The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-01-22
THE ANCIENT ROOSTER.

His Pedigree, Age, and the Pecnliarities
Ofthe Species.-Let no ''Breeder" Turn
Up His Nose at Kim; HE is Registered.
Mr.. EDIroR:-I see by your paper that the
venerable county rooster, who for eighty years
and more. surmounted the cupola of the old
court house, always keeping an eye to the wind
ward, has been placed in the poultry show,
nearly on the spot where lie formerly kept
watch and ward. The story of human frailty
setting forth ST. Peters false testimony, and the
Growing of the cock, which caused him to sweep
bitterly for his sin and folly, undoubtedly sug-
gested to the county fathers the propriety of
surrounding the then new temple of justice
with specimen of that historic bird, as a eau
tion to the witness, when he entered the portal,
not to deny the truth, whatever might be his
provocation from contendiug council Probab-
ly those who accused Peter in the porch Of the
palace, were young lawyers, male and female,
who were seeking to entrap him. If this could
be established it would greatly mitigate his Of
fence. Whatever caused the decision, the en-
blem was well chosen, and thereby hangs tail.
The bird was the admiration of the town. He.
was often coveted by the thrifty citizen, who
had his garden, and raised his own beets and
onions, as well as poultry, for the reason that
any one could see from his peculiar formation,
that he would not be inclined to Scratch
could be cheaply kept, andwaS always early on
his roost. Although from his elevated position,
he was the first to greet the sun in his coming
yet unlike the modern improved breeds, he
never disturbed the neghborhood by his bois-
trous and untimely GROWING he has not yet forgot
his good breeding,-you will notice that under
the great and admitted provocation of the play
| ing of the band, he will not, like the ill-bred
| fowl, open his throat as soon as the band stops
The reason for the building Of the new court
house was the destruction in the confagration
of ITO of court house on the west corner of
Middle and India streets, which had been built
only the year before, and which was the frst
built in the county of Cumberland, established
| in 1850. For several years after the burning of
the court house the courts were held at taverns,
and sometimes at private houses. In 1887
Samuel Freeman was paid lbs. for the use of
| his great chamber for the court. In 1856 Mrs.
Greedy, who kept a ore-story tavern on the
east corner of Congress and Hampshire streets,
was paid "24 shillings out of the county treas.
ury, for the use of her house, and her trouble
for this and former session.
In 1885 court house was commenced where
the City Hall now stands-it was raised in Octo-
ber 1t was 4S by 81 feet in size, with "A posts.
The court ordered that the roof be 50 framed
that belfry may be built on it at some future
time" AT a court Of general sessions of the
peace (Which was composed of all the justices
of the peace in the county, holden in May,
1888, the court ordered 'that the county treas.
urer, Joseph Mcclellan, be a committee to pro-
vide materials for finishing the chamber of the
court house, and cupola, and to see the work
done in such manner as the court at adjourn
ment shall order"
During that summer, no doubt, the weather.
cock was put in place GU the spire, Benjamin
Radford who died a few yearsago aged nearly
80 described to me the process of the cary-
| ing of the rooster. The artist, an Englishman,
was we'll known to Mr.. Radford, who from his
| trade, cabinet maker, took an interest in
carving, and watched the mans ingenuity in
| forming lfelke figure. On the end of long
| treadle which was hung by the middle he fas-
| tened living bird, and when he wanted to
| draw from him he put his foot on the near end
| of the treadle, which raised the rooster and
| made him lively. How we'll he succeeded in
| his job any one can see who visits the show.
| The building was used as Court house until
| 1876 when it was decided to build a more con-
venient one. The old building was sold to
John Powell and five others, for $500, and was
removed. This was the largest hauling
1 hot had taLya Mic in
| ing was large and very heavily timbered. Many
came from the back towns with their teams of
| oxen and the towns people attended in body
| The managing man and "master carter" was
James Gowen of Westbrook. There are
| few citizens remaining who witnessed the
hauling. The late Capt Thomas Warren who
/ could we'll illustrate ludicrous scene, and en-
| joyed one, never tired in describing the ''haul-
ing of the old court house," the master carter,
standing in the front door, with hand on each
post, his prominent stomach covered by loug
waistcoat, with large pocket flaps. He never
had such an audience, and he gave his orders
with the voice of Stentor There were two
long strings of oxen, reaching nearly to Mid
die street, with teamster to each pair First
came the order CHARTERS to your oxen;" then,
"Are you all ready?" ''Strain up;" with the
tore continued until the building moved,-the
saving of the long line of goad sticks, amid a
l jargon of OK talk. Then the order ''Put up the
| off string" when all the goads on that side
l were brought to the thrust, and the patient OK
| en- were braided" in the flank, accompanied
with awful threats and some oaths. Next
came the word ''Wh o-o-ov' long drawn out,
| and the hasty and earnest enquiry, in the
same key, where's the conmittee?' L have
probably enjoyed my full share of this descrip-
ton, as the principal actor in the hauling was
my ancestor. During all the moving the roost-
| er, perched aloft, was shaking like a reed in
the wind and turning partly round as if trying
to keep his place with becoming gravity. The
old building found new resting place in bog
l on the side of Exchange, above Federal street.
The center of the second story floor was re-
moved, leaving wide gallery. After its allie
1 vation it was used as house of worship by
the Freewill Baptist Society, until they built
the Casco street church in about 1927. 1t was
| a common saying that Elder Rand's rooster
| always crowed when the Old Jerusalem bell
| rang. The old building was again moved up
Federal and Congress streets, to Green street,
where it was used for soap and candle facto-
| ~, until within few years, when it was taken
down. At the last moving Charles Merrill
was the contractor. He had team enough to
walk off with it, the same as wit an ordinary
load, after placing two rows of green slabs to
keep the SHOES" off the ground These
smoked for several minutes after being passed
over, as if they were on fire. The rooster kept
his place, nodding to the crowd as he moved
along. Soon after being taken down, the roos-
ter came into the possession of the present
owner, who appreciates other music besides
the Growing of cocks.
Doubtless the only reason why he did not
enter the bird for premium was the difficulty
of obtaining female Of the same species to
match up with him, the rule of the association
requiring such entries to be in pairs. w. G.
Windham, Jan. 81.
GENERAL ExERCIsEs-The following is the
programme for the general exercises at the
High School this morning:
| Vocal Trio .Messrs o. Brion, Shaw and Webster
| UoolnaIion. ..'...'.''''.'.' dainlUoI
| ooa SUN MISS MnheI
l MISS faudlns