The Portland daily press., 1875-10-14
yo,hu. Freeman weeks,

but afterward moved to the neck and died in
house which stood near where High street now
is, 1749. His son Lemuel married daughte
of James Gooding, who came from Boston
about 1925 and had house and shipyard al
the foot of India street. Here he built vessel!
for over fifty years. His son-in-law, Weeks
built house on part of Gooding lot and rails
ed a numerous family. Among them was 6
son Joseph, mason, and afterwards he became
ship master. He married daughter oil
Joshua Freeman, who kept tavern and store
nearly opposite the present post office, on the
south side of Middle street. The whole Good
ing lot had come into the possession of Lemue
Weeks, aud was again divided with the sor
Joseph, who built the house in 1885, where hi.
SOD, the subject of this notice, was born, lived
and died. This lot has been in the family 15(
years and has stood on the records in the name
of Weeks 80 years, with prospect of continu
ance in the same family, although it was GOV.
eted by the railroad law in 1855. They did take
a large part of the old Gooding lot. Mr.. Weeks
was the third III descent Of prominent town
born citizens in his family. In June, 1911
then II !, ears old, Mr. Weeks went apprentice
to Anthony Knight of Portland, to learn the
trade of cooper, which was then, as now, an
important branch Of business. The day on
which he made his bargain to learn the trade
was well recollected by him and many others,
it being the day of the first public parade of
the Rifle Company, and the presentation of the
standard by his handsome cousin, Mrs. Anterior
wife of the captain of the corps. Portland had
never witnessed such brilliant scene; old citi-
zens will yet straghten up at the bare mention
of it. But, alas, only two Of that gallant corps
who wore the ''green" on that day remain, the
venerable but yet active Henry s. Pearson now
IS, and Samuel B Wadsworth of Eastport AT
the expiration of his contract with Mr.. Knight
Mr.. Weeks worked as journeyman for, and
finally went into partnership with, Samuel
Chase, we'll known cooper on Widgery' 8
wharf. The firm of Chase & Weeks was dis
solved in 1919. In 1921 a scopartnership was
formed with his uncle, Dea. Thomas freeman.
They pursued the grocery business In Haymar-
ket Row for five years. After this copartner-
ship expired Mr.. Weeks established himself in
the same business on Fore street, Clay Cove,
in 1926. He built the substan tial three-story
brick store in which he afterwar kept in 1856.
Here he continued until 1866, when he gave up
to his son. The building of Commercial street
in 1852 very much deprecated the value of his
Fore street block, as it did much other proper
ty in the vicinity. Mr.. w. has owned parts Of
several vessels, but was best known as a me-
chanic and trader. He was member of the
old Artillery Company and was stationed with
the company at Cushing's Point forty days
when the town was threatened with an attack
in 1914, and he was the last of those serving
with the company at that time.
Mr.. Weeks's parents attended the First Par
ish Church under the pastorate of DR.. Deane,
and he had painful recollections of his boysh
experience while listening to those long winter
sermons, with no means of warming the meet
iDg-house. He continued to worship with the
First Parish until 1852, when he was admitted
communicate with the Second Church, under
the ministry of DR.. Carruthers. He was a
prominent member of the Aged Brotherhood
since its organization in 1869, and was always
present at their business and'social meetings.
In 1915 Mr.. Weeks married Miss Elizabeth
I. Mitchell of Portland, a grand daughter of
Nathaniel Iugersoll of Falmouth, who was in
the battle at the capture OF Quebec in 1869.
She still survives, after a union of sixty years.
Their children now living are two sons and
three daughters
Mr.. Weeks was probably as we'll known as
any citizen. His cheerful face and cordial
greeting will be sadly missed from the street.
w. G.
The funeral will take place at Payson Memo
rial Church at 1O4 o'clock Saturday morning
Nj. l.. A. Course.
The first of the entertainments advertised by
the Mercantile Library Association took place
last evening in City Hall, which was about a
third full. The attraction was Mr.. P. T. Bar
mum, who was introdHced with the prefix
"Hon." In explaining why he was before the
public as lecturer lit needed explanatory, he
said that Redpath showed him list of lectur-
ers engaged for the course and desired to enroll
him. He (Barnum) objected, saying, I am not
celebrated like these men, but only notorious.
"But money!" said Barnum, "makes the mayor
Of Bridgeport CO." He finally overcame his
scruples and bid adieu to his modesty and pre-
pared himself to talk "Ths World and How to
Live iu it," Mr.. Barnum talked over an hour,
but the following is the gist of his remarks,
briefly put: There ara two classes of people in
the world-those who look on the dark side and
those who look on the bright side Of life; but
really the world is what we make it, and it is
our duty to be cheerful, industrious and obedi-
ent to the laws of health. Mr.. Barnum put
forth no fresher precepts or ideas than these,
but he illustrated them with some good stories,
and at least did something to insti into the
minds of his audience the virtue of cheerful
ness. As an example of the class Of people
who have chronic disposition to look on the
mournful side of things, he related an anecdote
told to him by Mark Twain. about an aunt of
the latter, who Mark said, would borrow
trouble for days, weeks, months, year ahead
who would borrow it from the grave, and who
one day even Jumped the grave" Mark
found the old lady one day in an attitude OF
extreme detection. "Why, aunty." said be-
what is the trouble now? 1 am sure you are
borrowing trouble about something" Sab, y
said she, 81 was thinking about heaven, and
that perhaps after al! it isn't as nice place as
we think it is.
Speaking of cheeriulness, Mr.. Barnum al
luded to the exasperating matter-of-fact quail
ty in the British character, and related an an
ecdote cleverly illustrating the trait. A gen.
tleman ascending flight of steps in a hotel
saw another gentleman going up before him
to prod him with the tip of an umbrella. This
operation was continued until the pair reached
the top of the STAIR whsn the prodder discover
ed that the other gentleman-an Englisbman-
was an utter stranger to him. 81 beg a thou.
sand pardons,' said he, 81 mistook you for my
friend Jones'" "Ah, yes" said the English
man, not sarcastically, but with a vague IDEA
that the prodding was done as an accommoda
ton; "but does your friend Jones fancy that
sort of thing?" Mr.. Barnum said very few
things personal to him -elf-not as many as
might have been expected. 1t would be inter-
esting to know if such an allusiun was intend.
ed when, in describing the wckedness of the
world, he said: "The rich grind the poor the
strong Cypress the weak, and, occasionally, the
shrewd swindle the verdant."
The thin house discoses the fact that thu
people are growing weary of the curiosity de-
partment OF the lecture course. The hearers
did not appear particularly pleased with Mr.
Barnum's exceedingly common place and de
sultory remarks, while the real P. T. Barnun
does not show to SO good an advantage as die
the pictures of that gentleman on the show
bills of the Hippodrome. Indeed, many of hi
noted curiosities would draw larger houses ant
better entertain them than the world renowned
Snowman in tAe character of platform speaker
The second lecture of the course will be de
livered by Miss Lillian S. Edgarton next Wed
nesdsy evening. The lecture begins at D.