The Portland daily press., 1868-11-24
The Capital of York County.
ATERrn Nov 81 1000

ALERED, NOV. II, 1858
To the Editor Of the Press:
Some time during the last month your cor
respondent GA" paid our quiet village flying
visit and gave an account thereof through the
columns OF your paper. As he remained only
long enough to see "Stimsen.s splendid house."
"Berry's hoter' and that relic Of barbarism'
called the County Jail, we have been in hopes
he would again favor us with call, stopping
longer and seeing more Being disappointed
in this, and fearful that somebody may suppose
the three specimens Of architecture before
mentioned constitute the sum total of Alfred,
we feel constrained to rush to the defence of
this ancient town.
Surely the place where John Holmes passed
the larger part of his active life; the old home
the Goodenows, AppletOns, Halls and Chad
bournes-famous in the olden time as lawyers,
doctors and politicians-th geographical CEN
tire and political hub of York county-the
Mecca to which from time immemorial the va
rious political tribes have made their annual
pilgrimage for the purpose of nominating can
didates, and inaugurating the campaign, must
have something more attractive than coun-
try tavern, splendid private residence and
county JAIL True we have but one jail, and
NAV we never have another unless it be some
what better but then we have another hotel
equally we'll kept and any number of private
residences, models of neatness and beautiful
for situation" three meeting houses, beauti-
full shool house, dilapidated academy WOOL
en- mill, several saw and grist mills, the
Mountain" shaker pond, the "burnt district"
a town house, "Joe Bung woods, masonic
lodge, railroad depot and new store. 1t is
a marvellous thing that ga" didn't see the
new store, ineomparably the finest building
ever erected in this town and without rival
for beauty or convenience in this county
Since its opening last tuesday it has been
thronged with townspeople who are as proud
of it as newly married couple are of their
first baby. And well they may be, for the en-
terprise and daring which its owners have
shown in building it, is the beginning of an
era in the history of Alfred, and will undoubt-
eddy inspire the lonesome Reubens" with
high resolve to make the old town hum with
business and trade.
The owners are Messrs. Frank II. and Wal
ter M. Littlefeld, who have associated with
them Mr.. Alonzo Lsavitt, and now conduct
business under the firm name ard style of
Littlefeld, Leavitt & Co. They keep a large
assortment of groceries, dry goods, boots and
shoes and general merchandise, and undoubt-
eddy have as good, if not the very best country
store to be found in the State of Maine, so that
their Gust Dmers can be accommodated with
anything from paper of pins to a barrel Of
0nol. Ill of
nails, a mill saw, load of wood or second
hand pulpit The building is three stories
high, has French roof, was built by Mr.. Paul
Weber, skilleul mechanic, and is finished
throughout with elegance and taste. The Sec
ond story is to be occupied as tailoring estab-
lishment, for custom and sale work, under the
supervision of Mr.. Leavitt, who is an active
and enterprising business man, as "wide-
awake" now as in the campaign of go. a.
The third story is to be occupied by the Fra
ternal Lodge of Masons, who propose furnish
ing it in becoming manner.
We learn that Richard H. Cooling, ESQ.,, the
efficient and popular Sheriff of this county is
to remove here and assume the duties of land
lord at the County House. That he will dem
onstrate that he "knows how to keep hotel"
no one who knows him, doubts.
We intended to speak of Alfred Gore and
Shaker Hill and "Alfred Mills" so called, and
particularly of the lumber business carried on
by Messrs. s. & E. H. Littleheld, but will not
trespass on your space.
When the Portland and Rochester railroad
shall have transformed us into a city, with a
mayor, aldermen and all the other parapher-
MALTA Incl nent to that kind of corporation, we
will let you know. b.