The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-03-31
belfast journal
Our George
Attends one of Fred Atwood's Recep-
tions.

IN at least one reception, and when l read
the neatly gotten up invitation, inviting me
to be present at Winterport, March y, 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. Ffed's au-
tograph is queer thing. 1t resembles an
angle worm with the collie. If Fred could
get a lot of fac-similes made out of rubber,
Winterport is a pretty town, nesting on
the banks of the Penobscot, about Is miles
below Bangor. The weather we have had
this winter would make most any town mes
tie, and pub its nightgown down, and draw
its legs up to its chin, and keep still and try
and not freeze. 1t is thriving village and
has sort of clean, money-to-let look about
it, and the people behave themselves ana let
the other towns send delegates to State Pris-
on. We found Atwood at his plsce of business
as calm as one of Wiggins's storms and not
looking at all as if he had 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 MS
lated space on boat commanded by Capt.
A. &. Fernald- We had a view of the ''open
polar sea- which Is really wonder. For
a space of few miles between Winterport
and Bucksport, the river meyer freezes, and
no matter how thick the ice may be sabove
and below 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 commodious two-story house,
and were received by him and his wife with
a hearty welcome. The guests had no diff
Guilty in catching on that it was a mer-
chants reception, as on entering they be-
held in one corner of the hall bundle of
shovels, while in the other was bundle of
axe helves. Bags of salt and flour and pack
ages Of groceries were put around in differ
ent places, while on the walls were familiar
quotations. such as, tlour-steady, mack
erel-active, cheese--lively, sc. Tables
were spread in three adjoining rooms, and
set for 73 guests. This was the seventh re-
ception Mr.. A. has given, entertaining in
all over 500 mostly his fellow citizens. AL
though ostensibly merchants reception,
there was sprinkling of doctors, lawyers
and strangers from abroad. The tables
were handsomely set and in each plate was
a card, bearing the words Welcome, March
%, 1851 l don't know how other people
feel but if l 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 going
TO make the readers mouth water by telling
him what we had. Suffice 1t, that we had
fine supper and things 10 and out of season.
Ffed's garden must be on the south side Of
his house, when he can serve up radishes
and eucumbers in March. Among those
who sat down were E. C. Arey, grocer, ID.
FL. Smith, of the Mt. Waldo Paving Co.,
John NJ. Snow, who travels for Mr.. Atwood,
G. Ell. Dutton, landlord of the Commercial
q. ID. Sanborn, Eastern agent of the Bangor
steamers, Z. Gushing, Esq, of Camden,
Gen'l Agent of the Portland and Mt. Desert
steamers, whose genial, pleasant face is
known to every man. woman and child on
the Maine sea-cnast, BENZ. Burr of the Ban
gor Wing, who wears the pleasantest face in
the State OF Maine, a man you feel like cali
ing ben" the first time you see him, and Of
asking him if he doesn't want to keep your
pocket book, feeling that it would be safer
With him than in your own pocket. Howard
Owen of the Maine Farmer, the meekest,
most modest and difiident newspaper man
this side OF the equator. Owen is so bash
full that the moment he comes into room
where there are strangers he begins to hunt
for a rat-hole in the mop-board, where he
can crawl in and hide. Judge Rich, the Jour
nails correspondent, Lutte Haley, Lewis At
wood, Thomas Atwood, G. A. Pillsbury,
editor of the Journal, B. P. Hall,
f. A. Snow, W. Hill, s. w. Holt,
Drs. Cleveland, SWEET & Baker, John Stok
ell, w. 0. French, w. w. Fogg, A. A. Leans
and ]. G. Atwood, vest manufacturers. w.
III. Baker, Harrison Howes, r. E. Rowe, To-
cal agent of the Boston and Bangor steam
ers, f. w. Richie, s. w. Coffren, clerk and
cashier for Mr.. Atwood, and many Others
Miss Hattie Hall presided at the piano and
was accompanied by G. B. Longee on the
cornet, and Percy Hall, baritone Eating
bv 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 a whole bill of
fare, when under ordinary circumstances he
won'd not more than get down TO 'Roasts.n
Regrets were received from Hon. Hannibal
Hamlin, Hon. Euge,e Hale, Hon. Chas A
Boutelle, and F. FL. johnson, ESQ.,, of Fam
euil Hall market, and Capt. Atwood Of Bos-
ton, all of whom were unable to be present,
on account of business engagements.
After the plates were removed Mr.. At
wood made a speech of welcome to his
guests. and touched on the perplexities Of
the merchants life, and closed by saying
that in large corporations like London, the
Lord Mayor usually welcomed distinguished
guests, and he would play that Winterport
was corporation, and would call on ss8lay
orr Arey, who for 16 years had been first
selectman, to respond. Mr.. Arey, in neat
and humorous speech, welcomed the stran-
gers, and presented to Howard Owen and
Our George 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 a
few happy remarks and was followed by DR..
SWEET and Howard Oven. Howard has
talked to and at everything from Sunday
school to State Convention, and has the
thing down fine. You can wake him out Of
a sound sleep, and he will sit right up in
bed and make speech that viii 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 I'M
der my shirt, alone my spine, and found
that it registered 10 below zero. My heart
was making a Thousand revolutions min
ute, and my pulse was running down TO
twenty-five. Receptions began to lose their
interest Tor me, and / logged 10 be child
again, and to be laid across my mothers
knee, butter side up, 80 to speak My
head was swimming, or would have been If
it could swim, when the host called upon
me for few remarks / remember getting
up and opening my eyes aud seeing two
hundred thousand expectant faces, smiling
faces, pleased faces, and | remember sitting
down few moments later and closing my
eyes on the saddest heart broken cluster of
countenances 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 as
child unborn, for did not 90 there to make
a speech, but to sample the food aud tell the
readers Of the journal about the reception.
After supper the guects adjourned to the
various 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 minds eye watch the digestion
of their supper, and to argue the question,
pro and con, as to whether coffee is condu-
Give to wakefulness.
Mr. Atwood is well known as one of the
largest dealers In agricultural implements in
the State. He is an active, energetic man.
He wears glasses, bat in my opinion he
could see enough with his naked eye--as
much anyway aq the majority af hta fellow