The Republican journal., 1904-07-07
OLD OWES IN BucKsPoRr.

| A Paper nv Mrs. Mary T. Pond Read at the
| Centennial of the Congregational Church.
All hail to Bucksport, where we were
born and bred. "The kindly spot, the
| friendly town. where every one is
known" But the circumstances under
| which we write are so unfavorable
that we must use sound discretion and
leave the very early details of the his
tory of this church in the safe keeping
of the silent sleepers, and collect what
"reminiscences we can of the events of
later times. and of the days in which
we have lived. A New York English
man said of the little town where he
was born-'It had voice of its own,
low, solemn, humming through the air,
winter and summer" The blue Penob-
scot which makes this town rolls quiet
ly into the bay. The church which was
the prominent feature stood on a near
by hill; on the south run line OF blue
hills. In the rear, grey rocks are scat
tered in rough pastures, while the arch
J ing sky tells the same starry story now
as one hundred years ago.
"reminiscences of hundred years
| ago are not to be thought OF. Parson
Blood and his contemporaries, Rev.
Hahey Loomis of Bangor, Rev. Peter
Powers of Penobscot, Rev. Jonathan
Fisher of Bluehill, who studied his
Hebrew Bible by the light of a pine
knot, made wooden latches for his
doors, paced the distance from Blue
hill to Bangor.
Rev. lothian Sewall, who on his mis-
sionary tours, harnessed his horse
before light, rode some miles to my
fathers door, asking for breakfast of
pudding and milk At all ordination
dinner, being asked to explain the
Scripture, eff thou be man given to
appetite put knife to thy throat" cit
MEANS" he said, skill yourself at once,
and not by the slow process of eating"
Parson Blood's Here l pause for the
present." meaning the afternoon SEES
sion would continue the discourse, gave
thrill of pleasure and quiet sigh for
the afternoon remainder" Sometimes
loud stamps with his foot and a stern
look at the boys in the side gallery,
with "boys, boys were wholesome
reminder of indecorum. Stiffness
reigned before the service, when the
town clerk, Mr. Pillsbury, rose and in
clear tones announced Marriages in
tended" Repeating the names of the
blushing parties. This was done for
three successive Sundays. Another
picture is Madam Haywood walking to
wing pew with her green parasol ex-
tended over her head. After services
have anxiously gazed after Mrs.
Daniel Buck, mother of Rufus and
Richard, as they drove down the back
side of meeting house hill, one rein in
her hand the other in the hand of her
maid, Peggy McAuley.
1t must be nearly eighty years since
the weekly prayer meeting was often
held in my fathers sitting room, as in
others, and Esq. Jonathan Buck,
father of Elder Buck, and Miss Lydia,
being blind, was led in to an arm chair
in the centre Of the room and was
prominent member.
Deacon Elias Adams came to Bucks
port from Charlestown, Mass, in two
months after the church was formed
,, with letter to Mr.. Blood. He re-
manned here until 1913. His son George,
then an infant became for forty years
minister in Brunswick, Me. Two of
his sons were our High school teachers
thirty years after. He says: Il prac-
tised wise economy, carrying my grain
to Mr.. Spofford's mill on my shoulder,
and taking as boarders Mr. George
ton, and Judge Peabody. They were
the two first Bucksport lawyers" This
was in eighteen. hundred, three and
four. He wrote ri boarded myself
and had twenty-five dollars month as
public school teacher. l also walked
three evenings week to teach a sing
ing school in Orland. Judge Peabody
was character. Mr.. Abner Lanphear
in a prayer meeting confessed himself
a great sinner; at once, Esq. Peabody
rose and said, "Amen." MI. Lanphear
was the village shoemaker.
Morning and afternoon we toiled up
what is now seminary hill. AS | have
been writing l recall not only Mr..
Blood, the first pastor, also Dr.. Hardy,
a physician, whose home was the one
now occupied by Mrs. Samuel Hall.
He was the chorister, and our criti-
cism as children was that his mouth
was full of hasty pudding. He played
a bass VOL. Mr.. Bradley, father of
Mr.. Joseph Bradley, with extended
| cheeks blew the flute, Mr. Samuel
Swazey, tall and stately, singing the
solo. The Sunday school had wan
dering life, sometimes in the district
school house, which was then on Mrs.
Barnard's lot, in the morning before
church. But in warm weather it was
held after the afternoon service in the
church on the hill. We sometimes
repeated an entire chapter for les
son, possibly discussing afterward our
teachers jewelry. Those Sundays on
the hill, under the then thick oak trees,
have flavor not to be forgotten.
Years went on, the caterpillars ate
the trees. The old church came walk
ing down the hill. A new one was
built and Mr.. Breed, a graduate of
Yale and in the service of the Ameri-
can Board, became our young pastor.
He had the zeal of a young apostle,
and after kindling us into good ser
vice was called into Ohio, which end
ed, after four years, most pleasant
connection.