Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-09-15
Bethel.

Monday many Of the stores were open,
~ no special Observance OF Labor Day
wss made here.
The village schools opened Tuesday
with new corps Of teachers, oil normal
graduates.
A large number of Bethel people have
attended the state fair this week.
Mr.. Oxmon Twitchell Of Freep0rt, for
many years an engineer on the Grand
Trunk, whose homo WAS formerly In
Bethel, stopped In Bethel and called up
on friends. Mr.. and Mrs. Twitchell were
In party which has made IN extended
auto trip.
Prof. r. E. Hanscom and family re-
turned homo Wednesday from their sum-
mer home in Mechanic falls.
Mrs. w. o. Straw and Miss Nay Wiley
have returned from Islesb0ro, where
they have spent the.summer.
Bethel Inn is full of guests ut the pres
emit time.
Harold Chandler 10 assisting In the
bank during the absence OF Fred lib
belts.
Mrs. Webster Woodbury. Is spending
few weeks in Bethel.
Hon. D. j. McGillicuddy spoke in
Bethel Thursday evening.
Friday afternoon an auction was held
to sell the chair-shop property. This
was q bankrupt sale and no bids were
made at the price required. !. G. Jordan
bid off three acres of land.
Mrs. E. T. Russell, Miss Shirley Rus
sell and Miss Isabel Shirley have closed
their summer home and returned to
Brooklyn.
Mrs. j. U. Purington and Miss Belle
Purington have returned from Audover,
Mass.
Gould Academy will open Tuesday.
MIDDLE INTERvALE.
Our sister, Rose Packard Houghta-
ling, did not visit Maine a. We expected.
Her daughter and DR.. Smith OF Brook.
line, Macs, kept her there, az she was
hardly able to take the journey to Maine
or New Hampshire to her sister there in
Exeter. God grant that We may meet
another summer in our loved state Of
Maine.
A beautiful letter came recently giving
an account of the annual reunion ct G.
A. R. Hall, East Elm Street, Brockton,
Mass, of the Packard Family Associa-
ton, also what it will be this year Sept.
8, 1914. We ought to be there but debts
| must be paid FIRST We think. The letter
enclosed picture of the scene at the
celebration in 1918, Of the 275th anniver-
sary Of the landing of Samuel Packard in
America, at bingham, Mass, August 10,
1888. Samuel Packard lived long and
died In the dwelling which many years
ago disappeared, but which was located
10 what Is now West Bridgewater, Mass,
ON the north bank Of Town River. Al,
the right Of the picture and seen under
the edge of the tent is section OF the
stone wall. The site Of the old home
stead was within few feet of the spot.
The photograph was taken about 3
o'clock, Monday, August IL, 1918, dur
ing the exercises Of the second day, and
during the dramatic incident when, in
character, Samuel Packard, Myles Stand
ish, and Chief Msssasoit appeared to
greet the assembled Packards. The in
dian, "Masssasoit" (Ziba G. Keith, Jr.,)
had just before appeared on the river,
turned his canoe to the banks and cross
ed the field to welcome the white meb.
In the picture he can be seen squatting
upon the platform at the right or east
end of the tent.
"Myles Standish," (Farnham Giles
pie) had also come down the long field
10 helmet and warlike costume, bearing
upon his shoulder the pike once owned
by the real Standsh of colonial days.
he sits on the platform near the Indian.
The next person seated on the platform
was the president Of the Packard Fam
lily Association, Frank <. Packard). On
the other side of the platform desk we're
standing members of the Lotus Quartet
of Boston, who entertained the gather
ing delightfully."- during the afternoon
exercises.
| The photographer caught the audi
ence listening attentively to the music
with one exception, the boy seated on
the boxes at the rear of the tent at the
extreme left Of the picture. His head
was turned, evidently he had caught
sight of samuel Packard" (James B.
Packard) himself who had come up be-
hind the automobiles In the field and
was waiting till the music had ceased,
and then, "marvelling as II some magic
band had brushed aside the veil OF years
and that they were beholding history IN
the making, the Packard kin waited, al
most breathless, as another sturdy fig
ure walked across the field on which the
Packard homestead was built. will
the Packard family rlse,' announced
President Packard to the gathering. 4
believe see Samuel Packard coming
this way
"Revsrently as though greeting the
spirit of q nobleman, the sssemblage
| arose. 1t was Samuel Packard-a latter
day reproduction of the founder OF the
family, impersonated by one Of his kins-
men. Samuel Packard wore his simple,
somewhat sustere Pilgrim dress. In bis
hand he carried his long musket. With
/ fine friendliness he ackno wledged the
greeting of his descendants, and took his
place upon the platform with the Indian
chieftain and the Pilgrim warrior"