The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-05-22
lReported for the PRKss.l
THE WINTHROP CENTENNIAL.


IReported for the PRKssl
THE WINTHROP CENTENNIAL.
A GLORIOUS JUBILEE-THE CELEBRATION A
GRAND sUcCEss-UNIoUE PROCESSION ELo-
QUENT ADDRESSES AND POEM-A DINNER
100 GOOD FOR A KING-ExCELLENT MUSIC.
Sc, &c.
Saturday, May 20, 1871, the good town of
Winthrop was hundred years old as a town.
1t is said that in town meeting last Marcia
place and time when the best of men feel
poor and often do mean things-the inhabitants
refused to vote a sum of money to appropriate
ly celebrate the Tooth anniversary of a town
that has of itself a record that States even
might well be proud of. But at mass meet
ing, where the daughters land no town in the
world has more intelligent or farer) as well as
the sous had voice, the centennial celebration
became inevitable, and committee was APP
pointed to take the matter in charge, with DR..
A. p. Snow for chairman, who visited patients
and administered centennial tonics so ii, as
the time drew near, there was all over town a
most healthy interest in the event. Indeed, it
permeated every school district, workshop and
household. The fathers of the town were
about as much excited as the boy of dozen
years; and under its exhilerating influence tn
matrons of sixty looked nearly as charming AS
their grand daughters of sixteen.
The Winthrop people have a good idea of
music. Indeed, they sent Portland one of her
most popular vocalIsts, Mr.. S. Thurston son of
Father Thursten, whose portrait may be found
in many homes, whose memory is cherished in
hu 6reds nf
institutions Of that town to-day. Appreciat-
ing music, they secured the Portland Band for
concert Friday evening and for the exercises
of Saturday. Musical judges spoke in most
extravagant terms of praise, saying that this
well known company never did better. Mr.. S.
Thurston-Stephen they call him up there
appeared in two solos, that were extended into
three.
For the week the sons and daughters of
winthrop that had taken up their tabernacles
in othel towns and States have been returning
to spend few days in that pleasant town.
Friday and Saturday morning the trains
brought in large numbers, and Saturday morn
ing every avenue leading to the village seemed
to bo choked with every conceivable kind of
team.
Saturday morning, at sunrise, the silence of
the beautiful morning was broken by salute
OF hfty guns and the ringing of bells. From
that hour everything was astir. The trains at
10 o'clock from Lewiston brought HUNDREDS
and the Eastern train an hour later respecta-
BILE reinforcements.
At945 o'clock the procession was formed
near the depot by Col. G. A. Wing Chief Mar
shall and L. p. Moody, B. s. Kelley, DR.. J. B.
FIiIeprO-- and A. c. Carr Assistant Marshals.
In the space that is aIIogJea to Nc it will be ut
terly impossible to give an adequate idea of
the variety of the design, the different epochs
in the towns history, traditions and incidents
represented by this procession. Nearly every
school district in town was represented by
children with their distinctive banner and uni
form. The costumes and characters displayed
fertility of design and conception that were
onIy equaIeu ny the industry ana perseverance,
that their skillful execution required. Both
were wonderful. The procession was led by
the winthrop Cornet Band Next came two
banners, one bearing the inscription, s18th
Century, which was borne in carriage in
which was seated eight venerable men born in
that century, and the other followed with the
inscription, 10th Century" Several of the
schools followed next, the girls neatly dressed
in white with sashes of bright colors. Some
of the school banners were as follows:-Ds
trict Nc. 4-"Common schools: the tree our
fathers planted we will cherish" The bows Of
the Grammar School, dressed as Robin Hoods
archers, bore the motto:
Bend the bow and wing the dart.
Let 1t rend each ioeman's heart;
But The enemy must be,
All that's bad in you me.
While the girls of that school, in large
wagon, profusely trimmed with evergreens and
flowers, bore banner, BLOWERS are the alpba-
bet of Angels" Another, .We Look to Maine
tor our seamen." These were in load drawn
by sturdy oxen. In another wagon were the
children of the Primary School, with a banner
inscribed, Immortal Buds" Winthrop was
represented by a beautiful young lady, taste. |
fully dressed in white, standing in a carriaoe
and bearing in her hand a banner, "Wintbrop
welcomes her friends on her Tooth birthday
Ii this be fair representation of Winthrop's
fair ones, and SO it really seems, we can see
why so many men, like those founders of
Rome, have seized and carried them away.
The progress o: the town was very happily
illustrated. First by wagon drawn by oxen.
on which was the dusky Indian decked with
war paint, with his much more attractive
squaw and papooses This was finely con- |
celved and executed. This wagon was followed |
by band OF young men dressed as "pioneers" |
Next came log cabin drawn by oxen. and in |
1t the pioneers, with mortar and pestle; pound
ing corn into homony Next followed niece
OF local tradition illustrated. HosnitabIe Mr.
Fairbanks went for comedy Mrs. Wood to 20 to
his house to dinner Mrs. Wood was knead-
ing the dough in the tray and had the oven
a-heating, but would 90 if she could take her
dough and bake it, 1t was agreed. and the
lady was soon assisted by the ,alla Mt Eai,-
banks to the saddle, to which he followed with
the tray of dough, which was baked at hi, bouse
while making the visit. 1t was fully represented
by their hneal descendants Saturday. Then
there was the helpmeet going to mill on
horseback and first settler going to mill with
bushel and half on his back. In the centre
OF the whole, as by contrast, the Portland
Band appeared. Next came some contrasts.
In barge drawn by Hereford oxen was a
soodly number of matrons and maidens of We |
o,uen time busily engaged in the manufacture
" nohespun cloth. There were the old fash
oi's, ana 1t would seem that every old |
-, " Town had sent out into the sum-
-. iiokety spinning wheels The |
"eio curious enough This was fol- |
~ ".sou from the Winthren woolen
anu oo''Sh MIL bearing some fine samn,os q
the INDUSTRY OF 1911 Next came the CO.,
tural implements of the fathers tho t :
from the fork of tree, the hatchel for aar :
cheese press, hoe, fork, fail, &C., followed -.
four teams loaded with the products ~ ~, s
Winthrop Agricultural Works. its b,r,o,
plough, cider mill, loot cutter, horsa ra,,a
machine &c. These were follo,raI /
by more ancient representations, such as tba
minister and wife in the historical old shaw 5
Going to meeting in 1771 and 1871 were con- '
trasted. In the former the couple were mount
ed on one horse and dressed century old; in
Inc latter in the height of to-day's fashion, in
one OF kimbalPs famous top-buggies. Then
lohowed an old fashioned busking and apple !
Dee. Next a regular quilting. One temper e
aa man carried the temperance pledge of
lo2s-about elk feet long with 400 names n
another had banner with the names of the I,
hr'' town officers. Another wagon carried a n
UHDDer, "Our first q