Band
and other public manifestations of rejoicing
The streets and many of the buildings on the
hill were handsomely decorated under Ithe su
perintendence of Col. Beals of Boston The
Wachusett Hotel saluted visitors as they came
up the hill, with the motto over its portico
eve welcome you home" and the house itseli
was profusely ornamented. Across the com
mon were suspended the flags of all nations,
and the Union Congregational Church was
gaily decorated with the ColonePs most i'm
pressive combinations of colors. Over the
pulpit was placed the motto which told the
whole story of the celebration;
PRINCETON INCORPORATED
| Oct. 20, 1853,
and other appropriate memorial emblems and
notices were displayed throughout the town.
Exercises at the Church.
The procession was formed at IL o'clock, on
the common. Thirty of the sons of Princeton
acted as escort, accompanied by the Wachusett
Band. A delegation from Rutland, to whom
special invitation had been extended, joined in
the procession, marshaled by Gen. Howe, and
accompanied by the Rutland Band. The bois-
ferrous weather made it necessary to repair to
the church, REV Mr.. Briggs whittier the
procession was conducted, and where the chief
exercises were held. The officers of the day
were as follows
Presdent-Hon. CHARLES RUSSELL.
Vice Presidents-Hon. John Brooks, DR.. Alphon-
so Brooks, Israel Everett, Joseph Mason, Scion 5.
Hastings, Dea. Henry Boyles, Rufus Davis, C. 5
Mirck, Frederick Parker, Moses Garfield, Daniel
Davis, John G. Hobbs and Dr. Ward n Boylston
Toast-master-Joshua I. Everett.
Marshas-Wm. b. Goodnow, Chief; VIM. Fl.
Brown, Otis Wood Harlow Skinner, E. E. Hart
well, Geo f. Pratt Jonas Brown, John Brooks. Jr.,
Geo +. Folger, Charles I. Mirick, Addison Smith,
and A. j. Brooks.
Hon. Mr.. Russell introduced the exercises
with brief statement of the pleasant cir
cumstances under which they met. He re-
GREETED that they had not now the large and
spacious church built by their fathers more
than sixty years ago, but which had now pass
ed away. He craved the indulgence of the
large audience while they made the best use
of the accommodations which they had. Sue
cessively the band struck up a spirited air,
voluntary was sung by the choir, select por-
tons of Scripture were read by Rev. VIM. t.
Briggs, the divine blessing was invoked by
Rev, Humphrey Moore OF Milford, N. H., and
an original hymn was sung by the choir The
hymn written for the occasion by James w.
Nye of Princeton is given below =
Not as they met-lhose pioneers,
One hundred years ago to-day,
Meet we, close those many years,
They met brave but feeble band,
Where now number great we stand.
Here where the savage loved to roam,
Amid the dim old solitudes,
Hath education found homes
And echo these grand old woods
With music such science brings,
Where 'er she spreads her golden wings.
No longer dormant lay the fields
Stirred by the farmers cleavng pillow,
The pasture wild a harvest yields,
Rewardng well his sweaty brow;
And yearly doth the fruitful soilI
Repay him for his days of toll
And still with ever-watchfnl eve
Oar loved high priest "Wachusett' stands,
While fruitful wales around him lie,
Baptised in plenty his hands;
He waves his censor, and the gale
The fragrance beareth through the vale!
God of Creation bless us here,
As on this festal day Gomez
And take us Thy heavenly home,
When all our meetings here are Ter,
To worship Thee forevermore.
And when another hundred years
Have rolled upon their course sublime,
When all our earthly JOYS and fears,
Here NAV our chdren's children meet,
And joYfully this scene repeati
After the hymn had been sung, the orator of
the day was introduced, and delivered a
very interesting and eloquent address, occu
pying about an hour and half, of which the
following is full sketch
Address by Charles Theodore Russell.
One hundred years ago, to-day. the few and scat
tered jewellers about the base OF Wachusett received
from the Legislature and the royal governor the act
which gave them place and name among the mu-
nicipa corporations of Massachusetts. Here upon
the soil they settled, not far from the humble tavern
where they held their first town meeting, We their
children, meet on the Old and loved homestead, in
joyful cummemoration OF the birthday OF our town.
Gathering on this centennial morning, family
circle around the family fireside, thoughts ire
sistibly turn to family matters Here on thanks
giving day, seated it the settle by the dear
old chimney while the dinner is cooking cold
indeed should we be did not talk of family histo-
ry with minuteneSS even of remembrance and Incl
| dent. We come at mothers kindly call, with a
child's al heart to meet her, dearer by every wrin-
kle time sets upon her brow, in her home 1t is
but the impulse of her early instructions, the first
warm greeting over, that we should reverently bow
before Maker, at her knee aud, with the earnest
ness OF Childhood adopt its conSecrecrated words
Thank the goodness and the grace
That on our birth have smiled,
And in these Christian days
Made each free and happy child.
In our most public proceedings to-day are but
townsmen in town meeting assemble article in
our warrant but domestic business, and | should be
called TO order i'll spoke OF aught but early
history.
Standing where our fathers stood a hundred
years ago; removed from them by a century the
most stirring and marvellous i'll its history of any
since the Christian Era, we find our town sharing
earnestly and always i'll the general advance. In
the middle the eighteenth century the hostile war
whoop had ceased to be feared i'll ''the wilderness
country beyond the Nashua" and around the Wa
chusett Shoan no longer Kept his royal seat in sight
from the hill, between the Washacuns Lancaster
had risen from the ashes in which the Narragansett
war had laid it. Worcester sent out bodies of SOL
diers on the report that large numbers of Indians
lowered between it and Wachusett Mountain and
yet OF the first settler in Princeton, the grand
father had been killed, and the father captured by
these savages and tine daughter born late as 1883
recollects TO have gathered berries this very hill
with lille ofsoldiers for protection Men Younger
than many now address remembered the Indian
fight in Sterling and the last attacks in Lancaster
Looking from this eminence Oct. 20, 1859 the eve
rested upon wilderness tnged by the advancing
cold with the gorgeous foliage of New England al3
tumn-but unbroken in its whole extent save where
distant pond glittered in the sunlight or the
curling smoke revealed the settlers dwelling, or
some dark spot the smouldering fires of the pioneer
HubbardstOn, Sterling, Boylston, were not West
minister but twin born sister. No roads thread
ed these primeyal woods; and dweller found dwell
er by the bride path and the marked tree
Our fathers were in the midst of sharing actively
the first great contest for civil liberty on the CONT
nent. King and coloDist, cemented by common
interest, alike unconscious of the fact were LAYING
broad and deep the foundations of future freedom
Hardly more than century since France by military
posts and possession, had drawn narrowing circle
around the English colonies and in a magnificent
sweep claimed Jurisdiction from the Gulf of St. Law
renee to that OF Mexico. Amid the solitary gran
deur of the wilderness the rude cross marked her
fai he de lis ed her col