The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-03-02
GouIds Gossip.

wish to say a few words about old Belfast
during my Youthful days, and especially
of prominent and somewhat noted families
| who have dropped out OF sight OF the
| present residents. At the time | refer to
| -1S46 to 1S6O-Belfast was but village.
Among the families of whom | write was
Liberty b. Wetherbee and his three tall,
stately daughters, Eliza, Susan and one
whose name | cannot just now recall.
Mr.. Wetherbee was a kind hearted man
and kept fancy store on Phoenix Row,
and the girls were all saleswomen. Mr..
Wetherbee was our first auctioneer, and
| it is said of him that he was never known
to kill anything, not even the smallest in
sect. He would drive mosquitoes away
instead of killing them, and always said
they were designed by Providence for
some wise purpose
Where are all the Cunninghams? Gen.
II. w. Cunningham had quite family,
Sarah, Helen, Augusta and Henry, who
we always used to call the Jack of Spades.
He was a chubby, black headed, jolly
boy, who afterwards followed the sea for
a vocation Gen. Cunningham possessed
many fine traits Of character. He served
in the militia of my time and rose from
the ranks in regular promotion to colonel
and was afterwards made Brgadier Gen
eral. He also filled the offices of select
| man, constable deputy sheriff and high
sheriff
Then there was the the family of Burk
mars, the widow, Charles, Henry and Lu-
cius. How we used to enjoy the evening
bugle playing of Henry. III the clear
summer nights it's clarion tones could be
heard in every part of the village. Henry
was a fine musician for those times, and
played the copper bugle, Of the Ned Ken
dali style, post horn, flute and piccolo.
Where are all the Bakers and Holmes?
What grand time we had when Holmes
and Baker came from Augusta and leased
the American House. The Bakers
George, Ruel, Charles, William and Al
berthe girls, if any, | do not know
Mrs, George Baker what a pleasant
woman, and their daughter, Anna Bell
Nat Holmes, Mrs. Holmes. Will and Mary
none of tile name there now except MI
Holmes, / think
The family Of Luther Coombs- Angus
tine Jacob and Abby landlord Of til,
New England House for term Of years
,s .Ts,, ,ro,., C..,,.J l,,,,,,;,,.,t.... n "a
Holmes and E. Ellis Under ali Of then
| have at times assisted AS clerk, and In,
same can be said Of the American ant
Phoenix Hotels.
Then the Edmunds family A. Aun
Eunice. as us boys used to call her w,
never stole any of her apples. She Wa
too kind. As soon as apples began t,
ripen and drop from the trees she woul'
stand 10y the front gate and call us il
when returning from school and tell us t,
get all we wanted. She had but one son
= Charles who also became one of our vii
lage auctioneers. Mr.. Edmunds married
] Miss Fannie Dingley Of Augusta, rela
tive of our late Representative Dngley
and when Nelson Dngley Jr, was
young man about IS OF 10, he came t,
Belfast and attended a term of Higl
school and boarded with Aunt Eunic,
and he and | became very friendly.
lived just across the street from where
he boarded, with the Gilman family
, Capt. John was ponderous man Of more
than 300 pounds and was captain of a Bel
fast Boston Packet. He had fine
family of four boys and three girls. The1
there was the Holt family he was an ole
ship rigger; also the Taylor family anC
Wellington Pendeton all ship men: and
might enumerate 30 families more who liv
ed life time in good old Belfast, but have
dropped out Of sight. Now | think
had better drop out before you ger tree
out and give You something Interesting
later on. Good night, old journal.
j. F. GoI-ID .