The Portland daily press., 1882-12-25
Maine HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Proceedings of the Winter
Meeting in Portland.
REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN AND
PRESERVATION OF PAPERS.
The Celebration of Prof. Packard's
S4th Birthday.
a COMPLETE REPORT OF TIE EVE
NING'S PROCEEDINGS.


fourth birthday of the veteran Secretary, Prof
Alpheus S. Packard, of Brunswick. TIL
meeting was held in the Seciety's rooms il
| City Building. Back of the Presidents desl
was placed a fine large photograph of Prot
Packard, from the painting by Vinton, in tn
college collection, surrounded by the couple
from Dryden,
"Yet unimpaired with labors. or with time
Your age but seems to new youth to climb
and underneath, from Lonfellow's ''Moritur
Salutamus'' the stanza,
'Honor and reverence and the good repute
That follow faithful service as It's fruit
Be uuto him whom, living, we salute.'
During the reading of Prof. Putnams pape
in the afternoon Prof. Packard entered the hal
and, having been received with great enthusi
asn, Was escorted to a seat On the Presidents
right. The signs of great age are absent from
his figure and face. TALL upright, with an eye
still keen, hand firm, and pleasing smile, only
the snowy hair betokens that he has passed hi
three score years and ten.
Afternoon Meeting.
At the opening of the afternoon meeting the
Secretary and Librarian, Mr.. Fl. w. Bryant
presented his annual report, as follows:
LIBRARIANS REPORT
Edward P. Banks Collection of IL books and
253 pamphlets.
Hon. j. II. Drummond-Bound Volumes of Ma
sonic reports.
S. H. Colesworthy-14 volumes of early writings
of Universalist clergymen.
P. G. Manning-Minutes of the Bowdoinham Bap-
fist Association.
R. C. Ingraham- Catalogue of New Bedford Ii
brary.
B. Noyes-Catalogue of Brooklyn public libra
~ and other books
D, C. P. Ilsley-Poem on Centennials of Portland,
and other works.
Hon. j. A. Peters-Jordan family memorial.
+. Q. Pierce-History of Grafton Mass.
j. n. McClintock- Cleavelands mineralogy.
w. r. Smilh-Scenes in a vestry.
j. d. Soul, Oxford, England-Eyelyns in Ameri-
ca.
George T. Little-Descendants of George Little.
Prince Society-Champlain' voyages, Vol g.
Alfred Poere-Genealogy of John Poore.
A. S. Packard-History of Bowdoin College.
DIR. I. True Metcalfe on short hand, l706.
G. e. Observation-Disclosures Indian Bible stories.
DR.. W. B. Lapham-History of oodstock.
Miss q. L. Alienation Psalms and Hymns.
Hon. Samuel A. Green and Rear Admiral Preble-
Regular books and pamphlets.
The following contributions to the cabinet
have been received:
1882 sap'' j. D. humphrey-L0s book OF brig Iri0'
CT Gore-Hall's map of Portland, 1887.
Capt. George K. rown-0rginal pay roll of Co.
II, war of the rebellion.
Gerge M. Brock-Copper coins.
Mrs. Hubbard of hiram- Cooked hat and wooden
canteen of Gen. Peleg Wadsworth.
Charles l.. Bryant-Small silver medal worn by
Judge S. Freeman.
j. Q. Buttre. of New York; Collection of engraved
portraits.
S. A. Russe1l-Silyer medal of NJ. C. NJ. A., 1896
Philip II. Brown-Autograph letter of Alexander
Hamilton.
George W. BOYD, of New York-Money belts used
for carrying Confederate currency.
S. o. Wardwell-Cane from elm tree planted by
Chaplain Jonathan Frye, 1925.
Rev. Amasa Loring-Sermon of Nathan Church,
L. H. Daveis-F Framed portrait of w. FL Harrison
Q. W, Cellet, st. Louis--Cast of pipe used by the
mound builders.
j. Marshal Brown-Stone axe from Clapboard Is
land.
DIR. G. P. Bradley-Box of papers of DIR. Alexan-
j. 2. Baxter, Esq.-275 flint and stone implements
from Missouri
A sketch of the biography of Alexander
Ramsay, NJ. D., has been furnished by DR.. G.
P. Bradley.
Miss Allen, of Pittsfeld, Mass, has present
ed to the society the original manuscript copy
of the ballad "The Piggewacket Fighte,"
written by Rev. William Allen, D. D a for
mer president of Bowdoin College. Accom-
panying the manuscript is letter from Judge
Judah Dana to Rev. Mr.. Allen.
PROF. PUTNAM's PAPER.
Prof. f. w. Putnam of Cambridge, Mass,
delivered an interesting address on the Shell
Heaps of Maine, displaying the specimens of
ancient implements taken from the heaps, of
which almost identical specimens have been
found in the shell heaps of Europe The
shell heaps on the Maine coast were commenc-
ed, in his opinion, many centuries ago, but
they continued to be added to down to historic
times. The Indians of the interior of Maine
went probably to the coast for the same pur-
pose that the Indians of the Columbia river
now go to the Pacific coast-to dry shell fish
for winter use-and during the many centuries
occupied in forming the she'll heaps, the vari-
GUS implements found and exhibited were lost.
The layers of earth found in the shell heaps
show that they were abandoned for some time,
when the Indians for some cause failed to visit
the coast. When the Indians obtained iron they
naturally continued to use the same form for
their implements that they had adopted while
making them of bone. Prof. Putnam exhibit
ed an iron spear head. an iron Ratchet of the
seventeenth century pattern, and pipe of the
same date, all found in the she'll heaps of
Maine.
AT the conclusion of the address the thanks
of the society were returned to Prof. Putnam,
on motion of Gen. John Marshall Brown OF
Portland, who spoke of the researches of Prof.
Chadbourne in the same field,
A grammatical sketch of the ancient Alma
XII language was submitted by the Rev. M. G.
OBrion of Bangor. The lecturer gave proofs
of the varied scholarship and research of the
reverend gentleman, and at the close the
thanks of the society were extended to him, on
motion of Judge Williamson of Belfast. Pres
ident Bradbury then read a list of valuable doc
uments that had been received from Hon. E. X.
O'Brion of Thomaston, including commits
sions of Gen. Henry Knox, his son, Lieut.
Knox, officers returns to G-n. knox, and an
additional deed from Samuel Waldo of Boston
to- Samuel W. Dowse of Ireland, conveying
400 acres land. Mr.. O'Brion is a member Of
the Cincinnati" and his grandfather, Capt
John George, served eight years under Knox
It is reported of his grandmother, Mrs. George
that she rode by Bunker Hill just after The
close of the battle, and was thrown from hel
horse. and assisted to remount by British off
Ger. This lady lived and passed her last days
in Thomaston. These documents were for
merly in the library of the late Col. Henry B
Humphrey.
The Hon William Goold of Windham wal
introduced and read an interesting paper OF
the Chute family, which will be published ii
| the PRESS later.
MIR. ELWELL'S PAPER.
| E. Fl. Elwell Esq, editor of the Portland
| Transcript, was then introduced, and read
| very interesting paper on "Our Poet Cover
nor,'' the late Gov. Lincoln. He pronounced
| Gov Lincoln the ablest man of the three frs
| governors, and possessed of genius. He wa
born in " Worcester, Mass, 1888, admitted t
the bar in 1911, removed to Fryeburg in 1917
and there wrote his poem of "The Village
which not only described the beautiful scener
about Fryeburg, but was remarkable for its ad
vanced sentiments on questions of moral ns
ture, especially anti-slavery, which he advo
Gated sixty-four years ago. He took stron
state grounds in the northwestern boundar
question, and delivered the address at the lay
ing of the corner stone of the capitol at AL
| guSta.
The thanks OF the society were returne'
to Mr. Elwell for his able and interesting pi
per, and the society adjourned after John
Hull of Deering presented paper on the rec
ords of York and Cumberland counties at A
fred. His paper was referred to committt
consisting of James P. Baxter, Esq, Hol
William Goold and Edward FL. Elwell, Esq.
Evening Meet ing.
Bv 730 ia the evening the hall was we
filed by the friends and admirers of Pro
Packard. who had assembled to do him homo