The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-02-11
ANNALS on BELFAST FOR HALF A CENTURY
BY AN OLD SElTTL L Il
CHATTER L. GSl2l

| previous to this date was pastor of the
Baptist Church in this place He was
drowned near Horton. n S., on the Sth OF
June He was on his return from Cape
| Blomidon where he had been, with party
consisting Of Prof Chapman and four stud
ents of Acadia college, for the purpose of
collecting specimens Of the minerals found
in that locality, when the boat in which
they were was upset and they We're all,
with che of their two boatmen. drowned
| Mr.. Very was a graduate of Dartmouth
and studied theology at Bangor His I'M
timely death was much deplored by his
| numerous friends here and elsewhere.
Rev. William rockingham, for twenty
| eight years Pastor of the Unitarian Society
in this place. died on the oath of June in
his seventy sixth year He was buried
| from the Unitarian Church, which was
| draped with the emblems OF mourning,
on the Sunday following the funeral ser
vices were conducted by his successor in
the pulpit, Rev DR.. Paltrey.
| Mr.. rockingham was born at Cam
bridge, Mass, March a. 1777, graduated
at Harvard in l7J9 and was first settled
in Saugus, Mass, about 1904 He first
| came to this place as a teacher and mis-
| sionary III 1917; at that time the stated
| religious services of the society to which
he ministered We're held in the academy
In the spring OF 1918 he was invited by
| the Society to become their settled minis
ter That invitation he accepted in the
| spring following, and on the 2lst of July
! he was duly installed He continued to
be their pastor until the spring OF 1871
when by reason Of declining health he was
compelled to relinQuish the duties of his
office The last sermon he wrote was pre-
pared ton Fast Day, April Sth, but was
| never preached He was not an eloquent
preacher. but there was simplicity OF
style and sincerity Of purpose in his dis
courses which We're far more effective III
producing permanent results than any
mere oratorical display ever can be, lie
| was not q cOntrOVerSlalist but sought
rather to follow after the things that make
| for peace and things WhereWith one may
etlify another No breath OF cenSure ever
| furnished his character and his memory is
cherished with love and respect by all who
| knew him.
On the 10Th OF the same month Henry
Clay died at Washington. He also, like
| the venerable clergyman above noticed
was born in 1777, on the twelfth day OF
| April On the receipt Of the sad intelli-
gence the Wing flag was displayed draped
with Grape, and the Democratic flag was
set at half mast At sunset minute guns
were fired and the bells were tolled
One more, and the list OF those the term
nation of whose earthly pilgrimage this
year we have to chronicle is ended. Daniel
| Webster died at Marshtield, Mass, on the
morning of the oath Of October. On re-
ceipt of the intelligence, in the morning
of the day following, 4 general feeling OF
sadness seemed to pervade all classes in
our community. The flags on the Demo
cratic and Wing hag-statfs tloated at half
mast during the day; the flag over the
office of the Republican Journal and the
revenue ensign on the Custom House were
trimmed with Grape. At half past twelve
O'Clock minute guns were fired and the
| bells on all the churches were tolled. The
last words of the dying statesman, y still
| liver, acquired a new significance they
became prophetic. The universal express
sion of sorrow at the announcement OF his
death demonstrated that he still lived, as
he always will live, in the memory OF his
countrymen
Fourth of July being Sunday was ccle-
brated on the fifth. A national salute was
fred at sunrise, noon and sunset. The
national ensign with the names OF the
| Wing candidates for the Presidency and
vice Presidency--Scott and Graham-at-
tached, was displayed from the Wing flag
staff erected on the Saturday preceding
at the foot of Franklin street. The flag
staff was 12O feet in height and stood, al
though like the party erecting it sadly
shorn ID dimensions, until May ). 1874.
Having ''outliyed its usefulness and hay
INC come to be regarded dangerous Ill con
sequence of its increasing tendency to-
wards the north it was then taken down.
lIydrant Company, No ?, with full ranks,
about sixty men, and in full uniform, red
shirts trimmed with blue, glazed hats and
belts, marched through the principal
streets in the forenoon, and ut the terml-
nation Of their parade were entertained
at the American House In the afternoon
a company of mounted fantasies paraded,
and there WAS a ball at City Hall in the
evening.
The "Consolidated exhibition of Wild
Beasts and Equestrian exercises" was here
in the early part of the month. The en-
tertainment concluded with the Pageant
nf St George and the Dragon" From the
spirited demonstrations outside the pa
yilion' it was surmised that St. George
was the parsonage better known here as
St CroiX, and that the Dragon was none
other than the "Baskahegan Giant" IN dis
guise.
A dramatic company under the manage
ment of Mr.. John ID. McGowen, who had
formerly resided here, gave several per
formances at City Hall this month, and in
September we were favored with several
by the Howard Dramatic Company under
the management of Mr. w. b. English.
On the 18th of August the Neptune Fire
Company OF Watham, Mass, arrived here
from Bangor on the steamer Boston. They
were the guests Of Hydrant Company
No 2, at the American House. The two
companies marched through our streets
the next morning prior to the departure OF
the Neptunes on the Steamer Governor
The principal occupation OF our people
during the summer, not only here but
throughout the State, had been the dis
cussion Of the merits Of the Maine Law,
Analysing the characters Of the several
candidates tor the office of governor, and
preparing for the political battle to be
fought on the 18th of September A pleas
ant episode occurred here on the 9TH which
for twenty tour hours SmoOthed the Wrink
led front of grim visaged war and spread
oil on the troubled waters Of the political
sea. It was a gala day with lIydrant
Engine Company, No. 2. There was &
pleasant, harmonious reunion of men and
women of all parties and sects at City
Hall III the evening, on the occasion OF the
presentation OF q banner by the ladies OF
Belfast to the company before named. The
presentation speech, beautiful in langu-
age and most gracefully delivered, was
by Miss Helena, Upton the reply, equally
happy and appropriate, was by Capt. Cal
vim Hervey. The banner, of beautiful silk.
bore on one side the State coat of arms,
and on the other in gilt letters Presented
by the Ladies ofBeltast, &c ltwas painted
by Theodore N. Phillips, then Of this town,
and cost about seventy-tive dollars. Music
by the Bangor Band and the Belfast Glee
Club, appropriate addresses, boquets, re-
treshments, &c, &c, contributed to make
the occasion one of much JOY and festivity.
i ~