The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-02-05
ANNALS OF BELFAST FOR HALF A CENTURY.
B Y A n OLD TTLER,
CHAPTER vi. (ISO6-7.)


as the year Of the Great Eclipse 1t was an
eclipse Of the sun, and occurred June 10th.
1t was ''total at Philadelphia and other
cities in the Union" as the almanac pre-
dicted Belfast, although not city, was
not overlooked on the occasion. 1t was SO
dark, of course, that the father of the
family couldn't see to read in the almanac
at four T. NJ, the period Of the .'greatest
obscuration," the cows came home in adj
vance of milking time, the hens went to
roost, and the ROSTERS began to crow as
the elipse began to close the number of
''digits'' eclipsed varied with the locality
and the kind of glass used for observation.
In this year the East Bridge was built
it was one hundred and twenty-five rods in
length, and cost about eighteen thousand
dollars a major part of the stock was taken
and paid for by non-residents. The act
incorporating Jonathan Wilson and his
associates under the name of The Pro
prietors of the East Bridge in Belfast
was passed March 18th, 1905. The first
meeting OF the Corporation was held at
1.-THE house of Thomas Whittier, innholder"
on the 10th day of December of that year
at which meeting Francis Anderson was
elected Clerk, Jonathan Wilson, Thomas
knowton and Tolford Durham, Managers,
Samuel Houston, Samuel Prescott and
Jonathan White, Assessors, and Thomas
Whittier, Treasurer
At Il meeting held soon afterwards it
was voted ''that nine shillings per day be
allowed to each man that works ON the
bridge, and that ten hours make day"
The bridge as originally built was from
4 point on the western side OF the river
near the house now occupied by Captain
W. .. Alden; the terminus on the eastern
side was near that of the present bridge.
The remains Of some of the spiling of the
original bridge may still be seen at low
water. In 1880, the bridge having become
very much out Of repair, a portion of ii
was carried away by u violent gale and
storm, and the proprietors decided not to
repair but to build anew where the bridge
is now located. The new bridge was ac-
cordingly built under a contract with
James McCrillis, Esq, and in August 1882
a few carriages passed it for the first time
it was not then completed however; there
was no sidewalk for foot passengers, nor
railing on i.
BY the terms of the act of incorporation
the charter was to continue for the term
of sixty years from the day of the ''open-
ing Of the bridge for passengers" The
bridge was first opened for that purpose
January lSt, 1907 at the expiration of the
sixty years December 3lst, 1866, the
bridge was surrendered by the proprie-
tory. and it became, as it now is, a free
bridge, sustained by and al the cost of the
city.
Jonathan Wilson, the party most active
in starting and carrying out the enterprise,
was the first toll gatherer. His successor
was Tolford Durham. After him came
James McCrillis, who held the Office for 4
long series Of years with occasional breaks.
1t was during his administration, when
the toll gate was at the eastern end, that
the old bridge became fayorite evening
promenade for the girls and boys, who
found the walk 4 pleasant one, doubtless,
but derived full as much pleasure perhaps,
from watching the shade of dieappoint-
ment that stole over the visage Of the toll
gatherer as he came out for their pennies
Just as they came within reaching distance
Of the dollhouse and wheeled TO the right
about-tace 1t the old bridge was in ex-
istence now, and had Il tongue, it could
tell of L Bridge of Signs elsewhere than
in Venice. 1t was a famous place too for
catching founders, and Holsters i'll nets
made Of hoops and rope yarns: the saddest
Saturday afternoon the compiler Of these
annals ever knew was the one when he
dropped his new hsh-line overheard be
fore his sinker had touched bottom
Germany years after the first bridge was
built the annual meeting Of the proprie-
tors was quite an event in the village. Ac-
cording to tradition it was an event that
furnished occasion for Il larger amount of
hilarty than would be deemed becoming
in these days Of the stringent enforcement
of the Name Law; but the tradition is not
well founded The annual meeting, al
ways held in December, was strictly a
business meeting AS a faithful annalist,
however, it is our duty to record the fact
that our progenitors, the bridge proprie-
tors, were not mmindful of creature com
forts TO their credit be it added, thev
paid for them out Of their own pockets,
not from the treasury of the corpo ration
At the annual meeting held Dec 1st,
1907, the following vote was passed rs
appears of record: That the members of
this corporation with their officers and
such gentlemen rs the directors may in
vite, sup together on the first day Of
January, unless that day shall happen to
be Sunday--in that event on the succeed
ing day-at such time and place as the
directors shall appoint, ana give notice
thereof by their Clerk
II is we'll authenticated fact, although
it does not appear on record, that these
'supsA We're sometimes OF y rather eNu-
bcrant character, as tho following Incl
dent serves to show At the close Of one
Of them, after the party had risen from the
table and were about to separate, mem
Der made Il motion THAT we all take a
and adjourn to the first Monday !
in next January" Whereupon a worthy
deacon, who was embracing one of the
door posts at the time, suggested that it |
would be we'll before acting on the motion
to look at the almanac and make sure that |
the t}aE nampf, dI1n't como an C,n,lo1r |