The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-12-04

About 10 CLOCK in the evening of the
first of May the first fire of the season
occurred. A small wooden building on
the Lincolnville road, a short distance
beyond Jail hill, was burned with all its
contents. 1t was occupied by a widow
and her two small children, who were in
bed and asleep when the fire broke out
and barely escaped with their lives. The
general opinion was that the fire was
/ kindled by mean, cowardly scamp who
lacked the moral courage to resort to the
law of the land for redress of a real or
fancied injury. In the morning of No
vember 2lst barn belonging to Capt.
Isaac Smalley, on the road to the Head
of the Tide, about mile from the viii
lage, was wholly consumed with the ell
connecting it with the house in which he
lived. How the fire originated was never
known. The policy of insurance on the
buildings had expired but few days be-
fore the fire. There were frequent fire
alarms during the year, but the foregoing
are the only instances within the memory
of the compiler when there was serious
loss of property.
The following is list of the vessels
launched this year, so far as remembered:
the ship Bothnia of about 460 tons, briggs
Rockingham, 14S, Georgiana, 172, Lady
of the Lake, 148, Carlann, 1911, Marine,
215, Martha Rogers, 1913, Xenophon, 245,
Roscoe, 1879, Huron, FOG, General Mar
shall, 200; barks Ortona, 276, Martha
Anna, PIP, Suliote, 1853, E. Wilson, 24S,
Cakes Angler, 1873; schooners Lamartine,
l42, Henry Dunster, 145, Cameo, 10, Sea
Bee, 80, Rebecca Fogg, 1876. The work
of launching commenced in April and
terminated in December; eight of the
above vessels were launched in October.
The Circus and Menagerie" of June,
Titus, and Co., was here for one day
only on the Both of June, with "the Lion
Queen, Miss M. A. Randolph, who en-
tered the wild beasts lair and exhibited
her astonishing command over the wild
natives of the Desert"
The Fourth of July was celebrated by
the Odd Fellows, who were out in full
force and regalia. Preceded by the Brass
Band they marched from their Hall to
the Unitarian Church, where, after
prayer by Rev. N. C. Fletcher and the
reading of the Declaration by L. W.
Howes, ESQ.,, an Grafton was delivered
by Rev. Albert Case of Worcester, Mass.
At the close of the exercises they pro-
ceeded to Merrill and Pitchers store
house, near the steamboat wharf, where
a dinner was provided by Mr.. Benjamin
Sargent. The only startling event of
the day was the death of a little boy, son
of Mr.. Jacob Ames, who was killed by
being thrown from wagon.
A Rough and Ready Club was or
ganized on the 5th, at Washington Hall.
Samuel G. Thurlow was elected Presi-
dent, Joseph bennett and horatio N.
Palmer, Vice-Presidents, and Charles
Giles, Secretary. Daniel Putnam, Ed
win G. Kimball, Prescott Hazeltine,
Daniel Faunce. Ephraim K. Maddocks,
Samuel Edwards, Edmund P. Brown,
Daniel Lane, Jr., and Samuel A. Blod-
gett were chosen Committee of Ways
and Means" What the duties of this
committee were is somewhat uncertain;
but it is very certain that they found
ways and means" 10 rally at the polls
larger number of voters for "Old Rough
and Ready" than ever before came up in
this town to the support of the Wing
candidate for the Presidency.
On the 7th Robert W. Quimby reopen
ed the clearinghouse on the steamboat
wharf in connection with refreshment-
room, and Luther Coombs opened the
New England House. which he pledged
himself to conduct on strict Temper
ance principles. Since that time the
house has been much enlarged and i'm
proved in its exterior and interior ar
rangements. The oldest portion of it
was originally the dwelling-house of
Benjamin Eells, erected about 1907.
Some of the patrons of the house while
Mr. Coombs was landlord cannot fail to
remember the plaintive music of his
voice when humming the stanza COM
mencing with, How long, dear Savior,
O how long,"
One Of the engrossing TOPICS of public
interest this year was contemplated
railroad from this place to Waterville
An act incorporating the Belfast and
Waterville Railrc ad Company passed the
legislature on the 10Th of July. Prior
to that time route had been surveyed
under the direction Of Mr.. Butterfeld of
Lowell, Mass, chief engineer. the ex-
pense of which was betrayed by the
contributions Of our townsmen.4< The
route was found to be feasible and every
thing seemed to presage the construc-
ton of the road; but the death-dew
thrown on the enterprise by some of the
wealthiest in our community proved
fatal to it, as it had previously to every
enterprise of a public nature. Time,
which "cuts down all, both great and
SMALL" according to the Primer. has
l.