The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-07-06
The Jackson Centennial.

NORTH CONWAY, July 5, 1878.
For weeks tie town has been agog with re-
gard to the jackson centennial. 1t was, how.
ever, not sufficiently imbued with the Fourth
OF July spirit to decide on attending the cele-
bration until the momentous morning fairly
arrived. The representatives of the Argus
who stayed at the Sunset Pavilion the night
before the occasion, seemed to have been de-
serted by the gallantry usually SO characters
nc OF the legal and medical profession, and
went off leaving your correspondent nearly at
loss "how to get to Jackson Whether or not
professional prejudice influenced their course
modesty forbids me to say.
Every one around the hotel insisted on his
one days perfect freedom and could not be
called upon, SO the only thing remaining was
70 drive with my friend, myself, to Jackson.
All along the road we passed struggling teams,
teeming with Fourth OF July faces. dreadful
boys threw fire crackers in the horses face as
we ran past them, but who cares for such
frfies when he is 'going to the Fourth?' We
were too late for the procession, which is said
70 have been very picturesque, consisting of
hrst. the chief marshal and staff second.
bridgton brass band. third. invited guests,
fourth, relatives of first settlers, fifth, oldest
inhabitants, sixth, school children, seventh,
citizens of the town. and last, visitors. They
moved to the place where the first settlement
OF the town was made, and here the Rev. f.
Gale uttered fervsnt prayer. They then
moved to the ground where the ceremonies of
the day took place.
On the extreme side of the leafy Enclosure
was erected the platform occupied by the Gov
orna fha x.lI ..lo
speakers of the day and others. Overhead the
Stars and Stripes was peacefully draped.
Around it evergreens were festooned, birds
were singing on every side, and through the
fragrant branches the Pickering sun beams fell
on the chubby faces of the little ores and the
silvery heads of the old people.
Mr.. Marshall Wentworth of the Twin Noun
tain House was chief marshal. He addressed
the audience first in few we'll chosen words,
an embodiment of the beauty and solemnity OF
the occasion, and right here let me say that
both of Mr.. Wentworth's pthy little speeches,
the closing as well as the opening remarks, de-
serve to be printed in full, and 1 am sorry
can not give them verbatim ct literatim. Mr..
Elkins, the president of the occasion, then an
pounced prayer by Rev. Mr. Smith, whose
earnestness appealed to every heart and whose
clear tones accorded perfectly with the summer
sounds around. The introductory poem by
Mrs. H. Furber, descendant of one of the
frst Inhabitants, was next in order 1t was
very beautiful, reoounting the lives, loves and
labors of the early settlers, and the lady re-
ceived universal admiration.
Then came the Grafton by Rev. George Fl.
Pinkham, also descendant of first settler.
He gave synopsis of the primeval history of
the town first dwelt in by one Benjamin Copp
10 ITS. Mr.. Copp and his family lived here
alone for twelve years with no neighbours hens
snd turkeys to annoy, aud no neighbours gossip
TO disquiet. They realized that ''there are
gains for all our losses and were happy, but
in 1870 their retirement was broken in upon
by Mr.. Pinkham, who came to cast his lot
with them through five feet of snow, unbroken
by even one track through Bartlett. The fami.
ly household goods, consisting of two chairs
and one bedstead were fastened on hand.
sled drawn by the united exertions of boy
and an uncommonly docile swine, Cat least
inferred an unusual placidity of temper on the
part Of the animal.) The house into which
Mr.. Pinkham moved had neither chimney,
window nor door. The speaker related several
interesting anecdotes connected with this early
time. A sound supposed to be the growl of
bear was one night heard, and when they
sailed forth to slay, they discovered that some
solitary land surveyor from Fryeburg had taken
the liberty of clearing his throat in the town.
He was allowed to escape though. The lorna
do recorded in the early annals of the town was
alluded to. At that time Ephraim Trickey's
house was leveled to the ground and to save
his five children he resorted to an expedient
which for pure ingenuity far exceeds the dis
covery of the telephone and photograph in
a ma Of tbQ
children in the narrow apertures between the
fence rails, they, the heads forming a wedge to
secure the swinging bodies 10 safety till the
tornado had spent its force.
The town was first named New Madbury, in
1900 the name was changed to Adams, and in
1920 to Jackson. When it seemed necessary to
form an Incorporation, Mrs. James Gray
sold six sheep for eight dollars and lent the
money to the town to pay the official costs. She
stipulated that she should be repaid in sheep,
butt blush to record 1.-THE town authorities
behaved very sheepist in the matter aud never
made up the sheep to her. The first ascent of
Pinkhsm with a thirty foot pole, flor cane
suppose walked up from the Glen, nine miles.
jackson, the speaker said, is now evidently
well to do. She has no debt and no grog shop
and for the beauty of its scenery is noted far
and wide.
The Grafton was exceedingly able touching at
its close on some of our national evils and ex-
pressing the desire that Daniel might arise to
1AscApkcb tuc WiitiuR vi tuc wall VI OuF COrTup-
ton. This imploration was unexpectedly
granted In the afternoon in the form of Daniel
Pinkham Esq, who made humorous address,
and suggested preventltives of destruction, as
did Daniel of old
The sweet singer of the sweet songs "Oae
Hundred Years ago., and "One Hundred Years
TO come. was Miss Hattie Quinby of White,
held. She sang exquisitely, her voice reaching
far out of the leafy temple and over the hills.
1 am keeping the best till the last. Governor
Prescott land real handsome man he is, too,)
spoke to the people in a straightforward, man
!y way for few minutes, winning, in those
few minutes the loyalty Of every mind. i be-
lieve he is an honest representative of the hon.
est New Hampshire people.
Bridgton Brass Band discoursed patriotic mu-
sic all day long. Mr.. Wentworth had the hon
or OF entertaining the Governors party, and all
the hotels were crowded We were at tea at
the Glen Ellis River House which is sumptuous
in all its appointments aud belongings and I'M
exceptional in its attendance. The display of
fireworks in the evening was fine and ended
this eventiul day in the history of Jackson nee
Adams M