The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-08-19

see him. in the old time. In my school be
DAYS, l remember we'll that the shop of Sci
CLARK was the rendezvous of the well-to-d
business men of Middle ST., Exchange st, an
Long Wharf His shop was the rival of I'll
old Insurance Office. which stood en- the lo
now occupied by the Merchants Bank-as
place for gossip and Jokes and fun, as well a
for the discussion of the grave aud weight
matters OF the town, State, and nation.
Mr.. Clark was native of Williamsburg
Mass, where he was born on the 18th of Jan
uary 1888. He served his time to the tailor
trade in the adjoining town Of Northampton
He came to Portland in 1904, after havin
worked at bis trade a short time in Boston
| He opened shop here Immediately, and wa
| the hrst tailor in town who kept stock @
| cloths for use in his trade, and was the frs
10 adopt strictly, the one price system. He in
tended to ask only fair and hone St price for hi
goods, and would never vary from it, excep
TO meet any change in the market, and thel
the new price would be that change to ever,
one alike.
The ancient and wel-known citizens, VIII,
used to congregate at his shop to hear or tel
the news and discuss the current topics of tn,
Gay, have passed away before him, but thei
names yet linger among us. There wert
among them Albert Newhall, Isaac Ilsley
Joseph Swift, Philip and Elphalet Greedy
james Neal, Benjamin Gage, Jonathan S.u.
art, Oliver Bray, Isaac Adams, Woodbury.
Storer, Josiah Dow, Jonathan Gage, VIM.
Chadwick, Thomas Chad wick, Elias Thomas,
Jonathan Tucker, Asa Clapp, Joshua Win.
gate, Luther Jewett, Henry Merrill, Sam'l
Fessenden, TIL. A. Deblois, James D. Hopkins,
II. Fl. Body, Royal Lincoln, Joseph Harrod,
VIM. Woodbury., Samuel Robinson, Joseph
Gross, Stephen Patten, Arthur Mcclellan.
Stephen Little and many Others
The attraction of Mr.. Clark's shop was not
merely the convenience of its location as a
place OF meeting, but the sharp and pleasant
wit and good sense of the owner, as well az the
Jokes and fun sure to be going tbere-wben
some of the merrier spirits were present. In
those old days the currency was chiefly Span
ish dollars, and the merchants were wont
every night to carry home the receipts of the
day; in canvass bags. One day Mr..
came into Clarks shop, with his we'll known
Dag, and hole in the side disclosing the sill
yer. Well! was the exclamation by the club
as he put the bag down upon the counter with
an emphasis-thats good days work-how
much have you there? I've not counted it,
Well, now, for a trade, what will YOU take for
it? How much will you give? Fifty dollars
It's yours! The bag had been prepared Just
for that-being filled with cents and Spanish
dollar placed against the hole! But the un-
lucky Spectator was soon more than even
with his sharp friend, by taking up his offer on
a lot of goods, which by manipulation was
made to appear four times larger than it was.
And SO the shop of Seta Clark, at certain
Longing hours OF the day, was sure to be in
roar of laughter over his Jokes, practical and
other, which were always in circulation there.
one OF these gentlemen was pompous, and
was always watching opportunities to bring
out The TACT that he had been one of the Gov.
ernor's Council. Massachusetts, One day.
the shop being unusually FULL he put i'll
=" We'll, the best business was ever in, was be-
ing one of the Governors Council at two dol
lars day. Yes" said that old wag, j. N,
i am your witness to that, considering the
capital invested" And so the tests were al
Clark the the while diligently laying down his
seometrics and trigOnometrics, and cabaiistics,
IN his old West OF England cloths-on bis
London smokes, and his invisible green's and
lis drabs that would outwear generation
md the click of his shears was always an ac-
compartment to the music of the merry laugh.
seth Clark never stopped his work, but
aughed with the lOudest and TESTED to advan-
age with the wittiest and sharpest-or argued
With the gravest, his chalk and shears going
Justly all the while.
There was famous bass drummer in town
those days when militia companies were
made up of heroes who waited and lopeed for
n opportunity to do wonders of valor. and
Yin place in history. This drummer was a
cry little man, and his drum was very long.
remember them both very well; so little was /
he man and SO very high the drum, that to |
reserve the centre of gravity, our little drum
,er was obliged to lean backward, almost at /
u angle of fOrty-five. One day famous train |
and Of that time was exhibiting its uniforms
nd feathers to an admiring crowd of truant |
oys, and was passing down Exchange street.
nth our little drummer strutting his Hottest |
nd pounding his loudest, proud of the crowd /
grave citizens looking on from Seth Clark's |
DOR and windows. At the moment great |
og-the streets were infested with them in |
nose days-ran between the legs of our little |
taking him off his feet, and carryG1
ng him, like cavalry drummer, far out OF the |
inc, before he was dropped on the ground |
ONCE only after that, for many years, did our
n
Tould go far around to avoid the club of mer- |
iless testers, sure to attack him at that point.
But Seth Clark was not merely man of wit |
nd fun, but was solid sensible man, hold |
ng an honorable place in society, fairly won by |
lis integrity, his industry and honest endea-
or in the various duties of life. He raised |
Up numerous family of sons and daughter,
Who have all played we'll their several parts in
life. Two sons have been long connected in
New York Tribune, where one of them is yet;
tut the other one died in Genoa in Italy,
where heywent with his family for his health.
ne of the sons was active in raising battery
# artillery for the Union cause during the re-
,sllion, and went into the war with it. One
If the sons became most accomplished cabi
act maker, having served his time with his un-
lie, George Clark, and is, now in the great
piano establishment of the Chickering's; and
The daughter is the wife of our we'll known
and esteemed fellow citizen, William Gould,
now of Windham. 4E
And SO the men whose names are associated
with the towns affairs. in the day of small
things, are passing away. They served their
day and generation well, according to their
lights. Let it be our endeavor that the same
may be said of us, whose advantages and OPP
portunities are greatly superior to those which