F Jff^'^ 3 «^ o o «> i» ^ o ^Mth. PR.OCDCDINGS AT THE sEiii-cmEiiAi mmim OF THE CONNECTION OF \ dSl^iJf^ S:f{]v(OI^© W^Iarre, are the only sur- vivors of the numerous corps of marshals of that day, headed by Col. John W. Lincoln as chief marshal, in charge of the 10 immense procession whicli marclied from the old common to the huge log cabin on Stephen Salisbury's grounds on Grove street, where the convention was held ; and our venerable fel- low citizen, Mr. Joseph Pratt, now in his 89th year, is the only survivor of the committee of seven, consisting of himself and Wm. A. Wheeler, Harrison Bliss, George Hobbs, Alpheus Merrifield, J. L. Edwards, and Timothy W. Bancroft, under whose direction the log cabin was built. It was located on the spot covered by the last extension southward of the works of the Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company on the east side of Grove street. My first departure from the " hive " of the Spy was made in July 1844, when, with Rev. Albert Tyler and another then compositor on the Spy, Abner B. Hardy, I went to Barre to start another whig paper in that section of the county, to off- set the influence of the then democratic organ there, the " Barre Gazette," published and edited at that time by Walter A. Bryant. Wm. A. Wallace, the then foreman of the Spy office, went with us and staid one week, till after the first is- sue, July 26, to set the new paper, which was called the " Barre Patriot," well on its way. The Gazette called it the " Spy Northwest Branch." It was started in pursuance of a general consultation among the leading whigs of that section of the county, most prominent among whom was Hon. James W. Jenkins of that town. Nahum F. Bryant, brother of Walter A., had tiie editorial management, and Mr. Tyler the charge of the business, general news and typographical departments of the new paper. During the first five issues, J. Henry Hill, Esq., was associate editor with Mr. Bryant, till Sept. 1, when Mr. Hill removed to Worcester to go into partnership with that brilliant lawyer, the late Judge Thomas, grandson of the founder of the Spy. During the year and a half that I re- mained in Barre as compositor on the " Patriot," I w\ns a con- tributor ad libitum to its editorial columns on political and oth- er questions, generally coining my ideas with type as I went along from hastily written uQtes on scraps of paper before me. 11 The year 1844 was the time of the celebrated Henry Clay campaign, the first one in wliich 1 took an active part, and I entered into it quite enthusiastically, on paper. Most of us remember the old war cry of that campaign, " Hurrali ! hurra li ! tlie country's risin' For Harry Clay and Frelinghuysen." The northern whigs, and especially those of Massachusetts^ entered into it heart and hand on the issue of opposition to the annexation of Texas as a slave state, and everything went on swimmingly in our favor till that unfortunate Alabama letter from Mr. Clay reached the north, in which he said he should be '* glad to see " Texas annexed, and this had the same damag- ing effect upon the ]K"ospects of the gallant '' Harry of the West," that Dr. Burchard's unwise " Rum, Romanism and Re- bellion speech " had upon the pros))ects of the great republican leader in 1884, the great ^tate of New York holding the balance of power and turning the scale in both instances. After my labors on the old " Barre Patriot," I became again connected with the Spy as a compositor and in other ways, the starting of the daily and the coming on of the free soil move- ment, in which I took active interest, affording me a field for congenial labors in the newspaper line, and I think I can mod- estly say that I furnished a goodly share of that " firing up " of public sentiment on the slavery question which resulted in the organization of a separate national party on the issue of opposition to slavery, after the pro-slavery element in the old whig party had forced upon us the nomination of Gen. Taylor, and the democratic party had performed a similar act of sub- serviency to the slave power in the nomination of Gen. Cass. The Spy naturally became the organ of the now party of free- dom from the start. I had here, also, the advantage at that time of being my own compositor in what I furnished for the press. The first political speech I remember to have rej)orted was a sketch of the one made by John P. Halo in our old town hall Oct. 13, 1846, after his election as United States senator from New Hampshire by the combined votes of the whigs and liberty party men in the legislature in opposition to the Pierce 12 democracy, Avhich had, till then, ruled that state. How the el- oquent sou of the Granite State made the arches of that hall ring on that occasion ! The great free soil campaign of 1848 deserves some notice here in reference to its origin. The movement, as before said, arose out of the opposition to both the two old parties, on ac- count of their alleged subserviency to slavery in the presiden- tial iiominations they had made. Four persons, previously of the whig party, All)ertTolman, Henry H. Chamberlin, Wm. A. Wallace and Oliver Harrington, well representing the domi- nant political feeling in Worcester in reference to the obnox- ious nominations, were specially instrumental in organizing that sentiment into action, and it found its first public expres- sion in a meeting at the City Hall, Wednesday evening, June 21, 1848, at which Albert Tolmau, Esq., presided, and Wm. A. Wallace, then foreman in' the Spy office, was secretary, and George W. Russell, Henry B. Chamberlin, Oliver Harrington, Edward Southwick, and Joseph Boyden were appointed a com- mittee to nominate a list of persons to act as a committee of arrangements for the state convention, to be held one week later, June 28, at the same place. The names thus reported and adopted included, l)esides those above mentioned, Charles Allen, Alexander DeWitt, Charles Washburn, Thomas A. Clark, John C. Mason, Rufus D. Dunbar, Edward Hamilton, James F. Allen, Edward H. Hemenway, John C. Newton, Ben- jamin E. Hutchinson, Peregrine B. Gilbert, Enoch Hall, Sam- uel Davis, John C. Wyman, Dr. H. G. Darling, Joseph A. Gil- bert, Albert P. Ware, Charles Hadwen and Augustus Tucker, many of whom are with us tonight. At this meeting the first steps were taken here for the organization of that great party of freedom which subsequently ruled the country for 25 years, and addresses were made on this occasion by Hon. Charles Al- len and Gen. Henry Wilson, in support of their action in re- pudiating the nomination of their party at Philadelphia, where they acted as delegates, and their action there was most enthu- astically sustained at this meeting. Judge Allen and Henry Wilson were the leaders of the movement in this state, with IS such able coadjutors as Charles Francis Adams, Samuel Hoar, Horace Mann, Stephen C. Phillips, Charles Sumner, John G. Palfrey, Erastus Hopkins, John ]\[ilt()n Earle, Francis W. Bird, and others of like ability and previous {>olitical standing. Here I must be indulged in an interesting reminiscence of what took place near the close of that meeting, when Rev. George Allen, a brother of the judge, came in from the state hospital, where he had been detained by i\is duties as chaplain, and took a front seat near inc. After the regular resolutions of the meeting, sustaining the action of Judge Allen and Gen. Wilson, had been reported and adopted, he offered from memory that remarkable resolution which has since acquired such notoriety for its expressiveness: " Resolved, that Massachusetts weai^ no chains, and spurns -all bribes ; that Massachusetts goes now, and will ever go, for free soil and free men, for free lips and a free press, for a free land and a free world." This sentiment was received with so much favor that the author of it was re- quested to commit it to writing, which he did in exactly the same words, after which it was adopted with unl)ounded enthu- siasm, and subsequently adopted by various meetings and con- ventions during that campaign, including the Massachusetts state convention held here the following week ; and the main sentiment of the resolution was incorporated in the platform of the national free soil convention, held in August following at Buffalo, where Martin A^an Buren and Charles Francis Adams were nominated for president and vice-president ; and its lead- ing doctrine has since become a part of the Constitutioii of the United States. Against the party thus organized was arrayed the influence of most o( the leading men of the time in Worcester, includ- ing Ex-Govs. Lincoln and Davis, Judges Barton, Kinnicutt, Washburn and Thomas, Hon. Alexander H. Bullock, and others, whose eloquence, as well as that of Judge Allen and others on his side, was often heard in the old city hall, the principal combatants there during that memorable campaign being Gov. Lincoln and Judge Allen, on opposite sides. Of course, this is no proj>er occasion for the expression of opinion as to the 14 relative merits, either of the great arguments contained in the able speeches by the two distinguished gentlemen alluded to, or of the vast question then in issue, the discussion of which soon spread over tlie whole country, and ended finally only in the falling of the last shackle from the limbs of the last slave in the land. The motives which actuated these two eminent men, honored representatives of their time and generation, can never be impeached, founded as they were upon principles of action adopted after long experience by both of them in public affairs. Both, '■' natives and to the manner born," had at different periods represented the same constituency honora- bly and faithfully in both the state and national councils, as had also their honored sires before them. No two men were more warmly attached friends daring their last years, and like Adams and Jefferson, after the settlement of the great ques- tion, the discussion of which had made them for a time politi" eal antagonists, old animosities being forgotten, they went to their last reward with the general benediction, " well done, good and faithful public servants." Gov. Lincoln died May 29^ 1868, aged 86, and Judge Allen August 6, 1869, aged 71. Did time permit, I might relate some interesting incidents Gonnected with the long and exciting public controversies aris- ing out of the passage of the fugitive slave law in 1850, Ne- braska bill in 1854, and other pro-slavery measures, including the Dred Scott decision of the Supreme Court in 1856, on which questions I bad a good deal to say in print, and did more or less bes-ides, in the way of getting np public meetings- for the expression and furtherance of the general sentiment of the people against those enormities. The speakers at those meetings include many who afterwards became prominent in our state and national affairs, and some of them guided the legislation of our state and country during the most critical period of our history. In this connection,! cannot resist brief allusion to an exciting time— -Oct, 28, 29 and 30, 1854, when Asa 0. Batman, Deputy United States Marshal under President Pierce, was in Worcester, for the purpose, as was generally understood 7 of securing an escaped slave named Wui. H. Jan- lo kins, who had then resided here 11 years in the prosGCiition of his calling as a barber, and who is still an honored and re- spected citizen among us. Soon as it became known that Batman was here for the sus- pected purpose of arresting a fugitive slave, and tliat fugitive a citizen of so long standing here, such was the general feeling of the peoj)lc that Butman found that his safest place for pro- tection was the police office, at the cast end of the city hall, to which place he was taken on the charge of carrying concealed weapons, and from which place he was escorted on Monday morning, Oct. 30, down Front street to the railroad station, walking between the protecting arms of several prominent abolitionists, some of whom are now present, who shielded him from the violence tiiat was offered him on the way by the surrounding crowd of indignant citizens that followed them to the depot, whence Butman departed for Boston, having pledged himself never to come here again on such business. And now, about the " Underground Railroad," of which so much used to be said. I did not have quite so much to do with that as some others, but there was an "above ground railroad," leading toward the " north star," of which I would like to say a word, inasmuch as it was, during those exciting fugitive slave law times, in charge of a thoroughgoing demo- crat as superintendent, the predecessor in his office of the vet- eran ex-president of that road who is with us tonight. That superintendent was our former fellow citizen, (teorge W. I?ent- ley, now general manager of the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway of Florida. He was chairman of the Wor- cester democratic city committee during the campaign which resulted in the election of President Pierce. He had a big heart, whatever may be said of his politics. He made me the standing offer to put through to Canada over his line, by night or by day, all fugitives from slavery whom E might bring to hia notice in Worcester awaiting conveyance, and if necessary, on account of their numbers, he said he would put on extra cars, and even run an extra train if the fugitives could not be ac- commodated without it in their rapid exit northward. One 16 particulai' time on which I called upon ^tr. Bentley at the dead of niglit, in pursuance of this generous ofifer, is too good not to be mentioned. It was for a pass for a colored woman, just from the jaws of slavery and trembling in fear of some kid- napping deputy marshal. I rang Mr. Beutley's door bell at his then residence on High street, and sent to him my written i-^quest by a servant who came to the door. Soon came back a note to the conductor in these emphatic words : " Pass the bearer, Black Republican, as far north as you can get her, God save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from all such in- habitants." It is needless to add that the fugitive went on her way rejoicing by the early 6.30 A. M. train over the Nashua road for Canada, in charge of the veteran conductor, Lyman Brooks, who is here tonight and will testify to the fact. Of course the adjective " such " used above had reference to the condition of servitude, and not of color. The expression " Black Republican " reminds me of the introduction I had by my old democi-atic friend, the late Creorge W. Gill, to Stephen A. Douglas in 1860, when that distinguished champion of " Squatter Sovereignty " was on his electioneering tour through New England during the quadrangular presidential contest of that year. Mr. Gill, Col. Barker, Mr. Bentley, and other prominent democrats of this city had invited me, as a repre- sentative of the press, to accompany them to Nashua, N. H., where they were to meet Mr. Douglas on his way from the north. In the car with him on the special train to Worcester, which was under the charge of Superintendent Bentley, after all the others of the party had been presented, Mr. Gill, whose voice was as loud as his heart was large, said to me in his usual genial, though rather commanding manner, '* Come, let me introduce you to Mr. Douglas." In acceptance of the invitation, I was presented to the great democratic chief- tain in these characteristic words, " Mr. Douglas, hero is the blackest black republican in Worcester county." Proudly accepting the appellation as a high compliment, I improved the opportunity, in the conversation which ensued between us, to say to Mr, Douglas that I was a truer and more 17 staunch democrat ami popular sovereignty man tlian he, inas- mucli as lie cxchidcd a portion of tlie people from having a voice in their own " sovereignty " on account of their color, wliile my democracy included the whole people, irrespective of color. For his defense, Mr. Douglas fell hack upon the Dred Scott decision, which maintainctl that " the negro had no rights which a white man was hound to respect.'" In ref)ly, I told him that, lil They had no poet, and they died. In vain they schemed, in vain they bled, They had no poet, and arc dead." He said tlie occasion would not be without its poem, which was written by Mr. John H. Jewitt of the Gazette and would be read by Mr. Geo. A. Stearns, Jr., of the Spy. Mr. Stearng- then read with excellent effect the following Poem. 1S37 1887. ©edidkted to tl)e Serqi-Cer\tei]i\ikl Bai^quct IN HONOR OF CONFIDENTIAL. A poem was wanted this banquet to grace J Most diligent search revealed not a trace Of Poet in Worcester, hence, this lesser plan — = To farm out the job to a newspaper man. The dailies and weeklies were ready betimes, With scribblers galore, all chock full of ryhmeSj, To suit tljis occasion, and thus it befel They all got to wrangling about who should tell This story, to-night, and to save discontent At last 'twas decided to flip up a cent. Up went the copper, — to the writer's surprise The lot fell to him, — = the Gazette won the prize. And this is the story, — ■ a legend in rhyme — Though Pegasus falters, the theme is sublime, Unfolding a record that's writ on Time's Scroll, Indelible there, while the centuries roll, THE LEGEND. Old Time, with his hour glass, while counting the years Of life, with its record of hopes and of fears, Its joys and its sorrows, successes, defeats, ' — The ceaseless old story which History repeats, — ' Aweary had grown of his task, and to find A trusty and capable " sub " to his mind. Dropped in on the Spy, in its Argus-eyed den, And found our friend Caleb still wielding his pen. 24 '* Ah ! Caleb, old fellow, a grip of the hand, Delighted to see you ! — The gods must have planned This fortunate meeting, for me, I'll be blest, I want a vacation ; come, give me a rest, You tireless mortal, just fill in the gap For a decade or two, whilst I take a nap. The man of all men, at last I have found ; They'll never suspect that I'm not around, As usual, Caleb, for you've got the grip On all that I know, and can give 'em the " tip." Long practice has made you expert with the score Of life's shifting games ;— - a few innings moi-e Will win you the title of Time's Referee, The Champion Recorder, Historian per se ; So turn my old hour glass, your annals complete, I'll snooze ! — and George Bancroft can take a back seat. Now all the old fellows who know Caleb Wall, Must know that he never has shirked duty's call. A kindly eye beams 'neath his gray grisly locks, Ilis heart, well, his heart is as big as an ox. Of course he said " Yes," in his good natured way, And took up Time's burden, as if it were play. Time loafed. Caleb toiled in his stead, — he toils yet, To put upon record what others forget ; To keep the old memories, old places, old names, Still bright on Time's pages ; to score up the games Dead yesterday saw, side by side, in array With those Worcester plays on the field of To-day. How faithful his service, all know who can read Where he's winnowed the chaff, preservmg the seed. With much that's undying his name will be blent, For he's used every talent that nature has lent, To rescue and save from oblivion's clutch, Restore to the living, by magical touch Of his painstaking pen, the treasures of old. Safe garnered, for others to have and to hold. Nor solely for bread hath he wrought long and well For full fifty years, for love's charmed spell Hath hallowed his task, and crowned his ripe age With good friends, a good name ; earth's best heritage. 25 Then, IIi{), Ilip, Hmrali I no trouble we'll fear, We'll toast him to-night. He'll embalm us, 'tis elear, In History's pages, and hand our names down To far distant ages. Posterity's crown He will win, in a night, for us one and all — The friends and well-wishers of Caleb A. Wall ! INCIDENTAL. Hush ! A word for our host, who gathered us here To honor his brother, and share his good clieer. AVo know him of old, as a man among men. Not one of our craft, — but who writes with a pen His name in a checkbook, on bond, or on deed, [His autograph pays for this bountiful '• feed,"] That's honored for all which the paper implies ; Whose word is as good as his bond, till he dies ; Whose history, if written for three score and ten, Would need a whole volume, and worthier pen. Yet, to point out the moral adorning this tale, How honesty, thrift, and good sense will prevail, And yield a rich harvest, this fact we'll relate : Our host here was born to an indigent state. But made his own fortune, nor wronged any man, Never hankered for office. Instead, 'twas his plan Of life to kee[) every promise and word ; To mind his own business : — And who ever heard Of his failing to do so ? That's James H. Wall ! As every one knows him, who knows him at all.. Long life to the veteran whose busy career Has crowned him successful ; whose life has no fear Of want, or dishonor ; no secrets to hide. As he waits on the shore to go out with the tide. Then echo, ye walls, to the Walls ye surround ! " May brotherly love and good cheer still abound ; " Once more then. Hip! Hip ! Let us rill to the toast " To Caleb and .James — Historian and Host ! " AVHAT CALEB REMEMBERS. What Caleb remembers ? From the feast of the years. Some scraps have been saved, for use it appears 26 At banquets like this. Let us nibble a bit On well-seasoned chestnuts, — though scanty of wit, — They may yield some food for reflection, or move To smiles, and thus moral digestion improve. What Caleb remembers, would make quite a store Of family recipes ; guides to explore The art of right living; a digest of Time For statesmen to chew on, for scribblers to rhyme And wring nutrition : — in a word we might say The Yesterday's viands warmed up for to-day. Our Caleb remembers, in life's early morn, Our modern improvements were mostly unborn. In stages, the wealthy, through pasture and wood Went shopping to Boston ; if walking was good The poor went on foot. How blankly they'd stare At our express trains and our one dollar fare. Or Raymond's Excursions, North, South, East or West, With Drawing-room, Sleeper, Buffet and the rest 1 Our Caleb remembers the Pony Express Was lightning despatch, in haste or distress, Ere Telegraph Cables encircled the globe. The Telephone ! — torture unknown to old Job Or else he'd have weakened, his patience worn out While pretty girls flirted and left him to shout, — All these comforts and trials, this worry and haste, Are ours, who have life, but no minutes to waste. Our Caleb remembers, when he learned his trade, Hand presses were modern, the fastest then made ; Five hundred an hour, and one side at a time ; Despatches by post from a far away clime Meant Albany then while the news from Bombay, Instead of ten minutes, ten months on the way ! Their weekly editions for a year, by hand power, Could be printed to-day in less than an hour On presses that run the big dailies we read. Ah ] how we've outstrip'd those old fogies — in speed. Our Caleb remembers, finance in those days Was saving and safety, and old fashioned ways Of honesty, thrift, and to keep best your own ; 27 Not promising bread, to repay with a stone ; Not haste to get riches, to pamper false pride ; But work, slow and sure, earn and save till you died. Stock gambling and Futures, and Corners in food, Reward would have found in Stocks made of wood ; The popular route wasn't Canada tlien, Nor were places of trust filled by travelling men. Our Caleb remembers, in matters of State The people concerned were allowed to debate ; To choose from their number the fittest, to send Their cause to uphold, their rights to defend. Sound statesmanship, genius and brains, then controlled The honors, Bonanza kings buy with their gold. The lubby existed, no doubt in those days. And worked for its schemes in legitimate ways. For Beverly boodle, — to bring the point home — And cheek to apply it, the da\' hadn't come! Men strove with great questions, had courage to face Unpopular issues, nor held it disgrace To stand and be counted for Right every time, 'Gainst mob or the " party's" political slime. Our Caleb remembers when National tasks Were borne on the shoulders of men without masks ; No coddling, or truckling to socialist mob ; No premature pensions, put up for a job ; No surplus, maintained by duties imposed For needless protection, and avenues closed To fair competition, in cost to produce Nine-tenths of our needs for consumption and use ; No cry, universal, for some simpler plan To protect fellow-man from laws made by man. "Utopian"? Possibly! Mere waste of breath, When statesmen (alleged) legislate us to death ! Our Caleb remembers, — stay! perchance we're rash To serve you so much of this dubious hash. We'll therefore, omit all such intricate woes As Interstate Commerce, which nobody knows ; Reformed Civil Service, which both parties claim ; The Coinage of Silver, nobody to blame ; 28 The Mormons in Utah ; the poor Indian " Lo; " The old bloodj shirt, washed in tears long ago ; And divers grave questions the papers discuss, To make more a muddle, and muddle the muss. The shitild has two sides, we'll gladly admit, — The bird flutters most, however, that's hit ; — And, if it will soothe any wounded bird here. We'll own that the prospect improves with each year. The reason is plain, manifest beyond doubt, The people are finding the bl — k rascals out ! Just wait a few years until that party wins "Which means to Reform, — to reform its own sins! Our Caleb remembers, — and so does the scribe, — That life is misspent which is all diatribe, And therefore craves pardon, and begs to remind The growlers in this world, a better to find ! For all who will read Caleb's volume aright Will find that it pays to " keep honor bright." Don't crowd, fellow-mourners ; Be true ; Be a man ; Press forward ; Look backward ; Improve on the plan ! This, then, is the nub we've been trying to borrow : Let yesterday's serve for to-day and to-morrow ! For brotherly greetings, and this friendly call, Our Caleb will kindly remember you all. When the poem was finished, the hands of the clock were pointing to nearly eleven, and the chairman felt obliged from the lateness of the hour, to dismiss the company, which he did in a few pleasant words. He said that there were many others whom he had intended to call up, and lie named among them Judges Aldrich and Thayer, the proprietors of the Spy and Gazette, the Worcester papers with which Mr. Caleb A. Wall had been connected, and Mr. George P. Brinley, who was present to represent the estates for wliich Mr. James H. Wall had so long cared. Having made a good impression and in fact achieved a great success, he said it was better the company should now break up. 29 The company tlicii separated after a season of uiuixual en- joyment and a right glorious good time. Since the entertainment, the follow^ing complimentary letters have been received : FROM JUDGE DEVENS. Boston, May 20tli, 1887. Ci\lob A. Wall, Es((.. Dear Sir : — I was very sorry to be unable to accept tlie kind invitation of your brother to attend the celebration of the 50th an- niversary of your connection with the Press. I have read with the greatest interest your most agreeable paper in which you have given a hasty review of those years> I am obliged to you or your brother, (I cannot tell which) for having so kindly sent me a copy of the Spy containing it. All of us who have been connected with active life in AVor- cester are indebted to you for many acts of attention and kindness. Be assured that I wish that you may yet enjoy many long and happy years of health, comfort and usefulness. Yours very truly, Charles Devkns. FROM H. M. SMITH OF THE HOME JOURNAL. Home Journal Office, Worcester, May 19th, 1887. Dear Friend Wall — I was unal)le to be among your friends at the Lin- coln House on Wednesday evening, and my disability came too late to allow otherwise acknowledgment of the kind invitation sent me. Let me congrat- ulate you heartily on the pleasant and well deserved event, and extend to jou my own best wishes from the standpoint (tf one who knows pretty well the labors of a working journalist. Your anniversary was a most capitally deserved and well observed event. Very truly yours, HeNRV M. S.MITII. FROM GEORGE W. BENTLEY, ESQ. Jacksonville, Tami'a & Kev West Railway, General Manager's Office, Jacksonville, Fla., June Gth, 1887. ■Caleb A> Wall, Esq. , Worcester, Mass., Dear Sir — I received from vour- self, or some other goo, to Evening Gazette. Besides the al)Ove, numerous congi-atulatory letters have been received from va: ious parties, among them one from an old schoolmate at the Friends School in Providence, R. L, Dr. J. B. Holder, who has been for the last 17 years Curator in the American Museum of Natural History in Central Park, New York City, in which letter he refers to several other school- mates of fifty years ago in Providence. Corqrpliir|eT|fafy X^)tidevS^ of ll^e 'Pi'e^^^. From tlic Worcester Etenimj Oazetlc, Man 19lh. It is a rare event, amid tlie inutationf< of the World, especially rare ui\der the changeful and uncertain character of ximerican life, and most remarka- ble in the exhausting profession of journalism, that a man can look back upon 50 years spent in one calling and in one community. When such a career has been spent in a semi-public calling, and its consummation is ac- companied by the universal good will of the community, based on a])precia- tion of elfort, recognition of merit and acknowledgement of obligation, it is most fitting tliat it should be marked by a red letter. Such a letter was most conspicously affixed, last evening, to the history of Mr. Caleb A. Wall, who had just completed a half century of faithful and arduous duty in connection with journalism in Worcester County. The recognition of the anniversary is due to the fraternal generosity of Mr. James H. Wall of B iston, a brother of the jourualist, and who spent all of his own active life in an honorable business career in Worcester. It took the form of a reception at tlie Lincoln House, and brought together a remarkable and unique asseml»lage of representative men of Worcester, in which the gray heads of tlie men of old Worcester were the crowning inter- est and honor. From Ike Worcester Daily Times, May I9th, Caleb A. Wall was a happy man last night. The good old historian and reporter was honored by a ban((uet at the Lincoln IIou