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January 2, 1894 Democrat
Bethel: The chair factory is now running with about half crew. Mr. Barrows intends to have a large number of cords of birch sawed; all of the men will have employment with the lumber is hauled.
There was a Sunday School concert at the Universalist Church. It was held in the new chapel. A large number attended and enjoyed supper served in the new dining room in the basement of the chapel.
Gilead: Fifty horses from Lewiston will draw spruce from Success Valley to Staples' mill.
Mason: The sound of the whistle is again heard in town. Mr. A.S. Bean has commenced to saw birch.
Rumford Falls: The new toll bridge to Mexico has been completed. Congress Street is being used as a race course of late. Not just the place for it we think.
January 9, 1894 Democrat
West Bethel: Business is rather quiet due to sickness. Patrons of the butter factory seem well satisfied with the past year's experience. And they are talking of getting ice to be ready for the next season.
Newry: Slack times for business tell the story in reduced prices all around. Those Province men who hurrahed for Cleveland have now well earned a cut down of four or five dollars a month in the woods.
Bethel: A meeting was held at Odeon Hall to see if the citizens were willing to furnish a public reading room and gymnasium (in the Cole Block ?) to the young people of Bethel. The question was discussed by Mr. Merriman, Dr. Gehring, Rev. Mr. Beem, Mr. Herrick and Rev. Mr. Fickett. Many others from the audience were called on and expressed favorable ideas. Several committees were chosen to take care of the matter. Mr. Merriman on behalf of the athletic association of the academy proposed to fit up the gymnasium if the people would give them a little help.
Debate at Gould Academy: resolved that the study of literature is more broadening that the study of science. Connie French spoke for the affirmative and Edwin Gehring spoke for the negative. The judges decided with a vote of 2 to 1 and the audience 15 to 5 for the negative.
The next meeting of the Northern Oxford County Teachers' Association will meet at Gould Academy; Supt. Stuart of Lewiston will also attend.
January 16, 1894 Democrat
Bethel: A.W. Grover has bought the property of Mrs. Dr. Davis situated on Chapman Street.
Friday was cold and boisterous but the Northern Oxford County Teachers Assoc. met at Gould Academy. Four papers were presented: (1) Should algebra be taught in public schools, Fannie Carter; (2) Fractions, Class by Miss Lydia R. Smith; (3) Physiology, Dr J.G. Gehring; (4) Education, Mental Arithmetic, Supt. Stuart. Discussion followed each paper. (5) Question Box.
The annual meeting of The Chair Factory was held and the old officers were re-elected. The business last year had made a good showing; a dividend of six percent was voted the stockholders. The mill of the company has started again after two weeks shut down while inventory was taken and preparations made to manufacture long lumber. A large amount of birch will be sawed also. A shingle machine will be put in at once. It was explained that in this way the mill will better utilize power that would otherwise be wasted plus give employment to a number of men.
It has been found necessary due to the strained condition of business to cut down wages some ten percent, yet men feel themselves fortunate to get employment even at reduced wages, so many mills are shut down and the employees thrown out of work entirely.
Gilead: I.B. Harriman and his wife of Lisbon are spending the winter in town. Mr. Harriman scales the timber of the Androscoggin Water Power Company here.
W.C. Chapman is hauling 200 cords of birch to West Bethel - also drawing 100,000 spruce to the river. The Littleton Lumber Company, the party that is carrying logs and rolling them into the river have already landed 1.5 million and intend to land six million.
West Bethel: A.S. Bean's teams are hauling cordwood, spool strips, edgings and shook from Mason and Albany to the station at West Bethel.
East Bethel: All of the farmers in this vicinity are hard at work improving this favorable winter; cutting and drawing birch and timber to the mills, harvesting their ice, preparing their wood and enjoying life as farmers do.
Newry: Richard Trask and Amy Atherton were united in marriage January 1st, at the residence of the bride's father, Mr. C. D. Atherton, of this town.
January 23, 1894 Democrat
Bethel: A public meeting was held at Gould Academy to take decided action on the question shall Bethel have a reading room and gymnasium? The several committees chosen at the first meeting reported their work. A code of by-laws had been drawn up and was accepted with a few changes. The following were elected as trustees: A.E. Herrick, J.U. Purington, Rev. Beem, J.G. Gehring, Rev. Mr. Jordan, Archer Grover, Mrs. Ceylon Rowe, Mrs. John Philbrook, Mrs. Olive Mason, and Mrs. Littlehale. At the time of the meeting, $150 had been raised by subscription for this cause.
The lyceum debate was on the question That it is right to give money to street beggars. The disputants were Fred Merrill for the affirmative and Walter Chandler, negative. In the audience Miss Merriman and Edwin Gehring were strongly in favor and Mr. Merriman was against it. Judges chosen from the audience voted 2 to 1 in favor of giving. The vote of the house was 15 to 7 against giving.
Newry: The birch business is giving work to a good many in this town.
Gilead: Dr. Gehring of Bethel will give the same temperance address in Gilead that he presented to the W.C.T.U. in Bethel. D.R. Hastings has closed his house in Hastings and moved into the parsonage here where he is nicely situated.
Bethel: Milton Penley of Bethel has been appointed by the governor agent of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
January 30, 1894 Democrat
North Albany: Quite large loads of birch go by here every day headed for Bethel. Same parties have just finished hauling rock maple to the same place.
Bethel: The chair factory yard is well filled with long lumber but the full amount of birch has not arrived yet.
Large quantities of ice are being taken from the Androscoggin River. The increased work of the butter factory requires the furnishers of cream to cut an extra amount of ice.
J.G. Gehring is raising poultry on a large scale. He has incubators capable of holding 700 eggs. From the eggs 350 chicks have hatched to date. About 35 guests were present at a reception Dr. and Mrs. Gehring gave at their home. Ice cream was served and a program of musical entertainment enjoyed.
February 6, 1894, Democrat:
Bethel: Fred Edwards has started on a new milk route of about 20 customers.
Mason: A.W. Grover of Bethel tells me that his farm in this town is up for sale. The man to whom he had sold it failed to come up to his end of the agreement.
Wilson's Mills: Minnie Olson, who has been staying with her grandmother, Mrs. M. W. Fickett, is back home again.
Gilead: Dr. J. G. Gehring's address at the temperance meeting here presented the causes and prevention of intemperance in a clear and logical manner from the scientific stand point of a physician.
Newry: Frank Bisbee of this town has gone to Bethel to take care of his sick brother Calvin Bisbee.
February 13, 1894, Democrat:
Agricultural Society's Stipend: The state stipend for Oxford County agricultural societies has been announced as follows: Oxford County, $360., Riverside Park, $162, West Oxford, $198, Androscoggin Valley, $218, North Oxford, $96.
West Bethel: C.L. Abbott, Jr., is to store ice preparatory to becoming a patron of the Bethel butter factory. Fertilizer agents are active here.
Newry: The new school law after March 1st. Won't there be hustling for places on that committee who are to serve without pay!
Mason: Our farmers are busy securing their ice. The mill pond is alive with men. Addison Bean has loaded a car of poplar.
Bethel: Large amounts of logs and birch are being hauled into this place. The chair factory and Isaac Morrill's take the whole.
Gilead: The Mountain Rills, a mission band connected with the church, met here. The ladies with the Mountain Rills and Christian Endeavor Society have prepared 21 "comfort bags" for surf men in life saving stations. They were forwarded to Rev. Wells in Jersey City (for distribution).
State Ranking in Products: Maine is fifth in buckwheat, eighth in hops and ninth in potatoes. New Hampshire is third in cotton goods and fifteenth in potatoes. West Virginia is fifth in coal, eighth in buckwheat and iron. California stands first in gold and grapes.
February 27, 1894, Democrat
Bethel: The gymnasium apparatus is almost all in place (in the Cole Block) so the young fellows are enjoying the healthy exercise of the bar and chest weights.
The trustees of the Library Association will be on hand town meeting day to serve in the hall at noon, hot baked beans, hot coffee and everything else that goes to make up a good and appetizing dinner. Only 25 cents.
West Bethel: Owing to extreme cold and snow blockades news from here was a minus last week. On Saturday the 17th, the shovelers succeeded in getting through the drifts and found themselves three miles from home at dark. A.S. Bean put a team of eight heavy horses with a big sled and triangle which made a road good enough for a king.
North Albany: Soon the time will come to test the townsmen in their vote on the new school system and building new school houses.
Mason: Alonzo Tyler of Bethel tells me that he will rent A.W. Grover's farm. He is moving his goods and family there this week.
Newry: The town report has come to hand in good time this year. The condition of our finances does not show very badly. Owing to the hard times a good deal of the taxes are still in the hands of the taxpayers, that is, has got to come through their hands though I fear there is not much there now.
Bethel Town Meeting, March 5, 1894
The 1894 annual town meeting of Bethel was held in Odeon Hall. Election of town officers was completed as follows:
à Selectmen: Henry Farwell, H.N. Upton, and J.C. Billings. à Clerk: L.T. Barker à Treasurer: J.U. Purington à School Committee (new law): N.F. Brown, E.C. Park, C.M. Kimball, Ellen F. Gibson and E.B. Shaw à Town Agent: A.E. Herrick à Tax Collector: S.B. Twitchell à Road Commissioner: I.G. Kimball à Auditor: G.P. Bean
Appropriations for 1894 came to a total of $12,663.44. Highway expense was the largest appropriation in 1894. An extract of the 1894 Town Report is part of this journal. Article 24 a proposal to build a sidewalk on Main Street was passed over.
March 6, 1894 Democrat
Bethel: The Congregational chapel was crowded last Thursday to witness the “living pictures” tableaux program. Mrs. Herrick, President of the Ladies Club was in charge. Mrs. Gehring and members of her musical club served the refreshments.
March 13, 1894 Democrat
Bethel: This week’s Democrat carries a letter from C.E. Valentine about his lesson learned on filling his silo and the probable cause of spoilage of the silage. He concluded that his crew filled the silo too full too fast and the middle sank faster than the sides, causing the silage on the sides to spoil.
County: The Democrat devoted many column inches to covering the murder trial in South Paris of Abner D. Thorne. A number of Bethel citizens were called to sit on this jury. C.C. Bryant, W.W. Hastings, J.H. Carter and Calvin Sanborn were seated.
West Bethel: Hannibal Grover is preparing the filling for his hot bed. He is an expert in this line of farming.
One could not well forget that town meeting is at hand if he mingled with the people. The new school law is a great deal discussed and it is generally approved of.
Bethel: Dana Philbrook is making repairs to his jewelry shop which was damaged by fire several months since.
Our state has provided free vaccinations to all persons over two years of age.
Moses Mason’s auction last week was well patronized and large sales made. The free dinner given by him was especially praised.
C.S. York recently bought the printing press and fixtures of A. L. Watson (printer of the town report dated Feb 14, 1894). Mr. Watson was obliged to sell on account of urgent business connected with the settlement of his father’s estate.
Fred Roberts and William Gunther have started in the chicken business. They are running an incubator holding about 230 eggs. Most of the chickens will be raised for market.
E.S. Kilborn has bought the George Hapgood building opposite the Odd Fellows Block. Charles Benson will move his goods from the store he now occupies to this vacant stand.
The Bethel Reading Room and Athletic Association - after much delay and many committee meetings, much planning and considerable labor, this organization invites the people to come to the rooms in the Cole Block on March 12. The gymnasium committee will be in attendance to sign all applications for membership. The instructor, Mr. Merriman will be on hand to form classes and assign times for each. Young ladies as well as gentlemen can enter these classes and reap benefit from these drills. Expense for these classes is $1.50 a year.
The reading room is free to everyone wishing to read the leading newspapers and magazines – political news for the elderly, illustrated and story papers for the young and scientific and literary magazines for the students. The ladies will serve hot coffee and sandwiches on Monday evening and the rooms will be open every afternoon and evening thereafter. Someone will be in attendance to preserve order.
All village correspondents comment on the fine weather. “Fine overhead, sloppy under foot.”
March 20, 1894 Democrat
Gilead: It is little wonder that admirers of our “American Switzerland” should protest against the wholesale destruction of the New Hampshire forests by the lumbermen, when one sees the immense quantity of logs that have been carried from Milan and unloaded here. For long distances along the railway track to the river bed is one massive wall of logs, looking very much like the fortifications around a beleaguered town.
Newry: Logging news: There is a good deal of timber yet to be handled in this vicinity. C.A. Baker and C.G. Moore have extra teams for hauling birch for J.A. Thurston on Sunday River. Others working their contracts are L.L. Searle, Frost and Powers, Baker and Allen and J.J. Spinney.
Rumford Falls: The first indication of better times here is noticed at the west end of the lower dam where some 600 yards of rock will be blasted out to give more clearance in case of high water.
Supt. Lincoln of the Portland and Rumford Falls R.R. will build on his lot.
Citizens here are much pleased with the services of the American Express Co., who have an office here. Stanley Bisbee has charge of the office and is well liked.
Bethel: The reading room and gymnasium opened to the public. Some examined the magazines and papers; others watched the Gould Academy Athletic Assoc. work on the horizontal and parallel bars. A.E. Herrick and Mr. Merriman made appropriate opening remarks. The W.C.T. U. is in charge of the rooms.
Magazines include Scribner’s, Monsey’s Forum, Cosmopolitan, St. Nicholas, Review of Reviews, Atlantic and Harper’s Monthly are among the magazines. The Youth’s Companion, Harper’s Weekly, Ladies Home Journal and Scientific American. Newspapers include: The Springfield Weekly Republican, Boston Globe, Herald and Traveler, Portland Press, National Tribune, Lewiston Evening Journal, Portland Transcript, Argus, Mountaineer, Oxford Democrat and Advertiser.
Dr. F. Austin Tenney, the oculist, will be at The Bethel House every third Wednesday of each month until further notice.
Monday the Village Corporation met in the Volunteer hose company house to elect officers and transact business. A large crowd attended. G.R. Wiley read the warrant. The following officers were chosen: Moderator, R.A. Frye; Clerk, G.R. Wiley; Assessors, H.C. Andrews, J.U. Purington, and J.C. Billings; Treasurer, Ellery Park; Auditor, R.A. Frye; Collector ( 2 and ½ percent) Eli Barker; Engineers, J.C. Billings, S.N. Buck, and A.W. Grover. Twelve fire police were chosen.
The Congregational church has bought a Chickering piano for their chapel.
Over 100 attended Early and Often Club entertainment at Garland Chapel of the Congregational church. The program:
Plantation Melody: by the Club
Piano Duet, Spanish Dance - Edwin Gehring and Alice Chamberlain Spinning Song – Mrs. Gehring, Mrs. Tuell land and Miss Carter Piano Solo – Miss Chamberlain Vocal Solo and Chorus – Mrs. Tuell Piano Solo – Lillian True Tableau “The Three Graces” - Misses Bartlett, Babcock and Hefnzel Tableau "Trying America” – Dr. Gehring Piano Solo – Edwin Gehring The Ghost of Chestly Castle – Miss True Plantation Song – Club
The entertainment closed with the famous Kinder-Symphony under the direction of Mrs. Gehring. The whole club had a part in this. Some played musical bells, tambourines and clappers, others kept time on triangles, drums, cocoa-nuts and cymbals. Misses True and Chamberlain presided at the piano and were aided by accompanists from the Bethel Orchestra.
March 27, 1894 Democrat
East Bethel: News about the Bethel school committee. A meeting of the school committee was held March 17th. Terms of service was decided by lot. à N.F. Brown, one year. à Ellen F. Gibson and B.R. Shaw, two years. à Ellery C. Park and C.M. Kimball, three years.
Those who have not worked up their wood are having it sawed by horse power.
Gilead: There is a lot of timber cut and peeled in the woods which will have to lie over until next winter on account of the snow leaving so early. One company has nearly one million feet of spruce. The ice is breaking up in the river and the logs are beginning to run.
Newry: The stage came up Bear River on wheels.
Bethel: Dr. Davis of South Paris was in town this week on dental business.
First spring social was held at Gould Academy: committee – Joan Stearns, Miss Merriman, Mark Allen and Archer Grover.
Village Corporation’s lighting of street lights has been awarded to Algernon Chapman. Mr. Chapman has had charge since the lights were put in some four years ago.
Universalist church young ladies held a baked bean and pastry supper followed by entertainment.
George Ryerson, the man who shot Joseph Stevens at Milton Plantation was lodged in the Bethel lock-up by Sheriff Wormell.
The new Athletic Association has elected officers: à President, Mark Allen à 1st Vice President and Secretary, A.C. Eames à 2nd Vice President, Fanny Carter à Treasurer, Irving Kimball
Pages– Home 1 | Jan-Mar 2 | [Apr-May 3 | Jun 4 | Jul-Sep 5 | Oct-Dec 6 | Town Report 7 | School Report 8 | Names 9 | Railroad 10
Donald G. Bennett, The Bethel Journals , PO Box 763, Bethel, ME 04217
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1894 Bethel Journal Part One—January to March 1894
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At the Chair Factory
It has been found necessary due to the strained condition of business to cut down wages some ten percent, yet men feel themselves fortunate to get employment even at reduced wages, so many mills are shut down and the employees thrown out of work entirely. |
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