The Republican journal., 1900-03-01
OBITUARY..

Miller treet Monday morning, Feb. 26tb, at
the age of 81 years. 6 months and Ii days.
He was born in Warren. Me, son of Zlpha
and Deborah Swift. He learned the black
sla.ths trade ia TLouaston and came to
Belfast when % years old. He first worked
for II. n. Lancaster on carriage work, horse
shoeing, etc, and then took jobs to iron
vessels in the shipyards of Carter Co. and
White 4 Conner. For several years he had
shop where the northerly end of Bay View
street now is, and did the work for Carter &
Co. and the Dyer & Leighton marine rail-
way He was in company few years with
the late Joseph Wight, father of Joseph
f. Wight of Northport avenue. Mr. Swift
afterwards built a shop Main street,
which he occupied as long he able to
work at the trade. With the exception of
going to Rockland and Thomaston OCCASION
ally to iron vessel he spent his life in Bel
fast. He married Rebecca j. Ross of Skow-
hogan, who died sixteen years ago. They
had six children. Three died in childhood,
the other three sons entered stores in Belfast
and made their home here. George W,
now deceased, was i'll the hardware business;
Charles F., i'll groceries, now of the firm of
Swift & Paul and William A. Swift, Jr., in
boots and shoes, still in business at the Main
street store. OF Mr. Swift's family of ten,
but one now remains, Mrs. Lovina Barlow of
Searsmont. MIR, Swift never sought Office and
often refused nominations, but he was pub
lie spirited man, ever ready to serve in any
other capacity. He was for many years
mem ber of the volunteer fire department,
and was one of the thirty men who went
from Belfast to the Aroostook war in 1889.
Col. Hiram Chase is the only survivor of
that company. Mr.. Swift was corporal of
Capt. B P Swans company of militia. He
was member of Passagassawakeag Lodge
of Odd Fellows, which existed here from
1874 to 1857 He built double tenement
house on the lot where G. E. Whites new
house now stands, at the corner of Congress
and Franklin streets. That was before
Congress street was built, and the houses
faced Charles street as some of the houses
in that neghborhood do now. He after
wards built the house on Congress street
now owned by l.. II. Murch. He has lived
Cedar streets II years. Mr.. Swift was an
honest, Industrious, temperate man,
thoroughly good citizen, and one who
through long life ever had the highest es-
TEEN of all who knew him. The funeral
was held at his late home, yesterday, We'd
nesday, afternoon Rev. A. A Smith officiat-
ing. The floral offerings were elegant and
the sons ; crescent from the sister an "pd
age wreath from Mrs. G. w, Swift; sheaf
of wheat from Mrs. S. B. Cunningham
sheaf and sickle from j. F. Wight and
daughter; bouquet from Mr.. and Mrs. S. G.
Swift, basket from Mr.. and Mrs j. G. Paul;
basket from Wm. +. and Annie Bean bou-
qlet from Mrs. John Dolloti; bouquet, Mrs.
A. S. Fahy bouquet from Mrs NJ Il. Barr.
The bearers We're Geo. S. Chase, Geo. E.
johnson, A. c. Burgess and j. l.. Havner
Ephram A, Pitcher, who was not only
the oldest man in Belfast but ho was born
here and had always lived IN Belfast died
at his home with his daughter, Mrs. Fred A.
Griffin, Wednesday evening, Feb. 2lst. He
was born in house near NIne street in Bel
fast, March %, 1906, and consequently lack
ed but one month of being ~ years old. In
1872 his parents moved to farm III the west
part OF the town and be spent the remainder
of his life in that neighborhood. When he
was % years Old he bought farm near his
father and it has since been his home more
then II years. He taught school for 2S years
prior to 1850 one term, at least, in each year
in Belfast, and the others in the Immediate
vicinity. The only time he ever spent out
side his native city, except as a teacher in
some nearby town. was two years when he
was employed in the South as supercargo
handling Maine potatoes. He was collector
of internal revenue for Belfast during the
war; subsequently collector of taxes three
years, and was agent of his school district
many years in succession. He was a meth
odical business man, and retained his facul.
ties remarkably, In an article in The Jour-
nal of Oct. 81 1888, on Some of Belfast's
Old People" he being then 90 years old. it
was said of him: "If one-half our men of so
years could get into out of a grocery
wagon as easily as he, or could do as much
work in a day, they would consider them
selves smart" The next spring he led the
march in the old folks dance, and his erect
carriage and vigor were noticed by all. His
wife, formerly Susannah Houston, died
several years ago. He leaves one son and
two daughters, Fred W Pitcher of New
YORK, N. Y; Mrs. Annie Griffin of Belfast,
and Mrs Thomas W, Phinney of Thomaston.
Willard Seekins died at his home on Cross
street Saturday night, Feb. "a, after long
illness of consumption. He had been in
poor health for more than a year and con-
fined to the house since the first of Novem-
ber. He was born in Swanville, a son of
Isaac B. and Eliza (Jackson) Seekins. He
learned the trade of axe maker in East Bel
fast and worked there until 2S years old,
when he went to Oakland and worked 8
years at the trade He then came to Belfast
and drove team for I'll. f. Mason, and later
for the Swan & Sibley Co. He married Ella
Curtis of Monroe, who survives him, with
three daughters, Ethel wife of Frank o.
Whiting, Miss Carrie and Miss Winnie See.
kins, all of Belfast He leaves two sisters
and two brothers, Nellie Manning of Lincoln.