The Republican journal., 1909-03-25
OBITUARY.

AGAIN has the family of James B. McTaggart
oI Brooks been called to mourn the loss of a
SUM- S4e third within as many months. The
iast' one, William B. McTaggart, who died in
oacomo, South Dakota, March 49, was born in
Quebec, Canada, July 2, 1856, and was at the
time of his death aged So years, months and
IL days. His parents moved to Brooks at the
time of the building of our railroad and with
the exception of few years in the West have
lived here since then. At an early age William
began work with the Maine Central Railroad
Co. and for the past fifteen years had been
baggage master on the Belfast branch. He was
OF very kind and obligng disposition and
made friends of all with whom he was associ-
ated in business. If any one wished favor or
accommodation he ready to grant it, if he
could reasonably do so. Last fall, by reason of
failing health, he was obliged to relinquish his
position and seek cure for his disease. With
that hope he went to South Dakota, but re-
ceived no benefit and failed steadily until his
death. He was three times married. His first
wife, whom he married in the west, left an in
fant daughter, who was brought to Maine by
her grandmother and reared as her own child
and who is now Mrs. E. L. Cunningham of
Swanville The second wife, whom he also
married in the west, left two sons, one of
whom died and the other, VIM H. McTaggart,
now lives in South Dakota. The third wife
was Miss Kate Edwards, daughter of the late
Horace Edwards of Brooks, by whom he had
three chill rem, Horace and Raymond of South
Dakota, and Isabelle, who is with her grand
mother, Mrs E. c. Boody of Brooks. His sister,
Mrs. Jennie Jewell of South Dakota, was with
him during his last sickness and came home
with the body. The funeral services were
held at the Congregational church Monday af-
Masons of which he was a member, attended
in body and performed the ritualistic SER
vices of the Order. The bearers were M. ].
Dow, Isaac Leathers, Otis W. Lane and John
| Frost. The Brotherhood of r. r. Trainmen of
Waterville were represented by Mr.. Crosby of
that place, special Representative for that
Order. Rev. Mr.. Wilson the officiating
clergyman and gave sermon from the text
"Be ye therefore ready also for the son of
Luke l2:40. 7. A. Elliott, W. S. Jones and
Harry M. Brown sang appropriate selec-
tions with Mrs. w. s. Jones as accompanist
The floral offerings were as follows: Pillow,
Masonic Order; pillow, B. of R. R. Trainmen;
spray, mixed flowers Mr.. and Mrs. E. L. Gun
ningham casket piece, Mr.. and Mrs. J. B. Nc
Taggart; Mrs. Jennie Jewell and Miss Name
McTaggart; spray of pinks, Mr.. and Mrs. Sid
ney McTaggart; panel of pinks, Mr. and Mrs.
| Job of, vi
bouquet of pinks. Mr.. and Mrs. C. F. Files.
The nterment in the cemetery at Brooks.
old, for more than thirty years prominent
and highly esteemed resident of Peabody,
where he was proprietor OF large wool shop,
died last Friday at his home SO Billingham
street, where, with his wife and her two sis
ters he had lived since retiring from business
in Peabody seven years ago. Mr.. Houston was
born in Belfast, Me-, where he was reared and
educated. When young man he lived in New
York and Boston In the latter city, thirty
four years ago he married Emma Kent, who
was member of one of the old time promi-
nent families of the South End. Mrs. Houston
survives her husband there are no children.
During Mr. Houston's residence in West Som
erville he had been accustomed to attend the
Second Unitarian church. He was of retiring
disposition cared nothing for society, and never
made very few acquaintances in this city. A
private funeral service held at the home
Monday afternoon. Rev. Albert H. Spence,
Jr. of Medfed, formerly pastor of the Second
Unitarian church, this city, offciated, and
burial was at Mt. Auburn.-Late issue of the
Somervlile, Mass Journal.
Mr., Houston will doubtless be remembered
by those of our readers who were residents
here many years ago, as clerk for the old
firm of White & Conner on Main street. and
for a time bookkeepe1 in The Journal office,
when the late George B. Moore was editor; and
also for the shipbudng firm of c. P. Carter &
Co. 1t was while in The Journal office that he
began on his invention of a type setting and
distributing machine, for which he obtained
Several of these machines were soon after
built in Boston under his superintendent for
the printing firm of Rand & Avery, the first
practical work being done on them in the office
of that firm on Cornhill in 1862. These
machines were destroyed by fire when that
Office was burned. Mr. Houston afterward
went to New York city, where other machines
were built for the printing firm of John A.
Gray & Green, to whom the patents were sold
Capt. Joseph and Susan (Foster) Houston and
brother of Nathan F. and Helen R. Houston,
now residing here.
Anna S., wife of Ex-Sheriff Samuel G. Nor
ton, died at her home in this city March 13th
aged II years, l month and "a days. Death
resulted from heart failure induced by dabe-
tes She was confined to her bed only four
days and apparently suffered little or no pain
She was born in Palermo, the only child of
Samuel and Betsey Foye Greeley and her life
with the exception of the years spent in Bel
fast, was lived in Palermo,t to which place she
was deeply attached Mr. and Mrs. Norton
often visited the old home, which they kept
for associations sake, and were planning for
the third visit there this winter when she was
taken ILL., She was for many years a Granger
joining the, order first in Palermo and later in
Belfast. Mr.. and Mrs. Norton were looking
forward to celebrating their golden wedding,
which would have taken place next July ard
plans had been made for it. A home-l loving
wife and mother, she lived life devoted to
those dear to her and her going is deeply
mourned and keeny felt. Her husband and