The Portland daily press., 1901-02-09

costing $3.50 purchased In 1891 By the
Hon Prsntiss Mellen on behalf OF the
parish and removed from the old meet
ing hoBgs. The present organ was pur-
chased In 1853 and 20 make room for II,
the gallery stairs were removed to their
prefent position on the inside OF the main
building. still more radical changes
were made at that time. The Tiiiars,
arch and curtaihs at the pulpit recess and
the WOOD work about the windows were
removed and small iron pillars were
substituted for the large wooden ones
under ths galleries The pulpit was
lowered, also ths front OF the gallsry,
thus giving it more slope and the walls
were painted In water color TO represent
a 0reciAn temple. The building was
lier which was purchased By ten OF the
parishioners In 1876 Tor 5000 and present
ed to the society, Was taken down.
Nearly twenty-five wears later just prior
to the services on the nfiteth anniver-
sary, the chandelier was brought out
from the obscurity OF the garret, fitted
for gas and replaced. At its top IL the
| cannon ball from Mowatt's neet which
was imbsddsd in the wall of the old
meeting house.
The tablets with Inscriptions wri tten
by Hon. Vim. Wills date from 1858 Gin
1855 the walls and ceiling were newly
painted In their present form and the
pillars and arch at the pulpit recess were
crested The curtains were presented to
the parish a tew years later by leading
member OF the society now deceased.
The building az 1t exists today testi-
iies Co the faitfnulness and ability OF the
contractors and building committee and
to ths piety, the iibsraliiy and the public
spirit OF the members of the society in
1875.
At the conclusion Of Mr. Jordan's ad-
dr5ss, the dedication hymn, written by
Rev. Ichabod Nichols, ID. ID, the minis
ter of the church In 1896, was sung by the
ioir and the congregation.
Hon. Joseph W. Symonds, LII, D.,
then delivered an address on the First
Parish His address was most sohol-
srly production, en1 though at the out
set he stated that he had not been able
to devots as much time to the prepsra-
tlon Of the address as the subject wouli
deniard, and apolosizs1 for not being
aLIs to do the matter Justice, In the
opinion Of his hearers the address showed
that Judge symonds mad at least been
most careful ana painstaIing in his
researches into the recards and history
of this, the oldest parish in the state, and
he presented them In the ahls and elo-
quent manner for whisn he Is notsd.
he began by addressing his hearers as
"fellow members OF the First Parish of
Falmouth and friends" and stated that
once they would have been addressed
simply as fellow members of the First
Parish, for there was time when all
residents OF the town OF Falmouth were
regarded as me N bers OF one parish, but
he hoped that the manner In which he
addressed his hearers was broad enough
TO cover all who were within this sound
of his voice. He then went on 20 say
that when he had been asked 10 deliver
an address on the subject OF the history
of the First Parish he had entered upon
his IaSors with enthusiasm, but he had
seen the material for 1t accumulate with
despair. until he rsaliz ID the fact that
1t would be impossible to do she subject
justice, and that ms had gathsrsf
enough material for tsn anniversary al
dresses.
Judge Symonds then said that perhaps
it would serve to put his hearers In a
proper mood for the consideration Of
the subject of the eEening TO relate his
torical incident,and With great eloquenoe
he described that address OF the great
Napoleon, made TO his army on the eve
of the battle Of the Pyram ids. "Remem-
her, that fIom those heights forty cen
turiss look down upon you" said Ma
polson, standing in the shallow OF the
mighty pyramids Napoleon, however
else he may be regarded, must be ac-
kno TIedged to have been born leader
OF men, and IN thus addressing his sol.
diers ne touched the spring or human
action. lie appalled, to their pride, and
stirred in them the resoli9otlon OK tae
mighty conflicts Of the past. in which the
destiny OF an empire, or the Liberty CT
"a race had been the stake.
In this man ner the speaker eloquentiy
brought 60 the minds OF bis hearers the
fact that clustered about this church,
whose anniversary they were celebrating,
were the memories of the great past,
and associated with this stone meeting
house were the principal incidents In
the history of this city. Inc speaker
then went on to say that so short has
been the life OF our country that we
turn naturally to surveying the past,
to the contemplation OF the traditions of
the English notion OF which we are so
found. From them the rootsteDs OF onr
religion and our law may be traced 90
the broadening paths of modern times.
Judge Symonds then said that our own
local past Ia intimately connected with
the First Parish. lie then rapidly re-
viewed the early history of the town of
Falmouth, described In graphic Ian
guage the small hamlet on Falmouth
Neck, where now stand the Portland
Company IS works, and the tragic end OF
this first settlement at the hands of the
Indians during King Philips war. He
..Rt tl-.ar nratIn Of