Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-06-30
RELIGION AND POLITICS.
Subjects Of Lively Meetings in SuTy
Seventy Years Ago.

Seventy Years Ago.
| (By DR.. r. L. Grindle, Mt. Desert, for
thirty years chairman Of the Han
| cock County Republican committee.)
| I will write something about re-
ligion and politics in Surry as
saw them seventy years ago. At
that time, every one had denomi-
and child, whether saint or sinner,
was Baptist, a Methodist. Uni
versalist, or an Adventist.
The Adventists had no meeting
house, but held their meetings In
North Bend schoolhouse. Their
preaching was wholly doctrinal;
their hobby, the coming of the Lord,
| the resurrection of the dead, the an
Inhalation of the wicked and un-
consciousness from death to the
resurrection. And"they were very
combative. They said that all Of the
church people we're very wicked and
worldly-minded, and so their fav-
orite message was Come ye out
from the world" And they kept it
going until some of the North
Benders got tired of 1t.
Two of them were talking about
it, and one said: There is no sense
in such talk, for we are in the
world and doing business with peo-
pie of the world, and even II ye
could come out where are ye go
ing?" The other replied, "Going
to Tophet, sure, II ye follow that
Advent crowd"
So the Adventists didn't have 1t all
their own way at North Bend.
They set the day for the coming Of
the Lord, and as time went on, they
got more and more earnest. They
said, 1.-THE Lord Is soon coming, and
we want to do as the disciples did
when He was here with them. We
rem ember that they washed one
another's feet" So they held foot
washing meeting. I was not there,
for was but boy and only full
grown Adventists were admitted to
this meeting.
Two men who attended the meet
ing, were noted for the size of their
boots. Some people laughingly said,
job to wash those four feet"
AS the appointed day drew near,
the Adventists talked of nothing but
spiritual things. They said, 1--WE
remember those foolish virgins who
had no oil in their lamps when the
bridegroom came, and we do not
want to be like them, so we must
watch and pray" So they held
meetings in the afternoon and eve
ming, and they talked and prayed
and sang. Their favorite hymn was
1--WE are going home, to die no more.
We are going home, in fiftyfour."
But when the day came and
passed like other days, the Ad-
ventists were much disappointed.
Parker Wood, who took little stock
in Adventism, said "You sang, we
are going home in fifty-four,' but you
didn't go. But that was good tune,
and you'd better keep right on sing
ing it, but sing it WE are going
home in fifty-ive, dead or alive
and then, if the Lord wont come,
you can Jump overheard"
The people of other denominations
were equally active, and have
much to write about them some
time, but not now, because I want
the space in which to write some
thing about Surry politics.
The people of Surry were much
interested in politics, as we'll as re-
ligion. They held political meetings
and talked politics in the fields, in
the stores, and on the streets. Orrin
P. Carter lived at the Teddy Pond
district. Asa and Mary were the
names of his father and mother, and
they were very strong democrats.
But Pearl was a republican. He
could write good article for
paper, and had quite gift for pub
lie speaking. Democrats, generally,
did not like him.
Going to and from Surry village
he passed the house of Aaron and
Rhoda Kitfield, who were democrats.
One day he caAAd and asked for
Aaron. Aunt S1ehoda said, 'What
do you want of Aaron?" Pearl said,
II want to talk politics with him."
Aunt Rhoda looked at him and said,
"It is no use for you to talk poll
tics to Aaron, for he knows that
you don't know polite from a
sheep-tic."
Thomas Smith was an abolttion1st,
but voted with the republican party.
He was we'll informed In the mat
ter of political history. He could
tell all about the Missouri Com
promise" the "Wilmot Proviso,"
mason and Dixon's Line" and he
talked politics wherever he went.
He made an appointment for meet
ing in the To-day Pond schoolhouse,
six miles from Surry village. It was
a pleasant evening and as Mr.. Smith
walked upon the platform he made
good impression. He wore long
blue coat, with vest and pants OF the
same color, with spotless white
shirt and cowhide boots. His feet
were large, fiat and tender, and ne
made the lasts on which his boots
were made by Levi Treworgy, !oca!
shoemaker. One was reminded OF
tho s;,o NJ these boots by the loud