The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-08-13

Is not WITHOUT It's power ana lis reward. y.
Letter fcom Portsmouth,.
Portsmouth, \. H., seen from the car win
dow while crossing the Kittery bridge, looks
tired and sleepy. Whether it will ever wake
up and avail itself of its magnificent natural
advantages, 1 cannot tell. Certainly there are
10 present indications of such an event. The
beautiful Piscataqua, upon which ii is situit-
ed, GIBBS and flows unvexed by other keels than
those OF pleasant steamers, fishing smacks, and
coasters engaged IN local trade. The long
wharves are deserted and show signs of dilap-
idation and decay The brick storehouses In
the vicinity Of "Spring Ill.," wherein the
merchant princes OF other days piled bafreis
of rum and hogsheads of molasses and all
sorts of goodly merchandise Ion foreign ports,
wink and blink in the sunlight, preserving
nothing of their iormer state and consequence,
except certain air of dignity which attaches
to everyth'n belonging to Portsmouth, and
adheres even in the midst of ruin and decay.
The cars after leaving the bridge between
Portsmouth and Kittery pass alongside TObey
and Littletield's shipyard on Mobiles Island
within the liuits of Portsmouth, which but a
lew years d9O WAS awe WIFI ueCudulCS, ldSu-
ioning clipper ships for the Glidden & Viii
fams line, or freishters to be owned in shares
ranging from one siAy-fOurth 20 one half, by
the Goodwns, Joneses, Sises, Walkers and
other solid men of Portsmouth.
TO day it is the very picture of desolation,
and the weather-beaten staging, with here and
there an old staging pole, a wheezy timber
steamer, and the usual debris of desel ted
shipyard is all that remains to remind "na
tive or inform the stranger that shipbuiding
was formerly leading industry in this good
old town. Looking out the window on the
right we see a single ship or bark on the stocks
in what was once the celebrated sbipyard of
George Raynes. There must be many gentle
men of elegant leisure" in New York and
Philadelphia as well as in Portsmouth and vi
entity, part of whose fortunes were made by
ships launched from this celebrated locality.
1t is gratifying to know that however little
may be done at present, the art of shipbuild-
ing in this region is not yet "lost art, and
that the present proprietor of this yard has re-
Gently heard some one saying,
Laid me straight, worthy master,
Staunch and strong goodly vessel,
J hat shall laugh at a., disaster,
md with storm and whirlwind wrestle."
Unfortunately this is the only specimen on
| the river. The yards on Badgers island where
| in ''Ye olden time' Samuel Badger and sub
sequently Marcy s. Pettigrew, gave employ
ment to hundreds in the same line are silent
| enough for grave yards But the desolation
| of ship yard proper does not convey a COM
| plete idea of the change wrought by the de-
| cline of ship building The blacksmith shops
| in Portsmouth formerly doing ship work ex-
| clusvely, are mostly shut up; and the "boys
of the period" cannot beguile a winters eve
ming as their fathers did, by watching the
sparks fly in these busy Smithes. The mast
and spar yards and sail lofts OF Portsmouth are
likewise things of the past, and few young
men feel il worth while to learn trade that
has no certain promise for the future. How
incredulous would the Martins and Fernalds,
ago have been, if prophet Tor son of a
! propheD had predicted that the apprentices
whom they were learning to make masts and
| spars and sails would find their occupation
! gone, in this good year of our Lord 1870!
But so it is. Most of the canvas stitchers
ard cunning work men ~ lishum vitae are
| obliged to seek other employment, or like
mourners ego about the Streets" But here
| we are at
THE DEPOT,
which by the way is a very respectable mod
| ern structure built few years ago, more with
view tit would seem) to accommodate the
| crowd of people always on hand at train time,
than to furnish additional facilities for the OPP
IF f1a rbar &c f,eo
| nation about some depots which never fails to
draw crowd of lockers on. Augusta Me-,
| and Dover, N. H., are cases in point. Ports
mouth likewise has a well established reputa-
ton in this behalf 1t is terrible habit and
hard TO be shaken off 1t may be pleasant
enough diversion to men of means, or students
who wish TO break up the inonotony of life, but
for young men and women who ought 10 be
doing something better, the practice is decd-
eddy injurious. But the crowd of idlers at the
Portsmouth depot is not the only thing that
looks familiar. Portsmouth people are won
derfully attached TO the settled order OF things.
More people ''stek" through life to their first
employment here than in most Places Hence
you find the same corps of baggage smashers,"
the same railroad employees, the same hack
drivers and the same scrupulously careful and
honest GA. Chamberlain" driving the same
baggage wagOn-all substantially the same as
fifteen years ago Making your way through
the ticket office you will see the same ticket
master who from time immemorial has occu-
pied the Office. Mr.. Eice is one of the six
lures" at the depot, and could undoubtedly
hold his position oy prescription if his other
Shnnl1 pbapca n break His HoWinr
beard is gray, but it cannot be with age, for
by virtue OF dispensation from heaven o. the
General Court he ceased TO grow Old many
years ago No passenger on the Eastern rail-
road can remember when he was younger, and
there is a tradition that years ago while driv-
ing u -four in hand" he discovered a spring
containing the elixir of hfe, and is enabled
thereby 10 keep up perpetual youth The
depot is great place for catching glimpse of
"notables" There are many such residing
here, and still more make flying visits of bust.
ness or pleasure. Occasionally one here catches
a glimpse of
HON. ICHtBoD GOODWIN,
the PRESIDENT for many years of the Portland,
Saco ard Portsmouth railroad well known in
all New England centres of commerce as a
wonderfully discreet anu sds,dclOuS man oil DuSl-
ness throughout New Hampshire as wise
and prudent politician, and in Portsmouth as a
gentleman of the old school, and an nc0rrup-
tibly honest man. While Governor of New
Hampshire his administration was disiin-
guished by practical craftsmanship and sound
common sense.
AS a railroad president his influence is seen
in the careful management which has caused
his road to be considered one of the safest and
consequently one of the most popular in the
country. In all his transactions, basiness or
political, lie has displayed marvellous knowl-
edge of men, and to this must be attributed
much of his success in life.
A man securing position upon any corpor-
alton Of which he has control, is pretty certain
of place for life, if he prove competent and
honest; but falling in these essential qualities,
the Governor does not hesitate TO weed him
out, with ''promptness and dispatch" At
his home the Governor dispenses an elegant
hospitality, and abroad he is received in all
circles with that consideration aid respect due
to gentleman whose past official station AMI
present social position and influence, eBiilie