The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-05-07
IT H e p II ID SS.
From the London Eng. Daily Telegraph, Apili
18th 1871
A Visit to Portland, U. s.
[FRoM AN AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT

can readily crafty them here. From the win
dow in my hotel l can easily ok across the
halbor OF Portland to where the broad Allan
ito stretches aiar here and there a ship may be
seen spreading its sails to the breeze Indeed.
1t IS not easy anywhere to match this magnih-
cent harbor. Norfolk alone on the Atlantic,
ana San Francisco on the Pacific, claim equai-
lty OF advantages. Turning to the map OF
the State OF Maine, you will find the wnoie
sea coast broken into bays. Portland Is STU.
ated on Casco Bay, one of the nobest OF tuen,
all. Near the western entrance OF TINS pay
into the Atlantic lies a rather narrow hech "
land on which the city is built. Natu,o u IN
ed the spot for city by the eAeeI Jan,h Of
harbor its ample size, its uhusuai ueI'n
water and its perfect security, eo'hpneu WIN
facility of approlch. Lit is hardly Jour miles
from The sea and vessels run in and out at all
hours and any kind of wca her without any |
risk whatever. 1t was thick weather when
the Monarch and Plymouth ran in. Here let
me saw that the excellence OF this halbor is !
attested by its selection for two of the |
largest vessels in the world to enter. Only |
Norfolk and Portland OF all American |
ports were deemed capable of accommodate |
ing the Great Eastern, and Portland-very |
wisely think-was selected by the British |
Admiralty tor the reception of the Monarch. |
Looking at this noble vessel, one cannot help |
the thought that the ship and harbor are fifty |
matched, each needing the other to prove its |
superiority.
Whle thus looking out upon the sea, and
carrying on a large and rapidly increasing
foreign trade, Portland has shown eXtraord-
nary energy in developing its railroad con
ne ctions. That it should have three daily
trains connecting with Boston and the rail-
road system of Massachusetts is not strange
and it was equally to be expected that there
should be such connections with Augusta. the
State capital, and other interior towns. and
also communication by sea steamers with
Boston ami New York; out until | actually
saw the magnificent depot of the Grand
Trunk Railway, aud rbe staunch, commodious
ocean steamers, Nova Scotia and Moravian, al
their wharves, fIel2htln9 Tor Liverpool, had
not realized That Portland was the seaside ler-
minus OF llne OF railway stretching the
length OF the Canada frontier up to the great
Western emporium OF Chicago, and that it was
one OF the only three American cities which
maintain steam communication with Europe
Neither Boston nor Phliadelpbia, with all the
weath.and energy OF their merchants, is able
to do this, and the reason must be found in
the special natural advantages of their rivals.
But Portland is not content with these lines
of communication. She is pushing three adj
ditional lines to the West. One is to pass by
the Notch in the White Mountains, through
New Hampshire and Vermont, to Oodensbure,
in New York, there to compete for the rich
trade of the Lakes; second is to strike for
Oswego, also in New York; and third is. I
believe, to connect with the Massachusetts
system of railroads in the western part of
that State.
Such energy is the more commendable when
recollect that only thee and half wears
ago full third of Portland was DESTROYED nv
fire. There are still some vacant SQUARES
which are not rebuilt; but stranger, unless
he knew the story, would never guess that
these elegant stores and spacious warehouses
aroIr ,,,,Ix Ill al,
mass of smoking ruins. l sometimes think
that in America the best luck that can han
pen to a city once taifly started in the race of
commerce and wealth-say like Portland or
San Francisco-s to have fourth or a third
of it burnt down. The result is a new crea
tion more beautiful and durable than its nre-
decessor, and also the consciousness and the
use on the part of the people of energies which
instantly march on to fresh copauesfs over the
forces OF nature. You NAV 90 or The Init
ed States, and not find more beautiful ona
spacious City Hall than that of Portland. If
seems at il it ought to belong to citv of half
millions OF people. Very near it is public
hall which cannot be matched for taste, and
hardly tor space, in the national capital. l
have, however, been more struck with the
number, variety. and beauty of the pirate
residences than In any other way. Ihave no
Wnere seen SO large proportion of handsome
private dwellings, But there is plenty of pub
lie spirit withal Tae churches are spacious
ana beautiful. The Catholics have truly
maSnlncent cathedral. This sect musters We
~ slfong 10 Portland, constituting one fifth
OF me population, though believe they are
!haue up cnieny OF the l1lsh element. The
UhlVelsalsts nave church, and the Unita-
Ilahs one OF course. heard sermon at the
iaIter last nlSu', Inc preacher taking occasion
70 give a very smart rep at tue use OF the word
ouey ~ tle marriage ceremony, which he
aaf' eai as [e1ic Oh oarparism, and
hna WISE 49, MI Mni woulu, tninK, nave
peen 4ulIe saIsnsd WIN tnis exposition OF The
:. liaso ieia'on was Ioi' afterwards that
70 uS0,onls quite colnlhoh u olh,G the WORD
Wy ~ na. iiase ceieilohies In new Eng
ia.u, anu = eoI ~ ~, enulcn neAI 10 lady VINO,
III f,,;doII, VIII que llalreu, hot 10 make
. .h,S iulniiuagle promise, conSIatuated herself,
.nouSn al EpsGopaLian' inaI sne had Deen
,n"s ~ ~ 5;'oat amois an inere
w"' nv .no u'nioe' anuolou ~ .iie sermon
$500 ~ ri, 81. aS
1910; u 80 aaDo "sn. naVc WiItleu, put COL
tanine, aulni', Soune striking thoughts. 1
""s nuIu S'iuoH WIN t,ie iacG C"at regular
eeIyice poon " as useu Cdiiea Vespers think
~ .ma' se M some imperfect
~ ny " the AhSiiGah service. ana
ms was the Boston way. There was first
ana second lesson, an alternate reading Of
tne fsaIms Oy priest and congregation, and
goOd deal OF very delicious music by the choir |
which now and then did put me in mind of
OF vesperS. SAID my host, alter we returned.
The Unitarians have libelalized New Emo.
land" and he went on TO show how strict had
been the Sunday laws of old-how lady. on
ly fifty years ago, going to church with two or
three ribands in her bonnet, had been notified
that it would not do, that it was ungodly-bow
the sleigh ride we had taken that yery after
noon with plenty OF the Portland arislocracv to
keep us in countenance, would never have
more to the same purport. of which hardly
needed to be reminded. You will find It all
pleasantly To-day, and more trLIy told-in
Hawtnorne's novels than it would be bv
average partisan histories. | was not nre,
pared IN Portland for the cheerful aspect Of n
Sunday afternoon-the sleigbs dancing alone
merriy, young and old OF both sexes eniov9'
ing the rapid motion and keen hracmg a;r
Again, you have heard off tLe va;no ia7r VI
did not myself know VIII ether il was now in
force or not Int 7 fond ont nract;aa,,n tha4
good English ale certainly could ha So In a.,
paving for If was haif looLina 'e I'D mau ny
shoulder for the comst,hlo tn 80 o oI 10y
arrest the bar-l,eennr@inr ~ IU nr h aaohS w
the law. certainlv And norhons u.s. .a
that matter-but none came. aud a nv, taI I
that, while the law AGAINST the sale If sn;r;ts
or malt liquors is precise and nitiless II Z mo-
bodys business to enforce it. and therefore
to the great comfort oil all thirsty souls. is a
. ueaa leeter formerly there was a special
pald constapulary whose duty it was to break
up anu auIy punish this purveying of cakes
anu a.e. DouDtiess there was much more of
fEn 4 l