The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-01-25

great flourish OF trumpets in aid of this work,
and instead OF having anything left for the
poor soldiers, have TO draw from their own
pockets to pay the expenses of the entertain
ment. They have, however, held fairs and
ievees, and in more than one instance, have
realized over $780, which has been paid over
to the Sanitary Commission. They have done
better than any place in the State of the same
size or means, as every well-informed person
knows and all iair-minded, unprejudicial men
acknowledge.
"Spurwink" gives Inc credit for beliering
what l write, but modestly intimates that l
am without facts and proofs. Let us see:-
The city of Augusta has exceeded every
quota she has ever been called upon to fur
nish; Portland has nerer filed one of hers
If "Spurwink" wants proof of this, he can
find il on the Quota Books in the Adjutant
Generals Office. The cost of quartering and
subsisting the Sd regiment in Augusta from
May to Jane s, 1861, was s3,Ss2.70. The
cost Of the same things for the 9Th regiment
in Portland from May IS to June 20, 1861, was
s6,0SS.95. The records of the Executive
Council will show the truth OF this.
Straw for the nine months regiments in
1862, cost eight dollars in Augusta and from
ten to twelve in Portland; drayage was fifty
cents per load in Augusta and one dollar and
fifty cents in Portland; wood was from five to
six dollars per cord here and from eight to
nine in Portland, and even now the wood
furnished the troops by contract, costs three
dollars and half more in Portland than it
does here. Reference to the papers OF Capt.
Brinkerhofr will prove these statements. The
market price Of wood in the streets here is
six dollars for green and seven for dry, hard
wood instead of nine and ten as "Spurwink"
states, and even horse hire, as was last night
informed by a distinguished member Of the
Legislature, from Lewiston, is cheaper here
than in his own city. Mr.. Staples never
charged ten dollars day for Winthrop Hall
hospital. The hall was hired February ~,
1862 by Major Gardiner at $500 per month.
Most of the time since it has been occupied
as military hospital.
When the body of General Hiram G. Berry
arrived at Portland on the sth day OF May
last, the city without being officially asked to
do so, volunteered to do the honors to the re-
mains of the gallant son Of Maine who had
fallen so gloriously in defense Of the liberties
we all enjoy. The city, in its corporate ca
pacity soon afterwards brought in bill
against the State and actually received the
full amount charged. The following are the
items of the bill For services of Portland
Band, $1,000; for tolling of city bells, $500;
for moving body, $1,000, making total of
$500 for the four or five hours the body was
in the city. The records Of the Executive
Council win prove this also. I doubt il ever
Augusta, in its corporate capacity, can fur
nish parallel to this. 1t was well proved by
Governor Washburn in his administration and
has been perfectly well understood by all Of
ficials having anything to do with it since, that
it costs at least one-third more to quarter reg
iments in Portland, than it does here.
The foregoing are only part of the facts
for which can give real names and actual
figures il necessary. / have merely given
these to show that other places than Augusta
contain glass houses and should therefore be
careful how they throw stones. When "Spur-
wink" again prepares to write letter from
the capital, if he will pull some of the feath-
ers out Of the wings of his prejudicial imagi-
nation and stick them in the tail of his calnier
judgment, he will, in his flights, succeed bet
ter in steering his way safely between stubborn
facts and incontrovertible truths. II he lives
long enough and makes good use of his OPP
portunities, he may yet learn that, although
the mountain may not come to Mahomet, Ma
homet can 60 to the mountain.
Yours truly, HELIos.