Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-10-27
eRyseuRo IN ts4e.

In that "loveliest village at the plain,
ssys Hon. william II. Porter In the Cam
den Herald. Its families and hs bcsuti-
full scenery were then we'll known to
me. liesting on the banks of the Wind
Ing Saco, the gateway To the mountains
aud the country beyond, the stage aud
private CONVEYANCE alone broke lts seclu-
siou aud opened communication With
the great outside world. Hut somehow
people Joarpey~i easily In those days,
and q stage ride % q hundrri miles or
morc had No icrrors. despite the heat of
summer ar cold ~ winter. Notwith-
standing an apparent Isolation, social In
tsrcour.c With the surrounding country
va. easily maintained. The strong,
swift horse. seemingly with little EFFORT
annlhilai.,i time and DISTANCE. Once q
day the stage Departed aud arrived. Its
coming With the mall was IN. great event
~ the DAY, when the villagers gathered
NJ the J.o.t Office In expectancy of the
prlses Ia be secured In the general di.-
irritation. III. news 10 the outside
world, u not very fresh, was yet new.
The postmaster. on the completion Of
III. labor, proceeded Ia rad aloud the
name. of all Who had reviewed letters.
frycburg, at that time, ~as an .duca-
tIonal centre, aud think No town In the
state could bosst ~ more families. of
culture. or ~ greater number of dis-
tlngui.h.i citisrns. Of those families
call Ia mind the D,n,s Judge Judah
Dana, q man 30 prominence, appointed
by ,b. Governor United States senator
to al vacancy: and his sou, John w.
Dams. afcrwari. Governor ~ the
siai.) the Ilrsdleys, distinguished IN the
medical. legal ani literary world; the
Osgood.. the Cha.cs, ~ which stephen
Henry Chase va. rr-.iicnt - the Maine
senate, sni sfisrward. q distinguished
Judge In California. the wau.us; th.
Walkers the T...cn,ien. the Bsrruvs-s,
20 which family the Hon. George ".
narrov., IA. historian aud scholar, stlll
survives, an honor 90 q distinguished
family the southcr., and many other
famlllc. 10 wealth snd prominence. with
such iamlllc. for material, .ocScty wa.
polished ani NJ It, best. IA teacher 81
their son. sui daughters, u WAS my
privilege 90 know them aud "a b. more
az les. associated With them: and their
faces, their saying. aud their doing. afv
treasured In memory a. freshly AZ though
81 Yesterday. IN ln iginstion ] wsni.r
by the banks of the Saco. snd admire the
lntsryalr., the meadow. aud th. stately
elms. Oncr agsln ! climb the great
rpck, jockey cap, that stand. on the
plsin, alone and apart by h.clf, At q
height ~ too hundred fcri, "a ,lnisiulns,
like q faithful .cntincl, ia watch over
the town. Prom n. heights view the
extended range 20 which Va
number seem limliless-wiih az great
pleasure as Ia the almost half century
10 school llfc. 90. th. Academy, hear
the ringing ~ the hell, aud .ec. trooplng
In, ia. strong. vigorous aud manly
Youth. anil beautiful mslien., In the
FRESHNESS. and beauty ~ young life. on
those fair ,l.agcs time b.. left mn iuf-
fuN.-their names, th.ir f,ces, th.iF
Studies. voices anil pcculistitle. recall
Again I am N. educator, anil INV train
Ing family l. before me. T-achlng aud
ielng taught then meant hard work. and
"mldnlsht OH va. no hgment III
.p.c,h. Their. wrTc th-n M sprclsl-
tie. In school life; the teacher hal Ca
give instruction In almost all tcachabls
bunehc. known under the .un, IN all
ditlon, th. prcccpior va. expected To
lecture occasionally upon topic. 81 pub
lie Interest. and, q. th.fv w.rr mn Iycc-
am Burvaus In those days, he vas not
allowed to hide hi. light under bu.hel,
hut was expected Ia Jet u burn Pro bose
lp-liico.
Ia our t.auiiful borough, politics ran
high between the Democrats snd Whis
parties. While the teacher might c.ch.s
j ii I
would h.y. been very dlssr-.t Tor him "a
proclaim himself strong partisan, -.Pc-
clally 90 the Democratic school. D.nom
lnaiionAli.m was everywhere very strong
al that time. The Academy va. under
Congregational control. aud the cougrc-
g,tional minister ~ the head II u. man.
sgcneui did not take much stock In hl'
brother ~ any other denomination. Iis
~. q .trong. good AMI lrarnr'i man,
but In thI. day ~ federation would D.
considered hlgotsd ani lacking Ia sweet
charity. The agitation ~ the new de-
parturr aud the Inspiration % l,rgri
hOps anil charity had not then com" Ia
bf-.k down the barriers 10 high.bound
cr-c,l.. How time Ia. melloNed, cot
t.n-l and .v--trn.i both minister aud
people since that DAY.
In that Alpine home, a. .oon q. snow
csm. aud winter .et In, the STREET. were
lively. IL the absence 10 railroads the
whole country ~ New ilamp.hlr. ani
Vermont above and contiguous Ia the
Whit. Mountain. sought market al
Portland. going down through the notch
80 the white Mountains. The product.
20 the farm and the forest ~ that large
IL scattered country went through Frye
burg on their downward trip, and the
teams rrturnci loaded with the good.
purchased In exchange. The long line
~ pung. came aud went, flllng the eli
with the music ~ the .leigh-bclls. The
trip required quite q week, sni frouI
personal experience ] know that the
rifle down through the mountains In win
ter I. grand aud Interesting. For econ
omy's sake these mstkrtmen took their
provision. With thcm, and required 81
III. lnn. where they stopped. only lojg
lug, tea and coffee, With hot dip or III
tie grog, % warm thru up after the
long, cold ride. The country iayern'
were then Institution. ~ Importance,
aud In that section the white Mountain
tra,cl, especially In the winter months,
rendered them scene. ~ great activity.
remember one class ~ my pupil. to
thl. day With great interest. by way 81
experiment I started q elias. ~ ten young
misses, hardly In their teens, In the pri-
mary latin lessons. The material va.
choice, aud the interest and progress oi
these young "ro.e buds" wss and !. q
source 10 the greatest pleasure Ia me.
remember among my pupils Jane. TX.
Osgooi, the distinguished Publisher,
nov the head of the London Publishing
firm 81 Jane. u. o.gooj, Meilysin. q
60. /; Dr. Seth 4. Gordon, distinguished
physician % Portland, aud Dr. william
4. Towie 81 fryeburg, both of whom
rad Latin under my instruction; and
Albert Colby. the Publisher, aft-r~ari
known as "oid man Colby" Even In
those days they gave promise Of that
success. la life which they aftsrwsrd
attained.
These are few 10 my r-collections III
rryeburg In isB. In my next ] will
speak of fryeburg ss seen In the fall OF