The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-04-13
THE PR ESS.
TURDAYMORNING, APRIL IS, 1879.
Collection Of the Revenue In Portland
and the Site Of the New Custom House.


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1750-the first who held that office bere the bns;
ness until this time having been conducted by
naval oncer He was useful and respec-
ted townsman; he and his son Samuel esquire
Freeman for nearly hundredyears exercised
controlling influence in the affairs of the
town and county. His fees as Deputy Collect
tor, as given by Mr.. Willis from his books, for
one year and five months in 1864, were e2a,
As, Sd. The tonnage then owned in what is
now Portland was twelve hundred and thirty
seven tons--all schooners and sloops.
Collector Washburn named the several in
cumbentf who succeeded Mr.. Freeman, and gave
the location of the several Custom Houses,
with the exception of two He made long
step from Mr.. Fosdick's Office near Casco Bank
ON Middle street in 1902 to the old stone Gus
tom House on Fore street, built in 1928 This
is not surprising as he is not an old settler and
history is silent concerning those intervening.
Soon after Mr.. Isaac Ilsley's appointment as
Collector in 1902, he moved the office to the
second story of theold Cumberland Bank build
ing on Exchange street the same place now oc-
cupied by the Cum mberland National Bank. /
recollect some of his assistants while there
Deputy Collector for nearly twenty years nm
der Mr.. Ilsley. Peter Merrill succeeded Mr.
Thomas as Deputy and Henry Ilsley brother
of the Collector, was weighet and gauger
Henry Merrill and James C.. Jewett
also were on Mr.. Isley's staff. He after
wards built the block of brick stores on
the corner of Fore and Plum streets, which
were destroyed in the fire of 1866 and moved
the office to the rooms in the second story after
wards occupied by the Manufacturers and Ira
ders Bank, where it remained until the COM
pletion OF the stone Custom House ON Fore
street in 1928, which was built by Mr. Ilsley as
agent of the Treasury Department; and 50 eco
nomically did he manage it that he had bal
ance of $500 of the appropriation left unex-
pended when the building was completed. The
pediment had NAKED appearance which Mr..
Ilsley thought would be improved by placing
gilt eagle on top; but it was not in the archi-
tect's plans and estimates, so he placed one
there at his own expense. This eagle always
seemed to me to be turning his head away in
disgust at the scramble for places inside. He
may yet be seen on the tidewaters' boat-house
on the wharf, with the kink still in his neck
1 early learned to respect Mr.. Ilsley for one
act of his. He gave the first money ever
received in Portland.
In 1873 went there as an apprentice and in
the first week carried a small package to his
house for which he gave me Spanish quarter
OF a dollar which seemed to me very liberal for
the service rendered. Soon after in the way of
business it fell to my lot to carry another bum
die to him, which of course l was glad to do,
but this time saw only the servant at the
door, FlnE
The next morning he came into the store and
enquired for the boy who carried his package,
and said to me, ''When you carry anything to
me again, don't leave until you see me if am
at homeland gave me another quarter! How
few.rich men would be so thoughtful of little
shop-boy. Another transaction comes t,
mind which viii show his respect for
whatever 1t was. had now become emp
in the same store where 1 served my APP
ticeship; and on this store Mr. l. held al
gage, the interest on which paid him as
of the rent. The Legislature of 1886 pas.
law forbidding the receiving of small bill
less denomination than five dollars,
none but Mr. l. and the banks thought of
serving; on naying him his interest he laie -
all the small e'lls, saying that he could not take
them-that he i sliked the law but should obey
1t while it iods Law. M a
give these anecdotes to illustrate the char
acter of the man who has assisted me in many
ways since, particularly by his recollection of
the inhabitants and transactions in Portland
during his long life. He died in 1868, aged Ss.
When Gen. jackson came into the Presiden-
tial chair in 1929, Mr. Ilsley resigned and Gen.
Chandler was appointed in his place, who was
beset as all new Collectors are by a host Of
hungry politicians who had shouted loud and
long "hurrah for Jackson" Among the appli-
cants was an honest, stern old ship captain,
John Alden, uncle to the Admiral who claim
ed place in the Custom House for the revenue
he had brought to II, and for his adherence to
the jackson party at all times. One morning
he came into my place, when some one read
aloud from the morning paper the appoint
ment OF halter to the office Capt. Alden
claimed. This was too much to be borne pa
tiently; he.paced the floor a few moments very
much excited, and then stopped suddenly and
said: THE idea Of filling up the Custom House
with lot of id land lubbers-why that is a
water-privilege, and took very large pinch
of SNIFF and resumed his walk. He was the
same man who offered his note for small sum
to the old Maine Bank for discount When
Mr.. Swift the cashier told him his note must
have an endorser; he said: SIS not my note
good for that sum-" Mr.. Swift replied: ''Yes;
but the rules of the bank require an endorser,
besides you might die before it comes due, and
we might have to wait" 'Pooh," says the old
man, who ever heard of a mans dying in six
ty days" ~
1t was said that one man who applied to Gen.
Chandler for the office of weigher and guager,
got molasses hogshead into his back yard
and practiced gaugeing it until he wore the
bung-hOle so large that water-bucket fell
through, and being unable to learn to gauge
had to take an inspectors office in full for his
services. These "reminiscences connected
with the collection of the customs in PORT
land came crowding on my memory, while
the collector was giving the history of
the different Custom houses and collec-
tors of the revenue. 1 thought of 'Lazy Hilr'
as the bluff where the Custom-hoGse stands was
called when was a boy, from which there was
an unobstructed view of the harbor. Here in
good weather and particularly on pleasant Sun
days, were collected the stevedores, sailor board
ing-house keepers, and all who had an interest
in the discharging and fitting away of West In
diamen, which was the principal and almost
the only trade of Portland, then containing less
than ten thousand inhabitants. Conspicuous
among this Sunday crowd was the black crew
who discharged all the molasses by hoisting il
out by hand, keeping time to their amusing
songs while at work. They were sure to have a
large audience to hear the singing Many
church-going people ON coming out of meeting
looked up to the observatory to see If there was
anything coming" and then took Fore street
in their way home, no matter where they lived
Nearly every one was in some way interested
in vessels and liked to see them come in. TIL,
masts could be seen from this hill over the low
lands OF the Cape long before entering the har
Dor, and there was always some one in tn,
crowd who could tell by the rig what vessel il
was. When she rounded the Fort, and her hull
came in sight, remarks were made about how
much molasses she had, judging by how deep
she was in the water.
Thls molasses business was carried on prih-
cipally in lowdecked brigs which appeared 10
have been built as it was said coasters were IN
the eastern part of the State: that was In
strings like a ropewalk, and when sale was
made, the required number OF feet were cut
off and moved far enough to build stem and
s.or,, hofora launching-the principal differ