The Republican journal., 1903-08-27
For MORE THAN u YEARS.
Record of Continuous Activity Of Augustus
Perry Of Belfast, Me-, now 1" "l' '0'" rear
Especial to the Boston Gl0De.)

Rs.or,, oe Cont,ruous Activity Of Augustus
Perry Of Belfast. Me-, now in his seth Year.
Especial to the Boston Globe.)
BELFAST, Me-, Aug II. With ca
reer of continuous activity OF more
than p years in this city, Angus tus
Perry, now in his seth year, is one of
the best preserved Of all the men here
who have passed the meridian OF life.
His form is as erect as that of an
athlete, his step as elastic as that OF a
country schoolgirl, his eye bright, his
hearing remarkably perfect, his nerve
so steady that his handwriting indi-
Gates nothing of the feebleness OF age,
and his voice as sonorous as that OF the
average man in health at %.
He still pursues an avocatlon. IN Off
cial life which requires an alert mind,
correct accounting, attention to all
sorts of people every hour in the day,
and advice, instruction or assistance to
a large proportion of the Whole.
Mr.. Perry was born in Camden, April
80, 1915, the son of one of the rev trad
erS then doing business III That now
thriving and popular town. Nearly all
his time up to the age OF IL was spent
in the schools of his native town, and
there he finished his scholastic life.
In 1881 he came to Belfast and at
once became employed as clerk by
merchant who kept a general country
store, where customers came to swap
eggs, potatoes. cured mack erel, berries,
| spring lamb or fall chickens for sewing
silk or molasses, single nails or sooth-
ing syrup, tweed for trousers or Virgin
ia plug for the chimney corner smoke,
a kedge anchor for the small fishing
smack or satin ribbon for the Sunday
| bonnet, lime for the cellar wall mortar,
or spices for Thanksgiving pies.
There he remained five years ana
then, being p years old, ne decided to
60 into business for himself: took
partner and opened the store OF Bea-
man & Perry in 1896.
AS was the custom of those days there
was much barter of country produce
for ''store goods, butter. cheese, eggs,
wooden stockings of blue or mixed wool,
the manufactures of the housewife.
finding their way to the counter in ex-
change for comforts of which the chill
dren in surrounding towns and even in
Belfast itself would otherwise have
been deprived.
The firm was dissolved in 1854, and
then Mr.. Perry started in business for
himself, in store on Main street. He
still devoted himself to variety to
some extent, but his principal stock in
trade was hardware, large and small, for
household and farm use, the erection OF
buildings and the construction OF ships,
the latter being then the chief and
thriving industry of the place, as it
was in most of the seaport towns OF
Maine.
Two years after, however, Mr.. Perry
made another change, selling out his
store and establishing a grocery busl-
ness, also on Main street. Here ne
continued in mercantile business until
1882, when he began to think that he
was so near to three-scOre and ten years.
that it was time to retire.
He thereupon closed out his entire
interest in business pursuits and &C
cepted an appointment in charge OF the
money order department in the Belfast
postoffice, which position he still occu-
pies.
Previous to this Mr. Perry was alder
man for several terms, held the ot1lce
of city treasurer and other minor posi-
IlOnS Ill puDllC llle, anu Hto tSeoo e'o
trustee for various interests.
Mr.. Perry was married in 1S43. His
wife died about 20 years ago. lie also
lost daughter, his second child, Emily
F. Four children are living-EdWard
A.. in business in Fargo, n. d.; Julia
NJ, who resides with her father; lisa
bella j., now Mrs. c. o. Poor of Belfast,
and Walter F. of Grand Forks, n. ID.
Edward served in the 10Th Me. vOlun-
teers during the civil war.
Mr.. Perry attributes his unlnterrup-
ted good health to the good air OF Bel
fast and to his quiet, uneventful life,
contented spirit and temperate habits.
He has never used liquor or tobacco,
and has been rather moderate, although
regular, in his diet.
In early life he was Wing, but when
the Republican party was formed he al
lied himself with it, and has voted that
ticket ever since.
He has been member of the North
Congregational church since boyhood,
and prominent in all its affairs. 1t has
not been necessary for him to proclaim
his church membership in order to con
vince his acquaintance that ne was
Christian. He has lived his rellglon.
> Said one of the business men here
Augustus Perrys yardstick was just
36 inches long; there were four quarts
to every gallon of his vinegar, and every
pound of his sugar had IS ounces.
s'He has always been courteous anc
tolerant. While he is tenacious OF his
, own opinions he is and always has beer
ready to accord to others the right tt
think for themselves, and respected
4 them for it. He has taken a deep IN
S terest in the affairs of his own church
, but has delighted in the progress an(
= prosperity of the others
MI. Perry lives in handsome an,
f commodious house on Cedar street will
q an ample and well-shaded lawn, ant
here his ideas of quiet domestic life ar
! carried out by his daughter, who man
e ages the household affairs.