The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-08-28

the first Wing Convention held in the
county. 1t was in this year in fact that
the Wing Party was born; it died in its
twenty-frst year.
At the annual fall meeting, September
Sth, the whole number of votes thrown
was 627; for Dunlap, Demo-, 346, for
Sprague, Wing, 26S. for Hill, anti-ma-
sonic, Is. Charles Gordon, Esq, was
elected town representative.
Hon. Abial Wood of Wiscasset died
at the Eagle Hotel on the 18th of Octo-
Der aged sixty-two. He was one of the
Bank Commissioners of the State and
was here on an official visit to the Waldo
Bank. He completed his exam nation
on Monday. was attacked the same night
by bilious fever and died on Sunday
morning following. His wife, who sur
vived him, was the widow of Francis
Anderson, one of the earliest merchants
in the place, uncle of Governor Ander-
son.
The first noticeable event in the year
1885 was the death of Major Samuel
Houston at the age of eighty-two. He
was the son of Samuel Houston. one Of
the original proprietors of the town, who
was the successor of John Mitchell as
town clerk and captain of the Belfast
militia; Samuel Jr. succeeded his father
in the Office last named. He served in
the army during the war of the Revolu-
ton and was for portion of the time a
member of Washingtons Body-guard.
He will be remembered by some still
living as the veteran soldier who for
many years was won't to contribute to
the festivities of Fourth of July by
singing the old and favorite song of the
soldiers of the Revolution, Washington
and Liberty
During portion of the months of Feb
ruary and March our harbor was block
AIDED by ice extending as far across the
Bay as Turtle Head. Sleighs passed
from the main to the islands. James Y.
McChntock, Esq, had the credit of be-
ing the first one to venture across from
this place: he drove from our wharves
to the island ami thence to West Pros
pect. row Searsport The great body of
ice left about the middle of March;
there remained bridge across the river
about half a mile in width below the
wharves. Some of our enterprising
townsmen soon cut canal through ii
enabling vessels lying at its outer edge
to come up to town. We gloritied our
selves greatly over our ship canal of half
mile in length; it continued to be the
theme of occasional boasting until Feb
ruary, 1874, when it was utterly dwarf
ed by the canal seven miles long cut
through the ice in Boston harbor to en-
able the British steamer to go to sea.
At the annual spring meeting Nathan
lei M. Lowney, Isaac Allard and Dennis
Emery were chosen Selectmen, David
W. Lothrop, Clerk, Rufus B. Allyne,
Treasurer
! On the oth of April the steamer Ban
gor came in, it being her first appear
ance for the season. She continued her
trips regularly through the season be-
tween Bangor and Boston, touching at
Saturday Cove for passengers bound to
and from Belfast We did not consider
ourselves fairly treated, taking into con-
sideration the probable patronage from
this place, which according to estimate
would average ten passengers for each
trlpi During August and September the
Bangor, Capt. Samuel H. Howes, and
the Independence, Capt. Thomas Howes,
ran in connection. Each of them made
one through trip per week; leaving Bos-
ton al p. m. for Port! and and Portland
for Bangor at a. m. the next day. The
fare from Boston to Portland was So. 90;
from Portland to Bangor, land found, !"
four dollars.
The steamer Sandusky, Capt. Seward
Porter, stopped here early in July on a
trip to Bangor. A hope was entertained
that she or some other boat would be
put on the route. touching at Belfast:
hope was doomed to wait some time be-
fore 1t ended in fruition.
On the 5th of June a Menagerie of
beasts and birds from the New York
Geological Institute was here. With it
came an omnibus containing paintings
of the Conhagration of Moscow, &C., a
collection of wax statues and busts.
'androides, or animated automatons. )"
&C.. the proprietor was blind man and
had but one arm.
On Sunday, July 18th, for the first
time in this place, our ears were RECALLED
with the music of Church Organ: one
having been purchased by subscription
and set up in the Unitarian Meeting
house. 1t was from the mandatory of
Mr.. Henry Erben, of New York, and
cost eleven hundred dollars. The or
ganist on this occasion was Mr.. Frederic
N. Palmer, brother of Charles Palmer,
Esq, now practising physician resid-
ing in Mass; Miss Aurelia A. Quimby
afterwards wife of Albert Merrill, ESQ.,,
of Portland, daughter of Mr.. William
Quimby, was the first organist perman-