Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-16

and ended Feb. II, 1899. 1t is said that
! a considerable increase of the First
! Baptist church's membership was
from the Mission. The first converts
i baptised from the Mission were: Mrs.
! Frank Moro and Charles Pelletier.
| Then the next which were baptised
We're: Mr. Christopher Coro, his wife,
! Mary Coro, Joseph Peoler, late of q
| High street, this city. Edward Baldlc,
Mrs. Flavie Pare, and Marceleine Leg
| er These We're practically the first
| fruits of several years of hard labor.
| A Change in the Passionate of the
| Mission.
| The Rev. Eusebe Leger is trans
| ferred to another field, the Rev. Elk
avier Smith. succeeded him. Mr..
| Smith Iabored here, with zeal and fl
! deity for two years The Rev. Eusebe
| Leger is returned and during his sec
| ond pastorate he built the church
! which was dedicated in the autumn of
| 1887. 1t is a beautiful building 5oxS0,
! situated on Water street, on the very
| spot where once stood the old saloon
| and dance half. Rev. Isaie Leclaire
succeeds the Rev. Mr.. Leger. During
| his pastorate the church Is paid for
| and has been kept free from debts
| ever since. Additions by baptisms were
| frequent and many. Mr.. Leclaire is
| succeeded by the Rev. y. n. Aubin.
| Our brother, an humble disciple of the
| cross. wrought we'll and was beloved
| by his people. But the longest and
| very successful passionate was held by
| the Rev =. n. Gayer. For Is years
| he labored here patiently attending to
| his work. loved by both the Catholics
| and Protestants. He was true
| man. an excellent preacher During
| his pastorate the congregation so de-
| veloped that the urgent needs OF
| vestrY was felt and funds raised Tor
| that purpose Mr.. Cayer is succeeded
| by the present incumbent. the ReN
| Isaac I.aFleur, who carried out the
| wish of the people, built the vestry
| and paid for the same, 5000.
A pen picture of the men and women
| who have stood the brunt of persecution,
and helped make our work a success in
| Waterville, Me.
Mrs Sophia Pooler, late of Watervile,
| n woman of rare qualities-her faith
| knew no bond-faithful to the end-She
| wears her we'll earned crown. Mr.. VIDAL
Vogue, who has labored early and late
| a man with rare gifts. The bell Whlca
hangs in the belfry of the church and
rings the gospel tfdngs, is due largely
| to his Christian effort Christopher Caro-.
| a man who has given time and money 70
| the cause still living and hearty. 1t Is
sionaries, His wife Mary, who is known
all over the city for her good work,
loved greatly by the poor for ner gener-
Gus and hearty sympathy, Iheir S aaugn-
| berg Of Brooklyn, N Y, has given mueh
of her time as the organist of the church
and to help start the Vestry Iunds.
With her should be associated the names
| of the young people who have contrl-
buted to help raise the funds Tor the YES
| try, Miss Gertrude Pare, now Mrs. Estes
| Forrest J. Gilman, the superintendent OF
| the Sunday school. and man who has
| natural gifts as an actor and speaker;
John Lachance, Jr., who gave his time
and money to help make the enterprise, a
success; Lizzie Pare, George Davis, the
| two Misses Marcoux. Hattie and Maude,
| Mrs f. b. Pare and Mrs. Lucy Sfmp-
| son, the Misses Lena and Mary La
| chance. All of these gave much OF their
valuable time towards helping raise the
funds for the vestry and help pay for
| the church
Madame Flavie Pare. one of the oldest
members of the church. aged "A, is still
| interested in the church of her choice.
She is more than a common woman.
| nance.
Mr.. Joseph Pooler, late of Waterville
now gone to his eternal reward, was a
man of power: Father John B; la
| chance. one of the pioneers. with his
| brother, Nede Lachance, are pillars of
| the church. They have gone through the
| fire of persecution; to listen to their
| story is both interesting and instructive.
| The Lachances belong to one of the larS-
| est groups of French families in the city.
| The Roderieks are another long branch
! of the French tree. The Pares is an
| other. 1t is said that the La
chances, the Roderieks and the Pares
| number over 100, and are nearly all
IL o.
| generous and heartily interested in the
work of the church.
The janitor of the church, +. Il. Pare,
| is one of the faithful, for over 20 years
| regularly its religious services. 1t is
| record breaking. Mr.. Pare, who is also
| a deacon, rain or shine, is always to be
| found in his place. Some ten years ago
| the church was fortunate in adding to it's
| list of true and faithful, the name of
| Deacon Esae Clappood, the head of a
! with the church. The writer is happy
| to state that nearly all are property
owners, farmers of no mean ability,
good citizens, politically affiliated to Doth
| parties, the moral standard comparing
favorably we'll with the best element in
our city. Ii should be said that the
| French Protestants are patriotic, inter
ested in civic righteousness. hearty sup
porters of our public institutions. They
occupy large place now i'm the hearts
and in the minds of their eompatrlots.
Their children attending the public
schools with commendable regularity,
paying heartily their portion of public
, lakes living at peace with fellow eiti-
/ 2ens.
| Words of Regrets.
| The writer cannot express the following
| thoughts without feelings of regret,
namely; That we belong to disappear
! ing race. The French Canadians are not
i holding their own as far as their Ian
suage and names are concerned. 1t can
not be charged altogether to French Pro-
| testantism, though We thoroughly be
! lieve in the English being the practi-
| cal means of civic and commercial com
munication, but the fact is general The
! French Catholic priests have a tremen-
dous job on hand, to keep the French
language even in moderate form; the
opposition is unconsciously made on the
part of the French people themselves
| The French is aIarmingy losing its
charm in North America, and we nc
longer speak the language of the Bosnets
and the Fenelons. The English language
| is spoken in the humblest home OF
French origin. This will please our Amer
lean constituency, but to us who have to
| witness the decadence of the beautiful
| language of our fathers is matter OF
| Tba erfa for tha Ia,