The Republican journal., 1875-01-07
ANNALS on BELFAST FOR HALF A CENTURY,
BY AN OLD SETTLER
CHAPTER XIV. (1849.)

of this year The new bark Suliote, Josiah
Simpson, Master, was advertised to sail
| for San Francisco with passengers and
| merchandise. The first invoice was a
company Of about twenty-five, the largest
| portion being young men, who arrived
here from Bangor in the afternoon of the
25th of January They were met at the
| bridge by delegation of their co-adven-
turers from this and other places, and the
Brass Band, and escorted to the hotel
where they were received with three times
three cheers from the large concourse of
people assembled in front Of it.
AS token of respect and an expression
OF interest in the enterprise, a collation.
was rendered to the adventures by our
citizens at Washington Hall on the eve
ming of the twenty-seventh. Tables We're
| spread on each side of the hall, extending
its whole length under the supervision Of
MI. Benz. Sargent. At the close OF the re-
past eloquent addresses were made by Rev
Messrs. Paltrey, Cutter, Kicker, Ex-Gov.
Anderson and Mr.. William o. Poor, all Of
this place, to which responses were made
by William H. Weeks, Esq of Unity, Mr.
A. IL, johnson of Saltwater. Benz. Griffin,
Esq, then late editor of the journal and
Captain Simpson. At the conclusion of
| the entertainment the company dispersed
with three cheers for the captain, crew and
passengers OF the Suliote, and three in re-
| spouse Tor the citizens Of Belfast. 1t was
a season OF great excitement in our ordi-
! narlly quiet village.
| The SullOte sailed about two O'Clock, 7.
| M. Of the 30th A salute vas fired and
cheers We're exchanged as she left the
wharf She carried with her, in addition
to her officers and crew, fifty passengers.
Some idea Of the miscellaneous character
| of her cargo may be formed from the fact
that her manifest was over nine feet in
length The occupations Of her passen-
gers were equally miscellaneous; fifteen
of them were mechanics, eleven lumber
or millmen, five merchants, four farmers,
three surveyors, two mariners, one chem
ist, one artist, one printer one dentist, one
| apothecary, one halter, one lawyer, and
three who having no stated occupation
designated themselves gentlemen. Only
five of the passengers We're residents OF
this place One Of them, Mr.. William L.
Torrey, the Artist of the expedition, is
still residing in California the other four
returned one after another; the only one
of them now living is Mr., Curtis B. Mer-
riii. who resides in Standish in this State
cred that there were but two casks full Of
water on board that We're lit for use, owing
to the fact that all the casks, with the ex-
ception of those two, were not properly
cleansed before being filled. She was
compelled to pat into Port Prayar, Cape
de Ferd Islands, for supply, where she
arrived on the 22d of February. She al
rived at Rio Janeiro on the goth of March
On her passage round Cape Horn in the
night of the 10th Of April in very severe
gale Edwin Paul Simpson, son Of the cap
tain was washed overheard and lost. He
was about eighteen years old, a worthy,
intelligent youth, OF frank and generous
J disposition, and the tavorite of all who
knew him. 1t was a dark. tempestuous
night-the sea running SO high that no
ships boat could live in it. Captain Simp-
son returned home by the way OF the
Isthmus; although from boyhOod his life
had been passed on the ocean he never
went to sea again The Suliotc arrived at
San Francisco about the 18th OF July with
out farther loss or accident She is still
ahoat, changed in rig to a schooner, and
is now a coal-carrier.
After Capt. Simpson returned from Cali
fornia he engaged in mercantile pursuits.
In 1852 he built the wharf still known as
Simpsons Wharf He was the owner of
the house on Church street now occupied
by his son, the editor of the journal. While
employed in making some improvements
about the premises he took a severe cold
the effect Of which was fatal; he died
September 23, 1860, aged sixty He
was regarded one of our Worthlest and
most enterpr7i1g townsmen; his hand
and voice were ever in favor Of public
enterprises: and his loss was u loss not
merely to his fanny anu 1lleLe;a Dup j., ~. y
town. This is but the expression OF pub
lie sentiment; the compiler, whose per-
sonal and business relations with him were
Of the most intimate character, cannot do
justice to his own feeliggs without adding
that the green blanket which Nature kind
ly spreads overher sleeping children never
covered truer, warmer, more genial heart
than his
On the 9th Of January Dr. Pallrey de-
livered the last lecture before the Lyceum
doctor Young commenced course on
Chemistry on the tenth his second was
delivered on the evening following, but
for lack OF patronage sufficient to pay ex-
pences the course was Abandoned Mr.
Holt, of Bloomfield. gave highly inter
esting and beautifully illustrated lecture
Oh L dltSlllc dt tIlG NOllH AuulCu on Inc
| sixth of February Dr. Josiah Prescott,
who had previously resided in this place,
! lectured on Hydropathy, or the cold water
cure, i'll the month of March but the
mercury was quite too low for success in
the way of conversions to the faith he
held-On the 10th of July a colored man.
John Randolph, who claimed to be
nephew of tic celebrated John Randolph
| Of T,;t
Church to a crowded house. He com
| termed it, back to PocahontaS-dwelt at
| own industrious and concluded by sat
isfying his audience that he was an arrant
| impostor humbug and ass. He was fol-
lowed in August by Henry Bib, another
individual of the colored persuasion, who
gave two lectures at the Baptist Church,
embracing q narration Of his escape from
bondage. He was far superior to his pre-
decessor in brains and honesty and his |
narrative was quite interesting. All the |
lectures with which we were favored this |
year, so far as remembered are embraced |
in the foregoing.
On the 18th of January Messrs Josiah |
n. White and Jesse Black announced to |
the public that they had become landlords |
of the Farmers House, succeeding Mr. |
John Hussey,
On the same day the firm OF Rowe and
Griffin, publishers of the Journal, was dis
sovled. Mr.. Griffin being about TO sail in
the SuliOte sold his interest in the paper 10
Mr.. George B. Moore who became joint
proprietor with Mr.. Rowe. On the 9th OF
April following, Mr.. r, sold ont his inter
est to Mr.. Levi r. Wing and soon after
left tor California by the overland route.
Mr. Moore continued to be connected
with the paper as editor or proprietor un-
til he removed to Camden, having receiy-
ed the appointment Of Inspector OF Gus
toms at that place, After the expiration
of his official term he was for while
contributor to the columns OF the Eastern
Argus, and still later editor Of the Port
land Advertiser Whiln ncllnyino that