The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-07-10
Annals of Belfast tor Half a
Century.
BY AN OLD SETTLER
(Hon. VIM. G. Crosby.)
CHAPTER xxi. (lS28. J


on the 18Th of October announced to the
public that he had commenced the prac-
tice of his profession at No. IL Main
street in a room over the store occupied
by F. A. Lewis; the fate OF that build
ing has heretofore been told.
There was a custom in those days call
ed ''wetting the sign" Perhaps no eX-
PLANTATION of the term is necessary now;
in a few y ords it was this; any person
commencing business, without regard to
profession or occupation, was expected
to invite the community, especially his
acauaintances, to partake of some re-
freshments when his sign was raised; the
omission so to do was regarded as evil
dence of extreme penuriousness. On
the afternoon when the compller's sign
was raised and while the painter was
making it fast to the building, his
friends, not few in number, gathered in
a shop in the vicinity of his office and
partook of the refreshments usually
provided on such occasions. On gong
out to look at the sign it was discovered
that the painter inadvertently perhaps
intentionaly-h omitted a very i'm
portant letter; as consequence the sign
was taken down, the missing letter sup
piled, and upon being put in place the
next day it was wet" again in the pres
ence of still larger assemblege.
On the Sth of January, Thomas Pick
ard, proprietor of the Eagle Hotel, an
nounced to the public that he was in oc-
cupation of the premises as landlord,
Mr. Appleton having left in December
previous, and that he should keep his
larder we'll supplied with the best pro-
visions the market afforded and his bar
with ali kinds of choice liquors. AS an
antidote for the bane referred to IN the
latter part of the foregoing announce
ment, Doctor Chambers remedy for
drunkenness, which was seized on with
avidity by many who lacked the moral
strength to resist the tempter, was rap
idly growing in public favor. 1t was
powerful medicine but failed to prove
remedy for the disease for which it was
prescribed. The dealer In medicine
made his profit from the sale of 1t hut
it did not materially diminish the profits
of the rumseller. Mr.. Packard continu-
ed to keep the hotel until April, 1879.
On the 18th OF March the last number
Of the Belfast Gazette was issued, and
on the 18th the Waldo Democrat ap-
peared TO I'll the vacancy; it was the
first newspaper here TO raise the Demo
cratic standard 1t advocated the cleo
ton of John Quincy Adams and, so far
as type and ink could avail, consigned
Andrew Jackson 20 perdition.
There was daily mail stage this year
between this place and Augusta, leaving
Augusta every day, Sunday excepted, at
noon and arriving here at p m. leav-
ing here at a. N. and arriving at Au-
gusta at 5 p. m. There was also daily
mail between here and Thomaston and a
tri-weekly to and from Bucksport. The
fares were from here to Augusta 81. so,
to Thomaston 81 90, to Bucksport ST. So
Two buildings We're destroyed by fire
this year On the 10th of October a
builuing owned by Hor. Thomas Mar
shal. which stood on the site of tie build
ing now occupied by Clark and Fernald,
marble-workers, was burned Ii was a
building about which clustered many
pleasant associations, it having once
been the publishing office of the Han
cock Gazette and the book and station
ary store of Mess Fellows and Simpson,
its publishers The schoolgirls of those
days remember it as the place where
they We're won't to 60 to purchase their
pens, ink and paper, and the boys of
those days equally we'll remember it as
the place where they were wont to go to
meet the girls. 1t Is the place now where
graves stones are n ade; but not to mark
the graves where the hopes and loves of
half century ago have long lain buried
On the night of November 28th saw
mill on Wilson's stream, as it was then
called, owned by Hon. John Wilson, was
burned. There was no more angling for
trout at the tail of that mill; prior to
that time it had been one of the favorite
localities on the stream. Many ''fry"
have the boys had in it's immediate vi
cinity who were themselves long since
food for worms" or who now walk
with canes and have learned not to be
indignant when they are called "old
men,
The schooner Mechanic, Isaac Clark,
master, which ran for many years as
packet between this place and Boston
was launched on the 18th day CT De-
cember from the yard Of Messrs. Hara-
den & French near the late Foundry and
Sash Factory. The schooner Albert,
John Shute, master, was launched in the
year previous They were both as much
in advance Of the coasters which had
been plying between the same ports, in
style of finish and accommodations, as
the steamer Cambridge is in advance of
an ordinary steam-tug.
A sad casualty occurred on the Albert
~ Eobr,orv II 1000 Cbo