USA > Maine > Kennebec County > Waterville > The centennial history of Waterville, Kennebec County, Maine, including the oration, the historical address and the poem presented at the celebration of the centennial anniversary of the incorporation of the town, June 23d, 1902 > Part 2
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"The Lord is my Light,"
Miss Eva M. Goodrich.
Selection from Nine. Rev. William H. P. Faunce, D. D., Cecilia Club.
Rev. Charles L. White
Prayer,
President of Colby College.
Hymn,
Benediction,
Kipling's Recessional Rev. J. F. Rhodes
It will always be a source of pleasure and satisfaction to the citizens of Waterville to recall this first gathering in the city's new hall. In every way the opera house demonstrated its ability to satisfy the fondest hopes of its builders, and to fulfill its promise of furnishing the city with a commodious, useful and beautiful room for public gatherings. On this occasion it was artistically decorated with ferns and palms, with flowers in abundance. But one regret obtruded itself upon the observer, and that was that hundreds, perhaps thousands of people were unable to find even standing room within hearing of the speakers. This fact, however, instead of furnishing a ground for criticism of the capacity of the audience room, was only a true prophecy of the interest and enthusiasm with which the inhabitants and friends of the city were to enter into the celebration of its one hundredth birthday. The doors were opened at 6.45 to holders of tickets which had been distributed through the pastors of the churches ; and when, at 7.20 the hall was thrown open to the public, comparatively few of the multitude which stood waiting could find accommodation.
As the evening advanced it became evident that every partici- pant in the programme had made preparation with full appre- ciation of the signficance of the occasion. Prof. Hall never fails to master his audiences, especially when his local orchestra
Allistein
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
is augmented by artists from the Maine Symphony. Mr. Cain and Miss Goodrich are always favorites with Waterville audi- ences, and at this time amply justified the artistic taste of their many admirers. The Cecilia Club showed the result of the con- scientious and thorough work of Dr. True. The selection from the 95th psalm in which the aria was sung by Miss Kate Sturte- vant was enjoyed. Specially impressive, however, was the rendition of Kipling's "Recessional," in which the audience joined, and which was certainly no less appropriate on this occa- sion than at the Queen's Jubilee for which it was first designed.
The sermon by President Faunce was a masterpiece. To do it justice in a brief report is an impossibility. Indeed it is only when every word is emphasized by the strong personality and powerful magnetism of the speaker himself that any true impres- sion of the sermon can be obtained.
The following abstract appeared in the Waterville Mail and The Sentinel, and will give as well perhaps as can be given the preacher's general line of thought.
Subject-The State, The School and the Church.
The century which has elapsed since the founding of Water- ville has been justly called the "wonderful century." Men have discovered more facts, and invented more mechanisms in the last 100 years than in all preceding history. But the greatness of our apparatus ought to mean greatness of intellect and character. The difference between the old hand loom and the modern loom is enormous; is the difference as great between the man who stood behind the former and the man who stands behind the lat- ter? What is the use of the incandescent light if it does not enable the citizen to see his duty? What is the advantage of travelling at 60 miles an hour if we are as discontented at the end of the journey as at the beginning? The aim of our civilization is not to whiten the seas with the sails of commerce, but to develop the simple, homely virtues which are the chief defense of our nation, the best safeguards of the fireside and the home.
We owe to the state our freedom to speak and to act. It is said that our New England fathers were narrow. Yes they were, as Niagara is narrow when it gathers up the waters of the Great Lakes in smooth, green flood, and pours them through one narrow channel with the power of eight million horses plunging
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
toward the sea. They that live delicately are in king's houses, but the founders of state are of sterner stuff.
We, the sons of the Puritan, must develop a new sense of civic pride and municipal duty. Americans have succeeded nobly in founding states, but they have not yet learned to govern cities. We shall never learn to govern them until we establish non- partisanship in municipal affairs. The provision of parks, libra- ries, pure water, good light, has no relation whatever to national policies. These are business matters to be decided on business principles by men eager to serve their city. The enemies of the fathers were the Indians; ours are the spoilsmen. Their devil was painted red with horns and hoofs ; ours is the sleek modern gentleman with the Mephistophelian smile.
The schools of this country are the chief bond of national unity. They are the digestive apparatus of the body politic. It is a common language, a common social ideal a common love of order and liberty, a common political tradition that makes the common school. The army of 16,000,000 children in our public schools is the best defense of the nation.
Our higher schools and colleges have contributed much to the national seriousness. In the records of the oldest church in Rhode Island we read: "This meeting house was built for the worship of God and to hold Commencements in." Yale began with 40 books contributed by ten men. Colgate began with an endowment of $13 contributed by 13 ministers in a village inn. Colby College was founded by men of the same spirit as Judson and Livingstone. The profession in those early days belonged to the noble army of martyrs. Our colleges have given America much of its seriousness of purpose and lofty ideal.
State and school and church must combine in the making of men. We are to perpetuate the Puritan type not by mere imi- tation, but by reproducing the Puritan spirit. We are weary of conventionalized religion-of millinery and formulas and heresies. But our age is eager for the religion which can make men who shall be sturdy citizens, true scholars and servants of their generation.
Monday, June 23d, was the city's birthday, and its age was announced at sun-rise by a salute fired from a neighboring hill ; one gun for each year of the city's life.
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
In the forenoon occurred the dedication of the new City Hall. Certainly Waterville could hardly have selected for herself a more fitting birthday gift than this fair and convenient home for her officials and this comfortable and inspiring meeting place for her citizens. If the expressions of satisfaction which came from the vast throng that visited every corner of the new build- ing on this dedication day is evidence of the opinion of the gen- eral public, certainly the efforts of the promoters and builders of our city's new hall are not without due appreciation on the part of Waterville's citizens. Everywhere there was manifest a sense of pleasure and satisfaction that the work was done, and done so well.
At 10 o'clock occurred the dedicatory exercises in the Opera House, with the programme as follows :
Dedication of New City Hall. Mr. Frank Redington, Presiding.
Hall's Orchestra Music
Music, Prayer, Music,
Prof. R. B. Hall, Conductor. The Cecilia Club Rev. Albert A. Lewis Children of the Public Schools Miss Lillian Berry, Director.
Address,
Solo,
Address,
Music,
Hon. S. S. Brown Mrs. Antonia H. Sawyer Frederick W. Clair, Esq. The Cecilia Club
Presentation of the keys of City Hall, Mr. Horace Purinton.
Acceptance of the keys, His Honor, Mayor Martin Blaisdell Solo, Mr. Llewellyn B. Cain
Address, Ex-Mayor Hon. Chas. F. Johnson Halls' Orchestra
Music,
Here again, as on Sunday evening, all gave evidence of the wisdom of those who were entrusted with the duty of furnishing an appropriate programme for this interesting occasion.
Mrs. Sawyer is always heard with pleasure in Waterville as elsewhere, and it was specially fitting that one of Waterville's former residents who has gained a national reputation as an
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
artist of unusual ability should be heard on this occasion at her old home. Also the efficient work of Miss Lillian Berry as director of music in the public schools was shown to excellent advantage by the really artistic rendering of the "Soldier's Chorus" from Gounod's "Faust," by fifty children from the eighth and ninth grades.
The speakers were all at their best, as might have been learned by one far beyond the sound of their voices by the frequent and prolonged applause which greeted and often interrupted them, and never failed to stamp the approval of the listeners at the close of each address.
Probably no man in Waterville has been more industrious and influential in arousing the citizens to the need and advantages of a new City Hall than Mr. Frank Redington, ex-president of the Waterville Board of Trade, and every one recognized the appropriateness of the selection of him as presiding officer at the dedication of the building which he had labored so faithfully to procure.
Mr. Redington's Address.
Mr. Mayor, Gentlemen of the city council, Ladies and Gen- tlemen : I assure you it is with a profound sense of honor that I assume the position of presiding officer at this first secular gathering of our citizens within the walls of this splendid edi- fice, and I thank the official board for tendering me this great favor. My great grandfather who was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, after peace was declared, came to Winslow, and cast in his lot with the people of this vicinity. Afterward he settled on this side of the river in what is now the city of Water- ville, and in co-operation with others built the first dam across the Kennebec river at this point more than one hundred years ago. Ever since then some of the Redington family have been residents of Waterville, and you may readily see that the history of our city is one in which I have much interest.
One hundred years ago Waterville had a citizenship of about eight hundred souls, and as we come along down the stream of time we find an almost continuous growth with a lull now and then which only emphasized the growth. About 1870 it seemed that we were sinking into a state called by Grover Cleveland "Inocuous desuetude," but rescue was at hand and the Lockwood
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
Cotton Mill started the ball to rolling in the right direction. Since then our progress has been steady and wholesome. Nearly all of you are familiar with our recent history, and I will only say that we have reached our present size of 10,000 in good season to celebrate our Jooth anniversary.
This building which we dedicate today is a structure of which we may well be proud. Its career began more than seven years ago, when was first conceived the idea of a municipal building, suitable and commensurate with our needs. It has had a check- ered life, and at times it seemed as if it were drawing its last breath, but a renewed effort on the part of its friends brought it into activity once again, and we now rejoice that we have a suitable home for our city officials, a hall large enough, hand- some enough, and properly constructed and equipped for all public gatherings. Here we may laugh, and here we may cry. Here we may listen to the voice of oratory and the charms of oratorio. Here thousands may be swayed by the power of elo- quence, and questions of great moment be considered, debated and determined.
This structure is stately and beautiful and accords well with the sentiment expressed by Polonius in his precepts to Laertes "Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, rich not gaudy, for the apparel oft proclaims the man," and so it is with cities as with individuals. It has been said that the world will make a path- way to his cabin door who does his work the best, even though his home be in the wilderness, and people will surely find us if we find ourselves.
I am undecided whether to place the church or the school first in the order of great benefits to a town or city. Certainly religion without learning is but a series of superstitions but the two com- bined are perhaps co-equal in their great results.
Next in order, so far as the past is concerned, I would put the old town meeting house, wherein the people gathered to discuss matters of common interest, and settle questions of municipal needs ; and in this building we have the convention hall, the old town house remodelled, enlarged, beautified, adorned, and ful- filled. Some of you are perhaps thinking of the entertainment element which is introduced, for the human mind is so con- structed that it needs entertainment as much as the body needs
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
nourishment. Its desires and demands are God given, and the man who thinks to suppress them will find himself ever on the . wrong side. In the municipal action which has built this hall we are on the right road and our future progress depends upon ourselves. If we in fancy should attempt to reach the source of all knowledge and prosperity and should ask of the Goddess of Knowledge the keys to her treasure house that we might learn its secret, she would point back to earth and with a smile would utter the one word "Work." Work with the hands, and work with the brain ; this it is that brings results.
But I am not here to speak to you. I am here to introduce speakers. The first man whom I shall call upon is the Hon. Simon S. Brown of the Waterville Bar.
Mr. Brown's address was largely of congratulation. In very appropriate words he congratulated the city on its solid pros- perity. He paid a fitting tribute to Mayor Blaisdell for his arduons and valuable labors in connection with the erection of City Hall and to the builders, Horace Purinton and Co., for the thoroughness as well as the beauty of the building. He referred with feeling to the old City Hall and to the men who had spoken there in the past. Because of what the old hall had been in the life of the town he thought that it should have been appropri- ately decorated for the Centennial. Its own centennial might have been observed several years ago.
After singing by Mrs. Antonia H. Sawyer, which was greatly enjoyed and greatly applauded, Frederick W. Clair, Esq., was introduced. His address was fittingly historical. He sketched the somewhat checkered history of the City Hall movement in a delightfully humorous fashion. In an able and suggestive man- ner he spoke of the true policy of the progressive city.
In presenting the keys of the building to Mayor Blaisdell, Mr. Horace Purinton, of the firm of Horace Purinton and Co., the builders, spoke as follows :
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen :
On an occasion like this very little need be said by the builder of the building. What we say here today will soon be forgotten but what has been done here will abide and will be speaking long after we are gone. On the 12th day of last July contracts were
-
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signed for the erection of this building. At that time the most of the material entering into the construction of this building was in its natural state.
The stone for the trimmings was in the quarries of northern New York and Michigan. The material for the terra cotta was then in the clay banks of New Jersey. The material for the brick was in its natural state in the clay banks within our borders. The lumber for the finish was at the mills in Indiana and Georgia in the rough, the lumber for the frame being in the log on its way to the mill on our beautiful Kennebec river. It is worthy of note at this time that the facilities are such in this our day to bring the material from so great a distance, have it worked into form and put together in less than a year's time.
Hon. S. S. Brown, who has spoken this morning, has very kindly spoken of our part in the construction of this building. In behalf of the members of our firm I thank him but not all the credit belongs to us. The architect and building committees have planned and directed wisely, and other contractors have done work here and deserve credit with ourselves. And there are others who deserve great honor and credit who are sometimes overlooked on occasions like this. I refer to the skilled mechanics and workmen who have taken the raw material, molded, and built it into this structure, and whose skill and workmanship will be a joy and beauty to us and generations fol- lowing.
I want to express here my appreciation of this skill and faith- fulness with which these men have wrought, many of them our own fellow citizens.
Mr. Mayor, chairman of the building committee, I thank you and the gentlemen associated with you for the courtesy and patience with which you have treated us during the construction of this building.
It only remains now for me to pass to you the keys and give the building for the use and pleasure of the people of our beloved city.
In accepting the keys Mayor Blaisdell spoke briefly of the sig- nificence of the event, and in behalf of the building committee and the City Government expressed appreciation of the faithful and honest work done by the builders, making special mention
2
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
of the foreman, Mr. Frank Merriman. He included in his appre- ciation the mechanics and laborers who had been employed upon the building.
A noticeable thing in the addresses of Mr. Purinton and Mayor , Blaisdell was their kindly appreciation of the work of others.
The final address of the morning was given by Hon. Charles F. Johnson, ex-mayor of the city.
The Centennial element of the celebration, the connection of the past with the present, the memory of those whom we revere and the pathos as well as the gladness of the home-coming of the old residents, all these found place in an address which was not only eloquent but in perfect accord with the spirit of the occasion.
A pleasant feature, unannounced on the programme, was the arrival during the exercises of Governor and Mrs. Hill attended by several of the Governor's staff and members of his Council. Hon. Wmn. T. Haines of the Council did the honors of the occasion and entertained the Governor and his party during their stay in the city.
MONDAY AFTERNOON.
On Monday afternoon the literary exercises of the Centennial were held at Monument Park. It is doubtful if so many people were ever gathered into an audience within the limits of the city as on this afternoon. The expectations of those who had arranged for the accommodation and comfort of a large audience by an open-air meeting were not disappointed.
A large platform had been erected against the north side of the Coburn Institute building. Here were seated the Governor and party, the executive committee of the Centennial, members of the city government and visitors. Among the sons of Water- ville who were there were Hon. Frederic E. Boothby, mayor of Portland; Hon. J. Manchester Haynes of Augusta; Hon. Josiah H. Drummond of Portland ; Prof. William Mathews, L. L. D., of Boston, and many others. The descendants of many of the early residents of the town were present and their presence added greatly to the enjoyment of the occasion.
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
The programme was as follows :
Dr. Frederick C. Thaver, Presiding.
Music,
Hall's Military Band
Prof. R. B. Hall, leader.
Greeting, His Honor, Martin Blaisdell, Mayor of Waterville
Prayer,
Rev. Geo. D. B. Pepper, D. D., LL. D., Lately President of Colby College.
Welcome by chairman of Centennial Committee of One Hundred,
Dr. Frederick C. Thayer.
Music.
Response, Historical Address,
His Excellency, Gov. John F. Hill Rev. Edwin Carey Whittemore Music.
Poem,
Mrs. Julian D. Taylor Read by Prof. Arthur J. Roberts of Colby College.
Oration,
Hon. W. C. Philbrook
Lately Mayor of Waterville. Hall's Military Band
Music,
Dr. Thayer's Address.
Waterville has rounded out the first century of its existence as a distinct municipality and today its sons and daughters, neighbors and friends celebrate this supreme event.
In behalf of the committee of One Hundred, who have had in charge all matters pertaining to this celebration, the very pleasant duty devolves upon me to welcome you, everyone, to the fes- tivities of this significant occasion.
From the east, from the west, from the north, from the south, you have come back to the place of your birth to lay your tribute of loyalty and affection at its shrine, to rejoice in its prosperity and the fulfillment of its first century of corporate existence, and to you especially do we extend a most cordial welcome.
Our one hundred years stand for more in the way of achieve- ment than all the previous centuries within historic times. The most cursory glance at its history reveals this truth, and shows how its great inventions and their adaptation to the needs of man have marked new epochs in the development of the human race.
Human life as it now exists in this country would be well nigh impossible without our present means of transit and transporta-
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
tion, without the rapid interchange of thought and opinion, and the quick knowledge of current events transpiring daily within its vast domain.
The comforts of life have been vastly enhanced by the adop- tion and use of a thousand things now called common, all the gift of the nineteenth century.
Science, art, letters, indeed, every phase of human development and attainment are greatly in advance, yes, immeasurably so, of the time when our forefathers laid the foundation upon which we have builded.
While we may not be able to boast that from our midst have gone forth any of the great minds which have moved the world, or that we have given to mankind any wonderful invention, or great idea which has changed the trend of thought or action, yet we may well pride ourselves that we have contributed our share to the great store of general knowledge, the sum of which has been so potent in the advancement of the world, in the better- ment of the human race.
Again I extend to you our most cordial greetings and welcome you to our hearts and our hearthstones.
To His Excellency, the Chief Magistrate of this good old Commonwealth, who for the time has laid aside the cares of state and honored us with his presence, do we extend the cordial warm hand of welcome.
To the sons and daughters of Waterville, who by their success and eminence in the homes of their adoption, have brought special honor to the place of their birth, in short to all as to those who have wrought well their part, do we give glad welcome to the home of their childhood, the home of their fathers. We are glad to welcome also the representatives of so many of the cities and towns of our goodly State of Maine and to respond to the good will which has brought them to celebrate with us the cen- tennial of Waterville.
The response to the above address, given by His Excellency, Governor Hill, was an eloquent appreciation of what Waterville stands for in the Commonwealth, and of congratulation on her progress and prospects. The presence of Governor and Mrs. Hill and their evident sympathy with the spirit of the occasion was highly appreciated by both citizens and visitors.
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
The History, Poem, and Oration are to be found elsewhere in this volume and speak for themselves. No feature of the cen- tennial however will be of such lasting value and interest to all inhabitants of Waterville as the History which has been pre- pared by Rev. Edwin C. Whittemore, a portion of which was read by him at the Park. It was the universal testimony of his hearers that a work of unusual excellence and value had been accomplished, which the city both now and in future generations will not fail to appreciate. All parts of the program were listened to with much pleasure, and the large audience was held to the end by the freshness of thought and power of eloquence which each speaker displayed.
MONDAY EVENING.
For Monday evening a grand illumination of the city was announced, and surely the city made itself more impressive under the glare of the many thousands of electric lamps than under the direct rays of the sun. Crowds of people passed to and fro under what appeared at a distance as a continuous arch of lights, extending through all the principal streets. The centennial arch at Elmwood Park was seen to best advantage at night, with its hundreds of electric lights, arranged in graceful lines.
The center of attraction Monday evening, however, was at City Hall, where a reception of the citizens and visitors was held. Hall's orchestra occupied the back of the stage, while the receiv- ing line extended across the entire front. On the right of the line were His Excellency, Governor Hill and Mrs. Hill, beyond them in order were: The Mayor and Mrs. Martin Blaisdell, Dr. and Mrs. Frederick C. Thaver, Mr. and Mrs. Willard B. Arnold, Rev. Edward Lester Marsh, President and Mrs. Charles Lincoln White, Miss Grace E. Mathews, Perham S. Heald, Mrs. J. H. Grondin, Gedeon Picher, Mrs. Ann M. Pulsifer, Mr. and Mrs. Alpheus W. Flood.
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