Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-02

RusJuS SuOhlc Ilhmiu Va D"ecN
has done so much for the town OF Paris
John Samuel Hatch Frink, the Ports
mouth IN. H. lawyer; and DR.. Joseph
Palmer Fessenden of Salem, Mass. Mr..
Gibson Is of stalwart build, and IN Ms
younger days was a person OF great
physical strength and agility, being,
when at Brunswick, the leading athlete
in college.
After he had completed his course at
college, he remained here few years at
his old home. and at the state election In
September, 1853, was chosen member
of the lower house of the legislature to
represent the district composed OF this
town and the towns OF Fryeburg anu
Porter. At about this time he married,
his wife being Valeria Sweat, daughter
of DIR. Jesse p. Sweat of this town, who
for forty-seven years practiced medicine
and surgery here, and who, in the latter
part of his life, removed to Minneapolis,
where he died in August, 1885.
In 1858 Mr.. Gibson went west TO
"yrow up with the country" and
located in Minneapolis, which was then
a village of but few hundred inhabit-
ants. In connection with William w.
Eastman he built the first Touring mill
in Minneapolis Cataract Mill-and
afterwards built and operated the North
Star Wooden Mills, which became noted
for the excellence Of their products. lie
met with financial reverses in the In.
dustrial panic which began in 1873, and
in 1879 he went to Montana, locating at
Fort Benton, where he at once embarked
in the sheep business, being interested
with Henry Mcdonald in one of the first
flocks of sheep driven into northern
Montana. Since that time he has, to
greater or less extent, been engaged IN
that business, and no man has done NOR
to promote the welfare and advance the
interests of the flockmskers of Montana,
this industry having now grown 10 De
one of prime Importance In that state
In 1892 Mr.. Gibson first saw the lalls
of the Missouri River, and examined into
the resources of the surrounding region.
He was deeply impressed with the ad-
yantages of the situation, with Its un-
limited water power, its inexhaustlble
deposits of coal, and the vast extent OF
its agricultural and grazing lands,--snd
from that moment he set for himself the
task of founding and building city at
those falls. In November, 1882, he laid
his plans before James j. Hill, the ST.
Paul capitalist and railroad magnate,
and Mr.. Hill readily joined interest with
him in the enterprise. Two years were
spent in acquiring title to town site and
coal lands, and it was not till 1884 that
the foundation of the new town was
laid-indeed, to be strictly accurate, Its
start was not made till 1887, when the
st. Paul, Minneapolis Il Manitoba Rail-
road, now the Great Northern Railroad,
was completed to that point. Since that
time Great Falls has made marvellous
progress, and is now city of more than
IL, 900 people.
MIR. Gibson has been connected with
the affairs of Great Falls since the town
had its beginning, having been actively
engaged in stockgrowing, mining, the
real estate business, etc. He is the pro-
moter of the city's public park system
which has no equal in the Northwest
and has given a great deal of his time to
the general development of the coal,
iron and agricultural interests OF the
Great Falls region.
His library ia the largest private
library in Great Falls. His wife Is active
in literary and educational circles, and Is
the founder of the Valeria Public Lii
brary of Great Falls. They have four
children.
There was much rejoicing at Great
Falls when the news reached there OF
Mr.. Gibson's election to the Senatorship.
He was in Helena, the capital OF the
state, when he was elected-which, by
the way, was at 3 80 o'clock in the
morning, and he took train for home
at one O'Clock in the afternoon OF the
same day, reaching Great Falls at about
1 80 o'clock. Never WAS man given q
more hearty reception than was accord
ed him when he arrived. Early in the
dav, as. soon as his fellow townsmen
heard of his election, they began to pre-
pare grand welcome for him, party
affiliations being forgotten and all joining
in the preparations. Long before noon
the business houses and many dwellings
were ablaz, with flags and bunting, and
the merchants had agreed to close their
stores between four and five o'clock.
The schools were dismissed for the after
noon, the court was adjourned, and the
force at the smelters was greatly re-
duced.
Long before the train reached Great
Falls, big crowd had assembled at the
station. and, when the train arrived,
fully five thousand people had congre-
gated. AS the Senator stepped from the
train, he was surrounded by an enthu-
siastic, cheering crowd, who escorted
him to a carriage decked with roses.
Long ropes were attached to the car
riage, and the ropes were seized by two
hundred leading citizens who drew the
carriage up and down one of the princi-
pal streets of the city, the crowd along
the route all the time cheering like mad.
The days jubilee closed with speech
from the Senator, in which he thanked
his fellow townsmen for the hearty
goodwill manifested towards him, and
in which he pledged his best endeavors
as Senator to advance the interests
Of Montana.
On the following day the people of
Great Falls again turned themselves
loose in celebration Of the election OF
Mr. Gibson to the Senate, and this sec
ond demonstration was even more en-
thusiastic than that Of the day before.
Early in the evening there WAS great
parade and grand display of fireworks,
and then came reception at which for
an hour the Senator was kept busy In
receiving the greetings and handshak-
ings of his fellow townsmen. The days
celebration closed with a banquet, which
about three hundred prominent citizens
attended, and at which the Senator and
many other distinguished guests re-
sponded to toasts appropriate to the
happy occasion.
Senator Gibson has always been u
Democrat. In 1889 his fellow citizens
elected him member Of the state con-
stitutional convention which framed the
present constitution of Montana. H.
was also elected member of the senate
of the first legislature of the State Of
Montana, in which position he served
most creditably to himself and to his
oop atituanta SCRUTATOR