The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-07-05

forcibly reminded OF the Governors sign
allure to the Declaration Of Independence.
The proceedings of the town were charac-
terized by an intelligence, that indicates ex-
perieuce as well as sound judgment on the
part OF those participating By vote, Rev.
Abraham Cummings opened the meeting
with prayer. The usual officers were elected.
Samuel Merrill was elected moderator, and
Nathan Wesson, clerk; John Mains was
elected treasurer, and Joseph Staples, James
Curtis and Col. George Rogers, selectmen;
Col. Rogers declined to accept and was ex-
cused, and William Brown was elected In
his place. Twelve meetings were held be-
fore the close of the year to act upon the
various matters incident to the organization
of a new town. Col George Rogers, James
Sherman, who had voted for the petitioners
before the legislature and William Brown
were appointed committee to settle with
North Yarmouth.
As soon as the town was fairly organized,
measures were taken to provide for preach
ing, thirty pounds was raised and a commit
tee appointed to arrange for 1t. AT meet,
ing held on the 4th of September 1t was voted
60 to to give Rev. Alfred johnson call, at
ninety pounds year salary, with ,180 pounds
settlement to be paid in something besides
cash."
There was some opposition to the towns
accepting the meeting house: but at the same
meeting at which the town voted to settle
Mr.. johnson, 1t voted to accept "the meet
ing house as 1t may stand with the sum
which Is now due to said house, excepting
the pews on the lower floor" The house
was not then completed for, in 1901, the town
voted to give Mr.. Curtis "the pews in the
back part of the Galleries and two In the
front Gallery, he finishing the Galleries, the
clapboarding of the outside of the meeting
hipping the roof and making the two side
doors Of the porch"
The town voted to send no representative to
the General Court in 1889, but sent Joseph
Cfox To- Lob tx.r
Little interest was taken in elections at
first. but "split tickets" were apparently
quite In favor; at the first election John
Hancock had all the votes thrown for gov
ernor, IS, while Samuel Adams had 80 for
Lieutenant Governor and Benjamin Lincoln
one, and Benjamin Dunning had 80 votes for
Senator: thus % voted for Governor who did
not for any Of the other officers TO be elected.
In 1891 those who did not vote the regular
votes, Adams rs. 10 Gan and Mitchell tfor senator)
To- in 1892 Hancock had 40, Adams 80, Lin
coin \ and Mitchell 50. But the contest for
member d Congress became more exciting,
as there were several trials before choice
was effected; q .he nass ISL tf nr9 Gen; r Mita
3: on the second trial Lithgow had %, and
Thatcher none; bot. on the third trial Lith-
cow had IS and Thatcher As. When the
election in 1872 Scame or. Litngow mad 80
votes and Thatcher 2. c
III ltJo lAJ NOkto WcEt BlNtu To- - '
In 1885, 1856; in 1900, 14S, divided mong four
candidates; In 1901, 1873, of whi1 10Y.
Strong had GA and Elbridge Gerry "a; D3t IN
1902 Strong had 95 and Gerry only 80; in 1Stt-
Strong had lis. and James Sullivan sc,
were thrown; then the town was divided.
but in 1910 289 votes were cast, of which 142
were for Christopher Gore and 143 for FL ,
bridge Gerry. Party lines began to be sharp
ly drawn, and the variation. in the vote for |
diffarapt 0ffioarc a1ua0et anffralrr L., II
1872 Gerry had 161 and Strong 1867 but in
1918 Strong had 200, and his opponent only
139. For several years the total vote was
about the same, but after a.time the vote fell |
OFF, although the relative strength of the par
ties remained about the same.
The town was strongly against separation
from Massachusetts; in 1871 the vote was
yea and ~ nays; in 1892 the town voted |
That MIR. Alfred johnson set forth the ad-
vantages and disadvantages of separation"
and thereupon the vote was taken, and it re-
suited In yeas, none nays IS in 1897 the vote |
was yeas and 1O4 nays; but in 1916 party |
politics had begun to enter into theQuestion, |
and the vote was IA yeas to 160 Maya
To trace the growth Of the town h detail |
would fill volume Of much interest to you |
all, but must be content with very gener |
al statement.
The founders of the town established per-
schools, and for support Of the poor; made |
roads, and in word, did all things for the |
growth of the town and the prosperity of its |
inhabitants that New England towns have
been accustomed TO do.
have already given indications of its
growth in its younger days; but definite in
formation of the growth Of the present town
cannot we'll be obtained until after its sepa-
ration from Pownal. The inhabitants de-
voted themselves to agriculture, numbering,
shipbuilding to some extent, fishing. trade |
and commerce.
In 1870 one farm was set off to Brunswick
In 1883 another set off was made, and in 1850 !
another slice was added to Brunswick. This |
last set off changed the line from the mouth
OF the river, and it may be that the loss of
territory was in part compensated by relief
from all responsibility for its "fearfully and
wonderfully made" name!
After the division, the town continued to
grow in population and wealth. In the de-
cades ending In 1920, 1880, 1910, 1850 and 1860,
there was gratifying increase. But when
the war came on, not only did many of your
sons give their lives for the preservation of ;
tne Union and government by the people, |
but the destruction of our commerce almost |
destroyed one of your prominent industries; |
beyond that, the fertile lands of the West at |
tracted many of those who had tired of Gull |
tlvating the rugged soil OF Maine, so that it |
tdbor,-a commodity whose expectation was |
loss to us, for which we received no return. |
The sons and daughters of Maine went to
help build up the manufacturing cities of our
mother Commonwealth and to people the
plains of the great West. To such an extent |
did this go that you could scarcely call the
role Of a single hamlet in the great valley of |
the Northern Mississippi and its tributaries
without son or daughter of Maine respond
ing to the call
Your town shared with the State the loss
Of its people, so that from 1860 to 1870, there
was serious decrease In population, which |
was continued during the next decade; in
twenty years your population fell off over
eighteen per cent. Another decade Is nearly
ended, but the tide has turned; the introduc-
ton Of manufactures brings population, by
creating demand for labor which will be
met; 1t adds not only to your population,
but to your growth In wealth and influence. '
Properly remunerated labor is the foundation