Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-10-06
General Association, n. II.

Hampshire met, for its siXty'eighth
annual meeting, at Great Falls, IN
the Congregational Church, Sept.
IL, at Z o'clock p. NJ. The number
of pastors, delegates and friends of
the Association in attendance was
about as great as usual.
PLACE AND PEOPLE.
Great Falls is in the town of Som.
ellsworth, on Salmon Falls River,
which passes along the North East.
ern border, separating it from the
State of Maine. and is the only
stream of note in the township,
The ia II in the river at this point is
somew hat gradual, but great reck
oned in distance. The village de
r,ves its name from the fall of wa
ter.
The population, including Der.
wick, is estimated at six or seven
thousand, and comprises all classes
and ranks of men.
The people are almost exclusive
ly devoted to manufacturing. mer.
camille trade and professional bust
ness. Here are made Office, pailOl
and cooking stoves, hollow ware.
all orders of castings for mills, gas
work, cast iron, steam, gas and wa
ter pipes, retorts, hydrants, and
other articles of similar character.
Here are made fancy cassimeres of
Il valuable grade, and sheetings in
yards beyond stating. Thus these
mills named and others not named
give employment to some two thous-
and hands, male, female, children.
What effect the hard times have
been having on these interests we
did not learn.
Many of the first settlers of the
town were captured or killed by the
Indians, whose sufferings were
great. One Quaker, made captive
by these inhuman creatures, was
carried to Canada. and there bar
barously abused Tor refusing to
dance for the merry.making of the
savages.
This town has been the birth
place of some prominent men. One
born here was member of the Con
tinental Congress in the Revolution.
The village is situated in a re,
markably romantic section of the
country. Near the centre is a beau
tiiul public grove, on ground inclin-
ing towards the mills. This grove
is an agreeable resort in the heat of
the season. 1t may be regarded a
weakness to confess it, but the heat
being intense, the grove had more
grace to draw us than the business
of the assembly.
Some of the streets of the village
are well shaded with trees, on Ell
Their side of which are many fine
residences.
The opening sermon was preach,
ed by Rev. George B. Spaldng, of {
Dover, from Psalm "a: 8, "He that {
planted the ear, shall he not hear
he that formed the eye, shall he not |
see ?" The argument was for per :
sonal God. Principles, found in =
nan, the creature, such as his in-
elect, will-power, reason, con-
science, love, spirit of sacrifice, in G
in God, the Creator, sim r
lar personality with these same at t
tributes, only in perfection. The n
discourse was well received by the i
hearers. !.
The sermon before the Commun. :,
on was preached by Rev, Levi "
Rogers, of Claremont, from Eph. Il
;: 10, "And to know the love of tt
christ, which passeth knowledge, "
hat We may be filled with all the 1t
illness of God" The subject was e. t.
| true knowledge of God through ~
christ only. The line of thought a
vas y happy one for tue occasion. d
felicitous was the speak R
# in his frequent reference to the Il
Scriptures, now letting them stand q
nut in all their boldness word for y
vord, now weaving them into the a.
breads of his thought. h
ESSAYS AND DISCUSSIONS. o.
One essay, that by the Secret ary Sc
f the Missionary Society, Rev. e. S
|. Greeley. of Concord, on System N
tic Benovelence, was of impor b.
ance, so much so that vote of o.
hanks were expressed, with the ~ ~,
esre it might be published in the St
linutes of the Association. Sc
One discussion, the topic being, ia
How shall our Sabbath services 81
e rendered more effectual of good" Ia
d by Prof. A. g. Perkins, Princi. or o.,
al of the Academy at Exeter, was ~
interesting and profit. in
Die. The Professor, in his consid- he
alton of the subject, displayed WI
'lent, rare taste and nice discrimi. tic
alton. He showed how that the iIol
,rmon might be exalted to the deg. XII
'dation of other parts of the ser
ce; the importance of the audi .
ice being in full sympathy with a am
| of the service; the value of w;
ng, not as an entertainment so da
uch as real help to worshipful mt
cling. boz
He also favored the responsive eoi
ement, as needed by the nearer, 1,1
calculated to quicken his thought s Sr,I
id devotion, and as giving life and to
,shness to the whole season of n
ng, prayer, speaking and scrip the
re reading. He disfavored the pri
tion of calling in agents to pre- usu
Mt the duties of giving, ideas of
nevolence, to the people, believ- 7
: that the pastor himself should for
rform this responsibility. def
MISSIONARY AND SPIRITUAL, pra
The narrative of the state of re. sac
ion indicated less striking results los los
IN that of last year. Not so tnn,
my places have been visited With do ,
'ivals as in some former years, the
the number that have been is MAJ