William D. Walker

New Ipswich Historical Society

Winner of the most impressive beard

William D. Walker 1809 -1883, resident of Gibson Village in New Ipswich, NH.

William D, Walker

On this day - July 25, 1908

James Roger diary entry - “loafing day”

24th (Saturday)

Very wet all day wind N.E.  I picked 3 fowls and 2 chicks.  General loafing day.

On this day - July 25, 1897

William Jurian Kaula diary - Hogarth’s “S” curve

The highway over which we travel so frequently to Crécy runs along the hillside with a few great curves that makes the road take the form of a letter S or rather more like Hogarth's line of beauty - thus  S.   William Hogarth's S Curve

Hogarth maintained that this line was the predominate in all forms and shapes and without it there could not be any elegance or beauty.  With this discovery he produced a picture in which the line of beauty was brought into play in every conceivable position.  The result was as picturesque as a shower of boomerangs.  Well, the road leaves Crécy at the graveyard which I have mentioned elsewhere, the first half mile is wooded on both sides, a few straggling paths run up the hill to the village of Lutín, the river below on the right is about concealed by the foliage but an occasional glimpse can be seen through the openings of the verdure by the glimmer of sunlight on the water, it is also quite likely that a fisherman may be in view as they line the banks as thickly as telegraph poles along the railroads.  Still ascending you will suddenly come to open fields and an extended view of the valley.  The long line of Mount Babin with the golden wheat fields receeds [sic] gently into the soft atmosphere of the more distant hills - broken only where the little village nestles on the hillside.  It has the most charming situation of any in the valley of the Grand Main (?) and is a never-failing object of interest viewed from a hundred different situations.  It suggests such a peaceful repose that perhaps is unchanged in the past century and is so different in character from our modern habitations in the villages at home.  Below lies Villiers, a town that starts sliding from the opposite side of the valley on the uplands down into the hollow by the river.  The afternoon sun envelopes the landscape in an azure haze so soft that there is but little detail visible - only the church tower and a few roof tops that catch the angle of the sunlight and gleam like mirrors or blazing jewels too luminous to hold the eye.  The immediate foreground is lively with the reapers gathering the wheat into sheaths which now dot and speckle the outlook for miles.  During the evening at twilight this place affords many pleasing changes - it is looking toward the western sky after all nature is hushed and except for one constant solitary light in Mont Babin everything that suggests the life of day is gone.  The hills are now heavily vieled [sic] in purple and the valley filled with mist.  Later as the twilight fades there is a luminous patch of sky over the hill that comes from the glow of artificial light of Paris - over twenty-five miles away.  

William's Footnote:  Soon after we left Madam Travet's at Voulangis our rooms were taken by a Mr. and Mrs. Middleton.  Mrs. M. is a newspaper correspondent for the Boston Herald and signs herself "Etheyln Friend".  An article on the "French Peasant Life" appeared in the Herald on Sept. 12  '97 which deals with much of what I have written in these pages and I have pasted it in the back part of this journal.  The illustrations which went with the article were very bad - Oct. 1. 1897.

Records and Reminiscences of the New Ipswich Children’s Fair from 1862 to 1911

By Mrs. C. H. Obear - Pages 38 - 40 (Continued)

QUARTER CENTENNIAL, OCTOBER 1887

I shall be pardoned if I make both Record and Reminiscences join in giving the year 1887 prominence in my talk with you, dear friends. C. H. Obear, the first permanent secretary after 1873, still retained his office, and in his own daily private journal and in the yearly report of the fair, he gave more extensive space than usual to a description of this Twenty-fifth Anniversary. They were his last. Before the next October he had "passed on" to give his own record before the "Judge of all the earth." He had been an earnest worker and generous contributor to the fair from its first inception, and his keen interest in it never knew abatement. He departed suddenly, as you know, April 11th, 1888.

I copy from his secretary's book and his private journal, which was kept without interruption from 1836 to the night of his death in 1888. The especial observance of this Twenty fifth Fair called out his warm enthusiasm and his heartiest enjoyment. Among those who responded to our invitation were friends whom he held in high respect and warm regard. They had been his comrades in many a hard fought battle for the betterment of the world; in the temperance cause, and the anti-slavery cause; in the promotion of education, and readiness to give his influence-if not blessed with money-in curing the ills of humanity. He enjoyed this reunion with the rest of the founders of this child of their own, "The Children's Fair for benevolent purposes."

I copy now from his secretary's book and his daily journal. The letter reads thus:

"October 13th, 1887. Twenty-fifth Annual Fair of the Children's Fair of New Ipswich was held at the Congregational Church.

"It being the Quarter Centennial of the fair, invitations were sent to its old friends and workers to be present. This invitation met a hearty response and many were present." The secretary's book has the following:

"At the close of the Sunday School, Sept. 4th, the follow ing persons were chosen as the General Committee of the Children's Fair, viz.: Charles Wheeler, John P. Clark, L. A Obear, Oliver Brooks, Mrs. Charles Wheeler, Rev. George Merriam.

"Sept. 9th. The General Committee of the Children's Fair met at our house in the evening-all present.

"Voted to hold the fair on the 21st of October. Chose Rev. George Merriam and L. A. Obear a Committee on Invita tions-added Carrie Wilson. Chose L. A. Obear, Rev. George Merriam and Carrie Wilson, Committee on Exercises for the 21st of October. C. H. Obear, Committee on Posters. Chas. Wheeler, Committee on building tables.

"Voted to adjourn to be called together by the chairman. "Sept. 26th. The General Committee of the Children's Fair met at our house and made the following nominations: On marking articles-Oliver N. Brooks, Charles A. Preston. On arranging articles-C. H. Obear, A. N. Townsend, Fred Barbour, Charles Wheeler. On arranging ball-George Fox, Mrs. Charles Wheeler, Mrs. L. A. Obear, Mrs. Wm. T. Buck nam. On plain dinner-Mrs. Charles Wheeler, Mrs. Wm. T. Bucknam, Mrs. Charles Robbins, Mrs. Sylvester Wetherbee, Mrs. H. Richardson, Mrs. Almon Hill, Mrs. Alexander Jow ders, Mrs. Addison Wheeler, Mrs. Samuel Thayer, Mrs. Herbert Wheeler. On tea and coffee-Mrs. Charles B. Preston, Mrs. Russell Farwell. Committee to pass the tea and coffee -Miss Mabel Thayer, Miss Hattie Wetherbee, Miss Katie Bucknam, Miss Ella Marsh, Miss Flora Davis, Miss Pearl Wilson. Committee on general refreshment table-Mrs. Angie Cummings, Miss Carrie Wilson, Miss Alice Chandler, Miss Grace Wilson, Miss Ella Hill, Miss Emma Perry, Miss Etta Stiles, Miss Ella Beard. On fancy articles-Miss Lula Richardson. On table decorations-Mrs. J. S. Chandler, Mrs. Albert Brooks. Auctioneer-Wm. W. Johnson. Clerks

Charles Wheeler, Oliver Brooks. "Wednesday, October 13th. The Twenty-fifth Children's Fair was held at the Congregational Vestry. The proceeds were $102.00, which were appropriated as follows:

• American Missionary Association—————-$20.32

• American Home Missionary Society,————- 17.34

• New Hampshire Orphans' Home,———— -—-10.72

• Home for Little Wanderers,—————————7.80

• A. B. C. F. Missions,————————————-7.50

• Woman's Board (for China),———————--—-2.50

• National Temperance Society,————————5.30

• Sunday School and Publishing Society,————-3.00

• Seamen's Friend Society,——————————-2.50

• Kindergarten for Blind,———————————2.00

• Seventh Day Mission, South Africa,———--——1.00

• Fresh Air Fund, Poor in Town,————-————.25

• Congregational S. B. Circle,———————-——1.00

• Congregational Sabbath School Library, -———-1.00

• Church and Society for Preaching,———-———-7.00

• Expense of Fair (Tables, Printing, etc.), -————-7.52

• Baptist Missionary Union,——————————-3.00