The Republican journal., 1913-11-20
Annals of Belfast tor Half {
Century.
BY AN OLD SETTLER
lHon. VIM. G. Crosby.)
CHAPTER XLI. tlS46. J

SIi+tI LEN ALI. tlCfO.
Early in January of this year the off
ces of Sheriff of the county and Register
of Probate were vacated by the expira-
ton of the official terms of the incum-
bents, and James Y. McClintock was
appointed Sheriff and Charles Palmer
Register of Probate Mr.. McClintock
appointed AXel Hayford his deputy in
this town.
The first public lecture of the year was
on the l4th by William L. Avery, ESQ.
afterwards editor of the Signal and
Planet, before the Sons of Temperance.
On the 29th Rev. F. A Hodsdon gave
lecture on Odd Fellowship at the Univer-
salist Church, and on the 18th of March
Rev. Cyril Pearl lectured on the same
subject at the Baptist Church. Doctor
Darling gave a course of lectures on
Physiology in the month of May at the
Court House. In November there was
lecture by Mr.. Norton on Astronomy
and one on the Magnetic Telegraph.
Numerous lectures were given during
the year on the subject Of temperance.
Washington's Birthday-February 22d
was commemorated here, as it was
throughout the Union, by the Washing
tonian Temperance Associations. A very
admirable address was delivered at the
Unitarian Church, in the evening, by
John K. True, Esq of Montville. Mr..
True removed to Mt. Vernon, O. in No
vember following and died there in Au-
gust of the next year aged thirty-two.
The first musical entertainment of the
year was CHARITY Concert at the
Unitarian Church, on the evening of
February 10Th, for the purpose OF raising
funds for the purchasing of fuel for the
poor in our village; the net amount real
lied was S78.72. The compiler was one
of the committee selected to distribute
the fund and painfully remembers to this
day the reluctance with which he left his
bed soon after daylight on the morning
following, to answer the call Of an an
tlque specimen of the feminine gender
who came to demand her portion Of the
fund and threatened a lawsuit if it was
not paid over forthwith Misses
Macomber, whose various exec lences
of character were duly certified by ''Uur
George gave series of vocal and in
strumental concerts in April The Peak
Family was here in August and gave two
concerts at the Baptis. Church.
This year was prolific in fires. How
tar the rivalry between the two engine
companies or the curiosity to See them
''break her down" contributed to the re-
suit is problematlca. The first occurred
soon after noon of the 9Th of March,
when fire broke ous in that portion of
building belonging to the Holt estate
which was used for storing oakun &c.;
the other portion was occupied by a fam
lily. This portion. with its furniture in
It, was saved although in a damaged
condition.; the other portion was des-
troyed. The fire was attributed to the
attraction of cohesion between the
spark from a pipe and the oakum. In
the night of the 5th a small house on
Bridge street, previously occupied by
William Murch, but at that time unoc-
cupied, was burned. Between 2 and 3
O'Clock of the morning of the Goth fire
was discovered bursting through the
side of a new wooden building on Church
street, owned by Hon. Joseph William
son, occupied on the ground floor by J.
c. Morse and Co., dealers in dry goods,
and Alfred Richards, grocer, and in the
second story by the Sons of Temperance.
The engines were Immediately on the
spot and by great exertions prevented a
wide spread conhagration. The brick
block on Main street, then occupied by
John Pierce and Beaman and Perry, now
by Alden D. Chase and Augustus Perry,
was on fire several times The building
in which the fire originated was entirely
destroyed, with its contents. 1t stood on
the site of the brick building now occu-
pied in the second story by the Repub-
lican journal, which was erected in 1S49.
In the night of June 4th a build
ing belonging to John Pierce and Co.
near the westerly end of the Bridge was
burned, with its contents, the knees and
monlds for contemplated vessel Of
about $50 tons and quantity of carpen-
tiers tools. At the time the fire was
raging building on the old Distillery
wharf was discovered to be on fire; this
was soon extinguished. Both were be-
lieved to be the work of an incendiary;
the one first named certainly was, as one
of our worthy citizens, then young
man, can testify, who was crossing the
bridge after somewhat protracted call
on the eastern side of the river and saw
some one swing a firebrand in the air
and then deposit it in pile Of shavings
under the building; the flames following
instanter. About 10 o'clock in the even