Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-10


warrant was issued. filled various Offices
for twenty-three years; was selectman
for sixteen years, and represented Au-
gusta in the General Court. The mem
bers of his family. and of his brothers.
embracing. among others. Church VIII
liams, Mrs. Daniel Stone, and the young
wife of Alfred Redington, our first
mayor) supply many of the threads that
cross each other in the warp and wool
of the community And especially TO his
sons Ruel and Daniel, Augusta owes
much of the prosperity and distinction
which has attended it, One of his grand
sons, Joseph III. Williams. whose recent
decease. after lifetime of labor in his
native place, Is sincerely regretted served
as governor to great acceptance; ana
another grandson, bearing his name. be-
came adjutant general of the Army OF
the Potomac, and died at a comparatively
carly age from inccssant and prolonged
labors in the service of his country.
Fifty years ago Senator Bradbury pre-
scented ON behalf of his fellow citizens to
Lieutenant Seth Williams who had
greatly distinguished himself in the Mex
lean War. q sword as "a tribute of
respect and esteem to the soldier and
the man This incident occurred at the
United States Arsenal. which, since 1898.
has been source of pride and gratitica-
ton 10 our citizens. and remains, en-
richod by many memories. a center of
the interest which surrounded il in earlier
years.
From the Revolution to the War Of the
Rebellion, the citizens Of Augusta have
never failed. for lack of patriotism or
of fighting qualities, to testify to their
devotion to their country.
The flrSt treasurer, William Howard
WAS the son OF james Howard who came
to Cushnoc at the erection of Fort West
crn In 1l54 and commanded the fort dur
ing its existence as such. William was
a lieutenant under Colonel Lithgow at
Fort Halifax, lieutenant colonel of militia
in Revolutionary times, and afterwards
colonel. lie was representative from
Ealiowell in 1575. and he held the Office
of town treasurer for twonty-one con-
sccutive years, seventeen years previous
to his election to that Office on the organ
iZatiOn of the town OF Augusta.
General Henry Sewall the first clerk,
entered the army at the commencement
of the Revolutionary War and rose to
the rank of major lie came to the Fort
Western Settlement in l7S3 and was
sclect1nan, town clerk, register of deeds,
and clerk of the district court of Maine.
He was ut the surrender of Burgoyne and
endured the rigors of Valley Forge.
North relates that when Lafayette was
at Portland in 1928 General Sewall was
approaching in rather an unobtrusive
way. when Lafayette exclaimed. All
Henry Sewall, you can't cheat me- and
these old companions in arms embraced
with tears.
The generals kinsman Thomas. mar
ried Priscilla Cony. and from them came
DR.. Thomas Sewall of WASHINGTON ana
the Websters. who occupied tn. large
on his way to Quebec. 1t was Thomas
Sewail who built the house where Allen
Iambard resided. Who can forget Allen
Lambard and his children. and Thomas
his brother? What recollections Of st.
Marks church, of Bishop Armitaee or
Bishops George and Alexander Burgess.
src fndissoluhiy linked with their names.
Md how well they represented the sturdy
virtues OF the men OF 1891 (being sons
Of one Of thom.) in their love of agricul-
ure; of valuable stock; OF fine horses.
At the State election succeeding iic
town meeting. Daniel Cony was elected
our first representative over Nathan
Weston. though Il writer in the Halloweli
Gazette said A number of Republic
Weston. and would have changed the
result had not the polls been hastily
closed. Somehow or other such expla-
nations and such alleged conduct do not
next year James Bridge was elected over
Captain eston but the third year Cap
tain Weston prevailed over Judge Cony.
Daniel Cony came to the Fort settle
ment in LIS, after having served in the
Continental Army, whore he had been
present at the surrender of Burgoync
He was accustomed to observe that day,
and did so in one instance by selecting
il for the raising of his large frame man
sion ON Cony street, 'on the brow of til,,
sloping hill" described in a beautiful
ballad Ions since forgotten;
Judge Cony was educated as Il plysi-
clan, and the portrait of his ancestor
DR.. Robert Cony. hangs in the Bodleian
by the side of that of William Harvey.
lie spractised the profession for many
years in Augusta, being the Predecessor
of DIR. Smell. DR. Hubbard. DIR. Hill Dr.
Briggs, and the many able men who nave
followed that great art in this vicinity
lie. was deeply couVerSant with public
affairs, and represented the town of H..l-
lowell for six years. and then the town
of Augusta. in the Genera, Court: was
a senator and member of the Executive
{ 'nn1lgitr II he do ,af no
OF Common Pleas, appointed in i19a. rs
WAS also Joseph North when KennebcC
county was created; jddge of probate;
member of the State Constitutional con-
vention. AS the cultivation of that pro
fessGn involves the acquisition Of init
mate knowledge of mankind, perhaps IL
naturally leads to eminence in other
directions. benjamin Vaughan and Henry
DeaEborn We're members of il. One of
the .ablest judges that ever sat upon the
bench of the Supreme Court of the United
States took pride in the fact that he haC
been educated and practised as Il .,4ysi-
n I'M 's ''ii'' ''''7'''s '''S'
Judge rony was a remarkable man. of
keeffs Intellect, accurate perception ana
estees3h education as the profouIdest of
hairtn concerns; serwSd ON tho school
cqnhhittees; was instRimental inSobtain-
n or f BoMGaIn for old aX mfagsy an
tee sof the Sne. and an oversees of the
other: and he foasaed and endowed the
''Cpay Female Alchemy. now happily
carried iorSard IN the Cony High School
Mr.. Blaine often. repeated an anecdotc
of Judge Gony 0alich he thought was
extremely characteristic, on He oeca-
sion of the funeral Of some emip,rit per-
conducted witls much cirealnstan e.
Judge Ware. who for forty-fosr years
adorned the Federal District Bench to
4 seat on which he had just bedh noml-
mated and Judge Cony, were Spth pres
ent. In the marshaling of the pieces sion
Judge Ware was about to take proceed
After me, Judge Ware, you have not
been confirmed. There is certainly o
distinction between being nominated and
beng confirmed, as those whose atteu-
ton has been attracted to it will admit
Iherc was another and quite noticeable
story going the rounds, to the effect that
some of the Wings OF Massachusetts OPP
posed the admission of the district as a
State by reason of their interest in the
distribution of offices, and that Judge
Cony and William King. afterwards
Names first governor, stated at a public
meeting in Augusta that ar arrangement
had been made by which the Offices
should be divided, one third to the Wings
and two-thirds to the Democrats and
shook hands on it before the assembled
people as IN assurance, which was entire
~ satisfactory. that that arrangement
should be carried out: as 1t was.
Judge Cony had four daughters II
was at the residence of the eldest Susan
Bowdoln. on Myrtle street, that Cover
nor Enoch Lincoln. (Whose brother Levi
was then governor of Massachusetts,,
died. October s. 1899. having been taken
i'll when delivering The animal address Mt