Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-16
Lids CENTENNIAL.
o'o.,,,n..o f,u.n pas. J.,

in t,.,t of the BAPTIST ana UNIVERSE"
list ,i.ui.iies and il was 10 when IL WAS
oi, p,iu.u. 4. H. Dean was marshai
a., the paraue. In the van was the
sriyady Ijanu of Lewiston when Iur-
uisi,eI excellent music for all the eN-
e, isrs Of the day and evening.
L., lie fist car. iage was the honored
;.,,.., ,i rae daw Leeds most famous !
son. Gcnc4ai .. .. Howard accom-
panied ~ Representative Ihonas ~
,.,utnty. Lccus' Grange. one OF tue
strongest in Maine had Il large team,
tue town officers rode together am
there were many, decorated teams III
the procession.
,,,.m town schools were ali there.
Tho children OF Longfellow, Washing
ION. west Leeds, Leeds Center. Gouid
corner. Brick School house. Mems
Garner and curtis Corner schools We're
dressed in white and presented Il me
appearance as they rode by in car
riagcs Each school had i cariiaSe ~
itself and carried banner on "ni'n
it's name was inscribed.
.Inre with trcse teams and the var
ion floats was Srotesque assoi e''
NJ antinues and horribles which was
very taking feature with the Glow"
In the village and over the route Oh 'iie
procession. the dwellings ana stores
and all buildings were prettily deco
rated with aaCs and bunting.
After the parade about everybody
improved the opportunity 10 WISH 'ie
Town hall and examine the large ana
interesting collection OF rellcs an"
,urios which had been gathered the'e-
1,hero was the battered little cradle of
$50 wears ago, the Bible used by Kew
Thomas Devils Francis. the hrst MIN
istrr Of Leeds. ancient documents
china. tools. he'd pans. ana houSenoio
untcnsils of all kinds used in the lth
century.
There were looms. spinning Wheeis'
audirons, books. pottery. mirrors
dishes and coins such as modern COL
lectors rave over but cannot but AT any
nrice when owned by people who honor
their ancestors and prize the old helr-
looms as do the people of Leeds.
Every attic in town had given up ITS
treasures and some mad been sent
from away. making collection OF
crea, interest ana priceless value.
These relics Of other days brought
the town such as Stnchfield. Gould,
Jennings. PaIcher. Howard. Berry
Eishou. Moulton. Foss. Lothrop, Fish,
Francis. Lane Carver, OTIS. MliIett'
Goodin and many others. Nearly All
Of these original families still nave rep
resentatives in town. All day the
Town hall exhibit was great center
of attraction.
At 10 20 the forenoon exercises IN the
PAVILION were opened. The pavilion
was a big tent i15 feet long. capable al
containing 5000 people and it was pref
" well filed. While many hundred:
were elsewhere. at the dinner tents
in Town hall. the merry So-round ah'
all around the village and the NH
sides. The presiding officer was Setf
Howard. chairman of the general cen
tennial committee.
The opening prayer was mace p'
Rev. Mr. Small of West Leeds an'
was followed by an able address by tn
president Of the day. Mr.. HoWar'
tiwelt upon the history of the town. IN
success of those who have cast thcl
lots elsewhere and the general obJec
OF the occasion.
Then the formal address OF vel
come was delivered bv Frank Fl. Her
rick. Il bright young man. the secfc
tarv Of the committee.
Th, response WAS by J. {. Stinchh"i
of Wayne. Mr. Stinchfield is the com
p;lcr Of the history of Leeds. an al
tractiye volume Of 800 pages. accurat
and thorough. which will prove d
mich permanent value and is one Z
l,n al "a
Mr. S,inchfioId comes of Leeds oldes
family. Thomas and Roger Stnchiicl'
who came to the town in 1873, being II
first white settlers.
The feature of the morning exercise
was the informal address. entirely rem
nisrent in nature. by General OiiVer "
Howard Con. Howard comes OF one
the towns oldest families and no ma
has added more lustrc to its fame tina
he. beginning "A poor boy. he worked \
way through Bowdon college. where |
graduated i'm 80 and then went To Wc'
Point. He went into the Civil war =
colonel of the famous I'd Maine ana u
world knows his army record. and II
great work he has done along Chrlstia
and philanthropic lines since ne mas Soi
upon the retired list.
He is now past % Years Of aec hut
atill alert and active. vigorous in voi'
and manner as most men of ~. He is
striking figure and the eloquencr OF h
empty sleeve appeals to all. Leeds ioN'
him and is justly proud OF him. lhat |
loves his native town has often bee
made manifest. Within sight OF the tel
where he spoke. upon a hill to the ives
stands stately monument which
erected AT his own expense to the men
DRY of the 12S brave men whom Lee6
sent to the defence of the Union i'll lS5
C5
General Howard was given gran
ovation and his talk was one of Absorb
ing interest. He was followed by Mi:
Elsie Bryant. who read the centenni
poem Miss Bryant is bright young !;
dy of Leeds. and "A recent graduate
Hebron. Her poem was graceful pr
duction of much merit. The Aeolia
quartet OF Lewiston. furnished mus
during the exercises.
At "a little past | +. NJ. adjournmel
was made for dinner. and what "A dinn
ii was and how the multitude enjoyed
The two big tents had their long tabl
piled with good things. the culinary II
lmphS Of the Leeds housewives, and n
a soul went hungry. The people we
grouped at dinner AS far as possible.
school districts. the districts exist
under the old system. which added to 4
social enjoyment of the occasion. :
the tables were tlled and more than Sc
en- baskets of food were left. Many pi
mic parties enjoyed their dinner und
the trees out in the fields where hu
,lrcds OF teams were hitched. The dim
was masterpiece. the browning succe
of the day.
About 80 P. NJ the crowd. or most