The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-07-20
For the Re porter:
"Reminiscences.
Mrs. Helen Neil Howard.l

selves to me the Field Day" of the
Woman's Club, June IA, 1899, recalled
to my MUD other days aud other faces
yave seen In my fathers house. Back
/ In the '70's gave some large parties for
friends from away. They seemed to
come from all points of the compass. l
gathered them together under my roof
successfully. But oh, the voices that
are stiled aud the faces that are turned
away forever In this world.
thought 1t might be of interest to
survivors If should try to enumerate
some of them and give old familiar
names. There were Mr.. and Mrs. Cur
ran Dinsmore of Brooklyn, n. Y, and
Chelius, the musician, and the Bartlett
ladies, singers. Mr.. and Mrs. Allie Moore
Dodge, Mr.. and Mrs. Will Morrill,, then
| from the South, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles
Bosworth, Mr.. and Mrs. Emerson Cool
idge of Boston, and Emeline Coolidge,
| Rev. Stephen c. Fletcher and wife, VINO
| thanked me for collecting together 80
many people IL was so opportune TO
/
Harriet Neil HAYNES, aud my dear
friend, Emma B. Cobb, both long since
departed this life my own nephew,
Charles Neil Jewett Of st. Louis, for
whom one party was given. His broth
er, Edward Jewett, was not mere he
lives In southwestern Missouri, on the
table land of the Ozark mountains, and
both Jewett brothers are prosperous,
wealthy men. much respected citizens
10 the great West. My near relatives,
the Gilmans, were living here then, l
think. All but two rest under the white
headstones. Marion, Mrs. DR.. McCel-
lom OF Broolyn, n. Y, and Lizzie. MRS.
Geo. Wildes of Melrose Highlands. MY
niece, Mrs. Geo. Pierce, lived here then,
believe, and DR.. Haynes was practi.
toner here. The, Fletchers. Nellie and
her mother, had not moved away, II
remember. | would mention the Robin.
sons, the Bells, and Col. Wildes and
family, and Edward and Mrs. Phillips
were residents. Mrs. Henry Bromtield
Pierson of Boston, and her sister, Mrs.
Sumner and Louise Mcfarland were
here. All gone but one sister, Mrs.
Tufts OF Chelsea.
would not forget the family of my
honored uncle, Eben Fl. Neil. Only one
is living, Henry B. Neil, Tie Siding,
Wyoming Co., Wyoming. The Pattens,
pioneer Methodists, will be well remem-
bered, of whom DR.. s. A. Patten, so
lately deceased, was the last member.
After my mothers death in 1871, my
house was solicited for the courts, as the
hotels had been burned and some OF the
Judges preferred private house. Judge
| pickerson was the first to come, most
genial, kindly man, with keen sense OF
humor. | have seen him fairly shake
with amusement at the natural, uncoD-
ventional, unworldly ways of those ne
would meet In his court circuits, es'
pecially myself. Once he made mis-
take 10 time and started for Skowhegan
from Belfast, his home, whole week
beforehand, and never discovered his
error till he reached Burnham.
Chief Justice Appleton was grand
old gentleman of the Old School, wise
and companionable, one of Burns INA
lures noblemen." | recollect being in-
troduced to Col Hamlin Of Bangor, son
of the Vice President, who was calling
on the Chief Justice, and he talked OF
books and recommended to me THE
Sterling" by Norman MCLEOD, giving
me an outline of the story.
One day D. d. Stewart WAS calling and
Just at that time the poultry craze ran
high and my poultry family was inter
esting, and those two men, Judge Ap
pleton and d. D. Stewart, began theil
LAWYER talk. The legal fraternity are q
very dangerous class Of men, for they
can make people say or do just what
they undertake to, and II one wishes tc
conceal anything they know 1t, and il
behooves one TO be very careful in Their
company. They finally wheeded me
into exhibiting my poultry PETS in the
parlor. Judge Appleton had been told
In Bangor that he was to board with q
woman VINO kept her hens in the parlor,
so he was prepared. | had the pets
brought in, in numbers. There were
brown cochins, black cochins, Domi.
niques, Sea Brights, and | don't know
what all, now. | sat the little Sea
Bright on the Judges arm, but some.
thing frightened her and she flew on to
the piano; again she was disturbed and
took another flight and landed right on
the top of that distinguished lawyers
head. She felt the warmth of the hail
and sat down fat and began to "culty'
Guilty." while the lawyer kept perfectly
still and smiled, till | deemed 1t NEG.
essary to take her away.
There was Judge Barrows, the most
all around learned man of them all,
have been told, reserved, hard to get
acquainted with, but the truest of true
friends when he was friend. Mrs. s.
G. Crosby of Waterville was his repor.
ter, and she reveres his memory. Judge
Virgin was shy, diffident man socially,
but hearty good company when well
acquainted, and man true as steel to
our common, beautiful human affections.
His son Harry visited him at my house.
Our own Judge Charles Danforth was
another, II kennebecker, so many OF US
knew and esteemed for his intrinsic
merit and great excellence. With Judge
Danforth at one time came Rev. Charles
F. Allen. They were boys together at
Norridgewock and great friends, both of
them translated now. 1t was an especial
favor to hear them talk, and Albert
Ware and myself sat up till the early
morning hours to listen to them. OF
the four, only am living. When quite
a youth Mr.. Allen had dream concern
ing the two Charles's. He dreamed that
he WAS a preacher, and Charles Dan
forth Judge of the supreme court, and
he Charles Allen) was called into court
to make the opening prayer. 10 Just
forty years that dream was fulfilled at
Norridgewock, and Mr.. Allen told Of it
next day at my house.
One OF our legal firms were students
at 0rono under Dir. Aliens tutelage and
: boz Ia yhu hau