History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

98 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
The celebration consisted of three parts : Morn-
ing, Afternoon, and Evening. The mayor, Charles
A. Stott, was president of the day.
The morning celebration was devoted to the
children. There was a choir of five hmidred pupils
from tlie public schools under the direction of
George F. Willey.
The afternoon services commenced at one o'clock,
and were attended by the clergy, members of the
bar, physicians, the Ladies' C'enteiniial Association,
and the Old Resident's Historical Association.
The music was by the Lowell Choral Society and
the Germania Orchestra of Boston, Carl Zerrahn
conductor.
Overture, " Raymond " (Ambroise Thomas), by the Germa-
iiia Orchestra.
Prayer, by the Rev. Theodore Edson, S. T. D., Cliaplaiu
of the day.
Choral, "To God on High" (Mendelssohn), by the Lowell
Clioral Society.
Oration, by Major-General Benjamin P. Butler.
Ode (to the music of Keller's American Hymn), John F.
Frye, sung by the Lowell Choral Society.
Addresses by Hon. John A. Lowell, Rt. Rev. T. M. Clark,
D. D., Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, and Rev. A. A.
Mmer, D. D.
Chorus, " The Heavens are telling," from the " Creation "
(Haydn), by the Lowell Choral Society.
Historical Reminiscences, by Dr. John 0. Green, Presi-
dent Old Residents' Historical Association.
Hallelujah Chorus, from the " Messiah " (Handel), by the'
Lowell Choral Society.
Letters from Hon. J. G. Abbott, Hon. Seth Ames, Sam-
uel Batchelder, and others.
Poem, by John S. Colby.
Old Hundred (Luther), by the Lowell Choral Society and
the audience.
Benediction, by the Chaplain.
After the overture, Charles Cowley, Esq., chairman
of the committee, introduced the Hon. C. A.
Stott, president of the day, who extended a cordial
welcome to those present. liev. Theodore Edson,
S. T. D., rector of St. Anne's Church, and chaplain
of the day, read the litany; the responses were sung
by the choir of St. Anne's Church. Tiie speakers
were introduced very pleasantly by the president.
The whole celebration was characterized by the
perfect order of the arrangements, the great in-
terest displayed by the citizens and visitors, the
ability and eloquence of the speakers, and the im-
jjressiveness of the music.
One of the results of tins celebration was tiie
donation of $1,000 by Hapgood Wright as a semi-
centennial fund, to be put at interest, its accumu-
lations used at the end of fifty years "for the
benefit and improvement of the city or citizens of
Lowell, as the city council may determine by a
two-thirds vote of the city council in joint convention
assembled," and to be called The Hapgood
Wright Centennial Trust Emid.
June 8, Dom Pedro, Emperor of Brazil, visited
Lowell, on his way from the North. The visit was
managed with as little ceremony as possible.
He visited Huntington Hall, where an examina-
tion in vocal music of the different classes belonging
to the grammar schools was going on. The
party visited the Middlesex, Lowell, Merrimack,
and Lawrence mills, without an escort.
March 27, 1878, the Boston and Lowell Rail-
'
road commenced to widen the deep cut at the
northern station. When completed, the width wiU
be ninety feet, instead of twenty-eight feet, the
present width.
May 13, the Lowell Art Association was formed,
for the purpose of cultivating a taste for works of
art, and the encouragement of art studies. Presi-
dent, Thomas B. Lawson ; vice-president, Mrs.
Daniel S. Richardson; secretary, Samuel M.
Chase ; treasurer, George J. Carney ; directors,
E. W. Hoyt, Mrs. Horatio Wood, Henry Barrows,
Miss E. 0. Robbins, WiUiam G. Ward, Miss
Helen A. Whittier, Miss Helen W. Wright. The
Association have rooms in Wyman's Exchange.
July 3, James Cook Ayer died. He was born
May 5, 1819, in Groton, Connecticut. Dr. Ayer
accumulated several millions of property during
his lifetime ; how many it is almost impossible to
tell. He was largely interested in valuable real
estate in New York City, Chicago, Boston, and
Lowell. He was a large owner of the New York
Tribune stock, the Tremont and Suffolk Mills, the
Merchants' National Bank, and the Lowell and
Andover Railroad. In 1871, when the inhabitants
of that portion of Groton called the Junction
asked to be set off as a new town, with the name
of Ayer in honor of the doctor, he gave §10,500
toward the erection of a town-hall, wiiich he sub-
sequently increased to $30,000. The structure
was dedicated October 26, 1876, with appropriate
exercises.
December 11, the waters of the Merrimack
River rose ten feet, eight and one half inches on
the Pawtucket Dam.
December 30, a trial of the electric light was
made in one of the Merrimack Mills.
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