The Republican journal., 1913-09-25
he Passagassawaukeag.


The steamer Bangor commenced her
trips early in the season. about March
20th, making but one trip per week until
the ice left Penobscot river: after that
she made two trips per week through the
season, connecting at Portland with the
steamer Portland, J. b. Coyle, master,
for Boston. Capt. Howes was still mas
ter of the Bangor.
The last term of the old Court of Com
mon Pleas was held here; ii terminated
on the first day Of April; it was held by
Judge Perham. With it terminated his
tenure of judicial office; he was not ap-
pointed to a place on the Bench of the
Court substituted for the Common Pleas.
the District Court. which became a
Court of law on the second day of April.
The Bar of the County passed series
of resolutions on the occasion compli-
mentary to the Judge, to which he made
very feeling and truly eloquent reply.
Judge Perham had held his office from
1922, a term of seventeen years. He
was not a man of brilliant talents-he
was not an eminent jurist; but he was
an honest man and discharged the duties
Of his judicial station with fidelity, cour-
tesy and impartiality. No Judge of any
Court of whom the same can be truth
fully said can ask for higher eulogum
The 18th day of April was Fast Day;
our eyes opened in the morning to see
the ground we'll covered with snow which
fell in the night preceding and was still
failing briskly. The EAST nags," with
slelghs, boys and girls attached, did a
fast business through the day Report
said that the snow fell, fifteen miles
back of US, to the depth of foot There
was a great Temperance Rally in the
evening at the North Church.
The last week in April was peculiarly a
week of excitement in the village a
fine looking, portly gentleman, of noble
and resolute mien, arrived in the noon
stage at the American House. The
driver of the stage lost no time in whis-
pering to the hoster and bar-room loaf
ers that he was the notorious Bill john
son-the Hero Of the Thousand Islands,
the 'Buccaneer of the Lakes" the
canadian Patriot" During the hour
which elapsed before the stage left hosts
OF our curious villagers thronged the en-
trance 10 the house and the bar-room to
gaze at the distinguished stranger. No
Ore Ventured TO address him as he stalk
ed through the hail and various apart
ments Wfapt, as he seemed to be, in the
mantle of Notwithstanding perchance
OF plans for the deliverance of Canada
from the yoke of oppression, of victor
les to be achieved over her oppressors
Just as the stage was leaving the driver
whispered in the ear of some contdant
that the stranger was not Bill johnson
but tiourmerchant residing in Salem,
Mass. The fact was, as afterwards de-
veloped, that the stage-driver, who was
a bit of wag, had adopted that method
of humbugging the gossiping loafers
who hung round the hotel and that the
flour merchant, who was himself wag,
had combined with the driver to carry
out the joke. The only man who could
be found the next day who was willing
to admit that he went to the hotel to see
"Bill Johnson was the Editor of The
Journal, Mr.. Cyrus Rowe, who frankly
admitted in his next paper that he did
go, not only once but twice, to gaze at
the canadian Patriot" and asserted
that the sight of man SO good looking
as he was in Belfast, although he was
only flour merchant, was good for
sore eyes,
During the same week arrived the n an
who acted as pilot of the British fleet
when it came into our harbor in 1874
Wiggin Merrill. He was the son of Mr..
Wiggin Merrill of whom mention was
made in one of one of our earliest chap
tiers. Mr. Merrill had not been here for
twenty-five years. He was warmly well
coined by his old friends and intensely
stared at by the generation which had
grown up during his absence. 1t is due
to him if living, if not to his memory,
to add that on the occasion referred to
he acted as pilot not voluntarily but by
compulsion.
In the month of June Dunlap's cele-
brated paintings of "Christ Rejected
and "the Crucifxion" were exhibited
here at the Unitarian Westinghouse and
were very generally visited.
There was a Democratic Convention
held here on the Fourth of July, but
there was no public commemoration of
the day as our National Anniversary. In
the evening there was display of fire
works." the first exhibition of the kind
ever witnessed here.
At the annual spring meeting Nathan
iel H. Bradbury, Thomas Marshall and
James Gammons were reelected Select
men, Henry Colburn, Clerk, John Hara-
den, Treasurer. They were all nomi.
nees of the Wings. The party was OF
course in high glee; but at the annual
fall meeting. September 18th, the Demo.
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