The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-09-01
MERRIAM FAMILY REUNION.

| MERRIAM FAMILY REUNION.
| The interest attaching to the annual re-
unions of the descendants of Matthew I.
Merriam was again proved by the large at
tendance at the home of Elisha Merriam in
Morrill,, Aug. oath. The new stable recent
ly added to Mr.. Merriam's buildings did
much to make the conditions for such
| gathering well-nigh complete The weather
was perfect, and full moon in the evening
was guarantee of safety to those coming
| from a distance and wishing to return
home late.
The sole survivors of the thirteen chill
| dren of Matthew T. Merriman-Mrs. Jane
Rice of Thomaston, Mrs. Sarah E. Jackson
of Rockland, and Mrs. NJ. A. Sayward of
| ThOrndike-were present. The first is 80
years old, the last 70, and Mrs. Jackson is
| II. Their physical appearance gave prom
ise of many happy returns.
| Mr.. Merriam's family had taken great
| pains to have successful meeting, and his
efforts were rewarded by the largest gath
| eriDg that these reunions have called forth.
The main floor of the stable, which served
| for dining room, was so completely shut
off from the rest of it as to make it seem a
part of the house, so far as neatness was
concerned. The decorations, consisting of
evergreen boughs, wild flowers, ferns and
sweet peas, supplemented by two Ameri-
can flags, helped to remind those present
that although the day was given mainly to
the concerns of small portion of the hu-
man race connected by ties of blood, yet
they were related closely to nature on one
hand, and considered themselves a part of
that greater brotherhood, the national gov
ernment, on the other.
Eighty and more people partook of the
picnic dinner with appetites sharpened but
sadly inadequate to the bountiful supply
provided, leaving behind so much for Mr.
Merriams disposal as seriously to embar-
rasS him.
Gathered about the door after dinner in
the shade of the house and the trees Pres-
dent Eli C. Merriam called the assembly to
order, and after some Introductory remarks,
| including the reading of letter from Thach-
Ell Brown of Stuart, Iowa, prayer was offer
ed by Charles Brown and acceptable re-
marks made by Elisha Merriam, Mrs. NJ. A.
Sayward, Mrs. Sarah E. jackson, Mrs. NJ.
S. McCool, Mr.. and Mrs. D. o. Bowen,
Charles Brown, Charles Merriam, Freeman
Sheldon and Miss Alice Sayward.
From information presented by Mr. Eli
Merriam it appears that Matthew T. Mer-
riam's ancestry has been traced back to
England, the line being as follows:
/ William of Hadow, Kent County, Eng.
2 Joseph of Concord, Mass, who died in
1641.
3 William of Lynn, Mass.
John of Wallingford, Ct
5 Nathaniel of Wallingford, CT.
s Rev. Matthew of Walingford and Kit
terry, Me.
7 Matthew T. of Morrill,.
In the absence of regular photographer
Mr.. Herman Merriam acted as such, taking
i'll addition to the group as a whole, pic
ture of the three sisters mentioned above.
The contingent brought from Thorndike by
j. Ii. Sayward, consisting of thirteen OF the
Sayward branch of the family "a reunion in
| itself) as they were about to start for home,
was photographed, seated in their convey
ance, three-horse rack, upholstered with
hay and canopied with sheeting.
That this was considered the best reunion
of this family is no discredit to other re-
unions, but is an index of growing interest.
A list of those present follows: Mr.. and
Mrs. f. D. Andrews, Mr.. and Mrs. C. E,
Brown, Elisha Brown, Stanley Brown, Le-
roy Brown, Wilbert Brown, Mr.. and Mrs.
Marian Brown, katherine c. Brown, Mr..
and Mrs. John Blake, Mr.. and Mrs Daniel
Bowen, Ernest Bowen, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur
A. Buck, Anna r. Buck, Mr. and Mrs.
Jacob d. Davis, Mrs. Geo. Burgess, Mrs.
| Annie Burgess, Mrs. Abbe Files, Mrs.
Linda Gray, Mr.. and Mrs. C. E. Harris,
Emery E. Hall, Mrs. Sarah E. jackson, Mr..
and Mrs. L. c. jackson, II. B. Ladd, Mr..
and Mrs. Eli c. Merriam, Victor |. Merri-
| am, Kenneth G. Merriam, Mr. and Mrs.
Elisha Merriam, Justin Merriam, Herman
Merriam, Mr.. and Mrs. Richard Merriam,
Frances Merriam, Helen A. Merriam, Mr..
and Mrs. Charles F. Merriam, Harold Mer-
riam, Edith Merriam, Ethel Merriam, Ida
Merriam, Mrs. NJ. S. McCool, Mr. and Mrs.
c. W. Mears, Mrs. Jane NJ. Rice, W. II.
Rice, Mary A. Rice, Mrs. NJ A. Sayward,
Mr.. and Mrs. W. F. Sayward, Marion A.
Sayward, Malcolm j. Sayward, Alice G.
Sayward, Mr.. and Mrs. J. Fl. Sayward,
William H. Sayward, Lucy A. Sayward,
Elmer W. Sayward, Ralph Sayward, Mr..
and Mrs Freeman Sheldon, Mr. and Mrs
Edward Sheldon, Gladys Sheldon, Mr.. and
Mrs. 7. Wadlin, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles H.
Woods, Mr.. and Mrs. Maurice Wood, Lou
vile Wood, Mrs. Hatch, Miss Hatch, Mrs.
r. Elder.