The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-08-07

AN EXCITING BAPTIsMAL SCENE. Last Sab ,
bath great multitude attended baptismal |
service in Jacks son, some ten miles above North |
Conway, the occasion being one of rare local |
interest by reason of the large number If can
didates, and because of the very te oppoitun
tiles to attend public exercises of any kind, ia
that remote region. Amoug the people gath
cred were representatives from all the boarding
houses at Conway, and temporary sojourneTs
around the mountains. The place selected was
a swift portion of the well known moul TIN
stream that runs along by the Glen House
road. The bottom was a bed of little pebble
stones and the current was very swift, beng
swollen by the rain of the day and night be-
| fore. The officiating minister took first man
| considerably heavier than himself, nd waded
| into the stream till tue water was about waist
| deep, with back to the current. Upon ATTIC mpt-
| ing, however, TO drop the candidate b edward
ab0 raise him again after immersion, the min
| lister was thrown from his balabce, and both
fioated aud tumbled over each Other before
| they could IT gain lhier footing, while the tx
| element Of the multitude was very MAJ ktd -
| The Ext candidate was a woman, ard despite
| the clergy care, his feet gave way upon
the treacherous pebbles OF the bottom, and at
the critical moment the candidate partly swung
him round and both rolled over and over, the
woman trying to clutch the bottom, while her
| clothes were upDorne Oy the water, and both
were carried some thirty feet down the stream
before they were rescued The excitement ha |
now become intense Men shouted ar d women
| screamed, while the minister, it would seem,
half crazed by the unexpected sousing and
| the general discOmfiture of the occasion. Wad-
| ed alone into the stream and began to explain
the cause OF the misnaps in a most absurd ha-
rangue. This part of the spectacle, .aree pOr-
| lion OF the audience not deemipg very dignt-
fled, was received with various demonstrations.
The candidates yet to undergo the ordeal stood
amazed and shivering ON the brink, the imme-
date friends and adherents were in the sorest
, shame and distress, while the strangers look ed
upon the scene with all the varied feelings Of
which such multitude is capable, and it mus
be confessed that not large share expressed
their sense of disapprobation of the exhibition
After the minister had finished his strange ad
dress, declarngg that he told 'em we ortel
gone over there to the other place" and thai
no man could stand up on such bottom, he
was shouted to to come ashore, and though
still gesticulatipg he was forced to forego any
| more attempts to perform the ceremony, apG
, | fiualy announced in loud shout that he hai
'got to give it up" At this junctnre, two o.
three stout and bold brethren, with the minis
| ter, took the remaining candidates one by one
, | aud by force of their combined efforts complet
ed the work, bringing each one safely to rh'
promised shore. 1t was a remarkable specta
Gle, one from which all delicacy and dignit,
| and propriety seemed to have Eeen divorced
and upon which all of the more refined ant
cultivated portion of the assemblage looked
with mingled sense of sorrow and disgust
Sunday Star