USA > Maine > Cumberland County > New Gloucester > New Gloucester, Maine, centennial, September 7, 1874 > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9
Our fathers' God! to thec Author of liberty, To thee we sing : Long may our land be bright With Freedom's holy light ; Protect us, by thy might, Great God, our King!"
A blast from "ye anciente horne " then summoned the people to the
BANQUET.
The Rev. H. M. PERKINS, supplying the Congrega- tional pulpit, at New Gloucester, pronounced the fol- lowing
BLESSING.
O Lord ! our Heavenly Father, we ask Thy blessing upon us at this time. We have been refreshed by pleasant mem- ories connected with the history of this town, and now we gather around this festive board so richly and heavily laden with the bounties of Thy providence, the tokens of Thy
54
LETTER OF GOV. DINGLEY.
love. We are reminded of Thee, who "openest Thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing."
May the enjoyments of this memorable and interesting occasion result in the mutual good and the spiritual welfare of all who are assembled here. These memories we ask in the name of our Redeemer. AMEN.
Then dinner was served by the ladies of the town. It consisted of tea and coffee, baked beans and brown bread, all piping hot, cold meats of the various kinds, prepared in every conceivable shape, bread, butter, cheese and pickles, all kinds of pies and cakes, melons and other fruit.
At two o'clock the President called the assemblage to order, and AMOS H. NEVINS, EsQ., the Toast Master, offered the following toasts :
MASSACHUSETTS OUR MOTHER. We cherish her memory.
Response by the Band.
The following letter was read from the Hon. NELSON DINGLEY, JR., Governor of Maine :
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Augusta, Sept. 4, 1874.
Gentlemen :
I regret that a prior engagement will prevent my acceptance of your kind invitation to be present on the occasion of the Cen- tennial Anniversary of New Gloucester. I doubt not that the exercises of the day will be of interest and profit, and will espec- ially serve to increase the respect and love of every native of
55
RESPONSE BY W. W. THOMAS, JR.
New Gloucester for a town which has a history and prestige of which every son of Maine may well be proud.
Very respectfully yours,
NELSON DINGLEY, JR.
Messrs. JOSEPH CROSS,
A. H. NEVINS,
A. C. CHANDLER, Committee.
THE STATE OF MAINE. May the daughter ever prove worthy of the mother.
Response by Hon. WILLIAM WIDGERY THOMAS, JR., of Portland, Speaker of the House of Representatives :
MR. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :
I am proud to respond to the sentiment " the State of Maine." Where indeed is there a son or daughter of Maine that is not proud of his mother State? It is indeed a noble State, a State of unlimited resources. In our quarries of limestone, slate and granite are mines of wealth, not only for to-day but throughout all ages ; in fact, in the very cliffs of our rock bound State, is greater wealth and greater pur- chasing power than in the fertile soil of the most fertile State of the West. Our extensive coast is notched along its entire length with the very best harbors in the world, and our swift rivers bear with them in their fall, power sufficient to turn the factories of the nation ; a power no longer flowing all idly to the sea, but which, lashed to the wheel, now turns the spindles of industry. And the ships of Maine, ships whose timbers are cut in our forests, and whose keels are laid along our shores, sail every sea and carry the flag of the Republic to the utmost maritime nations of the globe. But the noblest crop the State of Maine produces is her men ; aye, and her women. Here in Maine we raise MEN ;
56
RESPONSE BY W. W THOMAS, JR
men who are born and nurtured on our breezy hills ; whose muscles and sinews are toughened by work on the farm, and whose minds and souls are enlarged and ennobled by the teachings of our schools and churches ; men who grow up with sound minds in sound bodies, and who fight nobly the battle of life wherever their lot may be cast.
It has become an adage, that wherever you travel you find men from Maine. This is true, and it is no less true that wherever you find them, you find brave, solid characters ; men who take the lead in the communities where they dwell ; men whom you are glad to take by the hand and call brother.
I am glad to be present at this celebration, which carries us back one hundred years, to the founding of this good town. We Americans are too prone to look forward to the future. It is well, therefore, on such a day as this, to look back upon the past; to call up before us the sturdy pioneers, our forefathers, and to reflect upon their characters and the work they have done for us.
When the first settlers came here, what were these ver- dant hills ? An unbroken forest; a howling wilderness; the abode of savage beasts and still more savage men. What toil, to turn the forest into farms! The giant trees must be felled, "junked," " hand-piled " and burned. All summer long, from morn till night, the pioneers must labor with axe and brand in their clearings, and when winter comes on, they can have at best but blackened fields, filled with blackened stumps, but not a kernel from these fields to eat. The next Spring seed may be hacked in between the stumps, and the next Fall-the second Fall-the earth first yields her increase. In the meantime, houses and barns
.
57
RESPONSE BY W. W. THOMAS, JR.
must be built, and the settlers and their cattle must live as best they may. Life for the pioneers of this town, and in fact of our whole State, was in truth a battle, an incessant, perpetual hand to hand fight with savage nature and savage men, for existence.
My friends, only when we reflect upon what our fathers endured and accomplished, can we truly appreciate their indomitable courage and iron will. They felled the forests ; they smoothed these fields ; they built these roads and bridges ; they made the land inhabitable ; and we enjoy the fruit of their labors. And to-day, as we celebrate the birthday of the town, is it not pertinent, is it not proper, that we ask ourselves what would its founders have us to do? Surely they would not have us idly sit and enjoy what they have done for us. They would bid us go on in the pathway they have marked out for us. True it is, New Gloucester is one of the most beautiful towns in the State. You have wide spreading elms, cosy houses, beautiful gardens and bountiful orchards. But rest not content with these. 'Go on! Plant shade trees along every way ; enlarge and improve your gardens and orchards ; and work without ceasing, as did your fathers before you, to make your farms more profitable and more attractive. But this is not enough. It is not sufficient to imitate the thrift, energy and perseverance of our ancestors. We shall not have read the lesson of this day aright if we do not also imitate and emulate their honesty, truth and virtue ; and surely never were these sterling qualities more needed than to-day, in business, in politics and in the church.
This, then, is the true lesson of our Centennial Day,-to emulate the virtues of our fathers. Thus shall we most. honor them, our town, and our good State of Maine.
5
58
RESPONSE BY HON. J. J. BABSON.
GLOUCESTER. We welcome her to-day to our hearts and homes.
Response by Hon. JOHN J. BABSON, of Gloucester, Massachusetts.
MR. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :
It is with the very highest satisfaction that I find myself here to-day. I don't know that I can claim relationship with any of you. I have no claim as a son of New Gloucester ; but perhaps if we were to look into the genealogy for the past generation, many of us might be able to trace up our pedigree to common ancestors. However that may be, it is from another view than anything connected with per- sonal relationship, that I appear before you to-day, and enjoy so much pleasure on this occasion.
A great many years ago, I had occasion to investigate the families of our present town, and of course, in that investi- gation, I had occasion to become acquainted with the history of those who came to New Gloucester. I had occasion to learn all the facts of your early history, and I became so well acquainted with the names of these that it seemed as if I had been acquainted with all the families in the old town, and consequently in the new.
I hardly know where to begin in speaking of the early settlement of New Gloucester. I do not know as I can add anything to your knowledge regarding these hardy, worthy, wonderful men, brought up in the wild woods, about one hundred and thirty years ago. They were not ordinary men; of that I am convinced from my investigations and my knowledge of families of my own town and other towns in New England. The EVELETHS, PARSONSES, HASKELLS
59
RESPONSE BY HON. J. J. BABSON.
DAVISES (and I might name many others), were among the most influential and best families of the parent town, and they are worthy of all the respect and regard we can show them.
I need not remind you that the PARSONS family, which has been so well represented in New Gloucester, as it is now the most numerous family we have in old Gloucester, fur- nished the eminent Chief Justice, who, in the opinion of his cotemporaries, was the most eminent lawyer on this side of the Atlantic. I might call your attention to the HASKELLS and tell you how many have been representatives, selectmen, deacons and elders in the church, but all this would be un- necessary and take up too much of your time. Let me therefore say that these settlers were worthy of the greatest honor and the most affectionate remembrances you can enter- tain for them. It was on account of my interest in them, that I made up my mind, as soon as I saw in the newspaper you were to celebrate this anniversary, that one voice from the old town should be heard among you on the happy com- pletion of the first century of your corporate existence, and to bid you God speed on the commencement of another.
My first visit among the people of New Gloucester was upwards of thirty years ago, when, impelled by the same motive to which I before alluded on the occasion of becom- ing acquainted with your old families, I came down here and spent only one or two days, but I shall never forget the pleasure I derived on that occasion. I visited the oldest people I could find. I remember a visit I made to two elderly gentlemen about eighty years of age. I called on one and accidentally the other happened to be present. It would do your hearts good to see the eagerness with which
60
RESPONSE BY HON. J. J. BABSON.
they got me down between them, asking me questions about old Cape Ann and telling me anecdotes of their early life.
I cannot forget that on that visit I called upon two or three families of elderly women. I remember at one house I found two maiden ladies that I thought far advanced in years then (the children of a very aged father recently deceased), and who entertained me sometime with an ac- count of the talk of their father and mother for years before their death about old Cape Ann; how their recollections seemed to wander around the old trees, the old rocks around the old home; what joys and sorrows they had known, and all the incidents connected with people they had known there. When I took my leave they came to the window to express the great joy they had in my visit, and how much good it had done them to hear from old Cape Ann. And I count it quite a wonderful thing, that I find here to-day one of those old ladies upon whom I then called. I wondered when I was coming down how long they had been dead, when all of a sudden this venerable lady passed by me and was called Miss Rowe. I at once recognized her as one of the ladies I have just referred to. I made a subsequent visit ten years afterwards and enjoyed the hospitalities of Col. FOXCROFT, one of your best citizens at that time.
I found these ancient persons cheerful, happy, pleasant, good-natured, willing to stay if it were to be so, and willing to go when the Lord saw fit to call them. So that I thought that old age was not so disagreeable a thing after all. When I looked into the cheerful face of this venerable lady and felt the grip of her hand, I felt I had alighted on a happy soul, and I have no doubt that I did. But I must not dwell upon these personal recollections ; other voices
61
RESPONSE BY HON. J. J. BABSON.
are ready to be raised for your entertainment, and I will only add one or two words more.
Some years ago a very venerable man who was our Town Clerk for many years, and who was employed as a Surveyor in New Gloucester more than eighty years ago, told me that he had a very intimate friend among the earlier settlers of New Gloucester, who had besought him very often to make her a visit, but he had never seen an opportunity to do so, until on one occasion he had been visiting Portland and concluded he would spend the Sabbath with his old friend in New Gloucester. He procured a horse and chaise, and started, but before he had completed his journey his horse was stopped by an officer who told him he must get out and go with him. That was a time when the Sunday laws were upon our Statute book, which compelled the officer to arrest every one engaged in any unnecessary em- ployment on the Sabbath Day. My venerable old friend said he pleaded hard to be allowed to proceed ; that he was on a visit of necessity almost ; that he was in Portland on business, and having an old and intimate friend in New Gloucester whom he valued very highly, and not being able to visit her on a week day, he thought, inasmuch as it was a case of intimate friendship, he would take Sunday. But the officer was inexorable. After some further pleading on the part of my friend, the officer inquired his name. He told him his name, and said he, "I am on my way to see Mrs. Such-a-one." Whereupon, the officer exclaimed, "Bless me! that is my wife; come right home with me." I need not say that he gladly accepted the invitation, met with a very cordial reception, and the husband made him forget the attempt to arrest him for breaking the laws of the Sabbath.
62
RESPONSE BY HON. J. J. BABSON.
Mr. President, I have but one word more. When I look around on this beautiful town, its pleasant fields, its great means for all human enjoyment, I wonder why the popula- tion is slightly diminishing rather than increasing; I ask myself if it is because of the dislike of the young men to farming occupations, or is it because the soil is all taken up and cropped so long that it is not fit for cultivation? But I meet with no satisfactory response. I hear that the op- portunities for farming are as good here as they ever were, and the young make a sad mistake in going away from these pleasant homes and fields to mingle in the dissipations, or at least the temptations of our larger communities. The parent town contains about 17,000 people. A year or two ago we obtained a city charter, and now we have all the paraphernalia of a city government. We have a police force, which I suppose is supported at an expense equal to your whole tax, made necessary by a vice, which I heard from your Orator with the greatest satisfaction, does not exist in your town. Oh ! that the young men would be wise in time, and not seek to exchange the innocence and simplicity of farm life, for the dangers, turmoil and disap- pointments that follow the accomplishment of the desires to get away into the cities. I will close by offering you this sentiment :
TO THE MEMORY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS OF NEW GLOUCES- TER : May the hardships they endured, the virtues they dis- played in founding on this spot a pleasant home for themselves and their descendants, be ever remembered with a grateful appreciation by all the coming generations who may dwell herein.
63
RESPONSE BY C. P. HASKELL.
NEW GLOUCESTER now, and one hundred years ago.
Response by CHARLES PETER HASKELL, of New Gloucester.
Mr. Chairman and Fellow Citizens :
New Gloucester hardly needs an advocate to-day. She has been speaking for herself the last hundred years in tones that cannot well be misunderstood; indeed, at one time dividing the judicial honors of proud old Cumberland County with Portland herself.
One hundred years ago, at church or in the field, the old flint lock musket was the settlers' truest friend ; now the citizen can worship or labor with none to molest or make him afraid. Then on each returning Sabbath, families on horseback rode to the old church to keep holy time; now their descendants ride in light buggies and easy phaetons to their chosen places of worship. It is true, the eloquence of the elder FOXCROFT, MOSELY, STINCHFIELD and WOOD- MAN in the pulpit has long been silent; yet others have come and stand in their places to break unto the people the bread of life.
LITTLE, once at the head of his profession, no longer rides with his saddle-bags behind him over our hills to heal the sick; now his successors drive in their easy carriages to make their welcome calls. The blast of the postman's horn, as he rode solitary and alone up the Portland road bearing the scanty mail, long since ceased, and LONGLEY and HOWE, seated on the top of their rattling coaches, no longer rein their horses at yonder corner ; neither do we see the long line of freighted teams winding down the Yarmouth road, but the iron horse and railway car thunder along our valley. GROSVENER and ABBEY, the large-hearted BEARCE, the ac-
64
RESPONSE BY C. P. HASKELL.
. complished FOXCROFT and the jovial CHANDLER, of whom it was said in later days,
" He was ever on hand,
When iron was rising the value of land,"
are no longer seen in their places of business, but other hands now deal in merchandize.
We would not forget that it was here that WESTON, WHIT- MAN, GREENLEAF, FESSENDEN, CHANDLER and BRADBURY had their homes, two of them being native born, and all emi- nent in the legal profession. We shall never forget, unless memory proves treacherous and the history of the nation is blotted out, that it was here Maine's great Senator, at one time the hope and pride of the nation, spent his youthful days. I need not call his name, you know it well. Some of his schoolmates are here to-day.
The inviting inns of NELSON, BEARCE, THOMPSON and CHANDLER are closed ; their cheery fires have gone out and no one is called to re-kindle them, for in the irresistible march of events business has in a measure forsaken us and turned to other channels ; yet the air is as pure, our hills and valleys are as pleasant and fruitful, our store houses are as well filled and our homes are as free as in days that have gone.
We glory in the history of the past, and hold in profound reverence the memory of our fathers, who with brave hearts and strong arms cleared these farms, made these roads, and out of a wilderness built up and bequeathed to us the price- less inheritance of a noble town. While we glory in the past and rejoice in the present, let us hope that they who celebrate the second centennial will have nobler triumphs to boast and more splendid achievements to rehearse than we have to-day.
65
HON. P. W. CHANDLER'S LETTER.
THE LEGAL PROFESSION. May their record be as fair in the future as it has been in the past.
In response, the following letter from the Hon. PELEG W. CHANDLER, of Boston, was read by his nephew, Mr. SUMNER C. CHANDLER, of Brookline, Mass :
WHITE MOUNTAINS, 5th September, 1874.
TO JOSEPH CROSS, A. H. NEVINS, A. C. CHANDLER, Committee.
Gentlemen :
When I felt obliged, several months ago, to decline your flattering invitation to deliver an address at the Centennial Celebration of New Gloucester, it was with an intimation that I would be present and render such aid as I could at the proposed meeting. This is not practicable, but I cannot forbear to express my deep sympathy in the feeling which calls you together, and to make a note of some points which may not be destitute of interest to the present generation. On such an occasion, it is becoming for any one who has a knowledge of facts relating to the past history of the town, to make them known, even though they may seem to strangers of trifling importance. What might appear as vanity in speaking of distinguished persons with whom one was acquainted and of events in which he bore a part, is pardonable at such a celebration. Even the garrulousness of old age does not fatigue and may be agreeable when it relates to those who took a part in our early local history and to transactions of which the eye-witnesses will soon be removed by death.
It is many years since I left New Gloucester, as a resi- dence, but I have been familiar with the place and people
66
SAMUEL FESSENDEN.
ever since; and there are not many whose recollections extend back farther than my own. As a boy, I was familiar with the persons and knew something of the mental traits of many men in the old town who have now passed away. Among them were ELISHA MOSELY, Col. ISAAC PARSONS, TIMOTHY LITTLE, SIMON GREENLEAF, General FESSENDEN, WM. PITT FESSENDEN, JABEZ WOODMAN, WILLIAM BRAD- BURY, Col. JOSEPH E. FOXCROFT, OBADIAH WHITMAN, PELEG CHANDLER, Father and Son, and many others, whose names will doubtless be recalled by gentlemen who may be present. In after years I had the privilege of an intimate acquaintance with some of them; and now at a period of life when the judgment is more mature and when it is possible to make a calmer estimate of character by comparison with other celebrated men, I recur with interest and a certain pride to those early citizens of a town some- what remote who were greatly distinguished in their day and generation, and to others who only lacked the oppor- tunity to become men of a national reputation. Allow me to mention some of the prominent men in the early history of the town with such reminiscences as occur to me at the moment.
SAMUEL FESSENDEN was a graduate of Dartmouth Col- lege, a classmate of RICHARD FLETCHER and an intimate friend of DANIEL WEBSTER. He commenced practice in New Gloucester, and, as I have often heard, his first great success was in soundly thrashing a witness after court was over, this witness having had the temerity to assert, during a trial, that the lawyer would not dare say out of court what his privilege allowed him to say within doors with impunity. The advocate overheard the remark, and, at the adjournment, on being attacked by the drunken bully, justi-
67
SAMUEL FESSENDEN.
fied with his fists the utterances of his tongue. As the chastisement was effectual and generally regarded as just, the act was eminently popular in the whole region. General FESSENDEN, as I remember him, was a man of remarkable presence, tall, graceful, courteous, with a smile that was winning to all and quite bewitching to the young. He was a man of large and comprehensive ability which he displayed in a practice of fifty years at the bar. He always took great interest in political affairs and held responsible positions, but was not successful in one sense because his ambition took another direction. He also liad a way of advocating unpopular theories and always stood by his guns whatever might be the danger to himself. It was he, who in the war of 1812, made the declaration in the Senate of Massachusetts, in the discussion of a proposition to send delegates to the Hartford Convention, that " he was ready to take the constitution in one hand and a sword in the other, and demand at Washington the constitutional rights of the people." In late years he was a most vigorous and uncom- promising member of the Free Soil Party. His home was long a refuge for fugitive slaves, and his tongue and pen were ever ready to defend the rights of those held in bond- age. He was also a warm temperance man, and, as usual, carried his principles into practice, however disagreeable such a course might be to himself. It is not many years since he visited his son in Washington and was invited to dine with Mr. WEBSTER. At the table, a distinguished lady asked him to take wine. He declined, but gracefully drank her health in water. After dinner, when the ladies had retired, Mr. WEBSTER exclaimed, "Sam, you are the bravest man living. No gentleman in Washington would dare to decline wine at the invitation of my wife." The
68
SAMUEL FESSENDEN.
anecdotes of this remarkable man are numerous and no doubt will be largely referred to at your meeting. As he and his son, WM. PITT, practiced at the same Bar for many years, it was of course quite common that they found them- selves on opposite sides. It was something worth seeing, for as they entertained great mutual respect and exhibited the greatest courtesy towards each other, and as they both were bound to win if they could, the contest not seldom became exciting and even amusing. "You never learned such law as that in my office, Sir," the General once ex- claimed at some telling point of his son. "Perhaps not," was the reply, "for there were some things not taught in that office." I once heard THOMAS AMORY DEBLOIS, who was for many years Gen. FESSENDEN's law partner, say that Chief Justice WESTON, when a young man at the Bar, lost his temper at some remark of Gen. FESSENDEN, and sent him a challenge. Unfortunately the messenger was a negro. The General replied blandly that he " did not decline the challenge, but did object to WESTON's second"; which in those days was a point well taken.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.