The Republican journal., 1913-07-31
Annals of Belfast tor Half a
Century.
BY AN OLD SETTLER
(Hon. VIM. G. Crosby.)
CHAPTER XIV. (IS30.)

Hdtioldl CeIlSuS, tHell JuoI Soihp ieeSN' YIN
population of Belfast was 3077; an in
crease of 1851 since 1920. That popula-
ton consisted of 1885 males, 1892 fe-
males. There were 50 persons between
the ages of 60 and 70; "a between 70 and
80; II between 80 and 80, and one over
80. The population of the county was
%, 1874; the population of the towns COM
posing it was 2,002 in 1920; showing an
increase in ten years of 1928.
The cauldron of reform, social, moral
and political was bubbling violently here
and hereabouts this year. Anti-gam-
bling, MISUNDERSTANDING, anti-runnlng-
in-debt, MULTIPLICATION, anti eXtrava-
gance-in-living and various associations
of similar character were organized.
Alas for poor, weak human nature!-1t
was but brief time before the witches
who mixed the broth We're detected IN
appropriating it to their own private use.
A natural feeling of disgust followed the
detection; reaction followed, and as a
usual consequence the good cause suffer-
ed. Scheming, selfish men, and honest
but deluded fanatics, strove to seduce
the honest and credulous into the wor-
ship of strange Gods; but the result was
then-as it always will be until human
nature is sanctifed- the deceived and
led astray soon became iconoclasts, the
strange Gods were cast down and broken
to fragments and the priests officiating
at their affairs were tramped in the dust.
Early in the year the belfast Ly-
ceum' was organized and Constitution
adopted The first officers elected were
William Stevens, ESQ.,, President, Oliver
A. Washburn, Vice-Pres., Justus Hurd,
Sec. The first article in the Constitution
declared that its object was ''the ditfu-
sion of Useful knowledge" it contem-
plated the purchase of ga library and APP
paratus to illustrate the sciences" Its
meetings were held semi-monthly through
the year. Among the Lecturers resid-
ing here were Rev. William Frothing-
ham, Hon. Alfred Johnson, Jr.. Doctors
Monroe, Alden Moody and Barker, Will
liam Stevens, William G. Crosby and Al
bert Brigham, Esquires, Mess. Samuel
Upton, H. G. K. Calef, Edward Palmer
and Francis H. Upton.
There were two nres THIS year, neither
of them in the village. The dwelling
house Of Nicholas Jefferds at the Head
of the Tide was burned, with the greater
portion of its contents, in the afternoon
of the 28th of January; the dwelling
house of Nathaniel Patterson on the east
side OF the river was burned in the even
ing of Sunday the 10Th of July. There
is tradition that the fire was discovered
by young man and woman who were
hanging on front gate on the west side
of the river about 10 o'clock of the even
ing above referred to.
The noon mail Of the Sth of February
brought the Intelligence that Jonathan
G. Hunton had been declared by the
Legislature 10 be the Governor elect.
There had been a long and bitter contest
in the organization of tne Legislature
which occasioned the delay. The friends
of the successful party were of course
jubilant; the afternoon was devoted TO
ringing the bell, firing cannon, ct cetera,
ard in the evening the Eagle Hotel, then
kept by the Mess. Eastman, was illumi-
mated. The 22l, Washington S Birthday,
was commemcrated by military ball.
Hiram 0. Alden, Esq. was appointed
Post Master on the 18th of January, to
succeed Hon. Joseph williamson, and on
the first day of February he removed the
Post Office rom the building on Main
street nearl Y opposite The Eagle Hotel,
where it had been KEEP for many years,
to room in Wiliamson's fire. proof
block, erected the year before; the west
erly portion of the store now occupied
by Mr.. George R. Sleeper. 1t continued
to be kept here until the latter part of
April, 1888, when it was removed to
rooms in the westerly end of the old
Telegraph building, next to the Eagle
Hotel.
Early in the year the county offices
were removed from chambers in Phoenix
Row, where they had been from the Or
ganiza ion of the county, to William
sons tire-proof- block, where they re-
NAMED until the present Court House
was completed. The Probate Office was
III that part Of the block now occupied
by Mr.. Henry L. Lord as a store, the
Clerks Office in the room over it, the
Registry of Deeds in the room opposite
now occupied by Judge Williamson. In
the rear part Of each roora there was a
hre-proof vault in which the records and
all valuable papers connected with the
office were kept.
The Fourth of July was celebrated by
the Belfast Light Infantry with an ad-
dress by Albert Bingham. ESQ.,, and
dinner at the Eagle Hotel, at which
number of invited guests were present.
The Hotel was kept at that time by one
of the brothers Eastman, and Mr.. Chas.
Rogers. After leaving here Mr.. Rogers
was interested in several public houses