NEW LONDON CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
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��"Never mind the freshening," he suggested. " Bring me some cooked right out of the brine."
The dish was duly prepared and served according to direction. The
��suggestion of salt mackerel, cooked directly from the brine, being the best fare afforded at a first-class tavern, created a ripple of mirth that ran all round the table.
��NEW LONDON CENTENNIAL,
��ADDRESS OF HON. J. EVERETT SARGENT.
��The town of New London was in- corporated, June 25, 1779. Deeming the occurrence of the centennial an- niversary an event of sufficient impor- tance to warrant a formal observance, the citizens of the town, at the last March election, voted an appropriation of three hundred dollars for that pur- pose, and appointed Gen. Luther Mc- Cutchins, N. T. Greenwood, and James E. Shepard a committee of arrange- ments. The announcement of the celebration, with an invitation to be present, having been sent in due time to all likely to be interested, it soon became evident, from the responses received that there would be a large representation of the absent sons and daughters of the town in attendance upon the occasion ; and for several days previous to June 25, there were numbers, from all parts of the country, engaged in renewing youthful associations and revisiting the scenes of their childhood in that good old town amid the hills of western Merri- mack. On the night previous to the celebration the capacity of the town for the accommodation of the guests was tried to the utmost ; and on the following morning, which broke clear and beautiful and was ushered in by the ringing of bells at five o'clock, the people began to come irFfrom the sur- rounding towns in great numbers, and by every means of conveyance, until there was a larger gathering than ever before seen in New London.
��At half past nine a procession was formed near the academy building, under the direction of Gen. J. M. Clough, Commander of the New Hamp- shire National Guard, as Chief Mar- shal, in the following order :
Chief Marshal, with John Seamans and Harry Greenwood, as aids ; Frank- lin Cornet Band ; Messer Rifles, Capt. W. A. Messer, as Escort.
First Division, Major A. C. Burpee, Marshal, with Robert Greenwood and Wilfred Burpee, as Aids; Sabbath- Schools, with officers of the day, in- vited guests in carriages.
Second division, Col. J. H. Burpee, Marshal, Commanding Prescott Jones Post No. 32, G. A. R. ; citizens and former residents of town, and delega- tions from neighboring towns.
After marching and counter-march- ing, the procession reached the Bap- tist church at half -past ten, which large edifice was immediately filled to its utmost capacity, while large numbers, unable to gain entrance, lingered around the building. The church was beauti- fully decorated for the occasion, while flags and streamers displayed from the outside of other buildings gave the town a gala day appearance. The exercises in the church began with the effective rendering by the choir of the anthem, "Oh, Praise the Mighty God," followed by prayer by Rev. D. P. Morgan, of Beverly, Mass. An original hymn was then sung by the choir, written for the occasion by Mrs.
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