The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-08-26
THE PRESS.
TUEsDAYMORNING, AUGUST ss. 1878
Notes of Trip to Halifax.-No. III.

To the Editor Of the Portland Press.
When L was boy, Halifax had bad repu-
tation in the States. Then there were many
soldiers and sailors who had been carried
there during the war of 1S12-15, as prisoners
of war. who were crowded together in close
apartments and badly fed. They coupled the
town with another worse place of punish
ment. The boys had suggestive distich
which ran thus:
Chill, Hell, and Halifax
All begins with -"
So started with prejudice against the
Nova Scotia capital.
Halifax is not very old city--it was begun
nearly simultaneously with British rule in the
lower provinces. 1t was founded in 1749 by
the Lords of Trade, and was named in COM
pli.nent to George Montague, Lord of Halifax
then at the head Of the board. The scheme
for the establishment of the town is said to
have originated with the people of Massachu-
setts, who in calling the attention of the Gov
eminent to the encroacbments of the French
on the territory of acadia suggested the ne
cessity as well as the great commercial advau-
tages to be derived from such an undertaking.
The harbor had previously been called ''Che-
buctO," and was chosen for the new capital.
The fleet sent out to commence the settle
ment consisted of 13 transports carrying 2400
!. passengers, and sloop OF war brought the
governor-the city was laid out and the lots
drawn for. The streets are at right angles.
The Falmouth arrived according to arrange
ment, about midnight, and early on the 18th
l was out to see the sights. On my way to
the market place saw party of U. s. sail
ors with 'POwhattan" on their caps, and en-
quired of one about his ship. He pointed to
her, saucy looking steam frigate anchored
in the stream, and said she arrived yesterday
from Norfolk, Va, and TWO other vessels of
the Atlantic squadron were daily expected.
He then led me across the street to the police
station to see two of his shipnates in the lock
up, for disturbance.
men, with bad rents in their shirts and pants.
arguing with a policeman about being reeas-
ed. One says''how can you blame us tor get
t ng little balmy where whiskey is so plenty
and so cheap: we will not be able to get any
when we get to Maine," eyes, says nv gnide
to me, extending his hands to add force to his
words-"you can get as drunk as lord here
for ten cents"
said word in favor of the release of the
men, and on passing that way soon after 1
found the room empty.
Iproceeded to the landing of the ferry boats
from Dartmouth on the opposite shore. All
the market carts cross here---the largest part
of them are driven by women with OCCASION
ally boy or girl with them. They are all
poorly dressed, Ike the emigrants which we
see land from the British steamers. The
carts are filled with scrubby looking vegetables,
berries green peas all shelled, fowl tied in pairs
alive--pint bottles of cream, turnip tops for
greens, tied in punches. One woman had
hnDahas Of frpSh inf and 10
way a red faced man gobblsd the entire lot
was suggestive of mint juleps.
l made the acquaintance OF one woman and
her boy who had load of small, pinched veg
etables. She said that they had come line
miles and that it would take nearly half her
load to pay the fare at the ferry,-''25 cents
each way and ten cents to put the horse out
of the way OF fies-that's just three shil-
ings." A shopman enquired the price of
half dozen ,achbirds belonging to the boy.
He said twenty-five cents l asked him if he
killed them at one shot-he replied, eve
don't shoot 'em, we snares 'em.' One lazy
looking fellow had a dump cart full of nice
large potatoes on top of which he sat smok-
ing. The load was drawn by small OK
with piece of joist strapped to his horns; il
had ring and staple in each end to receive
the long shafts.
| The fish market, close by, is a buldin g
whose floor is sloping platform, where the
| fish are landed. A woman with short skirts
heavy shoes, and close hood, had a larg'
| pile of cod and haddock, on wide benrh, a
which she stood cleaning the fish and throw
| ing the offal into the shoal water, where a
| large pile had cole cted-it was a disgusting
sight The fish are very fine and fresh-very
| large fresh mackerel are sold from barrows
| for three cents each. The meat market is
not very attractive; they have fire mutton
Ia,, he Irf fhar, hvA, 20 I-a,
with their heads on.
One great attraction to a stranger in Hall
| fax is the dock yard with straight stone wall
| on the street hearly half miie long and
! perhaps fifteen feet high, capped with mar
| row two sided shinge roof.
1t has several gales. Near the principal
| entrance are these inscriptions on separate
| stones &c. r. 1776." and ''V. R. rebuilt 1874. y
[ On a stone at the lanG;ng-stairs is the fol-
| lowing: ''Here I'll. r. II. the Prince of Wales
| landed July 80, 1860" So it seems the peo-
| Pile of Portland did not appreciate the honor
conferred OH their city by the Prince, who
| embarked from their docks few weeks latel
| -''they made no sign;" but the grand salute
! from the guns of his whole feet when he
! stepped upon the deck of the 'Hero' and
! the royal standard went up to the mast head
/ like a rocket, is thing not to be forgotten
| it was the first time the royal standard OF Eng
/ lanQ naQ Deen un1ulleU III UDe Onlltu states.
| The flag ship of Capt. Nicholson is the
s'Royal Alfred an iron-clad ram after the
| style of the ''Monarch' which brought the
| Peabody remains to Portland, but far inferior
to that vessel as a sea-going ship. She is of
! 1000 tons and 13 years old. A few days ago
| Vice Admiral Fanshawe and the naval off
| GERS at Halifax gave ball ON beard the Royal
| Alfred to the countess OF Dutierin, wife of the
| Governor General of the Dominion. The
main deck was transposed into ball and sup
per room. An old receiving ship here is a GU
riosty--Jle old frigate "Pyramis," pierced fol
| 2S guns, she, with four Others on the stocks
| were taken at the battle of Copenhagen in 1909
She was taken, down, carried to England ant
rebuilt. She has the old style, high poop
two tiers of large stern windows, and quartz
| galleries, She has been moored here forty
! years. =.
| A large dock yard tug has just started will
the sailors of the three men of war in por
and their lady friends for picnic at McMdb'
island. The party numbers 900, filling tn
tug and large launch at the stern, all unde
the command of boyish sub-lieutenant o
the Royal Alfred with long sword. The.
did not show him much respect. A large
green tree is lashed to the masthead and they
have the R. A. S band. 1t is a jolly party.
w. G.
WNDHAM, Aug. 21.