The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-03-10
Letter from Augusta.
Especial Correspondence of the Journal



AUGUSTA, March 5, 1881.
On Tuesday evening, the occasion of the ENecu-
tive and Legislative Reception, Granite Hall was
centre of attraction. The elegant costumes of the
ladies, the glitter and glimmer of jewels, the blend
| ing of lively and lovely colors, and the gorgeous
decorations combined to make up scene Of be-
witching beauty. Fully twelve hundred persons
were present, representing every department of
| life, civil, military, NAUTICAL judicial and egisa-
lative; coming from the most distant sections, and
| vieing with each other in womanly perfection and
| grace, and manly strength and dignity The hall
decorations We're designed and arranged by George
n Beals, of the Boston Decorative Company. The
| stage arranged to represent Il miniature flower
garden with charming grottoes, pots and vases of
| flowers, ornamental fence, &C., while fountain in
| the foreground emitted sprays of cologne which
| completely surcharged the atmosphere of the hall
with It's delicate perfume. In the rear banner
| OF the g. ~ r. organization, with its well-known
| embematc seal, the banner being hanked by the
stars and stripes In the proscenum, at the highest
| peak, was large eagle with shield, the Bird of
Freedom" holding i'll his talons double headed
arrow. from which depended bun and blue ,lrapery
| trimmed with gold. On either side of the stage in
addition to profusion OF flags and bunting, were
corinthian columns formed of national colors, and
| surmounted by the American eagle. The front and
rear Of the galleries trimmed with red white
| and blue bunting, tastefully arranged. Arising
from the front of the gallery, at the east end of the
hall, was a bouquet of six flags, apparently grow
ing out of Il shield Diamond shing brlants in
| the form of stars and circles were placed at inter.
| walls along the gallery front, over the gas lets.
From the center of the ceiling rtdiated stlcamers of
red, white and blue to various parts of the hall
cav
raj districts inquired on looking at the profuson of
decorations, "Be these things here all the time"
| l told him thought not
The actual festivities began about eight o'clock
with the reception by his Excelency Gov. Plaisted.
| Standing in front of fine tent of lemon coorrd
velvet, pitched under the east gallery near the stage
the Governor received most cortlialv having a tjt
ting word for each of the more than one thousand
persons who offered him their hands. The com
pany were gracefully presented by one of Cover.
nor Plaisteds stan officers, Col Joseph f. Badger
OF Augusta. Miss Mabel Hill, of Exeter. and Miss
Plaisted of Lincoln, (the Governors neice) assisted
In the reception, the former with the grace and
presence Of queen. The President of the Senate
Hon, Joseph a. Locke, and wife, and tue Speaker
of the House, Hon L. H. Hutchinson shared in tine
| honor of receiving the company
But know am keeping Your readers from fine
most interesting part Of my letter. IL description of
some Of the toilets Of the ladies present Let IL,
take position under the gallery. and observe the
thrOnG as 1t crowds and whrls about in the gitldy
| dance. Mrs Oscar W. Pitcher of Belfast, wore a
handsome black brocadc satin, with the various
adornments suggested by that lady cultured taste
| One of the most beautiful and attractive costumes
OF the evening was worn by Mrs Chas. u. White
house OF Augusta, "a daughter of Col. Wildes.
Railroad COMMISSIONER curr; colore, and light
blue velvet. Her sister. Mr. Walter d. Davis of
Portland, wore black silk and diamond ornaments
Mrs George Knight of Belfast white br1ca,i,. siIk
and real lace Mrs. Capt J. {. Nickies of S,,asno,t
| black satin, point lace, and diamonds. Mrs Dr.
Mallett of Augusta, cream colored hrocadc satin
Miss Mabel Hill of Exeter, white satin and taratan
Mrs. Col. Frank d. Pullen of Bangor, light blue.
siivered silk, with trimmings of white Illusion
Mrs Charles Hill Of Bangor, light blue silk an I
overlress of white lace. Mrs. Dr. Iitchcock of
Rockland, white silk and satin, point lace trimmings
Mrs Wilbur of Portland. steel colored silk real
lace trimmings. Mis- Plaisted of Lincoln cream
colored silk Mrs. speaker Hutchinson of Lewiston,
black silk, white lace Miss Pcrlcv of Portland.
white satin, A sister Of Miss Perey, blue silk and
garnet velvet. Miss .Jennie WhitehouSt of Augusta
black velvet over'lress, skirt of old gold satin Miss
urer.) blue broca,le and white lace. Miss Ingalls, of
Wiscasset daughter of Henry Ingalls, palr blue
silk ami lace. Mrs. Chas II. osgood of Lewiston,
black velvet dress, lace trimmings, diamond cross
and ear rings. Miss Au'lray Patten of Augusta,
garnet silk, cream brocade, with Spanish lace
Mrs senator Mortland Of RorkIand plurI colored
satin, white lace. Miss Hatch of Bangor, cream
white silk, trimmed with smilaN. Miss Jennie
Morse of Bath, white satin, witt, lace nyer,lrpss
Miss Agnes Beae daughter of Adiutant ticncraN
brocadc oyer1iress, white silk Skirt. Miss Strck-
land of Bangor, light blue brocade white silk skirt
Miss Sidney NJ. Bird of Hockland train dress
black velvet and satin, point lace. Mrs Barker of
Bangor blue silk. trimmed with spanish lace. Mrs,
Col Mattocks of Portland, lavender silk with White
lace Miss Nellie Iiastr of Bangor, Black velvet
redngote. Miss Lizzie +. Barker OF Bangor, was
the acknowledged belle among the Young people
LEI costume was pink cashmere, draped with hell
"lope satin and white lace, with elegant bouquet.
The supper served during the intermission, was
abundant and satisfactory. Indeed there was but
one mistake in the entire arrangements, and that
was in the quite important item of Music Instead
of carrying out the original plan of securing An
dreWs' Orchestra of Bangor, thus enslring good
music the committee engaged band from Lewis
ton, probably improyised for the orcasion And
wasnt it musc The least said of that music the
better
Mr.. BaineS resignation has reached the prrsid-
ing officers Of the two branches and been laid be
fore the legislature. BY the terms of the rnnsttu-
ton his successor cannot be elected until Tuesday,
the 10Th. There will be no opposition to Mr. Frve:
but there Is great reluctance to losing Mr. Blaine
from the immediate supervision of our politics
However much we may rejoice at his deserved and
distinguished promotion, we feel that he will NOT
be 50 close to the people when Representative o.,
Senator The people of Maine who have watched
his career with ever increasing pride and satsfac
ton, cannot however, help rejoicing that if he j.,
not to sit upon the throne for the next four wears
he is to he the power behind the throne
The turnkey at the kcnnebec Jail, in this citv has
been getting rich the past week ON the ten cents re
ceived in fees from persons who have had a morbid
curiosity to look upon the face of Merrill the China
matrlcde. This curio9tyis almost lnaccomtablc
Let person do a desperate and bloody deed and
he bounres at once into fame. Fromnear and from
far crowds flock to see him Let him live quiet
honest, God fearing life, and one will know him
not hear of him, beyond the immediate circle
of small neighborhood. Merrill really seems proud
of his crime and want, to talk about if coustantlv
Don't ask me if have been to see him. | don't
want to look upon 4 tiend for which the benign COY
eminent of Maine has provided no Just punishment
and who has committed Il crime unknown even tu
the wise Scion of Old. When one stands before the
grated door of his cell in the lower CORRIDOR Me1-
r may be huaily engaged in the farther end of the
cell, but he Will always advance towards yoll and
VIII feel greatly grieNed if you fail To converse
about the horrible affair that has made him a felon
lie Is the hon OF the hour, and seems tn glory in
occupying that position. Abrothrr of the murdered
woman. DR.. j. W. Neal, a worthy citizen of Angus
Ia, informs me that for several wears he has been
urging that the young man should he taken care Of
as he haddevelopeda great mania for tllieving His
mother had offered him per centage on the sale of
acertain lot Of potatoes Mr.. Libby the Coroner to
whom young Merrill made his confession, presses
the opinion that the potato business and how much
he could make out of it led to the decd, without ref
erence to anything else.