The Portland daily press., 1873-05-05
CkurCb NAtcS.

| the Chestnut street church yesterday forenoon
| He took his text from the 118th Ps 25th verse.
His subject was the development of a church
The object of a church organization is to save
the imperishable SOUL A minister is the mouth
piece OF God Holiness is not the end of Chris
tan work The church must go out to men in
the scum of society and lift them up. But one
out of twenty. five are saved unless connecteu
with church organizations. The church mus'
be unit that prescribes all animoslty anu SCI
fshness The most devilish thing on eartn ID I"
church divided against its members. Aneie
was time when Methodisnl cost nothlng, pat
now it REQUIRES money. NO church can be
Chr;c+,;1,o unless benevolent We must care
for tbe children If men regarded the church
nc no longer the rich mans church but their
Fathers house, the church would be crowded
every Sunday. In conclusion, he urged renew
ed activity on the part of the church, and refer
red pleasantly to his three years connection
with the church and people.
Rev. A. X. P. Small delivered Yesterday morn.
ing at Free street Baptist Church, an able SER
mon on "False and true prosperity This
church have abolished the practice of taking up
collection at their Sunday School concerts.
Rev. DR.. Hill of the First Parish, preached
on Sabbath evening on the authorship of the
Gospel of ST. John and the Book of Revela-
lions, entering into an argument to prove that
both books were written by st. John the Evan
gelist
Rev. w. H. Fem gave his people fine SER
mon Sunday forenoon at High street, from Ho-
sea6: 8, on the analogy between the beauties
of Nature as seen in the opening spring. and
the glory of developing Christian character.
The sermon abounded in felcitous periods.
Rev. E. Y. Hincks of the State street Con-
| gregatonal church, delivered discourse Sun
day evening founded on John 8: "a. eff We
believe not that am He, We shall die in your
SINS"
Rev. DR.. Smaller of the First Baptist church,
baptized on Saturday evening lastin the church,
eight ladies and three gentlemen. Sunday fore
noon the Doctor delivered a powerful sermon
from Heb. 10: 90, on the consistency of faith.
AN OLD LAND MARK GoNE-That section
of city where progress and improvement
hold dominion, always undergoes marked
changes. Few of our citizens will recollect
that the old one story house situated at the ex-
treme foot of Bracket street on the westerly
side, and now being demolished, was oncs the
toll house to Portland bridge. Yet for twenty
seven years such was the fact 1t was built
for that purpose, and until 1851, when the
bridge became free bnidge, the sign board
with its rates of toll held dominion over the
thoroughfare The incorporators of the bridge
company received their charter in January
1928, and the bridge was built that same year.
As a matter of historic interest we give the
names of the incorporators, nearly all of
whom have passed away from earthly
scenes: Silvanus Higgins r. Jordan, W.
Gregg, r, Dyer, Elias Thomas, j. Neal, 7.
Robson, r. Ilsley, A. w. Tinkham, HI. lis
ley, and J. Mussey, Jr. The toll house was
built in 1928 by the proprietors of Antho-
ny Brackets dover, and with four rods
square of land on which the house was situated
was decided Nov 18th, 1928 to the incorpora-
tiers by Thomas Beck in behalf of the proprie-
tors. The following is the language of the
deed: Conveying in fee a lot of land for
toll house to be four rods square, on the
south-westerly side of Brackett street
and adjoining said bridge, for the considera-
ton of fifty dollars" All passage over the
bridge was then from the foot of Bracket street.
On January 9th, 1851, the bridge was surren-
dered to the county and became free. The
county in 1856 lowered the grade of the north
end to level with Commercial street and 9TH
erwise improved the bridge, so that passage
from Bracket street to the bridge ceased. This
act, however, did not affect the right Of the
county to claim upon Bracket street for an
outlet, as the charter was Gin perpetuo' The
toll house was then sold to Samuel Tyler and
w. w. Thomas, who afterwards sold to other
parties, so that until recently it has been occu
pied as a dwelling AT the time it was built it
was the only building in that neighborhood
and the waters Of Fore river washed the base
of the bank on which it stood. For many years
James Townsend was the toll keeper.
Sund ay morning at the Chestnut street Meth
odist church fourteen persons were baptized and
three admitted to the church. Sunday after
noon two were baptized by Rev. Mr.. Luce, pas
tor of the Chestnut street church, in the water
at Back Cove.
The Chestnut street church have secured as
the successor of Rev. Mr.. Luce, the Rev. Mr..
Jones of Newton, Mass, from the New Eng
land Conference. He will preach his first ser.
mon next Sabbath.