Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-08-14
though A. fIrst Il VAS necessary 10 hold

an umbrella over the epeaker, TO bee
his manuscript dry, II he had one.
A stand had been erected In the mid
die Of the tent on one side, and Was oc
coupled by the speakers, the band and th
lchorus, and some OF the older citizens
or course the crowd all stayed In th
tent, which was packed full. Equal,
LOT course not everybody could hear, and
perhaps some didn't care to, Will
Others, wishing to hear and finding tina
they couldn't, contented themselve
with announcing that fact In loud tone
and others carried on . friendly CONVEX
sation with their neighbors withou
being at all disturbed BY the speaking
Gradually the crowd thinned out, ant
the latter part Of the exercises wer'
heard comfortably by al who remained
Hon. Waldo Pettengill, president Of
the day, presided at these exercises, ant
programme, occupying some more thar
three hours' time and summarized u
follows, was carried out:
| Music, Rumford Falls Band.
Music. chorus, "To Thsc. Q Country"
Singing Rumford Centennial Hymn. writer
/ by Mas Lucretia T. Howe, and sung 70 the tun'
OF America by chorus and audience.
Our churches. Rev. @. B. Hsnnaford.
Our physicians, DIR. j. w. Stuart.
Our lawyers. Hon. George d. Bisbee.
| Music chorus, "Around the Hearth"
our schools Of today. Superintendent Paysor
Smith
Music, chorus, "Home Again"
Rumford to-day, II. C. Dunton.
Rumford Of the future, A. +. Stearns.
Music, chorus, "Praise Ye the Father"
Rumfori's mills and millcrs. Chaplin virgin
Reading Of poem written by Miss Lucrefia I
Howe.
Music, chorus, "Home, Sweet Home"
Our visitors, Hon. John y. Swascy.
Music, Anvil Chorus.
Closing prayer by Rev. Z. A. Hoyt.
Band concert
The days proceedings are to be pub
lished later In book form, and q large
amount Of valuable historical matter,
some Of which was not delivered, and
much of which was audible to only q
few people, will thus be preserved.
Rev. Mr.. Hannaford's paper on the
Rumford churches and pastors was very
full and complete, and manifested .
great amount of painstaking research.
DIR. Stuart, Mr.. Bisbee and Mr.. Virgin
gave only a portion Of their papers,
which will be printed 10 full, and will
form q complete history Of Rumford's
first century In their several depart
ments.
Superintendent Smiths response on
Rumford's schools OF to-day was devot-
ed to the text Of the Little Red School
House, and Was a thoughtful and earnest
plea for the preservation, revivifying
and improvement Of the rural schools.
Mr.. Dunton, In speaking Of the Rum
ford of to-day, and Mr.. Stearns, In
speaking Of the Rumford OF the future,
spoke eloQuently OF the wonderful ma
terial prosperity and progress which has
resulted In the last decade from the de-
velopment of the water power OF Rum
ford Falls, and foresaw = continuation
and increase Of material and moral pros
perity and progress In the years to come.
Hon. John p. Swasey, although nomi-
nally speaking for the visitors OF the
day, devoted the larger part OF an elo-
quent address Of some thirty minutes to
eulogy Of the men-Hugh j. Chisholm,
Charles d. Brown, Waldo Pettengill and
others-who have made Rumford's re-
cent development possible, and to
exsltation Of the worthy character OF
Rumford's men and women, who repre-
sent, he declared, the highest type OF
Christian civilization.
A special word should be spoken Of
the music Of the day. The Rumford
Falls Band, under the leadership OF +.
A. Parsons, furnished music through
out the day, and played the accompani-
ments for the choruses, aud by the ex-
cellence OF their work took themselves
out Of the list Of country bands"-h
they were ever there. A well-trsined
chorus OF some forty voices, under the
lead of Charles A. Mixer, rendered
several fue selections and led the au-
dience in the singing of some OF the old
familiar songs, the printed words OF
which were distributed among the au-
dience. All the musical selections
evinced most thorough preparation.
The rain had stopped by the time the
exercises were closed, and the people
were enabled to 60 home 10 comparative
In the evening benefit concert WAS
given TO a good house In the Methodist
church for the benefit OF the church and
the artists being Miss wyni-
fred Staples, soprano soloist; Thomas
p. Holt, trombone; Miss Josephine II.
Hodsdon OF Yarmouth, reader; Miss
Juliet Kimbsll, pianist.
Altogether, In spite Of all the disad.
vantsges Of the weather, the Rumford
centennial WAS an occasion In which sll
who participated may take honest pride,
and which will remain pleasant men,
orv and an inspiration, even to future