Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-10-01

was trustee Of the New Hampshire
the trustees Of the Deaconess Board of
Portland, and chairman Of many I'M
portant committees. He has twice
been appointed visitor to the Weslt yam
1rSsdciation from the Maine Conference.
IS well as being appointed I visitor to
Boston University and other schools n
his Denomination. Three times he ha5
been offered the presiding eldcrship of
the Maine Conference. Mr.. Bradlee is
Il speaker of great energy and ability
and has given many public addresses;
in various parts of the country. With
the exception Of the year of 1907. Mr..
Eradlce has regularly delivered Ne
mortal Day addresses for the past :.
GEARS. He is frequently called upon to
give his popular addresses on Pune
tual People MASKS and Faces"
"Apes and Parrots" THE Worlds
Trio of Faiths" which have delighted
large audiences. He is considered one
of the leading preachers in his dc
nomination. and has numerous calls;
each year TO accept paStorates in other
parts Of New England. While he has
been urged to give his time to the lee
ture pIa tform. and has been offered
positions of trust that would take him
away from the pulpit, he has felt that
his work was thai Of the minister's and
he has continued IL preach. Mr.. Brad
l"e il active in all the affairs Of the
city in which he now makes his home.
ard he occupies Il warm place i'll the
hearts Of the people.
y -,r,rr
count of tho history and the work Of
the Methodist church in Watervillc.
5vlsich W i'll be Of interest to our read
ers:
& ."rhe history of the Methodist church
In Waterviile has a peculiar interest,
it's early annals forming the story of a
struggle A struggle. and ! may add,
Il Triumph, 1t is Il fact that those WI"
first ossaycd to plant McthodiSn in this
locality, found exceedingly hard soil.
and the ground vas one upon when.
SO it seemed at that time. it doctrines
would not be likely to grow. Sun,
the early workers took couraG" with
them as Il portion of their equipment.
and with fcrvor, undamncncd by re-
verses, ur discouraged by obstacles,
titled this soil in tho interests of the
Methodist denomination. Yet, I'LL as
they would. tho harvest seemed afar.
.D,u the surrounding towns of the
region Cid not take the same unfai"r-
abla attitude toward tSe Methodist
faith that Watcrville did. They re-
ceivrd good cncuurag inrnt IN many o1
the other villages of this nei%Ei""hood
but little here. and So it cam" to pass
tt q, II q
avoided Watcrvillc. We have n" ac-
counts of any visits to this town by
Methodist preachers unti! t." year
1927 or ISIS AT that time the Rev
Ezekiel Robinson, then preacher i'll
charge of the Fairfield circuit. preached
occasionally ir WatcrVillc. and mere
organized Il small class. The class
however. was unfortunately of brief
Continuance. I,ut in 1872. the Rev
Martin Ward preached for while IN
Thu. l.ia"7. and organized n class OF
seven PERSONS Of which James Parker
was the leader. IN IL" year lS"1' inc
Rev. i. T. morrill, preached here once
in four weeks. and this on the SabD4i a.
I'm 1857 Rev. Marcus WiSht rendered
the same service. and the nlcnoers:llI
of the class was increased somewhat
until i; reached - in number hut
ther, were more discouraSelnfntS lhal
these pioneer Methodist worker RS iau
tn contend with. and they proved too
strong for them. and thus the WORK
WIS for a time abandoned.
1t was not taken up again uhtli th'
year 1913. seven or eight years haNil;7
passed since the ground was last tiieo
Now was decisive step taken
Waterville was made mission station
with the Reverend Luther +. french
in charge. The work seemed at TINS
iuncture to meet with a more heart!
response than eve: before. and great
was the encoura cement felt by the
workers, The Town ila'l was
obtained as a place where the meet