Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-07-10
Greenwood.

Probably several events occurred pre-
vious to July 4th, 1776, when our country
notified John Bull that henceforth she
proposed to paddle her own canoe; and
that she has done SO ever since with fairly
good success is matter of history which
We think needs no argument to prove.
And now, since $50 years have rolled in
and out since that noted day took place,
suppose we notice few that have tran
spired within our own memory, going
no further back than 1913.
On the 4th of July, of that year, we
attended temperance celebration at
Turner village, the Grafton being de-
livered by the late Rev. Nathaniel Butler,
d. d. The children were out in full
force, and on their banner were inscribed
the words: "The Youth, the Hope of the
World" There was a free dinner, every
thing was first class and the celebration
has ever been remembered as one of the
best we ever attended.
On the 4th of July, 1851, it rained near.
~ all day quite similar to the present
time; and whether there was to be a
celebration anywhere in the vicinity, is
now uncertain. We were then at work
for Capt. James Staples, of Canton, and
during the day Mr.. Abbott came there,
who had circumnavigated the globe,
been in the Mexican war, and the stories
he related were about equal to those told
! by Sinbad the Sailor.
In 1852 we worked for John B. Nash
-, of Winthrop, and in the afternoon of the
4th of July, in company with hundreds
/ oAh TO yUakarutlla - he
fireworks the following evening. 1t was
a good show and well worth the time
and expense.
During the summer of 1856 we were
on the Newfoundland Banks, catching
cod and halibut. When called to diunel
the cook remarked that since it was the
4th of July, and the facilities rather pool
for celebrating, he concluded to have
some new potatoes for 4 sort of luxury
The potatoes were slowed away near TIT
forecastle and the heat of the fire used il
cooking, caused the new potatoes to grow
to the size of acorns. Of course they
were not eatable and were cooked merely
for joke, for which purpose they an
swered very well.
In 1890 Sylvester Cole lived on Howe
! Hill, and on the 4th of July, of that year
his oldest daughter, Birdie, was married
to Samuel w. Cummings. The knot wa
tied by Rev. Mr.. Smith, and we were in
vited there to see that everything wa
done decently and in order. 1t was, ano
passed off as red letter day. The mar
riage was blessed with son and daugh
ter, and when the latter was hardly NOR,
than an infant, the mother was left :
widow. Later she married Charlie,
Swan of Milan, N. H., where they hav'
resided when not running the boarding
camp for Frank Willis. The marriag,
has resulted in the same number of chill
dren as the first, and of the same kind.
There are two other 4th of July event!
which may be briefly noticed next week
! Miss Annie Kimbalrs school at tn,
Center closed last Friday with declama
lions and treat in the afternoon. Sh'
expects to commence again after vaca
tion of five weeks.
There was visitor at the Bennett
place the other day, who may be said tt
have had trouble by the wholesale. His
name is Charles Lewis, u years of age, (;
carpenter by trade and has lived mucl
1 VI uiS iilC III DOotoh, Jul hO" iOoiuoo IL
Bridgton, this state. He was married
when young man and one son was borl
to them, who died when IS years old
leaving widow and one little boy
Some six years ago Mr.. Lewis buried hi
wife, since which all the relative he ha!
had, nearer than one nephew and two
nieces, is his grandson. Before reaching
middle age rheumatism began to trouble
him and now he can only get about ;
little with the help of crutch and staff
But his troubles do not end here; he il
quite deaf and so nearly blind as to b,
unable to read with the best of glasses
This naturally reminds US of poem
called The Three Warnings that we usec
to read in an old school book, two line
of which run thus:
"lf you are lame, and deaf and blind
You've had your three sufficient warnings