Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-10-18
sLIMPsEs OF MEN, THINGS, AND PLACEs-No 80.

now evidently taking fresh start in the race of
improvement, which will eventually give it posi-
ton among the leading commercial cities of the
Atlantic coast. The last half dozen years have
wrought a great change in quiet, old-fashioned
Portland. Her people do not now move about
with the slow and lisess step that they did half
dozen years ago, keeping time with the ox-team
and market-wagon TO which they were accustomed.
The steam-whisile, now heard ON all sides of the
town every hour in the day, has walked them up; /;
they feel that they must step quick be in time for the
:" change has Ger the spirit Of their dream = spirit
of enterprise and improvement upon them. With ndom-
table energy aod and against many difficulties
and obstacles they have pushed their great enterprise Of
railroad the Canadas with such that it will doubt
less be opened from Portland Montreal And
within year from the opening Of that road line OF
steamers will be established between Portland and Eng
ish port This will be the shortest route by which Eogland
reach her Canadian possessions. and il will undoubtedly
be the chosen Portland has of the best habor
the coast very easy of access hardly obsucted by ice
always safe, and every way convenient Her Canada road
is constructed the wide gauge which experience has
proved be preferable to the gauge many accounts
1t believe, conceded by all persons weinormed the
subject that the Portland and Montreal road must become
the leading and mpor thoroughaes Of the country
This road together with others already in progress pro-
ected will make Por land the centre terminus OF system
oroad like Boston New o and she necessarily be-
place Of business and commercial Importance, and not
merely way station the route to other cities The Ken
nebec and Portland road account Of in my last
1t nearly completed and will connect Portland with
Gardner, Hallowe and Augusta, the Ksnnebec river
Watervle still higher up the kennebec, is already con-
nected with Portland by railroad Lewiston Falls the
Androscoggn and thence by the Montreal road to Portland.
This road will soon be extended from Wa,ere to Bangor
on the Penobsco and distant day probably to Halifax
and perhaps Cape Canso the Gulf Of ST. Lawrence
The York and Cumberland roroad is open and in operation
from Portland Gorham, ten miles, and is to be continued
through York county, and ultimately perhaps form part of
the inland route from Portland Boston The seaboard
route between Boston and Portland has been open several
years Thus it that Portland is t, become the
terminus Of great system Of railroads. at very
important and commanding point on the seaboard She must
undoubtedly increase rapidly and become large commercial
city. For this purpose she is putting her house in order
She has had her day Of small hng acd preparing to
play her part broader and more magnificent scale.
The most important change going in the city the
opening and building Commercial street. The Boston rail-
road comes in at the business of the town. the south
end and the Montreal road in the north end Be-
tween the two stations about mile and quarter in distance,
and the shipping The depot Of the Kennebec road and Of
the York and Cumberland road which described in my last
at Back Cove is connected with the Boston depot by road
round the foot of Bramhas H the southwest end of the
town. But there was connexon between the Boston
depot and of the Montreal road, and very mpor
tant there should be seemed to be very difficult
thing to accomplish but where there's will there's way,
especially if is Yankee will Fore street, which
along the head of the whaves, too and too ire
gua for track and other street could be at all available
Finally the two railroad companies told the city, she would
lay and wide street. in front of Fore street, right
fifteen twenty wharves and pay individual Propre-
for the right of way the two companies would build the
whole street, and by heavy wall in front The
city agreed to it, laid out street hundred feet wide, cutting
through stores warehouses; dsleres and mechanics shops
and settled the damage with the propieto and now the rail
road companies rapidly building the street the seawa is
neatly completed, and the filling in is more than half done
fifteen or twenty gravel constantly running to COM
pete the work rails already laid through the whole dis
tance and passenger and freight pass from depot to
the other few substantial and handsome stores aea
DIV going up on the new street, which is destined become
one of the important and most convenient commercial
streets in The country and it bear the appropriate
of Commercial street.
The whole peninsula may perhaps be sufficient for city
and the time will come when Portland will every rod of
her territory to build upon. The social religious, and indus
trial character of the place Of high order In the fostering
Of public schools and the erection of commodious and sub
saoa school houses doubt whether Boston much
ahead Of her, The first religious parish of Portland presents
very remarkable instance of the longevity and permanence
Of its mnistes-an instance which presume has par
ae or any near approach to parallel in the history of the
country In that parish three cegymen have ocsted in
the aggregate hundred and y-seren gears; and the
health and activity Of the third, the amabe and learned Dr.
Nichols give hope and expect that he may yet
fill the office many years longer. The first minister Rev.
Thomas Smith, came here in l725 and shortly after church
was formed and he ordained pastor From that time
the present is 1876 years. The second minister Dr. Deane
was cotemporary and colleague with Mr. Smith for thirty
one years. which, added to the 1885, makes the aggregate
services Of the three to the present time l57 years. Still
more on another look the record find that Dr. Nichols
was or five years colleague with DR.. Deane, that the
aggregate services Of the three extend HUNDRED sr
t,Uo years.
Parson Smith kept continued journal and diary for sixty
eight years. from 1870 1888. volume of selections
from this Journal running through the whole time, pub
shed about thirty years ago. II contains good deal Of
that Portland had had slow growth Of two centuries There
have been settlements around Casco Bay for than two
centuries The first of the town here Falmouth
and included what Portland Wesbrook, Cape Eli
zabe,h and Falmouth The settlements Casco Bay are
noticed in Gov. Hutchnsons History Of Massachusetts
early as 645 In I643 George Ceaves as agent for Sir