The Press., 1885-10-15

The Southbridge Journal editor has been celebrating the 14th anniversary of his assuming the control of that lively and prosperous sheet, inviting many distin- guished friends to rejoice with him. The guests numbered many prominent mem- bers of the Massachusetts press associa- tion, to whom MT. Whitaker had grown tired in explaining where Southbridge was located and how to reach it. Any one will admit that it grows monotonous after awhile to keep explaining that ones home is twenty miles northeast of Stafford Springs, which, as the dearest and easiest way of defining its locality, is doubtless that adopted by the genial Whitaker. MT. w. took the helm of the Southbridge Journal (nautically speaking though there is nothing nall-ty about him) when young and poor, as he states it. He has kept his youth, despite crowding much hard work into that period. If he has also retained his poverty he hasn't had his deserts, but we fear that he has, unless he has had some outside business to grow rich upon, for he has made too good paper to have amassed wealth. He has made the Journ- al 8 widely circulated and influential pa- per. During his fourteen years of resi- dence he has seen new hitching posts set along Main-st., besides some on the other street, the blacksmith shop re-shingled, and new plank walk built in front of the village store At least we suppose he has. We were never in Southbridge. Seriously his village has grown larger and better, and the chairman of the board of select men told the visitors at the banquet given by the editor that it was much the work of the editor and his paper that things had been so greatly bettered during the four teen years past
 -Rockvilles treatment of the Cogswell fountain statue may have been ill good taste artistically but ill some other re- spects discreditable to the town whose prominent citizens and one of its journals wink at the act Dr. Cogswell donated the fountain, it was accepted after due in- spection, and then ignominiously mutilat- ed and submerged in Snipsic by crowd easily to be identified. The mistake was in ever accepting a gift neitherl ornament \ al nor needed. Once consenting to tlfe donors mourning the expense of the gift, the town should fill it's part of the con- tract, or make Dr. Cogswell good for the cost of it.
 -Geo. D. Colburn has shown us two an- cient papers, property of E. N. Lawson of Union. One bears date Oct 18th, 177G, and commissions Thomas Lawson ''to be lieutenant of the 11th company or train band in the 9th regiment in his majesty's service" It bears the signature of Jona- thon Trumbull "captain general and con- mander in chief of his majestys colony of paper is yet more ancient-a deed bearing date of July 7, 1732, by which Wm. Mack nall conveys to John Lawson tract of land. The consideration is one hundred pounds, the number of acres Is undeci- pherable, but the bounds given are "east- erly on land of Colonel Brown, deceased, sontherly on Ashford line, west on land of Robert Paul, north on the land of Captain Steel"
 South Coventry Correspondence Willi- mantle Journal Rev. M. McKeon, of Stafford Springs, had very pleasant sur prise last Sunday, after the regular church service. A meeting was organized with Henry Sweetman as chairman, who repair ed to the vestry, and waited upon Father McKeon" informing him that his presence was desired in the room below. He will lingly accompanied MT. s., when J. F. Young in behalf of the congregation, pre- sented him with a nice gold watch, cost ing one hundred and twenty y-seven dollars. It was quite surprise, but he was equal to the occasion and replied feelingly, showing that he prized it not merely for it's money value, but for the spirit mani fested by the donors. Rev. MT. McKeon has been acting priest of this church fo1 the past four years, and through his h. strumentality the people have paid off a two-thousand dollar debt The amount cleared at the late fair and the subscrip- tion of $127, amounted to nearly $750.
 F. M. AUGUR TO THE FARMERS.
 The following address by P. M. Augur