Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-10-16

shown your beautiful cemetery later.
Surely the care for the new need not in
volve forgetfuiness of the old. But per-
haps all this is now remedied. The CEN
tenaial year could not be better honored
thsnsby such an effort.
Iwonder il anyone remembers the New
Years day parties for the children at Mr..
Tenney's. / have a recollection of march
ing in line through the parlors to be
counted by Mr.. Tenney and Miss Sophia,
on a snowy day, when in my youthful
estimate our numbers seemed to run to
hundreds, though probably fifty was
nearer the mark.
And does anyone remember Mr.. Ilisley's
church which, II my memory is not at
fault, stood beside the new one7 Mr..
Illsley was perhaps an untaught genius,
although his singing classes were a great
resource in their day.
There was pleasant simplicity in the
social scheme when spelling-school or
/ geography school topography set to music)
or an old-fashioned singing-school with
an occasional surprise party, then much
in vogue, were adequate to the social and
artistic demand. People went to Boston,
Of course, and saw a wider life, but Ellis
worth at home was still primitive, COM
munity showing q certain individuality
and possessing q generous supply Of
'.characters'. No one, think, who ever
heard them, could forget the Bankers, q
family endowed with musical genius and
originality to remarkable degree, who in
more favorable circumstances might have
won wide recognition.
That note of originality, Of q rather
marked individuality, was by no means
rare in Ellsworth, and If space permitted
one might recall not q few examples.
II think it was due, without doubt,
to the racial blend. The few IA.
miles who laid the foundations of
the community belonged to q strong
and individual stock with a good admix-
ture of eighteenth century Irish strain. /
would like to suggest, however, that there
was a very considerable French element in
the blend, partly, no doubt, q remnant
from q very early colonization, but princi-
paIly a later accession from the Acadian
dispersement. No one who remembers
the many French family names in Ellis
worth and the surrounding villages can
fail to recognize the fact.
But among the native characters" in
Ellsworth was one of exotic origin whose
picturesque personality was q delight in
my childhood. He was NJ oses, the negro
bar Der, man on whose shoulders dignity
and responsibility sat enthroned. To see
Moses at that hour in the morning when,
arrayed in broadcioth and carrying q
dressing case, he set forth to shave Colo
mel Black was to get new sense Of high
CORE ctness of demeanor.
| In day M INV ebiiHb nnd fhara par ma
a Jewish family to settle in Ellsworth.
That was something in the nature of an
even t, one which has long ceased to be re-
| markable anywhere, but which aroused
then an interest of an antiquarian and
| historical character very amusing to look
back upon. Miss Martha Jeliison, in
whose house the family were tenants. felt
| it laid upon her as a mission to try to
bring this house of Israel into the Chris
| tian fold, and to that end held many ar
| guments and discussions with the head of
\ the family, who at last, perhaps to put an
end to the strain, consented to go and
hear Mr.. Tenpey preach. IL was felt to be
an interesting occasion, and Mr.. Tenney,
anxious, no doubt, to rise to it, chose and
| gave out as the hymn before the sermon
the fine and familiar old one containing
the lines:
| mot all the blood of beasts
| On Jewish affairs slain
Can give the guilty conscience peace,
| Or wash away the stain"
| The Jew was an excellent man, and re-
tanned as few prejudices as it was possible
to do without, but still he drew line.
| he rose and departed, and his conversion
was indefinitely postponed.
| The old town, as remember IL, had
| great beauty of position s"twixt wood and
stream, a wealth of greenery, a health
| giving breath of salt-sweet air from the
bay, glimpse OF blue hills and girdle
of green pasture land ready for the future
| expansion which has come to it. Those
who chose it out of 'tbe wilderness
chose wisely and well, and by happy ac-
cident their town planning would not
have done discredit to modern ideals.
In growing into city, while still pre-
serving its CLAIM to beauty and charm, it
has amply justified the wise foresight Of
those early founders from one of whom 1
am proud to be descendant.
JULIA JELLISoN WRIGHT.
II is. Through the efforts Of the present
pastor, this burying- ground has been put
tr.f< gkax Tn