The Republican journal., 1898-01-20
A Golden Wedding in winterport
The Friends of Captain and Mrs. Benjamin
Atwood Honor them on the Fiftieth An
niversary of their Marriage.


niversary of their Marriage.
Especial to the Bangor Daily News.l
WINTERPoRT, Jan. u. There We're light
and laughter and jollity and good cheer in
the house of Captain Benjamin Atwood
to- night, and the guests who had assembled
were all firm believers in the gold standard,
having brought many samples of the preci-
Gus yellow metal and bestowed them upon
Captain and Mrs. Atwood in memory of
happy event which took place so years ago
to-day. There were also golden wishes for
continued health andIprosperity and golden
hopes for many more years of life as happy
as t he past.
to Miss Mary Campbell on Jan. II, 1S4S.
Therefore when the almanac marked the
arrival of Jan. u, 1898, they had been
welded so years, and their countless
friends, knowing all about the above
dates, gave the good captain and his good
wife regal wedding reception. For these
reasons there were lights and laughter and
jollity at their home tonight. 1t was the
seml-eentennial anniversary of their we'd
ding and worth the celebrating
Guests and presents kept coming in all
day. Every train brought something OF
somebody, and every express or mail ar
rival brought something more. There
were congratulations and good wishes by
the hundred, and among these were pres
ents and presents-lots of them. There
were gold dishes and gold cuff buttons
and gold candlesticks fit to adorn the altar
of high priest. There were golden mem
cries fenced about with golden frames, and
golden hours of pure delight And among
these were golden coins from Uncle Sam S
mint, - eagles, half eagles and double
eagles, that piled up higher and higher,
until one would think that Captain Ben
had just got back from the klondike,
bringing all the gold of that region with
him.
They talked and told old tales and re-
newed old times all the afternoon, and
when the lights came in a sumptuous
feast, such as person can get nowhere
else, came with the lamps. Then they
Toasted and told more tales and wished
more good wishes, and renewed old pledges
of friendship that death cannot kill. And
as they talked and lived over the times
that are gone Captain Ben and his good
wife seemed to grow young again, and
once more he was beardless, resolute
boy, and she a slim and smart young girl.
just as they were when they stood up half
a century ago and agreed to face life and
its hardships together. Then one by one
the guests stole away, leaving the always
youthful couple together to begin new
honeymoon and start out for many more
years of happiness.
Captain Atwood was born in the old
town of Frankfort April u, 1928, and was
one of the now famous Atwood family,
which includes Captain John Atwood.
wholesale merchant of Boston, Hon. Fred
Atwood, the wholesaler of agricultural
tools, Lewis Atwood, the head of the
great seed firm which bears his name, and
Judge Samuel Atwood, druggist and gen
tleman. The future sea captain learned
the blacksmith trade when a boy, and
worked at it steadily until the opening of
the war. Then he enlisted in company d.
10Th Maine Regiment, and followed his
gallant colonel through all the Louisiana
campaign, going with Banks up the Red
River and lying in the trenches at Port
Hudson until that gre.t stronghold fell
and opened up the Mississippi river from
its source to the sea.
When the war was over the young sol
dier went to sea for several years. soon
becoming master of a vessel, which he
sailed with credit to himself and profit to
the owners. In 1871, when the great stone
contracts We're obtained in Maine, Captain
Atwood went to work on Dix Island near
Rock and, working at the forge until
1873 when he was made foreman of
blacksmiths, having full charge Of all the
tool making and sharpening OF tools that
al l,,
Philadelphia postoffices. After these
two great buildings We're completed Capt
Ben thought of retiring from active work
and passing the balance OF his life among
his fruit trees and in his well kept
garden. But a man of his temperament
can never retire. Though suffering
severely from disabilities which were in
t1icted in the army while he was serving
as soldier, he accepted an appointment
as game warden in 1892, and has proved
one OF the most alert anG careful officers
in the States employ. He has made
Maine better place for an honest hunter
to live in since taking his commission and
has won not only high praise from the
public who know of his work, but from
the Commissioners of Inland Fish and
Game
His lovable wife was also born in the
old town of Frankfort, her birthday oc-
curing March %, 1927 Her maiden
name was Mary E. Campbell, she being
the sister of the late R. G. Campbell, who
was known far and wide as one of the
greatest hay dealers in Maine Mrs. At
wood has been one of the sweetest ano
kindest wives and truest and tenderest
mothers that ever lived. Two children
were born to them-John, who died in
early manhood, and Frank, who is now
one of the most skilled blacksmiths in
Maine.
The married life of Capt. and Mrs. At
wood has been very happy one in spite
of the great sorrow that cane to them
when their older son died They both
had the happy faculty of saying and doing
the right thing at the right time. Conse-
Quently their home, whether in the mar
row quarters on Dix Island OF in their fine
place at Winterport, was always meeting
place for the wide awake people of the
vicinity. Add to the kindly dispositions
of master and MISTRESS of the home the
knowledge that Capt. Atwood always had
his table loaded with the best food to be
found, and it is no wonder everybody
who knew them went to see them. They
were often imposed upon on account of
their Universal kindness. but while they
may be financially poorer from having De-