The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-09-23
THE CHILDREN OF YORK
Hold Their Third Annual Reunion at
Long Island,
And Enjoy an Old Fashioned Rhode
island Clam Bake.

ASlue from the WIND, which during the
forenoon was blowing strong, smoky SOU
wester down the harbor, the weather yester-
day favored the York Society. Still, as
many of the excursionists said, it was a little
late for an outdoor affair,-a fact which
probably kept many of the sons and daugh-
tiers of the county from attending yesterdays
picnic At 1915 o'clock the Mary Libby left
Custom House Wharf with about thirty
aboard, among whom were d. B. Kicker, the
secretary of the society, Rev. A. K. P.
Small, Judge A. S. Kicker of Lawrence,
Kansas, native of York county; William
G. Davis, John Lane, DR.. Meserve, and
George 81. Small of Pennington. The 1890
boat, the Fannie g., carried Hon. Bion Brad
bury, the president of the society, H. N
Jose, III. III. d. Pierce of New York, E. S.
Ridlon, Rufus Stanwood, p w. Mcintyre of
the Argus, c. S. True, J. P. Hobbs, j. N
Winslow, and about forty others, many of
whom were ladies. Among those who were
conspicuously absent were Congressman
Reed and Hampden Fairfield, ESQ.,, of Saco,
whose letters of regret were read at the din
ner. The sail down the bay to Long Island
was by no means the least of the pleasant
events of the day 1t was particularly ap-
preciated by the guests of the society who
had come from abroad and among other
things it served as great appetite sharpener.
Immediately upon the arrival of thelast
boat, and after an inspection of the huge pile
of what seemed to be nothing but steaming
seaweed, the company seated themselves at
the tables in the spacious but rustic dining
hall To many of the younger generation of
York an old-time clam bake like the one in
progress was novelty. At the very bottom
and beneath pile of rocks were the red hot
Goals. The next stratum to the
hot rocks was com bination of CLANS, cod,
cunners and corn with four OF five large pans
full of eggs. This was covered with a large
piece of thick canvas and the whole COM
pletely hidden by sea-weed. As soon as the
Workers were seated at the table Caterer
Ruby, with the assistance of the ancient
mariner of the island, who is high authority
on clam bakes, pitched off the sea-weed, re-
moved the canvas and found the dinner hot
and ready to be served. 1t was a well-cooked
dinner, just the kind to afford a feeling of
relief to a long suffering community. On
the part of Caterer Ruby and his sea-faring
assistant it was a genealogical success.
Among those who seemed to enjoy it most
was President Bradbury himself who sat at
the head of the larger of the two tables. On
his right sat DR.. Small, j. W. Lane, d. B.
Kicker and Judge Kicker; ON his left sat
Mayor Deering, FL. III. D. Pierce H. N. Jose
and DR.. MeServe.
At the close of the dinner Mr.. Bradbury
rose to his feet and in very neat little
speech offered the members of the society
and their guests hearty welcome. He
touched upon few of the past events in the
history of the society, commented upon its
present and made few off-hand prophecies
as to its future In conclusion he offered
toast to the city of Portland
Mayor Deering responded. He said that
although he was now a citizen of Portland
he was still proud to call himself son of
again able to be with so many members of
the society, who were sons and daughters of
the same county. He spoke of the success of
the occasion and was of the opinion that the
of the society if it were held little earlier
in the season. After mentioning few
York landmarks like Squire Pierson and
DR.. Dean of Biddeford the Mayer concluded
his remarks. Mr. Bradbury then called up
on E. S. Ridlon, Esq, for an account of the
late Parsonsfeld centennial.
Mr.. Ridlon after a few Introductory re-
marks, gave good off hand account of the
Parsonsfeld centennial which occurred Aug.
10Th and which at the time was described in
be able to call himself both son of York
and especially OF Parsonsfeld, the town
where he spent his childhood and youth. Mr..
Rfdlon had much to say of the agriculture of
the town and in conclusion took pleasure in
calling up such famous York county names as
Mcintyre, Bradley, Sweat, Doe and Dearbon.
The name of Mcintyre prompted President
Bradbury to call upon Mr.. Philip Mcintyre
of the Argus. The following are
MIR. McINTYREs REMARKS.
The eloquent and interesting remarks of Mr.
Ridlon relieve me from tilial duty imposed by
Mr. Kicker. Much has been said here today about
the Sons of York. They deserved the praise
more should be said about the daughters Of York
who have so widely distinguished themselves in
SO many ways, as writers, as painters, as women
OF business, and in that most honorable of wom-
anly occupations notable housewifery.
To our mothers. "our sisters, our cousins and
in us and to the deprivation of their society and
wise and kindly giiardianship-so often rendered
inevitable by circumstances most that is bad. The
scent rightly entitied,~the' White Rosemespec
tally BELTS our women, and might be worn by our
men as reminder of the things TO which they
1t might be well for the society to adopt the
White Rose as its badge-to be worn by the won-
en- proudly as a testimonial of worthy things
achieved-by the men hopefully as an Incentive To
lofty and pure lives.
Hereupon Secretary Kicker arose and
moved that, inasmuch as the House of York
in days gone by had adopted the white rose
the same. Mr.. Ricker's motion was carried.
After calling upon DR.. Meserve, who begged
to be excused from speaking Mr.. Bradbury
read
CONGRESSMAN REEDS LETTER
PORTLAND, Me-, Sept. 10, 1885,
My Dear Nh. Kicker:
When you invited me this afternoon to attend
the approaching meeting of the Sons of York
to you the lively appreciation which have Of the
unexampled kindness of York county to me any
time the last half dozen years. that T forgot to
claim the right | have tn he IN IN ha
reckoned among the Sons of York. MY grand
fathers mother was reputed to have lived to be
113years old In trying to find out if had any rea
sonable hope of reaching such respectable old
age on account of its being the custom of the
family, discovered that she lived in Eliot but re-
greet to say that instead of reaching really ripe
old age she died in the prime of life at 98 the air
of York county, salubrious as it is, falling little
short of making its inhabitants immortal. found
however that she was the greatgranddaughter of
Peter Weare, well known as stout citizen of old
York in the days when the Indians made the
If you allow anybody to fraternize with you who
traces back to York SO long ago as that you will
not being with you, for / am obliged by engage
ments made before your invitation came, to go
elsewhere.
Please make my regrets and excuses.
Yours truly, T. B. REED.
Following this the President read
MIR. FAIRFIELDs LETTER.
SAco, Sept. IS, 1885,
Hon. Bion Bradbury:
:, My Dear Sr,--Your very kind invitation to help
the York Society at its clam bake on Tuesday is
received. shall be very glad, if my business en-
gagements will allow me, to be with you then 1t
has been exceedingly pleasant to read the pro-
ceedings of the society. The pride of those Of us
who remain in "Old York; is excited when we
know that those who have left us do not forget
nor cease to love the old county
feel that my title to be called son of York is
perfect. The last three generations of my ances-
tors, both maternal and paternal, have been resi-
dents of Saco and am now occupying the old
homestead, busily engaged in rearing another;
tions. For l now have the opportunity to chuckle,
to the Governor" Gas they call HIM point his
finger at me, when his mother asks him