Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-06-13
The Opening Of the Raitro"d to
EiNebHrI.

The Opening Of the Raiir00d to
FryebHrg.
Not being able to be present on the
important occasion referred to in our
heading. we have taken DR.. True's ac-
count of it IN the Lewiston Journal, as
follows:
FRYEBURG. June 9th, 1871.
To-day has been 4 proud one for Frye
bug. The long.cNpected completion OF
the railroad to this place has come. The
last rail was spiked on Saturday night,
and today i set apart for 4 gathering
of the people TO celebrate the event.
The morning IL cool and pleasant
genuine June morning, when everybody
feels more like play than labor.
Early in the morning carriages began
TO pour in from the surrounding country.
Every horse seemed TO be smarter than
usual. prominent citizen remarked to
us that one.half the people in the town
never SAW the cars This may seem
strange. but il is probably The truth.
Scenes ,ranspirc 10 day which occurred
in other towns twenty-five or more years
ago.
Proceeding TO the depot grounds, which
occupy portion OF the Fair Grounds,
we found it covered by u large crowd OF
people. Punctlnlly at Ten o'clock. the
Portland train of eight passenger ears
arrived filled with passengers and the
Ponlmd Light Inf,ntry. Capt. Ma'tocks,
accompanied hy Chambers Blnd. Not
cheer went mp from the multitude.
Their establishment was greater than
their cheers. The conn any Immediately
formed and marched through The streets
To the house of Maj. ID K. Hastings,
wher, a collation. WAS furnished and 4
speech ui welcome given by Mai. Hast
ing, which was responded to 10y Ham
illon Willis of Boston, and Gen. ). j..
Anderson, President OF The road. Again
taking up their line ofmarch they return
ed 70 the Fair Grounds, where they had
dinner, and spent the afternoon IN Target
firing
1t was amusing Is we passed over the
grounds TO hear the various opinions eX.
pressed. We met Isaac Spring, Esq. OF
Brownfeld. This is Il great day." said
he. "lor Pigwackctt. went to school
here mole than seventy years ago.
was a scholar of Paul Langdon, the first
Preceptor OF The Academy, Daniel Web
ster and Amos Cook" We enqurcd OF
him what kind OF teacher Daniel Web
ster was. ''IIc was nothing extra. lie
was Just out OF College and hadn't devel'
oped." Every citizen of Fryeburg al
ways speaks with pride OF DAM Web
stcr.
We watched with peculiar interest an
old man, eighty. nine years old who had
never seen the cars. He stood Oh q pile
of bark, and as The long train moved past
him, il seemed 10 him rs il range OF
mountains was passing by. We could
hardly realize that so many persons, did
and young. had never seen the cars.
Proceeding 10 the Oxford House we
found some two hundred or more persons
at dinner. which of course was well pro.
vided for by Otis True, Esq. the landlord.
The day is great event not only Tor
Fryeburg but for the western portion OF
the State. which ha, hitherto been de.
priyed of railroad communication. One
mile more of track reaches the State line.
Thus every iron band laid across the
State makes il stronger. We could but
be reminded OF a little speech we made
atthe Frycburg centennial some six OF
cigh. yeas ago, when we assured the
people that they would have Il railroad
within ten years. We well remember
the incredality that met Us, but the truth
is that The progress of events is faster
than even our Imagination.
But the day is spent, the Light lnian-
fry have celebrated their 6Sth anniver"
sary, the cars have returned from q short
excursion fer the benefit of those who
had never rode in them, and the Portland
e. OgdcnaLurg Railroad is to be recorded
us having reached Ibis point on the date
of this letter. They will commence run
ming regular trains the 18Th inst, and in
n few weeks will reach North Conway
Several thousand persons have been
in town to-day, bul al sunset all was