The Portland daily press., 1864-01-19

some of the citizens, With oceans OF water in
their wells, remove their pump handles SO as
TO stop the soldier-boys from filling their
buckets. II shows freedom fromS all rcck-
less improyidence when requision is made for
few boards for the convenience Of the camp,
that they have TO be sawed before the order
can be filed. Aud then how literally is that
Scripture observed, Sufficient unto the day,
&C., when on the approach of cold snap re-
quisition is made for a dozen camp stoves,
it takes dozen days TO get them, as they are
never made in advance of orders and can be
made only at the rate of one a day! Ana
what a regard for the. sanctity oil con-
tracts. 4, exhibited in the fact that
though our bows far down in the sold Do.
minion- receive soft bread regularly, 1t was
NOT without difficulty and long delay that soft
bread could be procured in Augusta, because
contractor" would be interfered with by
such an arrangement.
4 Seriously, the truth is, it is the misfortune,
not the crime of Augusta that the demand
for accommodations is very much in excess oil
the supply, and by law as unbending as that
which binds the planets in their orbits, this
state of things leads to eXorbitant prices, and
opens field for sharpers and unprincipled
spectators to take advantage Of the necessi-
ties of the people, and thus to injure the rep
utaton of the place. 1t is in harmony with
the law in question that frewood is sold for
nine or ten dollars cord in market where,
but for the gorged condition ofthe place, lowing
to civil and military operations, it should and
would sell for five. Under the same law the
hotels and boarding houses are overcrowded'
and board is at fabulous rates; soldiers arriv-
ing by late trains from the field of active duty,
are cooly informed that neither rooms nor
beds are to be had for love or money, and at
night-fall they turn sadly away not knowing
where to lar their heads; the cars are so
crowded with furloughed soldiers-going to
and returning from their homes In the western
part of the State-that comfort is driven out,
and scores, on nearly every train, are obliged
to stand between this city and yours; and in
consequence of the gorged condition of the
town board is forced up in ordinary private
boarding houses to pEces that might be en-
Wed by the proprietors of your "United
States" and "Prebe." And Notwithstanding
these things are so-notoriously soft a poor
slave of the quill uttcrs word of complaint
IN behalf of suffering fellow-humanity, he is
suspected of having designs upon the good
people of the Kennebec, and of cherishing
disposition to fitch from them the official bones
upon which they have grown fat. / do not
complain that they have grown fat; only
protest that they have no right to kick at
strangers over the traces.
Let the people at this capital provide more
ample accommodations and then the people
will delight to come up annually to see them.
But if they are determined to cut their gar
ment larger than their cloth, 10 make all the
tracks point inward, TO demand exorbitant
tribute of strangers, and TO consider all the
reSt Of the State deeply indebted TO them for
the privilege of going out OF the way to pay
them visit, and of paying the steepest prices
for the plaiaest accommodations, they must
hook for an occasional rebuke.
SpURwINE