The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-09
NoRwAY's CENTENNIAL.
Ten Thousand People in Attendance.
The Town In Blaze of Bunting and
Glory of Flags.
Eloquent Grafton by Judge Virgin.
Special to the Press.

Special to the Press.
NORWAY, Sept S.-Ts-day was a red let
ter day in the history of the town OF Nor
way, one of the most beautiful and thrifty in
solid old Oxford county. the native home OF
SC many good men and fair women Just
one hundred years has slipped away since
Joseph and Jeremia Steven, Jeremiah and
Amos Hall, George Leslie and Nathan
Noble struck an axe for clearing on the
pleasant valley beneath the lofty shelter of
what is known as Pixies Hill, at the foot of
the beautiful lake Pennesseewassee. Upon
the same spot to-day is one of the most
prosperous and beautiful of our New Eng
land villages and its centennial was observed
in a style beftting its enterprising and
hospitable people. The attendance of its
former sons and daughters was unexpected
ly large and the people from the neighboring
towns came in such numbers as to swell the
gathering to from ten to twelve thousand.
Among the prominent gentlemen present
were Gov. Robie and staff, ex-Gov. Perham,
Judge Haskell, General Passenger Agent
Boothby of the Maine Central, A. E. Den
nison, president of the day, and others.
General Passenger Agent Smith of the
Grand Trunk had provided literally for
transportation from Portland, but it was all
needed before Norway was reached. The
7.35 train took in the neighborhood of 200,
including Chandler's Band Of Is pieces. At
Lewiston Junction this train was augmented
by several carloads from Lewiston and Au-
burn, with s5 members of Damon Lodge OF
R,..rrl 4c - Dr. Is r nd xryif
the Portland Drum. Fife and Bugle Corps,
Is pieces, and a platoon of the Auburn Light
Artillery. Fifteen crowded cars rolled into
Norway from this source alone.
The Norway civic and military associa-
tions were in waiting to receive them with
the Norway Band. Little time was lost in
forming the procession. 1t was in "the mild
September" and trifie too mild for COM
fort, the thermometer ranging well up in the
eighties.
The Procession.
The procession was surprisingly large and
complete and consumed twenty minutes in
passing at regular marching time. 1t was
led by the mounted officials, and then the
Norway Band, Norway Light Infantry. and
Auburn Light Infantry i'm white coats, the
Patriarchs of the I. o. 0. F., the Portland
Drum Corps, and Lewiston, Norway and
other members of the order of K. of p, and
the G. A. r. comrades, about 100 strong, all
escorting Gov. Robie and other distinguished
guests in carriages. There was section of
the First Maine Light Artillery with two
brass Napoleons, which are very handsome
and noisy pieces.
The second section of the procession was
led by Chandler's Band of Portland. 1t was
very interesting First came car with tier
upon tier of Sunday school children dressed
in white, with bright colored sashes and
trimmings, and tiny flags and wealth of
flowers. Then came the Changers display
on many cars and illustrating numerous
phases of early frontier life with many ap-
propriate notices. The seasons of spring
time and harvest were depicted as a reality.
The old-fashioned kitchen, the spinning and
carding, and an ancient log cabin, "life size,"
drawn by several yokes of oxen,
completed the Grangers' happy effort.
Every industry and every department of
trade was illustrated on cars drawn by gaily
caparisoned horses. Among the most prom
inent were a two story car illustrating Noyes'
drug and general store; Nathan Hatch's fur
niture, upholstery, etc.; c. b. Cummings,
with his numerous manufactures and his
pretty little daughter with her span of pet
goats attached to tiny wagon and standing
patiently on top of the moving car; and there
were huge black bears, that had been slain
in the early history of the town, mounted in
ferocious positions; an old boat or "dug-out'
from log that was recently discovered in
excavating near the lake; an old fashioned
stage coach drawn by four white horses and
the mail man sounding his horn. This label
ed "Overland MAIL" and followed by mount
ed cowboys and Indians arrayed in all the
paint and feathers of the mobile savage"
who could occasionally spell the drum corps
with war whoops worthy of a band of genu-
inc ComancheeS.
The Decorations.
Nearly everybody did something in the
decorative line, and the village was brilliant
In bright bunting and flags. Among the
most notable were the residence of Gen.
Geo. L. Beal, chairman of the committee on
invited guests, who entertained Gov. Robie
and others; the Beals Hotel, the Elm House,
Noyes' drug store, beneath Masonic Hall,
Norway Hall, the Oranges, Knights of
Pythias and Odd Fellows halls, and the
Norway Advertiser office, opposite which
was noble arch erected by the town with
appropriate greetings of welcome.
In the Grove.
A fine grove comes close up to the new
portion of the village. Near the entrance
was platform and seats for listeners, stands
for speakers, orchestra for musicians and
seats for chorus singers. The exercises
opened with an artistic overture by Chand-
ler's Band, followed by an original ode by
Mrs. Elliott Smith, fine literary effort,
sang by chorus Of 200 voices, with band
accompaniment under the direction of Prof.
Frank L. Collins of Portland, to the tune of
America; prayer by Rev. Miss G. E.
Angel of the Universalist church, Norway :;
an address of welcome by A. E. Dewey, Esq,
of Boston; selections by the chorus; poem
of welcome by Miss Annie F. Hayden, fol-
lowed by the grafton, from which the follow
ing is an extract
The Plymouth colony began with small
numbers and only one community They in
creased and spread slowly, and no representa-
tive form of government was adopted there
until 1888. In 1868, IL towns sent deputies to
the general court. Massachusetts, colony, hav-
ing separated into plantations at the outset,
and having greater immigration, their represen-
tative system began earlier.
But the labors and disappointments did not
end with this initiatory establishment of good
government. On the contrary, there were not
ten years together in which some great right of
the colonists was not assaulted or menaced in
some manner by the English government, and
when James II wrested from Massachusetts
colony her first charter and sent over his royal
governor general, Sir Edmund Andros then
were peremptorily abolished representative
government and every right and political in
stitution reared during half century of con-
fict, and others more in accordance with the
will of his despotic master substituted; and
the colonists "were ruled" as Randolph said,
as though they had been the subjects of the
Turks"
During these four eventful years, 1885 to
1859, the darkest days the colonists ever ex-
perienced their great patience, their intense
sense of duty, their force of will, their love of
liberty, their trust in God were tried to the
utmost, and nothing else would have survived
their trials. But these very experiences burnt
into their souls, by force of comparison, the
value of their former condition under happy
quiet self government, and intensified theii
zeal to regain it on the earliest opportunity
e. IL r