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��Christ Church.
��CHRIST CHURCH. By Annie Wentwoeth Baer.
��The little village of Salmon Falls has had its share of rhythm : success and failure have followed each other like the rise and fall of the waves.
The wail of 1690 had died away amonsr the near hills more than a cen- tury ago, and the ashes of that cruel fire kindled by the French and Ind- ians had whitened and scattered, when some "Yenghees" of a mechanical turn of mind were attracted by the rush and foam of water over the jag- ged falls in this winding stream. These men wished to utilize this strength, and so change the course of the merry river that it should become the driving power of a woollen-mill.
About 1824, the capture was made, and the glistening water was caused to run over a dingy, wide-mouthed wheel which caught up the water only to dash it down again with vengeful spite. For ten years the mill ran on, when in 1834 it was burned. In the time of this first mill, teasels were planted by the company about the village in several places ; and to-day where the trim new depot on the Boston & Maine line stands, once in awhile a teasel-plant peeps up to see if it can be of any use nowadays.
Acacias were started for shuttle wood: the old ones have died down, and new ones have thrown out their heavy sweetness every June from the high knoll west of " Foundry Pond."
The agent of the company who own- ed the mill was Col. Joshua Pierce, of Greenland, and he desired a suitable place of worship. Many of the work- men were Englishmen, and since Col.
��Pierce was a believer in the Church of England service, arrangements to start an Episcopal church were soon made.
On Wednesday, December 15, 1830, a notice was posted in the village, reading thus : "All persons desirous of having stated and regular Religious service at Salmon Falls are requested to meet at the School House in said place this evening at eight o'clock."
The church records tell how a num- ber of the inhabitants met, and organ- ized themselves by choosing J. W. Pierce moderator ; and, after discuss- ing the subject upon which the meeting was called, it was voted to appoint a committee of three persons to ascer- tain what could be done among the people toward the erection of a house of public worship, and to report at the adjourned meeting. It was voted that John Wentworth, Daniel Nason, and James Bradbury be the committee.
Friday, Dec. 1 7, 1830, an adjourned meeting was held, when the commit- tee appointed made a verbal report of their proceedings, and presented a sub- scription paper having several sums of money subscribed by the inhabi- tants of the village, and amounting to a sum sufficient to warrant the meet- ing to go on and prosecute their de- sign of erecting a house of public worsliip.
At this meeting it was voted that a clerk be appointed, whose duty it should be to record all proceedings of this and future meetings of said sub- scribers, in a book of records. It was also voted that a committee of three persons be appointed to adopt
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