The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-02-26
A Leaf From Local History.
A LETTER FROM ONE OF THE MEN WHO HELP
ED TO BUILD THE BELFAST DISTILLERY.

LETTER FROM ONE OF THE MEN WHO HELP
ED TO BUILD THE BELFAST DISTILLERY.
EAST OTISFIELD, ME-. Feb. II, 1885.
To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: BY the
favor of Mrs. Simeon c. Knight of South Bridg-
ton, Me-, (who lent me the book | have read
Joseph Williamson's History of Belfast, and
found much to interest me. Mrs. Knight Is
daughter of Mr.. Jonathan Durham of your
city, and Mr.. Durham and myself are so near
the same age, thought to say that | was born
May 2nd and Mr.. Durham May 9th, 1902. What
| found in the History of special interest to me,
was the mention made on page 6S3, of the
building of the distiery ''by John sade and
son of Boston,
Now. as was one of the party that helped
to build that d>tery, | propose to tell you
something of what know concerning its being
built. In August, 1924. was at work in Bos
ton for Capt. John Slade, Che was Ex- Captain
OF an Artillery Company when he was called
upon by parties interested, to 60 to Belfast and
view site for distillery, and engage to take
charge and oversee the building of the same.
The Captain took passage in coasting vessel
bound for Belfast, and i'll going to, and return
ing from, kept IL certain island which was pass
ed, to the left hand or larboard quarter. The
query with the Captain was whether he sailed
around the island, or only two sides. |
leave it for others to solve the problem. The
Captain engaged to oversee the work and en-
gagged his men in Boston. Their names were
as follows: John Slade, master builder, his son
William, about nineteen years of age, Isaac
Slade brother of John, and James Fuller, all of
Boston; - IIovey of New Sharon, Me-, Samuel
Beyea of st. John, n. b., and Otis Fernad of
Otistied, Me. The party went to the counting
room of Mr.. Upton, or Curtis, as the case might
have been and signed an agreement that they
would individually go to Belfast and work
on the distilery until finished, unless honor
ably discharged. Sept 9th, 1924. the party
of seven Workmen, took passage in Capt.
John McFarland's schooner bound for Bel
fast, and putting to sea, and on the course
the schooner was becalmed off Gloucester
(Cape ANN and made slow headwav all the
voyage. She was five days from Boston to
Belfast, where we arrived Sept. 14th, 1924. We
began work the 18th and first built shop to
work in by setting round posts in the ground
and boarding to them. Then we put the roof
on the distiIlery building and then began to
make those "forty-two thousand gallon els
| terms" 1t took us about five months TO COM
pete the work. My last charge for six days
work was made Feb. 9TH 1925, and just sixty
years ago the 9Th day of this Feb. 1888. Capt
Slade was Il quiet, unassuming man, not IL
ritable, but generally we'll composed and
commodatmg. Capt William Barnes was our
pay-naster and Il good appearing man. lie had
been in the habit of chewing tobacco to excess,
and to break himself of the habit took to chew
| ing soft. white pine wood, which took the to-
bacto stain from his teeth and left them white
as ivory.
One circumstance, or rather remarkable in
cident which took place while was in Belfast,
was that of the sloop Liberty. from Portland
bound eastward. After losing both anchors,
and becoming unmanageabe She was drifted in
snow storm with a very strong wind TO
| within some two miles of Belfast village and
| set upon two rocks which were near each other,
and there sat, perfectly erect, high and dry
about six or eight feet above the base of the
rocks. and about six or eight rods from the
maui idllu lie crew Ol lllIet men WI c;tlut
| to the village the next morning (Sunday) said
| the Soop never moved after She first struck the
rocks. | accompanied the crew who went
with an anchor to bury in the mud by which 10
| haul the sloop of the next full tide. 1t WAS
not remarkable, hat the sloop lost her anchors
or became unmanageable, but it was 50 because
| of her being set upon the rocks and not broken
| to pieces.
| | left Belfast about the eighth or tenth Of
| Feb. 1>25, and was some four or five DAYS on
the voyage to Portland. arriving Saturday
| night, and was taken down sick on the follow
| ing Tuesday where | was confined with Is
| ihoid fever some five weeks; arriving at my
| native home April , u, lS25 having been ab-
| sent from home lust fifteen months to a day. /
| have seen only one of my fellow Workmen on
! the di>tiilery Since parted from them in 1873.
| saw Samuel lieyru in CIintonvllc, Ma>s., III
| 1916
| And now let me say that, through the mercy
of God, IN whom | trust and hope for SaN Il
| ton, II still live" and enjoy Il comfortable de-
| gree of health and am we'll wi>her to the
| whole human family. OTIS FEKNALD.