The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-03-29
Our George Attends one of Hon. Fred
AtWOOd's Receptions

neatly gotten up invitation, inviting me to be
present at Wmterport, March %, at reception
to be given to the merchants of that town, and
then saw the name of Fred Atwood attached to
the bottom, | made up my mind that should
be there Fred's autograph is a queer thing.
1t resembles an angle worm with the collie. If
Fred could get a lot of fac-smiles made out of
rubber, they would sell like hot cakes for trout
bait.
Winterport is pretty town, nesting on the
banks of the Penobscot, about Is miles below
Bangor. The weather we have had this VIM
ter would make most any town nestle, and pull
its night gown down, and draw its legs up to
its chin, and keep still and try ard not freeze.
1t is a thriving village and has a sort of clean,
money-to-let look about it, and the people be-
have themselves and let the other towns send
delegates to State Prison. We found Atwood
at his place of business as calm as one of Wig
gins storms and not looking at all as if he had
a hungry crowd on his hands to fill up during
the evening. He had frozen the river over,
and had the ice polished, and took us down and
set us on an ice boat. and for an hour we ami
hilated space on boat commanded by Capt.
polar sea- which is really Il wonder. For a
space of few miles between Winterport and
Bucksport, the river never freezes, and no
matter how thick the ice may be above and be-
low these points, here is an open sea.
AT eight o'clock in the evening the guests
assembled at the residence of Mr.. Atwood.
which is a commodiou> two story house, and
l,,-l l.;
hearty welcome. The guests had no difficulty
in catching on" that it was merchants re-
cepton. on entering they behed in one cor
ner Of the ball bundle of shovels while in the
other was bundle of axe hclves. Bags of salt
and flour and packages of groceries were put
around in different places. while on the walls
were familiar quotations." such as flour
steady, mackere - active, checse-livclv, &c.
Tables were spread in three adjoining rooms,
and set for % guests This was the seventh re-
ception Mr.. A. has given. entertaining in all
over 300, mostly his fellow citizens. Although
ostensibly merchants reception, there was a
sprinkling of doctors, lawyers and strangers
from abroad. The tables We're Handsomely set
and in each plate card. bearing the words
'Wec0me. March -. 1Ss3." | don't know how
other people feel bat if ! am going to have a
square meal want the food itself and not a
description of it, | would rather have plate
of nice steak than to read the best bill Of fare
that was ever printed; therefore am not 70
ing to make The readers mouth water by telling
hirn what we mad. Suffice it, that we bad a fine
supper, and things in and out Of season. FredS
garden must be on the south side of his house.
when he can serve up radi>hc> and cucumbcrs
in March Among those who sat down were
Z. c. -Arey, grocer. u. II. Smith, of the Mt.
Waldo paving Co., John NJ. Snow. who travels
for Mr.. Atwood, &. II. button. landlord of the
Commercial, II. y. Sanborn, Eastern agent Of
the Bangor steamers. T.. Cushing. Esq. of Cam
den. Genl Agent of the Portland and Nj. De
sert steamers, whose genial, pleasant face is
known to every man. woman and child on the
Maine sca-coa>t Benz. Burr. Of the Bangor
Wing, who wears the peasante>t face in the
State of Maine. Il man YOU feel like calling BEN
the first time You see him. and of asking him if
he doesn't want to keep your pocket book, feel
ing that it would be safer with him than in your
own pocket. Howard owen Of the Maine
Farmer. the mceiest. most modest ana difidrnt
newspaper man this side Of the equator. Owen
is so bashfuI that the minute he comes into a
room where there are strangers he begins to
hunt for rat-hole in the mop-board. where he
can crawl in and hide. Judge Rich. the Jour
nails CORES pondent. Lutte Haley Lewis Atwood.
Thomas Atwood, {. \. Pisbury. editor of the
journal, b. p. Hall, W. Haley. Capt f. A.
Mansfield +. a. Snow. W. Hill, :. AZ. Holt,
Drs. Cleveland, SWEET and Baker, John Stokell
W. o. French, W. W. Fogg, A. 4. Leans and
J. {. Atwood. vest manufacturers, W. II. Bak-
er, Harrison Howes. Il. f. Rowe, local agent
of the Boston and Bangor steamers. +. W.
Richie. S. W. Cotlren, clerk and cashier for Mi.
Atwood. and many others
Miss Hattie Hall presided at the piano and
was accompanied by c. b. Lougee on the
cornet, and Percy Hall, baritone. Eating by
music rather breaks fellow up at first. who
is not used to it, but after he catches the time
and tune. it acts as an appetizer, and he can
get away with whole bill of fare. when under
ordinary circumstances he would not more than
get down to ''Roasts." Regrets Were received
from Hon. Hannibal Ilamn, Hon. Eugene
Hale, Hon. Chas. A. Boutelle, and +. Ii. John
son, Esq, of Faneuil Hall market and Capt.
Atwood of Boston. all of whom were unable to
be present, on account of business engagements
After the plates We're removed Mr.. Atwood
made a speech of welcome to his guests and
touched Oh the perpleXites of the merchants
life, and closed by saying that in large corpo-
rations like London, the Lord Mavor usually
welcomed distinguished guests. and he would
play that Winterport was a corporation, and
would call on Mayor Arey, Who for lG
years had been first Selectman, to respond
Mr. Arey, in a neat and humorous speech, well
coined the strangers, and presented to Howard
owen and Our George a parchment bearing the
seal of office. giving them the freedom of the
city, and also presenting each with the keys of
the city, which were some two feet long. and
large in proportion. Mr.. Gushing made few
happy remarks and was followed by DR.. SWEET
and Howard Owen. Howard has talked to- and
at, everything from SUNDAY school to Il State
Convention, and has the thing down fine. You
can wake him out of a sound sleep, and he will
sit right up i'll bed and make a speech that will
make your blood curdle and your hair stand up
straight on end. At about this state of the game
| began to feel nervous. My back began to cool
off, and slipped thermometer up under my
shirt, along my spine. and found that ii regis
tered 10 below zero. My heart was making a
thousand revolutions minute. and my pulse
Were running down TO twenty-five. Receptions
began to lose their interest for me. and longed
TO be child again, and to be laid across my
mothers knee, butter side up, so TO speak
My head was swimming, would have been If
It could swim, when the host called upon me
for a few remarks. [ remember getting up and
opening my eyes and seeing two hundred thou
sand eXpectant faces. smiling faces, pleased
faces, and i remember sitting down a few mo-
ments later and closing my eyes the saddest
heart-broken cluster of counenances that |
hope will ever be my lot to see. The looks of
agony and anguish depicted on them will haunt
me to my dying day: but am as innocent of
any wrong us a child unborn, for did not 90
there to make speech, but TO sample the food
and tell the readers of the journal about the re-
ception.
After supper the guests adjourned TO the va
rlous rooms, where the hours were passed in
singing and cards Those who cared to smoke
found cigars in the library, and none of these
three for five cent ones either. At late hour
the party broke up and returned home, to lie
awake the balance of the night and in their