Eastern times., 1855-10-18
What they say Of us.

An intelligent correspondent of the WASH
ington lntelligencer, who, it appears, has been
on a tour ''down east has recently given his
impressions OF the growth and prosperity of
several Of the large towns and cities in this
State. We make few extracts =
"Of the places which 1 visited in Maine,
those exhibiting the greatest signs of recent
progress and Improvement. were Portland,
BAH, and Le,riston Falls. The railroads con-
nected with Portland, and particularly her
great road 10 Upper Canada, have given a
strong impulse to the growth and business of
the place. and have demonstrated her capabili-
ties for a large commercial city.
Commercial street, which was commenced
four or five years ago, is now completed, and
a good portion of it lined with substantial
stores and warehouses. This will make one
Of the finest streets for commercial business to
be found in the world 1t is built in front of
old Fore Street. and runs across all the
wharves from the Montreal to the Boston de-
pot. The street is hundred feet in width,
and has a railroad running through the centre,
cunnecting the two depois. This street con-
meets the great railroads and the ocean for
business purposes in a most remarkable man
ner. On the opposite side of the town, on
Back Cove, is the depot for the Portland and
kennebec railroad, and one or two other minor
roads. Here considerable improvement is 60
ing on by filling up the flats of Back Cove and
erecting thereon blocks of houses, stores, fac
tory buildings, &c. While the city is thus
encroaching upon the water on both sides,
and increasing its breadth mainly for business
purposes, the principal increase of dwelling
houses is on the two beautiful hills at the east
and west end of the town. l am acquainted
with no other town or city, where 1t can be so
universally said of almost every dwelling in it,
that it has pleasant location or delightful
prospect of land or water, view of Back
Cove, a fine lange of country, and distant
mountains on the one hand, or the beautiful
harbor, the green islands, and the bright broad
ocean on the other. Indeed, many of the
dwellings on the two hills, enjoy this whole
circle of delightful scenery.
Bath, the shire town of the new county OF
Sagadahoc, is a thriving city, and bears the
palm Of building more shipping in proportion
to the population, than any other place in the
country. Bath turns out about twenty new
ships this year, notwithstanding the pressure
of the times. Last year | believe the number
was considerably greater. Many of the ships
| built here are large first class ships. The
city stands on Kennebec river, about twelve
miles from its mouth. The locality is rough
and uneven, but it contains great many very
pleasant and some quite elegant houses. A fine
new custom house is nowsbeing erected neal
the bank of the river by the General Govern.
ment. 1t stands on the site of the old man.
sion of Governor King, the first Governor o.
Maine The old mansion has been wheeled
round a few rods on to another lot and trans.
formed into a hotel, called king House.
The new custom-house, the walls OF which are
nearly up, is built OF handsome Maine gran
ite, and of so light color as TO be mistaken
sometimes at little distance for white mar
BILE. l think Bath must contain or ten thous
and inhabitants. 1t is not very compactly
built, but sort of mixture Of city and country
Perhaps no spot in Maine is growing uI
with more vigor than Lewiston Falls. This
place is some thirty miles from Portland, anc
is reached by the Montreal ralaoad The
settlement around the falls is nearly equally
divided by the river, (the Androscoggin, )one
half being in Lewiston and the other half il
Danville; but they are connected by goos
bridge, and are properly one community, ant
should be incorporated into city by the namt
of Lewiston Falls. This place is destined tt