Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-03-22

A new iron bridge between Lewiston and
Auburn, and new city building in the for
mer place, are among the improvements soon
TO be made in that enterprising community
Eleven brick stores were constructed on Lis
bon street last season, with like exhibition
of enterprise in other parts of the city Some
of the mean-looking wooden structures that
remain on the principal business street. bring
in for their owners too large revenue to
spare the time for their removal and the con-
struction Of more substantial ones. A whole
some fire is good reformer in some such
cases. In a recent flying visit to the city we
were struck with the onward march of i'm
provement in every respect, and of the close
alliance and mutual interests subsisting be-
tween the two cities. The wonderful and
rapid growth of these places only shows the
benefits flowing from the establishment of
large manufacturing interests in their midst.
The life blood of business is quickened and
sent by water-power, so to speak, into every
department of labor and skill, and into chan
nels which had become stagnant or dead.
The benevolence of these large manutactur-
ing corporations is felt and cheertully ac-
knowledged in the splendid churches that
have been reared, in the massive and con-
venient school-houses built, and the public
and christian charities that have been estab-
aished and maintained with a liberal hand
Life and activity, thrift and industry, are
written upon everything. The city of Lewis
ton is extending itself-throwing out its streets
and erecting its dwellings on every hand.
Those localities that were short time ago
most populous parts of the city-adorned
with a park, well laid out and surrounded
with beautiful churches and dwellings. Just
now the city has left its "frst love" in politics,
and has democratic chief magistrate, which
may not be considered one of the improve
ments to which we have alluded above. The
temporary foothold which the democracy
has thus gained has led to the circulation of
story that democratic newspaper will soon
be started in the city. Financially such
newspaper would not be success; it would
probably share the fate of its predecessors of
that persuasion and to compete locally with
the lively and enterprising Journal, would be
an undertaking that few newspaper men in
Maine would have the courage to undertake.
The little local sketch that follows has been
published in one or two Maine papers, bu.
has lost none of its genuine humor for being
made public. The Incidents relatedin Elijah
Kellogg's story of the ''Spark of Genius, and
every Maine reader will see that the central
figure is the late Prof. Smyth of Bowdoin Col
lege, who, although eminently practical man
in his lifetime, had some darling theories,
which were sometimes hard to reduce to real
practice. The Mr.. Chandler, referred to in
the sketch, is still a resident Of Brunswick,
who will vouch for the truth Of the following
funny story
''The extent to which theory often fails in
practice is furnished by a venerated profess
sor,-a most distinguished mathematician, and
whose works are still used as textbooks in
many of orr institutions, and which occurred
within the compass of our own experience.
He went to Bethel; on his return, he spent
the Sabbath at Lewiston. Monday morning,
he was told that the horse was sick. Never
theless, he started. The horse went few