Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-05-01

dressing establishment. two buildings con.
nected BY fume, and on the same spo,
where the nour mill Is now standing. I wa
present when those mills were burned and
recollect distinctly Of spending many an
evening among the wool bags watching
the Colonel, as well as his apprentices, as
they took the wool from the picker and
spread 1t upon the apron OF the frst carder
when 1t came out on drum previous to
being laid on the apron Of the second ma
chine, through which IL was TO be con-
verted into rolls for spinning. Almost
every farmer In those days had flock OF
sheep and from their wool was manufac-
tured almost all the clothes worn by the
fsmlly-females as well as males. Pressed
nannels Of good texture, and fue finish,
were about the only clothes worn by the
rich as well as poor. Our mothers could
have no higher compliments paid their
daughters than that they excelled In spin
ming and weaving, and with such exercise
no jewels were necessary to add beauty to
their looks; sparkling eyes and red cheeks
were the result OF the solid physical exer-
else OF the spinsters OF old times. The
music OF the old spinning wheels was the
grand minor to the rich harvest songs In
the. old household, whilst the buzzing OF
the fax wheel like the cooling OF the doves
intimsted the domestic happiness OF the
family circle have sat hours at time
beside my mother, at the fax wheel, to
witness the fine linen thread drawn from
the fax; and the richest curtains OF our
household were spun, woven and bleached
BY her. have watched the old fax brake,
as It was worked to break the fax and 1t
1t for the wheel, not only TO manufacture
into fine linen; but the coarser sort Swim
gle-toe, as 1t was called was TO be made
into cloth to be worn by the noble, self
reliant men OF olden times. The bangs
worn by the ladies, In those days, were in
the shape OF checked linen handkerchiefs,
homemade, serving the double purpose OF
protecting the hair from the dust OF the
fax, as also to keep out the hdy-seed, which
to them was not commendable, and, as
now, very Objectionable in the uncombed
hair of their suitors.
Col Parsons built his house In 1918, on
land purchased or Seth Morse,-the same
purchased OF Elias Stowell by Joseph Rust
In 1909
The LsBarron house, mentioned by "Ab-
sentee." was a shanty. built on Stowelfs
land; LaBarrou was s squatter. The story
OF LaBarron's son dying from hydrophobia
was news 70 me. was we'll acquainted
with the whole family; Russell, Sylvester,
Betsey and Jane, and they were alive when
last heard from them. This shanty was
situated about one-halr mile north OF Odd
Fellows Hall, at the forks OF the road lead
Ing to Woodstock and Rumford. l think
the only death in the south part OF the
town occasioned by the infusion OF blood
from a dead fox-said TO have been rabies
was Abraham Bolster, who formerly
owned the Capt. White farm at the corner
OF the roads, above Col. Sweat.
Joseph Rust, who was the first Register
Of Deeds In oxford County, never built
any house In Paris, but boarded with Cap
tain Seth Morse, who kept tavern at that
time-it being the first one opened In
Paris In 1t the county records were kept
and In II was organized the first Masonic
Lodge, which some writer recently stated
was organized on Paris Hill. This Ma
sonic Lodge continued To occupy chambers
In the old Morse Tavern until they united
With the school district in building a two
story building for the double purpose OF
school room and masonic hall, and which
was occupied by them until broken up
through anti-Mssonic influences. think
Jonathan Bemis was the first Master.
Alansou Mellen and many others Of Paris
Hill, were members OF that Lodge, since
my recollection. We scholars imagined
that the old hall was inhabited by demons,
at times, and It was with fear and tremol-
ing that we crept up the stairs to "peek"
through the key hole, and the tall candle
sticks and Tyler's sabre were seen to move
and when little noise was heard, we
moved very precipitately, tumoling over
each other down stairs.
More anon.