Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-02-05
tbey bad great love for bis country and

, wanted to name their town tOr I'M
, French capital. This was commonl.
understood when Mr.. Maxim was young
, and is 90 stated In his history.
The name "Number Four" probabl!
refers to the number or order In which
the grant was made from the fact tina
, the fret grant to the frst set OF proprie
tors, In 1735, was called "Grant Numbe
Four" also. Without doubt the bill! IL
the southeast corner of the town, which
is partly In Hebron and partly in Paris
and which has always been known al
"Number Four Hill," took Its name
from the name of the original grant oi
land which 10 now Paris, and is all thai
10 left In the town to tell US that such 9
name ever existed.
u AN HISTORICAL ROMANCE.
There is still another reason why this
location of the old house of Reuben
Hubbard should have special interest to
the people of this town.
Elder Hooper, the first settled minister
In the town, regarding whom there Is &C
much of interest to be said, and SC
much has been written, married for hi.
second wife Mrs. Reuben Hubbard, who
became q widow short time before Mr.
Hooper's first wife died. Elder Hooper
lived In the small house at the foot OF
Hooper's Ledge, In which the late
Nathaniel Rowe spent his life, and on
the same road and but little above the
Fhouse of Reuben Hubbard. Thus It was
that they we're neighbors, their houses
near together and their lands joining
There is story that has come down
through the generations, and the truth
of which Mr.. Maxim vouches for, that
when Elder Hooper's first wife was fail.
ing in health and It became certain that
her life was q matter of q short time
only, he wrote to the widow of Reuben
Hubbard, who had then gone back to
ssachusetts, asking her to continue
to remain widow. Evidently the good
minister overlooked the Scripture that
says "Take no thought for the morrow"
while he did not forget the injunction
regarding slowing thy neighbor as thy
SELF"
Whatever may have been bis inten.
tions in writing, she did remain widow
until he asked her to change her name
again.
! BOSE BUSH AMONG THE PINES.
There Is also story that comes down
to us through members of the Hooper
family, and which is undoubtedly fact,
that when Mrs. Reuben Hubbard came
to Maine first, she brought with her a
rose bush, which was set ont near her
house. This rose bush must have caused
lot of trouble and care in bringing, for
1t had to come large part OF the way on
horses back. or be carried In some
ones hands. It is also stated by the
same authority that from this rose bush
came the slips or sprouts from which
came all the rose bushes In the early
history of this town.
Now comes the strange part OF the
story, the sequel to the romance. There
is to-day near the old apple trees and
without doubt near where the old house
used to be, rose bush, or rather several
rose bushes, which must be without
doubt the children OF the same rose bush
that Mrs. Reuben Hubbard brought 10
her hands on her long trip through the
wilderness, and which was probably
growing near her door when the first
town meeting was held In her house one
hundred and thirty-one years ago.
| When this rose bush was set out In the
little clearing In the wilderness, by the
little log cabin, the United States was at
peace With England, and the whole civil
ICED world was wondering at the success
of the little army of that day against the
British Empire. Our little, poorly
equipped army, like David Of old, had
marched up. to Goliath and told him
that America was free, and that she
would show the world what race OF
free people could do. We have been at
war since then, but for causes for which
We can look the world 10 the face and be
proud. Now the greatest war the world
has ever known is upon us, and America,
though retiring and Indifferent at first,
is coming to the front and will soon be
I In the center, and in the thickest OF the
fight.
At first We fought for a few, for a
little struggling colony that believed in
freedom and not in the divine right of
kings. The few have mulplied into a
mighty nation, rich in resources, In
money and In men, who will oheerfully
CROSS the ocean again to prove to the
world that the people Of the world will
rule the world, and that tyranny of
kings is q thing of the past, and that the
only nobility that can "sit In the seats
of the mighty" must come from q free,
intelligent and Christian people.
GEO. R. MORTON.