, 1862-11-15
Editorial Corregpondence.

proportions of this metropolis of the North
west it cannot yet be considered a very
profitable place for the lounger. 1 have
made several perambulations about town in
search of the queer and curious, but have
found little to amuse and entertain. The
town is evidently making a desperate at
tempt to throw off the usually quiet and
modest demeanor of the unpretending vii
lage, and put on all at once the veritable
airs of tee city; but the transmogrifcation
is not yet complete. Front street may be
said to have made the transitu. Business
men rush to and fro on this street with i'm
petuous haste, whether business hurries
them or not. Fast young men and fashion,
able ladies leisurely promenade the stone
side walks, to show themselves and the fash
ions, and an interminable array Of busses,
drays, wagons and carts, crowd the street
from morning till night. These may be
called ''city airs" but they are yet all con-
fined to Front street. One or two more
seasons of prosperity equal to that of the
past season, will determine beyond perad-
venture the position which Portland is to
occupy in the scale of development, and in
respect to neighboring points which have
threatened to rival her, in magnitude and
noponoarc;a1 i'm Dortapce
Let us see who among the business men
of the old residenters 'have held to tie
faith" and are now reaping the harvest
which was so long maturing. From an
uptown standpoint, l commence with
Couch & Flanders-names as familiar to
the country as household words. From
the occupancy of an inferior building long
since dilapidated, and a wharf of crossed
logs bearly large enough for steamboat
landing-saying nothing of convenience in
the disposition of passengers and freight
they have advanced with the growth of the
town. Fine brick buildings have taken the
places of the old rookeries, aud the wharf
Improvements, compared with ten years ago,
are immense perhaps sufficient to accom-
modate and temporarily store all the freight
from both ocean and river steamers. Allen
& Lewis have never moved from the spot
they first occupied, save to emerge from the
old wooden building into handsome brick
built year ago Their trade having been
constantly increasing, the house has been
eminently successful from its first estab-
lishment. Coming up town and passing
the vacant square, on which until recently
the teamsters from the country and emf
grants used to camp-nOw mostly built up
we find J. w. Cook, still occupying the
corner building, and his machines as noisy
as ever in the manufa 2ture of ''sacks, tents
and wagon-covers.' Indomitable and per-
severing in business as ever, Cook is fast
reaping the reward of his untiring indus
try. Richards & McCraken, aud Henry
Law, have for years done a successful COM
mission business, their houses long since
becoming permanent institutions. Mans
field established the pioneer auction house
of the city, and has built up permanent
business Corbett, and Failing & HIATT,
occupy fine brick stores, and have shared
literally in the general prosperity of the
city. Humiston, Wilson & Co., occupy
the brick on the corner of First and Oak
streets, and are doing a large business in
their line in spite Of Temperance sermons
and Vinton's lectures. An untowaru fa-
tality seems connected with the old brick
building on the levee opposite, built seve-
raj years ago by d. c. Coleman. Since
that time it has been temporarily occupied
by half-a-dozen or more different persons,
for as many purposes, none of whom have
seemed to meet with sufficient encourage
ment to stick Smith & Davis are the
oldest established druggists in the city,
They have fine store, an immense stock
of goods, and an extensive trade j.
Kohn & Co., are among the heaviest of the
wholesale dealers W. S. Ladd retired
from his old business several years ago, cs-
tablished the first banking and exchange
house in tie city, and must now be reap
ing a handsome income from the shrewd
direction of the capital with which the
business was established Ladd, Reed &
Co., occupy the old house, and have an ex-
lensive trade A. NJ & L. NJ. Starr are
still at the old place and in the old bust
ness; enjoying, as they ever have done,
the confidence of the public, and reaping
the Senefts of an extensive patronage. j.
L. Parish Il Co., are doing fine business
in the line of school books and stationery
They have in this line succeeded to the
business of A. R. Sh:pley & Co., who
closed out their stock some time since
Seymour d Joynt are old stove dealers, and
the fine brick they occupy SO we'll filled
with articles in their line Of trade, gives
abundant evidence of success in business.
Hodge and Calef, occupy brick building,
and have on hand large stock of drugs
and medicines Mccormick continues in
the stationery and periodical trade, and is
doing a successful business. A Mayer has
splendid assortment of ladies goods in