The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-07-16
st. JOhnsbury.

HOW THE NEWS FROM PORTLAND WAS RECEIVED.
way is one of the neatest and best edited in
land papers that comes to.our table-has full
report of the demonstration in that town on
the reception of the intelligence that Portland
had endorsed the bonds of the Portland and
Ogdensburg railroad company. The brief &C
count received by telegraph did not convey an
adequate idea of the joy felt at the result.
The account which we copy will be read with
lively satisfaction here:
The news was received at this place about
five o'clock in the afternoon of Tuesday, the
day the vote was taken. 1t did not require
much time to convey it about our village. Flags
were immediately run out, and little knots of
citizens were gathered about the streets dis
cussing the event and lcOngratulating each 9th
er Every body was feeling good, and there
seemed spontaneous desire to do something.
The young blood of the town was quicker than
the old. 1t had hardly become dark before
rockets and Roman candles began to shoot off
from the fiat roof of the brick block on Main
street. About the same time lighted candles
began to appear in the windows of the same
building, until nearly the whole block was
beautifully illuminated. The Illuminating fever
became at once contagious Hall & Fletcher's
store, Browns building, the Athenaum and
AtDtutuIu mousse, tIc TeSlueuCe u III. DTOokS
and Samuel Jewett, the bakery of Cross &
Matthews and other buildings on Main street,
were all finely lighted. Railroad street was
also beautifully illuminated-the stores of s.
Jewett, N. M. johnson, and the two brick
blocks presenting a dazzling appearance
Huge bonfires were built in the street, and the
old anvil was brought into service to add TO
the noise. 81 rT EH #b2EE
At Col. Fairbanks residence, as soon as it be-
came fairly dark, rockets began to shoot up
from Underclyffe;" and the crowd knowing
the ColOneps peachdn for fire. works, turned
their steps in that direction where they wit
messed the burning of choice selection of the
usual Fourth of July addenda. -
Meanwhile the st. Johnsbury Band appeared,
and taking their position in front of the
Athenaum, played several patriotic and other
airs. As the crowd on the streets increased, it
was whispered about that there would be some
speaking in the Square, and the people gather
ed about the band. When there was a little
lull in the noisy demonstrations, Col Bowman
appeared upon the steps at the Atheneum,
and called npon Mr.. Horace Fairbanks to adj
dress the people. Mr.. Fairbanks came forward
from the throng in front of the building and
spoke for perhaps ten minutes, giving the par
ticulars of the vote just taken in Portland
with something of history of the enterprise in
general, together with an allusion to the new
western connections expected with Montreal
and Ogdensburg. He said this vote of the
credit of the city of Portland for 81 $50 000 en-
Sureu tie COHlpleUlOH Oh Tile rOau UnfOuSn the
Notch, from Conway to the Connecticut river;
that the road in this State east of Concord
would be put under contract at once, and he
expected in Gig hteen months to have railroad
connection with Portland! --
Messrs. e. G. Redington, DR.. Billiard, and j
NJ Fuller, Esq, of this place, and P. A. Matth-
ews of Fort COvington N. Y, and j. r. Thomp-
son, Esq, of Washington were also called out,
and made brief addresses, mainly of a congrat-
ulatory character. Mr. Matthews lives on the
line of the new road proposed from Swanton to
Ogdensburg, and he spoke of the ease with
which road can be built in that level country,
and the desire of the people for such road, and
their ability and disposition to build it.
The speeches were frequently interrupted by
applause. The band, a huge bonfire in the
square, small cannon which the boys were
discharging, divided the attention of the crowd
between the speeches. Soon after ten o'clock
the company dispersed to their homes, after
giving three cheers for Portland, three for the
leaders of the enterprise in Vermont, and three
more for the Band. @ tt1
For an imprOmptu Jubilee, that of Tuesday
evening was certainly marked success; and
the crowd of people out,-which was composed
quite largely of ladies-went home, as Mr. Red
inngton expressed it in his speech, feeling good
all over" f# - ~.