The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-12-11
Annals of Belfast for Half
a Century.
BY AN OLD SETTLER
(Hon. VIM. G. Crosby.)
CHAPTER Xiv. tlS4S.l

CHAPlER ALlN. NlCto.y
The important local event of this year,
last in date, was the opening OF tele-
graphic communication between this
place, Bangor and Thomaston. The first
printed despatch which came over the
line from Bangor read as follows: NOV.
%. ll1.2A M. The kenduskeag stream
has some ice in it but the river is free
yet.' u m. beers plenty Poultry
abundant since Thanksgiving Day. Nut
ton chops hot and above par. Shocks
well shaken up by the late gale. Boards
boarding out for the winter along shore.
Fish froze up. Daguerreotypes taken
by lightning at half price. Sugars riz.
The first printed despatch which passed
over the line from Thomaston was on the
3Oth: it announced the accidental and in
Simultaneous death of Edward Merrill,
brother of Nathaniel and Curtis B. Mer-
rill. then residing mere. News by the
British steamer arrived at Halifax, for
warded by express TO st. Johns, passed
over the line thence to Boston and the
south on the 10th of February following
tor the first time. The Maine Telegraph
Company organized under its charter on
the 4th day of January 1919. The Office
of the Company in this place was opened
in the second story of the building since
known as the Telegraph Building; it re-
NAMED there until it was removed to the
room in McClintock Block where it now
is. William H. Simpson, now proprietor
of the Journal, was the first operator
here.
Manasseh Sleeper. Esq, famlliarly
known as Judge Sleeper, father Of our
fellow citizens Sherburn and George H.,
died this year on the 2Sth OF June IN his
sixtv.ninth wear. He was born in Pop
lin. n. H., and came to this State n ls02,
residing for a while in Bath, where he
taught school for two or more years. In
1914 he came here to reside, having mar
red daughter of one OF ou1 earnest
settlers, Thomas Whittier, ESQ.,, the
first landlord of the Whittier Tavern. He
street then called the Edmunds shop,
since that time converted to dwelling
house and now occupied by Messrs How
ard and hittridge. He removed from
that TO the building which stood at the
intersection Of Market and H gh streets,
on ground now belonging to he North
Church, of which mention has frequently
beer made in previous chapters. IT was
while ne was occupying this store that 1t
was broken into 1ne night by one Mo
rang, who had been in his employment az
.hQstlcr, and Quantity Of ms rehahdise
stolen. The thief was arrested, convict
ed and sent to tha States prison. The
stolen goods were accidental ~ found
some time afterW ards partially buried IN
the forest in the town of Hope, but so
much decayed as to be valueless. In
connection with this larceny there is an
anecdote which Mr.. Sleeper was &C
customed to tell with much gusto, al
though it told rather hard on himself.
"Morang." said he to the criminal, after
he was convicted "while you was about
it why didn't you steal more goods!''
"Well. SQUIRE" was the reply, IL would
have taken more dry goods but they were
marked so id high that l could not at
ford to; there wasn't any chance for
profit" After the robbery, on the prln-
cipe of "locking the barn-door after the
Sloonor a
of extra dimensions on the store door;
anyone DESTROYS of seeing the key to it
can do so by calling on Mr. Daniel Hara-
dan, at his store, at any time IN the day
except during the "ten minutes when
he is ''at the wharf
Mr.. Sleeper was for some time land
lord of the old Whittier Tavern and
afterwards of the Huse Tavern. He
opened the last named to the pubic on
the fourth of July, 1920, raised sign
bearing the Coat of Arms OF the new
State, and gave to the house the name
of the Maine Hotel; name by which it
was ever afterwards known. When he
left the Hotel he removed to the house
which he built in 1918, at the junction of
Church and Spring streets, now occupied
bv DR.. Flanders. 1t was the second
house built on Church street; the first
being the one now occupied by Edwin
Salmond. He continued to reside there
until his decease. He was often elected
to important municipal offices. In the
memorable "Small Pox year" he was
chairman of the board of selectmen; the
onerous and delicate duties devolving on
him in the season of excited public feel
ing were performed independently and
fearlessly but to the acceptance Of the
community at large. He was one OF the
founders of Belfast Lodge Of F. and A.