8 NORTH 
S H OR E 
Bete: He Zi 
His 97th Birthday 
Delucena L. Bingham, ‘‘ Manches- 
ter’s grand old man,’’ celebrated 
his 97th birthday Tuesday. Mr. 
Bingham is Manchester’s oldest cit- 
izen, an honor he bears with becom- 
ing dignity, as well as the distine- 
tion of being the oldest librarian in 
active service in this State if not in 
the United States. 
Mr. Bingham spent the day 
quietly at home, receiving callers 
who have for several years made it 
a point to call and extend congratu- 
lations on his birthdays, an honor 
which he shares with his good wife, 
who is still quite vigorous at the age 
of 91. 
Mr. Bingham has failed in health 
noticeably during the past year, al- 
though he is still able to visit..the 
library almost every day, but most 
of the care of the office has devolved 
upon his assistant, Miss Jennie Sar- 
gent. 
Mr. Bingham was born in Man- 
chester November 7, 1814, and his 
career has been a most varied and 
interesting one. At the age of 23 
he sought his fortune in the. West, 
at a time when there was no com- 
munication by rail west. of the Mis- 
sissippi. He settled at Alton, IIL. 
engaging in the furniture business, 
which did not prove a financial sue- 
SAL 
cess. He returned to Manchester. 
Later when Horace Greeley, the fa- 
mous New York journalist, launched 
his project of establishing a colony 
in Colorado, Mr. Bingham became 
interested, again getting the west- 
ern fever, and went to Colorado tak- 
ing up. one of thez10-aere farms at 
Greeley. 
This enterprise also proved a los- 
ing venture for him, and_ after 
fighting against great odds for two _ 
years, he gave up and returned to 
Manchester. 
Mr. Bingham was intensely active 
in the anti-slavery movement and 
was closely associated with Wm. 
Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phi- 
llips in the work. His reminiscences 
of these men are very interesting. 
He was always a great reader and 
is blessed with a remarkable mem- 
ory, so he stored away a fund of 
information that few men. enjoy. 
He became interested in forming the 
old Manchester Lyceum, which he 
has seen develop into one of the 
finest town public libraries in the 
State. 
PETER A. SHEAHAN 
11 Forest St., Manchester 
70 Barrels Hand Picked 
No. 1 
BALDWIN APPLES 
For Sale 
If it is not convenient to 
visit the Store in person 
Use Our Mail Order Service 
The Store Getting Ready For a Wider Field of Service 
A store’s usefulness to its community lies in the quality and variety of its merchandise 
and the values it gives. 
Judged from this standpoint this store desires no better test. 
In a short time we shall throw open our new store and be in splendid readiness for a 
WIDER field of service. 
Already the Millinery and Infant’s departments have taken 
their locations in the New Store and although they will not be fully settled for a few 
days we know our patrons will overlook the little roughness for a short time in the 
knowledge that before many weeks we shall throw open to the public one of the finest 
appointed and best lighted stores in New England.” © 
Salem’s Progressive Mercantile House. 
