Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-10-24
One Hundred Years.
The people of China celebrate the One
Hundreth Anniversary Of their Town
Speeches and Social Gfeetings-Town
History.

| ieeteruay was orlght Octooer gay, fr0V-
idence seeming 10 smile upon the efforts and
arrangements to celebrate in quiet, home
like way the centennial anniversary of the
settlement of China. For some time the
arrangements had been going forward under
the supervision of Messrs. Dana c. Hanson,
| Stephen 3. Clark and Rolin Reed. 1t was
| decided to have the exercises at the Friends
Meeting house in Dirigo; an humble eGifce,
without tower or spre, or ornamentations of
fresco or other fancy work. But it is the
place where the Heavenly Father has often
been met and worshpped in spirit and in
truth, and from the influences going out
| thence has been shaped the institutions and
| the character of the goodly town. The situa-
ton of the house is quite central and equi-
distant from the four villages that cluster
about the beautiful lake and form the town.
Had the season been earlier, more elaborate
preparations would have been made for the
| event; as it was. many of the old settlers
came back, one gentleman after an absence
of forty years. In the early morning it was
evident that the hours of the
CENTENNIAL DAY
were to be given up to the celebration. Car
| riages wendell their way to the church, and
| by ten o'clock the meeting house was filled
seats were brought into the aisles, the entry
was crowded, and many had to stand outside
the door. On one of the raised or deacon's
| seats were several of the Oldest citizens OF
the town-pstriarchs of the forest. who seem
to stand like giant oaks, but age has placed
the autumn tnge upon them. The fine APP
pearance of the audience, the children of the
fathers was good index to the character &
a noble ancestry.
SERVICES IN TIE CHURCH.
Dana C.. Hanson called the meeting to or
der, and said that we had asse mbled to COM
memorate our forefathers and mothers, the
events that had transpired, and review the
history as handed down to us. Great pains
had been taken to collect the history, but of
necessity the portion to be read to-day,
| must be in a condensed and fragmentary form
lie hoped the occasion would be most enjoy
able, as it occurs but once IN one hundred
years. When we contemplate the heroic
| achievements of our forefathers, the hardsbips
which they endured, that they might make
homes for themselves and their posterity, and
enabled to worship God according to the die.
tates of their own conscience, it becomes us
| to cherish their memories with the profound
est generation, and be thankful for the heri-
tage they have left US in our beautiful and
peaceful homes. He would give a happy
greeting to all.
Mr.. Hanson introduced the venerable Eli
Jones, respected and beloved in town, and
who also has national reputation, who had
been designated to preside over the exercises
The 10th Psalm-"O give thanks to the
Lord for his goodness read by Rev. A.
j. Nelson, and a fervcnt prayer offered by
Rev. NJ. w. Newbert. Until within few
years singing has not been very common in a
Quaker meeting house, but one hundred years
have wrought a great change, and on the
present occasion, after prayer, the congrega-
| ton joined in singing grand old Coronation
''All hail the power of Jesus name"
Social Greetings formed the next feature
in the programme, and was humorously in
| itiated by Eli Jones, who said that as it was
one hundred years since we had such meet
ing as this, naturally we feel quite awkward.
Twenty five years ago the So. China Library
| Association was formed and a committee ap
pointed to collect the history of the town of
China. OF this committee, there were present
at this meeting Ambrose II. Abbot,
and himself. Others have gone on to
join more glorious society than this
letter was read from Albert II. Clark,
| regretting that it was impractcable for him
| to be present on account of feeble health.
He felt a great interest in the history and
| prosperity of the good old town.
The chairman called upon Thomas Burrll,
who he said had come down to US from the
last century. He was greeted with cheers as
! bis form stood erect before the people of this
generation. His very presence was more
eloquent than any words that could be said.
Stephen Jones, another old settler, told
A WILD CAT STORY
| Of the early times. friend in the town was
| travelling one winters morning to neigh
bor's across fie d that led through the woods.
He saw ferocious wild cat, and started off
for a gun but the animal put for him and had
little "social greeting by jumping upon
| the mans back and clinching him about the
| neck. But the man was too cunning for the
beast, took him by the neck, slat him down
| from his position under his knee and choked
him to death.
Hon. A. ii. Abbot of Augusta, former
resident of China, and for years one of the
leading citizens of the place. said he was glad
to meet so many friends, AID perhaps would
have something to say to them in the course
of the day.
Augustine Jones, Esq, a successful lawyer
in Boston, native Of China, said he was glad
to stand once more on his native heath. He
had looked forward with great pleasure to the
After singing the hymn,
While shepherds watched their focks by night )
to the cid tune of Sherburne, William Jacob,
| of China, son-in-law Of Eli Jones, began the
reading of the
Town HIsToRY,
which occupied about one hour of the fore
| noon, and was continued about one hour af-
Ter re. assembling in the afternoon. We in
tend in Mondays Daily to give a Pretty fair
| abstract of the voluminous, labored and very
| interesting document. We will only say now
that its facts combine the labor of years of
| several citizens of the place, who have had
great local pride in rescuing from oblivion
and preserving in such interesting form the
history of their much loved town. The doc
ument was interlarded with spicy comments
and appropriate suggestions by Mr.. Jacob,
| and was read by him in a clear and graceful
manner. No part Of the exercise was more
| interesting than this. Then came the
BASKET DINNER,
| that is, to those who were not invited to the
heavily laden tables of the hospitable people,
who WED with each other in their acts of kind.
ness, a pretty large company of the "cen-
tennials" from Augusta and elsewhere were
| entertained at the house of the large hearted