NORTH SHORE BREEZE. 
24 
agility and brightness of speech. He 
could be distinctly heard by all. Mr. 
Bingham said in his opening remarks 
that some people think because a man is 
a librarian he knows more than other 
folk; but as Emerson said, they don’t 
know any more than anybody else. 
He gave a brief history of the forma- 
tion of the organization, which originated 
with the late Capt. Charles Fitz, who on 
the occasion of his birthday invited some 
friends from Rockport and. Annisquam, 
where he formerly resided, to join him 
in celebrating the event, and George 
Hartley, a rare. cook, was one of the 
party, also John Lee, for many years the 
town clerk. The celebration, was re- 
peated the following year with increased 
numbers each year, until at length the 
idea of forming an association to be 
composed of natives and residents of 
Manchester was suggested and was car- 
ried out. “Lo Capt. Thomas Leach the 
organization is indebted for the inscrip- 
tion on the flag. 
‘The organization started without 
any formal action,’’ he said, “* it needed 
no promotors. It started with the spirit 
of brotherly love. It kept extending and 
extending and now it is pretty firmly es- 
tablished in the affections of the people. 
“* | like that word ‘ promotor,’’’ he 
said. ‘*‘ You know it is found in the 
Preamble to the Constitution: To pro- 
mote the general welfare. We should 
all be interested in promoting the ‘gen- 
eral welfare,’ beginning in our own 
town, then the state, and the whole 
country. I like that idea of Garrison’s 
“My country is the world.’ Let us all 
’ stand ready to do all we can to promote 
the general welfare, each in our separate 
sphere of action.’’ 
Mr. Bingham referred especially to 
his work in connection with the library, 
and said when a boy there were but few 
books in the town. Captain Larkin had 
30 or 40, Rufus Loring had a pretty 
good assortment and John W. Allenhad 
a good collection. Looking back over 
his work, he felt that in some things he 
had failed, but he was generally well sat- 
ished with his selection of the 13,000 
books now in the library. 
‘* Our form of government does not 
necessarily make us safe. Rome went 
down, and so did Athens and other na- 
tions.’’ He closed his remarks by re- 
peating Longfellow’s “‘ Psalm of Life,’’ 
so well exemplified in the venerable old 
gentleman, himself. 
Hon. Robert S. Rantoul, ex-mayor of 
Salem, was next called on, and gave an 
interesting dissertation of the origin of 
the word chowder, which he claimed 
was of French origin. He was well ac- 
quainted with Capt. Fitz in Gloucester, 
where he lived as a boy from 1832 to 
1839. Afterhe was a boy eight years 
old, he was one of the captain’s special 
favorites, and the captain on his foreign 
voyages would frequently take a small 
venture for him. He had often pon- 
dered why the French, who early made 
their impress on the Atlantic coast, nam- 
ing the prominent bays and_ headlands, 
had not been able to maintain their su- 
premacy, and influence the American 
civilization. He closed with an interest- 
ing description of an interview with Gen. 
Grant, while the later was in Paris on 
his trip around the world, Mr. Rantoul 
representing the American colony then 
at Stuttgart. 
Mr. Bingham said as Mr. Rantoul 
concluded his remarks that Daniel Web- 
ster had once made a chowder over here 
on Smith’s Point, out of fish he had 
bought from old Capt. Jones’ son, afish- 
erman. 
Mr. Rantoul remarked that 
worth something to be 94. 
Mr. Allen, the president, also re- 
marked at the conclusion of Mr. Ran- 
toul’s dessertation on the chowder that 
years ago at one of their chowder din- 
ners out here under the big tree, before 
the picnic house was built, James T. 
Fields, had spoke on the same subject, 
and he had also attributed the origon of 
the word as coming from the French. 
The next speaker called upon was Rev. 
Dr. Manchester of Salem. He was re- 
minded of the grace once said by the old 
Dr. Bartol, ‘‘ Oh, Lord, we’re here!’’ 
“*T'm here, and glad to be here,’’ said 
Dr. Manchester. He was convinced as 
he heard Mr. Bingham speak, and 
looked around him, the ‘‘ Elder Breth- 
ren’’ is a deceitful term. He was sure, 
too, that as long as the spirit he had no- 
ted today existed there would be no 
need of a ‘*promotor’’ for these gath- 
erings. 
Rev. Dr. Clark also of Salem said he 
could ** extend the hand of fellowship ”’ 
to Mr. Rantoul for his remarks about the 
chowder. He paid a deserved compli- 
ment to Mr. Bingham. 
Rev. E. Hersey Brewster of Nor- 
wood, former pastor here, was called 
upon as a representative of the young 
men. He spoke of what had grown out 
of.small beginnings, and this organiza- 
tion had certainly grown out of ahumble 
beginning, and was an_ organization 
unique in its character and had been 
beneficial not only to the members, but 
to the community. While he was not a 
native of Manchester, he had been lucky 
enough to marry a Manchester girl, and 
would accordingly be entitled to mem- 
bership later on. 
Francis M. Stanwood, a summer resi- 
dent for many years, was the last speaker 
and said it was hard to realize that one 
was present who had heard the story of 
the battle of Bunker Hill from his grand- 
mother, who was living at the time, and 
whose memory extended back to the 
time when there was no bridge between 
Salem and Beverly and in going to Bos- 
it was 
ton it was necessary to be ferried across. 
He had been coming to Manchester 
for 29 years, and congratulated those 
present on the excellent way in which 
the town affairs were administered, for 
no town excelled it in acumen, honesty 
and enterprise. It had a good library, 
good water, good schools and a good 
fire department, and the tone of the dis- 
cussions in town meetings was on a 
much higher plane than the debates in 
the Boston common council. His early 
days in Manchester were spent at the 
Masconomo house, and his reminis- 
censes of the Booth family were of great 
interest. 
He closed with a panegyric on Gen. 
Grant and deplored the attempts to ele- 
vate Gen. Lee as the greatest soldier of 
his time as being both untrue and un- 
patriotic. He gave some interesting war 
reminiscenses of Grant as related to him 
by Carleton, the famous Boston Journal 
war correspondent, who considered 
Grant the peer of Hannibal, Caesar, 
Napoleon and Marlborough, and closed 
with an apostrophe to Manchester, 
which had been described as ‘‘the 
beauty spot of the world.”’ 
Boots and Shoes and Rubbers 
NEATLY AND PROMPTLY 
REPAIRED 
Also a supply of Stable Brooms, 
and the patent Wundermop 
[wet and dry] 
Cigars and Tobacco 
C. L. BEDELL 
Wownson BUILDING 
MANCHESTER 
(Opp. Knight’s Coal Wharf) 
THOMAS DEROSIER 
(Successor to Geo. F. Dyer) 
Automobile Repair Shop 
And Storage 
Supplies and Tires, Auto to 
Rent by the hour or day. Lawn 
™*ower Grinding 
DYER’S AUTO DEPOT 
Cor. Pine and Bennett Sts., Manchester 
Telephone 101 
PURE RICH MILK. 
Fresh Vegetables in Season 
Our milk isfrom high grade cows properly 
fed and the strictest care exercised regarding 
sanitary’ conditions. Delivered immediately 
after milkin twice a day. 
gareful attention given to 
Team and General Jobbing 
Furniture Moving, etc. 
FRED P. SANFORD 
Box 118 
Pine St., Manchester 
Central St., 
Girdler Estate 
