The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-09
FOUR SCORE YEARS.
Miss Caroline Bacon OBJ
served Het 8Oth Birth
day Yesterday.

Miss Caroline Bacon of 46 Merrick
street was so years old yesterday but,
excepting the snowy whiteness of her
hair and a slight lameness, her appear
ance would not indicate that Miss Ba-
con has rounded out four-score years
of life.
ut is not pleasant to think you are
growing old, but it is pleasant to be 50
kindly remembered by Your friends
said Miss Bacon, indicating the circle
of relatives and friends about her, and
several bouquets of beautiful flowers
which adorned the room.
1t is unnecessary to say anything rel
alive to Miss Bacon's mental or physi
cal condition 1t is only necessary to
meet her to realize that, in spite of her
advanced age, she is the superior of
many women a score of years younger.
Miss Bacon passed the day quietly,
receiving her old friends. who called
to extend congratulations and wish her
many happy returns of the day. Miss
Bacon formerly taught school in her
native town, Barre, and several of her
callers yesterday were former pupils,
now gray haired women and mothers
of families.
Caroline Bacon was born in Barre,
Aug. 5, 1872 and was a daughter of
Samuel and Nancy (tIarwood) Bacon.
She comes from a Tong-liTed family.
Her father was nearly 80 years old at
the time of his death, and brother,
DR.. Flbridge Bacon of Bar Mills, Me-,
is SO years of age, DR.. Bacon still en-
joys good health and but for his falling
sight, would be able to continue his pro-
fession of dentistry at the present time.
Miss Bacon passed most of her life
in Barre, where she taught school at
intervals for about rs years. She re-
sided in Brooklyn N. Y, for about 20
years, and 10 years ago came to Wor-
cester. where she has since made her
home with her nieces. Mrs. Cephas N.
Walker and Mrs. William 7. Pratt. I'm
til last winter, Miss Bacon has been
able to get cut of doors and travel
about at will, but a peculiar lameness
which interferes with her going up or
down stairs conveniently, keeps her
within doors to a considerable extent
at present.
: She began teaching school at the age
of 16, and tells interesting stories of
her experiences. In the early days,
when discipline was not as strict as at
present, it was a custom for some of
the pupils to bring their younger
brothers or sisters to school with them,
or possibly the children might have
begun school younger. At any rate,
some of Miss Bacon's pupils were so
young as to require nap during the
session, and an improyised cot on the
platform where the teachers desk was
located was a fixture in her school
room.
Among the callers yesterday who
formerly attended Miss Bacon's school
We're Mrs. William Lawrence of Wor-
cester and Mrs Olivia Holland of
Barre
Miss Bacon has given considerable
attention to writing during her life,
and during the anti -slavery days was
a constant contributor to the Liberia
tor She was also acquainted with
Garrison, Pillsbury and many other
leading anti-slavery men. In addition
to her interest in the slavery question,
Miss Bacon has been strong advo-
cate of temperance and takes a leading
part in temperance work
At present she Is at work on a poem
and chronicles of the Harwood family,
which will be read at the annual Har-
wood gathering. which takes place in
Barre, Aug. 49,