Oliver Batcheller
New Ipswich Historical Society
Oliver Batcheller was a cabinet maker, born Jan. 6, 1791; died July 1, 1816; He was unmarried so he really was a bachelor. He lived in Center Village.
On this day - July 14, 1908
James Roger diary entry
14th (Tuesday)
Dull and cloudy with distant thunder but no rain. David and I put in the barn the hay left in one horse team in wagon shed. He took reaping machine to blacksmiths and took 6 settees and 2 tables to Mrs. M.Houns for lawn party tomorrow. He went to Greenville for grain in afternoon I thinned some beets in incubator field in forenoon, and prepared some ground for cabbages in the garden. Amos Shirland told me today that Frank Hale was dead.
On this day - July 12, 1897
William Jurian Kaula diary - Bastille Day
Another holiday - the national fête day for France which commemerates [sic] the fall of the Bastille. Crécy and Voulangis were decorated with flags almost on every house. Here and there I saw a Russian flag and a few of our Stars and Stripes. The latter were hung upon the hotels where there were American guests or where they would like to have them stay. The Mairie at Voulangis was glowing in brilliant color with its flags, banners, and Japanese lanterns. The fêtes opened here last Sunday with the shooting match which will last for a week. We have all had a chance to fill the bull's eye with lead and it is probable one of the crowd will carry away one of the six prizes. The highest possible score is fifty-five bull's eyes at ten each. Cartwright and another man head the list with a record of forty-five. Smith follows second also with another with a score of forty-four. They will have to shoot for a final result if the score is not advanced. After the graduation exercises of the school children the whole populace was present in front of the Mairie and were photographed by Hazard and Smith. The mayor was everywhere inviting people in the marchand de viu for a drink.* The principal attraction of the day was the group of the pompiers, the fire brigade of our village. They were in full uniform of brass helmets, blue coats, and dirty duck trousers. The bugler assembled the gang every few moments and after an inspection according to strict military disipline [sic] away they would march on a manoeuvre which was right straight a hundred feet to the saloon of the hotel. This drill took place very often and the brigade soon had enough fire water on hand to simply deluge a conflageration [sic]. Perhaps Voulangis has not had a fire for fifty years yet if one occurred to-day I am afraid that the noble fire department would not be in good trim to perform their various drills as at the last muster most of them assumed attitudes far from the perpendicular and later on many lost the use of their feet. The mayor added one more assembly by inviting them to drink. The groups that posed for photographs were like so many rows of ten pins. The school children were decked out in their best and each was crowned with a green laurel wreath of paper. The old women and mothers followed them around exhibiting the various prizes of books that had been awarded to the children. Madam Travet had been commissioned to prepare a dinner for the American Colony. An arbor of poles covered with green branches was erected in the yard. It was decorated with French and American flags and with many Japanese lanterns. It was an ingenious structure that sheltered us from the curious eyes of the peasants who are always attracted by anything unusual. Everyone was overflowing with gaiety of spirits and it was a jolly gathering. Later in the evening we all went over in front of the Mairie where the dancing was going on the green.
*Logan writes that Bordeaux did not suit them and that they have wandered about in various places without getting settled and finally took passage on a vessel bound for Brittany with a cargo of forty barrels of wine and the permission to drink as much of it as they wanted. How much of the cargo arrived he did not state - Aug.26.1897
Mairie = town hall
marchand de viu = merchant of life
Construction of the Fair (Continued pages 14 - 15)
We could make no departure from the methods devised for. the early years, and from year to year added anything that promised material success more gratifying than that of the first year. There will always be grumblers everywhere. We strove to remove all cause for grumbling. These occasionally would say, "What is done with the money from the door and dinner tickets and from the sale of things not marked ?" One of the general committee suggested this plan, and it was heartily endorsed. When all should be settled, and we ascertained what proportion of the whole amount contributed was given to any one benevolent object, the same per cent of the whole amount was added from the door and ticket receipts.
The designated receipts would indicate where the sympathies of the donors tended. For instance, if one-fifth of all the net proceeds was marked by the contributors, "Home Missions," that proportion of the whole sum was added for home missions. "But," says an objector, "perhaps only one small gift was presented, what about that?"
Well, this rule was made. If only one or two brought for an object and its proceeds were less than half a dollar, 50 cts. were sent. If more than half a dollar, it was swelled to a dollar. If any sewing circle or society sought to improve the opportunity to dispose of the work they had been doing, whether in town or out, they received only what the things actually brought.
Here is another doubt expressed. Says Mr. T., "I don't believe in sending money out of town to the heathen when there are neighbors' children who are staying away from school for want of shoes?" "All right, Mr. T. If you have beets from your garden or plums or currants from your yard to spare, send them up to the Fair so marked. The proceeds will be sent where you direct."
Here another perplexity comes up the day of the Fair. A neighbor to the Church (how many we have had!) sent over word that she would like to send over a less plain dinner than had been prescribed for 25 cents. What shall be done? All must be served alike. It is immediately decided by the general committee (all of whom are in and about the hall ready to get together for an emergency), that she may send in the hot dinner, and the seller of tickets may advertise that such a dinner has been sent in by Mrs. Bean for a named price.
A limited number, first applying, will find it at the upper end of the table. All parties are satisfied that we are all on an equality on Children's Fair Day.
I think, when speaking of this change in the manner of our taking refreshments, I forgot to state that these specifications of what constituted a "Plain dinner" was the following, copied from the book of the Secretary: Baked pudding and beans, brown and white bread, pies, tea and coffee, butter, pickles, etc., the latter, fifty years ago, meaning cucumber, generally. Do our modern cooks ever bring to the table the old-fashioned, brick oven, golden Indian pudding, surrounded in the dish by its own rich jelly? This was the kind that came to the Fair from Mrs. Aaron Bucknam, Mrs. Richard Davis, Mrs. Reuben Taylor, Mrs. Russell Farwell and others in the early times. The modern fashion of seeking great variety and studying cook books and receipts would make our young cooks of this generation "turn up their noses" at such a dinner, but no dissatisfaction clouded the faces of those who elbowed each other in good comradeship at the Plain dinner.