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Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Dissolution
Dissolution - The firm heretofore existing under the name of King & Hubbard, is this day dissolved by mutual consent. All persons indebted to said firm for more than 30 days are requested to make immediate settlement and save costs. Millers Falls.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Millers Falls
Millers Falls - The village is justly proud of its band. It has been organized about a year, and consists of 20 pieces, under the instruction of William L. Day of Greenfield. We doubt if ever a musical organization that has had so little practice can show greater proficiency. The members are determined to perfect themselves, and if they keep up the way they have commenced, Millers Falls will have one of the "crack" bands of Western Massachusetts. [Prophetic? You decide ;-)]
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 13, 1875
Greenfield -
Greenfield - Trial Justice Brainard disposed of the following cases last week: Michael Moran, who took wood from Millers Falls, the property of Oselo Goodnow, was fined $2 and costs, from which he appealed. James Dwyer, Whitney Barden, Horatio Cutler and David Buffum of Montague City, were arrested for assaulting Abner Avery, and were fined $5 and one fourth of the costs each, which amounted to $8.92.
John McIves, one of the Bardwell’s Ferry roughs, was arrested by P.M. Fitzgerald for drunkenness, fined $5 and costs, which if not paid within 3 days, he was to take 20 days in the House of Correction. Dennis Brown for assault on Michael O’Neil, was brought in by Sheriff Swan of Shelburne Falls, and fined $8 and costs. Justice Davis discharged Patrick Mahaney of Cheapside, who was brought up for drunkenness, and fined John McIves $2 and costs - $4.95, who was picked up drunk by night policeman Carbee.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 6, 1875
Millers Falls
(Millers Falls) The occasion of the changing of the name on the Fitchburg Railroad of our village from "Grouts" to "Millers Falls" was appropriately celebrated on the eve. of Sept. 1, by a salute of 30 guns fired from Prospect Hill. The band were present and discoursed some fine music, and Mr. Lester furnished lemonade for the crowd, who, before dispersing, gave 3 cheers for the village and its name.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 30, 1875
Carelessness
A bundle of the Gazette & Courier belonging to Orange, was thrown off Mon. at Millers Falls, and the west Northfield bundle of papers carried to Athol by the carelessness of the mail agent on the railroad.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 2, 1875
The Band Convention at Lake Pleasant
The great Band gathering at Lake Pleasant on Fri. attracted an immense crowd of people, one of the largest ever assembled there. Between 75 and 80 car loads of human beings disembarked from the trains, coming from nearly every town within a radius of 40 miles. Best judges estimated the no. of people at about ten thousand [!], which is about as many as should be packed together in one locality, if convenience and comfort are to be consulted.
[Believe me, this estimate is much too large!]
There was the usual delay and confusion incident to transporting so many people over the railroad, and it was nearly noon when the 18 bands were on the ground ready for business. The three hundred or more musicians were finally massed, the instruments of each class being placed together. But the concert was hardly satisfactory. Though each band had drilled upon the music selected, placing them together for the first time without any rehearsal was a mistake.
But there was another obstacle to the success of the concert for which the bands were in no was responsible. About 1/2 of the programme was omitted, and the leaders drew lots to decide the order of playing of each from the band stand. The following was the order settled upon and the names of the leaders of each band: Fitchburg, Russell; Mechanics of Orange, Ned Clapp; Haydenville, Henry Smith; Florence, David Shields; South Deerfield, James Clapp; Bernardston, N.S. Cutler; Monson, A.D. Norcross; Greenfield, Samuel Squier; Gardner Serenade, ___; Millers Falls, Henry Colburn; East Templeton, ____; Easthampton, James Smith; Montague City, Fred Bridges; Northampton, A.J. Frank; Southampton, L,L, Walcott; Amherst, E.B. Fitts; Emmett of Turners Falls, Donahue; Westfield, ____.
This portion of the treat was very creditable to the bands of the association, and went far to make amends for any shortcomings of the opening concert. The pieces played by the Fitchburg, Haydenville, Florence, Orange, Greenfield, Bernardston, South Deerfield and perhaps one or two others, were exceedingly fine and enlisted hearty applause from the spectators. The Gardner serenade, which numbered only 6 pieces, attracted a good deal of attention by its excellent playing, and there was not a failure or a poor performance by any.
These selected pieces by the different bands made up a varied programme which continued through the afternoon. The audience filled every available seat in the great amphitheater, and many took a better cushioned place of rest upon the ground, while a vast throng surged about, tramping up hill and down, filling the paths of the grove, or the walks upon the shore of the lake. A number of boats and barges were constantly filled and moving over the Lake, and everybody was disposed to make the most of the day and be happy.
We should not have said everybody, because there were hundreds who got hot and disgusted before they had been on the ground half an hour, and seated themselves in the cars left on the side track, and there waited hour after hour for the time of their departure, fretting and stewing and wishing they had staid [sic] at home; but who will be just as ready to be on hand another year. Hayner’s full orchestra furnished music for the dancers in the pavilion; the day wore away, as such occasions do, and people crowded down upon the track and hustled and jostled to get aboard the cars as the different trains were made up.
The throng, for such a large one, was very orderly. There were a few cases of drunkenness, and one man had his horse stolen, but the police officers found little occasion for their service. The bands will realize a very handsome thing from their share of the day’s profits, and we trust will keep up their organization, giving us a Centennial Festival of this kind next year. Much credit is due Vice President Day and Secretary Squier of Greenfield for the day’s success.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 26, 1875
Millers Falls
There is a conundrum going around here, which as yet we have not heard answered. Why do Erving, Northfield and Greenfield have so much better roads than Montague? Road commissioners are not allowed to guess.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 26, 1875
Millers Falls
With good luck, we trust our bridge will be passable for public travel sometime before snow flies. Since the 5th day of April we have been without a safe passage across this bridge, and since June 1st no passage at all for teams, which have been compelled to go around about 1/2 mile. There is but one bridge in Montague having more travel across it than this, and all this time has been taken to repair one abutment.
June 1st the work of repairing commenced, and it is not yet completed. Surely our citizens are forbearing. We would like to ask the chairman of the road commissioners how long he would have quietly borne it to have had the bridge across Saw Mill River near his own home, barred up, when 3 weeks' work would have repaired it? Mr. Co'es, the truckman, has suffered pecuniarily very heavily, by being compelled to draw all freight around so far to the depot. Two hundred dollars would probably not make him whole.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 26, 1875
Millers Falls
The Millers Falls Company completed their new dam the past week, and it seems to be the general opinion that "this dam will stand". The work was commenced on the coffer dam April 12; water was let into the same on the 27th April; and since then a gang of men have worked continually on the new structure. About 150,000 ft. of lumber have been used in its construction, and of this amount, 70,000 ft. are below the water level of the natural stream.
The work has been under the constant supervision of A.P. Richardson of Turners Falls, a first class constructor of dams, and who is a master of his profession in all its particulars. We think the company have reason to congratulate themselves upon having such an efficient and thorough workman to superintend the construction of the dam. He don't like any "bureau" work around; but everything that is done, is well done.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 19, 1875
Millers Falls
The west abutment of the highway bridge over Millers River, which was carried off last spring, is still unrepaired, and all travel that would cross the bridge is still compelled to go around by another road. The repairing is slowly progressing and will cost $800 or $1000 when completed. With this burden on its hands, the town of Montague has done nothing about constructing the bridge recently provided for by the county commissioners southwest from the railroad crossing near J.G. Creagh.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 19, 1875
Millers Falls
The Langdon Miter Box company, which lately removed from Northampton and occupies the rooms formerly used by the Chapman Cutlery Company, finds its orders keeping ahead of its production.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 19, 1875
Montague
The population of Montague according to the present census, is 3330; children under 15 years of age, 1137; polls, 923, voters, 724. They are divided among the following villages as follows: Turners Falls, 1603; children under 15, 641; polls, 410; legal voters, 267. Millers Falls. total, 346, children under 15, 106; polls, 106; voters, 88. At the "city", inhabitants, 407; children under 15, 162; polls, 122; voters, 91. At the Center, total, 563, children under 15 years, 125; polls, 167; voters, 164. At the South and West villages, total, 258; children under 15, 76; polls, 77; voters, 76.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, June 28, 1875
Millers Falls
Lewey & Wheeler are repairing the damage done by last Spring's freshet to the bridge leading to Northfield on Millers River. The whole of the south abutment has had to be taken down and relaid, and a portion of the foundation of the pier, also, has had to be relaid. The damage done is estimated to be about $2000.