The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-06-01
A Leaf from the Hatch History.

old deeds, letters and other documents.
recently came into my possession. | am
sending you copy of one, which l
should be pleased to have you publish.
This is particularly interesting at this
time, when we are entering into the &C.
tivities of political campaign, as it re-
veals the political conditions and activi-
ties of those ''good old times" so often
referred to. Many of the letters are
more than a century old and they indi-
cate that families visited back and forth
much more than now.
| This letter under discussion was writ
ten on sheet of foclscap, before the
advent of envelopes, when the letter
sheet was folded, the ends tucked in,
sealed with red sealing wax and Impress
ed with signet. The postmark is writ
ten with pen, Montville, Me-, Dec. 9th,
no year givoD, but in the upper corner,
where we now put stamp, 10 ga. l
presume that is the amount that it cost
to send the letter. From the date with
in we learn the year, and l would be
pleased to know where the Montville
post office was located in 1910. On the
outside fold is written Mr.. Perus Hatch,
North Marshfield, Mass. Within it be-
gins:
'Montville, December 8th, 1910.
Dear Cousin Perus, take this oppor-
tunity to write a few lines, after this
long while to inform you and yours that
l am we'll and also the rest of my friends,
excepting my father. He has been
very unfortunate for two or three
months. He has had very bad
hand. There was sore come on the
inside of his hand in about two weeks
after | got home and he has not been
able to do any labor since, but it is get
ting some better ind l hope it will not
be long before it will get we'll.
Il want to see all Of my cousins and
uncle and aunt very much-those that
live in old Massachusetts once more, and
| hope and believe l shall Eefore a great
while
81 have been homeslck ever since l
got home. What story that is to tell.
Homesick to home, but am glad that l
came home on some accounts and some
am not. If it had not been for our
State election, | think should be where
the snow could not blow as it does here
today. 1t has been good sleighing here
for about two weeks and very cold the
most part of the time since the snow
came.
IL must write you a little about our
election. l did not much expect they
would have gone as they have, but can
say that l am glad that it has turned out
8, well for the Wings After our Sep
TENDER election, the Locos made a great
buster and said their men were not out,
but they would use the Wings up in No
vember, but when November came they
were completely defeated again and some
of them turn pale to think they must up
Salt River steer, and they must. Even
Mr.. Van Buren, will have to go up the cold
the BARRIERS charge double price for shaw
ing Loco, but no more of this.
cousin Lucy / want to see you very
much. and should be glad if l could.
When shall l? thought you and Perus
would have come down East last fall and
come to see me and the rest of your
friends. Come this winter. | want to
hear from all of you. Give my love to
uncle and aunt and all the rest.
dearest Cousin Lydia. | wrote you
a letter some time ago and have been
waiting for letter but there has none
come. Perhaps you never received my
letter. Write if you please and let me
know whether you received it or not.
want to see you very much, more than
anybody else. | have not much news to
write this time.
Mary Gilmore is married and gone
away and left US. She has been gone
six weeks and Franklin has gone and
left his old friends too. 1t is rather lone
some times with US here at present.
Write and let me know how you get
along. Will you? My health is very
good and has been the most of the time
since l saw you. Give my love to Miss
Betsy Damon and tell her that | shall
expect that she will come down in the
spring, and Lydia you must come with
her. Come and see your friends Down
East for you have many here. | send
my love to you and all the rest.
am truly yours,
GEORGE l.. HATCH.
| presume, Mr.. Pilsbury, that you re-
member Mr.. Hatch, as his last years We're
spent in Belfast. He was the father of
the Hatch Brothers at the Head of the
Tide and Eben Hatch and Mrs. Jennie
Owen of your city proper. will add in
explanation that Lucy referred to was
the wife of Perus, and Lydia was his
only sister, | presume the Mary Gil
more was a sister of Caroline. whom
Mr.. Hatch married fourteen years later.
should be pleased to learn, either
through your columns or by letter, who
is the one referred to as Franklin.
l will add that during the political
campaign of 1910, my father helped to
build a log cabin on a wagon so large
and in such manner that the wheels
were covered, and on July 4th, 1910,
with others from Montvile, he rode in
side of it to Belfast, and participated in
a great parade held there in connection
with political rally held in the open air
on Church street. Father said there
were several other LOG Cabins in the
parade, but they were small hen-coop
affairs, compared with this one, which
was the pride of the builders, and the
admiration of others. 1t was drawn by
four horses driven by Cyrus Davis of