Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-10-26

scene, and pointed out the Denbo woods
where he had gone hunting. All along thu
road going TO and from the Knob Mr.. Blaine
! would saw, - the carriage approached
farm house: "That's the farm of 80 and 80,
and in no case was he wrong, though some.
times the firm had new owner. The ole
| farmers, their wives and children came tt
the roadside, and the visitor had q pleasant
| word for them all.
When he was years old, Mr.. Blaine's par
ents moved from the house where he wal
born, to frame dwelling near the river. bu
South of the bridge. Thither the carriags
| turned and there quite knot of people hat
gathered. 1t was curious to note how cor
dial were the poorest people to Mr.. Blaine
| Old negroes, who remembered working fol
his father and who had seen him a rosy
checked lad, playing in the fields, greeted
him frequently, and quite a knot of old neigh
bors had gathered aI the wooden House,
| as Mr.. Blaine's father had called it. Their
the carriage came back across the river anc
drove back to the house of Solomon krepps
who lives near where young Blaine went t.
school to Miss Mary Graves. He used Il
come across the river in skif.
ELKISs MAKES Discovery.
shlu mF. EIklub as the CdfTlagt
turned back to the hotel, ave found out the
secret of your manner You remember wher
first met you in Congress said that you
were not like the stiff New Englanders, but
had way about ysu like a Southerner or q
Westerner. l never could understand it, bu,
do now Nearly all the settlers of this
region came from Maryland and Virginia.
Brownsville itself, with its dirty street, pigs
in the roadway, quaint architecture and gen.
eral happy go lucky air looks for all the
world like Winchester, Va. You're by
early association Southerner."
"Well, if you've discovered the secret I'm
glad of it," Mr.. Blaine laughingly answered,
''for it's been troubling you long time"
1t was 5 o'clock when Mr. Blaine reached
the hotel to find it overlooking with excur-
sionists. He shook hands for an hour, and
after supper went over to the stand which
had been built facing a sloping hill. Over
5000 people were there, all cheering as Mr..
Blaine mounted the platform and stood bow
ing. He was introduced by Chairman Eli
drummer, who dec AIRED that England might
have her Gladstone and Germany her Bis
marck, but America had the peer of any
statesman in the world Brownsville and its
visitors from Washington and Fayette coun-
ties cheered vigorously and then MIR. Blaine
spoke rs follows:
HOME AFTER YEARS OF ABSENCE.
1t isa source Of great pleasure to see that after
many years of absence have been able to review
the place of my birth and the scenes of boyhood
have spent the day visiting old friends recalling the
faces of those knew in former days. reviving mem
cries of events which once enveloped my life. l
should indeed be wanting In veneraton for ancestry
and in respect for old associations ii did not retain
q warm place in the warmest corner of my heart for
the community on both sides of the Monongahela. in
dtVtas hAtrr Naah nvfN Eapa
ties. was by residence identified with Washing
ton. but far personal association were involved
county lines were absolutely obliterated. On this
side was the social centre of the whole community.
On this side was the post office through which we
maintained our connection with the outer world.
During my boyhood this was very lively town. Its
connections were large East and West, and business
along the National Road was extensive, and its
steamboats,, built on these shores, brought into
connection with all Western and Southern ports on
the Ohio and Missouri and the Mississippi. The
National Road, whose history should be written.
the great artery of trade between the middle East
and the middle West, and contributed largely to the
early settlement of southern Ohio, Indiana and H.
linois long in advance of the prosperous region of
the lakes. The steamboats, were not behind the
most OF the world. AS early as ISL. think, Capt.
Henry Shreve took the steamer Enterprise from here
to new Orleans, as have some family reasons for
knowing. though it is possible may be mistaken in
the exact day.
Permit me for moment to refer mostly to myself
left here in the summer of 1873 to enter college,
and from that time. except my short visits during
coneke vacation ana i0r u few years after gradual
Ing, have known little personally of the town. In
the last thirty three years have been here but
My mothers family having removed few miles
from the river, could not get here often, but my
long absence has not impaired my affections for the
place and for its people, and can not forget that
both sides Of this beautiful river five generations Of
my kindred lie buried. | came to Pennsylvania part
ly on political errand, but when l stand in this
presence and on this soil have no politics. l re-
member only the old town and the old people,
friends of my family through all these generations,
without regard 10 party or Political difference.
only remember now the old families the Bowmans,
the Dawsons, the Clarks, the Jacobs. the Millers,
the RobiDsons, the Thorntons and long list which
might add with my ancestors. They were the
ly people who settled here. They came from the
Cumberland Valley, from Chester, from New Jersey,
from Maryland and from Virginia. They were good
people all full of courage enterprise and intelligence
fitted for frontier life, and this a frontier post
when many OF them came, my great-grand
father settling In 1878. venerate the memory of
those early settlers and cheri.h for their descen
dants warm regard which political difference
not enace. The cordially of your reception, the
vast numbers in which you assembled have touched
me deeply, and can only return my thanks and my
gratitude. find with pride and pleasure that dur
ing my long absence you have not forgotten me- and
need not add can never forget you. l bid you
most kindly good night aud goodbye.
The air rang with cheers, and when they
subsidized little there were loud cries for
Elkins. That gentleman said that he was
merely present to enjoy with MIR. Blaine his
visit to the scenes of his boyhood, and that ne
felt to speak in their midst would be almost
proclamation. The whole crowd followed Mr..
Blaine to the hotel, and when they emerged
from the wide space where they had been and
massed into the narrow street, they filed it
for blocks. They cheered and cheered until
Mr.. Blaine appeared at window and bowed,
and then they consented to go home.