Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-08-14
RUMFORD CENTENNIAL.
THE FLOOD DID NOT SUCCEED IN
DROWNING IT OUT.

II
INTERESTING ADDRESSES AND VAIL
ABLE HISTORICAL PAPERS. "A ri
DINNER TO A BIG CROwp.-A NEx
| oRABLE OCCASION IN SPITE OF Raj
The Rumford centennial broke th
drought. There is no doubt Of that.
1t seemed almost too bad, when "
hadn't had any rain for two weeks, ths
such food Of Il should pour down o.
Rumford Centre just at the time the out
door features OF the celebration were on
Not that the breaking Of the drough
was premeditated or even An entirel,
welcome feature OF the affair; but for
while IL was the most cOuspicuou
feature, and one that forced itself upol
the attention In spite OF everything.
II IL had not been for the rain, tn
whole affair would have gone of with
smoothness which would have been
great credit to all concerned, and woul,
have left pleasant memory 10 the mint
of every one who was favored In being
there. As Il was, 10 spite Of the rain
everything thst was possible was cariet
cut, and the industry and enthusiasm
snd thorough preparation OF all con
cerned were strikingly made manifest.
All roads led To Rumford Centre last
Wednesday morning. Aug. s, which
were the day and place get for celebrst
ing the centennial OF the Incorporation
20 the town Of Rumford. At an early
hour In the day, the roads radistinG
from the Centre began to pour In thu
food Of people. The ferry approach or
the south side Of the river was packed
with teams and bicycles waiting theil
turn TO cross. From all other directions
they came also, until crowd OF no less
than three thousand people swsrmed Ia
the little village.
The place presented gala appearance
Not only was the crowd In holiday ut.
tire. but number OF the residences and
other buildings were decorated for the
occasion. The decorated buildings In
Guided the town house, the Grand Army
Hall, the audience room Of the Methods,
church, the house and store OF I. II.
Burgess, the houses of Dana Elliott, W.
X. Swain, n. S. Fsruuui, c. II. Graham,
and others.
The arrangements for the accommoda-
ton and entertainment Of the people
were ample. A platform for the out
door speaking had been erected on the
east side OF the Methodist church, and In
the space between this and the town
house seats had been arranged 40 that all
who wished might see and hear. Neither
platform nor seats, alas! were used.
A decorative feature Of this outdoor
suiience room was an old well curb.
sweep, and old osken bucket, as natural
as II they had just stepped out OF a
Just as useful, too, as far
as any practical drawing OF water was
for the well was lacking.
At the resr Of this field was the big
din ng tent, 200 feet long and seating
400 at the tables, with serving tents In
the rear OF that--sn eIcellently planned
arrangement.
TIE town house was converted for the
day into = museum OF antiquities, and
there was a collection Of them which
would profltably employ much more
time than we can spend on them.
Features Of this exhibit were case Of
old china and case Of Indian relics, In
clud ng a great variety OF spear heads
and arrow heads, exhibited BY T. II.
Burgess; and q collection OF ancient,
modern and curious firearms and other
wear ous. exhibited bv Fred A. Porter.
An old flintlock which was used In bat
tie with the Indians around Concord,
y. r., WAS the property Of Miss Cyhthis
A gun used In the Wsr OF 1872
Was exhibited by j. Leslie Putnam.
There WAS quite collection OF other old
guns, and q large number OF ancient
books, and the old foot stoves, and
perforated tin lanterns, and other articles
Of comfort and convenience with which
our forefsthers managed TO get along
and prosper, but which to-day are
relics of a by-gone age.
Blu, the piece de resistance OF the whole
museum WAS q loom belonging TO Mrs.
Isaac Richsrdson-not what IL left OF an
old loom. but a complete loom all In
shape 10 work, q thing that probably
few o. the present generation have ever
seen. Nor must we forget the old car
rage owned By T. Z. Jackson, just
across the street. This was built In
LIS, and IL therefore La years old.
Origin ally q thoroughbrace carriage, II
has been fitted with nineteenth century
steel springs, and spring seat and
back; and II one doesn't mind good
deal CT weight for one horse 10 haul,
there ire good many years OF service
In II yet.
The misty rain Of the preceding night
had Ia d the dust, and though the clouds
were IL dog-dsys condition, everybody,
after casting an eve upward, "hoped"
that 4; wasn't going TO rain. But alas
for human hopes, 1t did rain, but not
until the crowd had got there. IL began
10 con e down little before ten O'Clock,
and for three hours or more, through all
the tir,e the clouds looked bright and
broken, there was steady pour. Peo-
pie took TO the road to keep out OF the
wet grass. Then they took to the grass
70 kee out OF the mud. And finally IL
got TO be all one, aud all got more or less
careleis Of the weather. But everybody
was good-nstured even IL disappointed,
and you never saw q crowd make the
best o. thing any better.
A portion Of the parade was brsvely
carried out, in spite Of the shower.
Headed BY q barge containing the Rum
fords Falls Band, some dozen teams car
rying the school children of the town
drove through the street. The carriages
were f,mewhat varied In their style, but
all hac been decorated In good taste with
bunting. flowers and evergreen. Some
800 chl ldren, representing thirty schools
and divisions, participated 10 the parade,
and chsered as though bright sun were
shining, though thin white dresses were
reduce in about two minutes time to
the co, dition of wet dishrag; but it
WAS quickly over, and the children were
taken into the school house to be dried
out as much as possible.
The bicycle parade had to be called
of. and that was too bad, for the Demo
crst reporter can testify to seeing q
numbe. Of handsomely decorated wheels
and tastily dressed riders who would
have msde an attractive appearance In q
parade
The literary exercises OF the forenoon,
which we're TO have been given by the
children on the outdoor stand, were nee
essaril,, omitted entirely dissppoint-
ing fact, but one for which there was no
help.
THE DINNER.
As the rainfall continued without In
terruption and increased In volume, the
people sought every available shelter,
and, tn ,ugh il was long before dinner, a
process ion began to wind toward the DIG
dining ;ent TO get out of the wet. Even
here they did not entirely escape It, fol
while portions Of the tent were dry. IL
other places the pouring rain soaked
through the canvas, and dripped upor