Fruit Trees

New Ipswich Historical Society

Fruit trees at Barr Estate

William Jurian Kaula diary

25 MAY 1898

What a different atmosphere the boys brought down to Crécy.  It was so sedate here, so proper, and uniform actions day after day.  It had made me very quiet and regular in my habits.  Immediately the air assumes the life of the art student who talks about lively things and everything, sacred or profane.  I am continually at variance with both, because I am following a line that they have little sympathy with.

Mr. Gladstone will be buried in Westminster Abbey today.  All eyes have been fixed on the little village of Howarden, the home of the illustrious man.  All the world has borne testimony to the "Grand Old Man" whose brilliancy retained its fullness until his death.

Only rumors come from the seat of war.  Admiral Cervera reported to have left Santiago de Cuba.  It would be possible for him to carry out another vigorous flight or campaign judging by the apparent slowness of our fleet.  We were astonished to hear that Admiral Sampson had returned to Key West when it was expected that he was on his way to meet the Spanish fleet.  Commodore Schley is now at Key West with his fleet.  Admiral Cervera's tactics are a puzzle and he may still beat Santiago de Cuba.  Spain has a reserve fleet at Cadiz.  It is alleged that it is going to Manilla [sic] to relieve the city.  The situation in America is not cheerful owing to the incomplete state of the war preparations.  Spain is indignant at the intelligence received from Cuba that two of our war vessels entered Guantanamo Bay by hoisting the Spanish flag to deceive the Cuban forts.  The battleship Oregon has arrived safely in Florida after a voyage of thirteen thousand miles and without any damage to her machinery.  It was a remarkable voyage.  There has been considerable ill will in America against the French people for their pronounced sympathy toward Spain.  The Paris press is very hostile toward us and very abusive in its language.  The real state of affairs is deplorably misrepresented either through ignorance or malice.  Many of the naval experts (?) who write the editorials for the daily papers are so predjuiced [sic] in favor of Spain that their judgment is absolutely wanting in the real facts.  One critic suggested that Spain should have seized at once some island on our coast for a naval base.  He decided that Nantucket would be an ideal situation!  His theories were certainly grand and the advantages would be enormous.  What a delightful place Nantucket would be for the Spanish warships!  It is within sight of the mainland and surrounded by sand bars and shoals that even the old whalers had to be towed over the bar into the harbor in the old days.  The Spaniards would do better, if they followed the French advice to seize some other summer resort where they could not be molested for one night, at least, at a place like Bar Harbor.  Now that there is a cry in American to boycott French goods the tradesmen over here are getting scared and they point out that it is only a few journals that are responsible for the hostility toward America.  The French merchant will observe a strict neutrality!  They derive the good wishes of our commercial class of our people and do not endorse the views of the press.  Frenchmen, too, are alarmed about their Paris Exposition in 1900 as America will contribute much to its success.

James Roger diary entry

25th May 1912

Fair with occasional showers; wind variable north and east, etc. David at Miss Barr’s; also finished the Kimball painting in cemetery and harrowed Mr. Lord’s garden. Mr. Blanchard called in evening asking him to paint signboards. I cut lots all day. Hr. Heald’s man called for his chickens (70). Got letters from Alice, May, and Hh (Hamish); p.c. from Hh called “Local Showers.”