The Portland daily press., 1877-06-22
ST. JOHN.

trlDuteu $lUUUU IN gold tor the alienation of
the wants of the unfortunate
ST. JOHN.
A Sketch of the Unfortunate City-some
of the Principal Blu siness Houses Burn
ed, etc.
st. Johns is situated on peninsular at the
mouth of the st. John river. The city was found
ed by American loyalists, who left the United
States at the close of the revolution, and has
always been closely connected with the Eastern
states by relationship and comm ercial ties.
Across the harbor is Carleton, and back of the
city is Portland, the former containing large
saw mills and doing an extensive business in
fish, and the latter noted for its shipbuilding
Up the river about eighty-ive miles is Freder-
ickton. In population ST. John is city of
about 10000 inhabitants, and in 1870 its real es.
tate valuation was S,347 $780, with 63S7 tax pay
ers. 1t contained eighteen churches, four
banks, three daily newspapers, and six large
hotels. Its commercial business was PRINCIPAL
ly transacted in the upper portion. One of the
most important branches of its foreign trade
was the shipment of deals to the British Isles.
They are manufactured up the river, floated
down in scows and from there loaded into YES
sells. A large number of our mercantile ma
rine are chartered for this trade, and this BUSH
ness frequently freights the large ships built
along the coast of Maine. 1t exports largely of
laths, and its trade with the West India Islands
in shocks and heads is immense. Its -four and
provisions OF various kinds it purchases largely
in the states, and its trade with this city in this
line is considerable. Its dry goods merchants
are heavy impor tiers of silks, laces, velyets, Sc.
large part of which are sold to residents of
the United States and brought by them clan
destinely over the border. Its wholesale liquor
business is also of great value. The harbor of
St John is ono of the best on the Atlantic
coast. The city has fine water works, the SUM-
ply being derived from Lake Lily, about nine
miles above.
The fire which has in one night reduced this
busy place to ashes, turned eighteen thousand
of its inhabitants into the streets, started at
York slip, in the northwestern part of the CITY.
in boiler shop. The buildings there are small
and mostly of wood, and used for the storage
of wood, coal, SC. The fire next entered Dock
street. This street is entirely built of brick,
and runs from Portland opening into Market
Square. On this street are large wholesale and
retail grocery stores. From Dock street it ex
tended to Market Square, consuming both sides
north and south, and North and South Market
wharves. Then it went up King street, burn
ing both sides. and from there run down Prince
William and Germaine streets to the lower
cove and Barry Green.
On Dock street the buildings are entirely of
brick, occupied mostly by wholesale grocery
and liquor stores. Among the principal dealers
are L. M. Reed, formerly Mayor of st. John,
druggist: Buxton, wholesale liquor dealer:
Francis Clemenson, wholesale dealer in crock
cry.
On Nelson street are the heavy bonded ware.
houses. Among the principal are j. & W.T..
Carvill, iron merchants: j. w. Nicholson. COM
mission merchant and agent for large English
houses; Wilson & Co., same; William Thomp-
son, commission merchant and agent for the
Montreal Ocean Steamship Company.
In Market Square were Chapman Smith, drug.
gist; w. & s. Lawton, wholesale dry goods;
London House; Danielson & Co., wholesale
dry goods; Sheffield House, hardware: Berri.
man, hardware.
On North Market wharf are J. &, W. T. Har-
rison, -four dealers; w. T.. Thorn & Co., hard
ware.
On the South Market wharf are principally
heavy -four dealers.
Water street is occupied principally with ship
chandlery and hardware establishments. Among
the principal losers are Thomas McAvity &
Sous, hardwa Augustus Quick, ship stores:
Thomas Furlong, liquor importer: William
Home, liquor importer.
Prince William street 1uns from Market
Square to Reeds Point. 1t was entirely occu
pied as business street, and was the location
of the heaviest trade in the city. Dry goods
stores, grocery stores, book stores, hardware
stores, and in fact almost every class of bust
ness was here represented. Many of the build
ings were very fine ones, having been built
within comparatively short tme-as this
street has been the locality which most of the
serious fires which have visited the city in years
past have devastated. On it were the custom
house, the new post Office, an elegant stone
building completed within the past two or three
years, insurance Offices &c., sc. Many of the
old buildings in this vicinity were of solid gran
lite and very substantial. All the banks. the
Commercial, Bank of New Brunswick, Bank
of British North America, and Maritime Bank
are on this street. Barnes Hotel, the Royai
and International are also on this street. Among
the heaviest dealers on this street are L. 81.
DeVeber & Son, dry'goods; j. & j. Hogan, dry
goods; MCGEE Brothers, same; Eastern Ex-
press Company; Chubb & Co., wholesale sta
TONERS; J. & A. Mcmillan, stationers; Jardin
& Co., wholesale grocers.
Germaine street contains the Victoria Hotel.
which is one of the largest in the Dominion. 1t
is situated on the corner of Duke street, is built
ot brick with free stone 'front.' It is four stories
high and has accommodations for three hum
dred guests. On this street also are the Young |
Mems Christian Association building, Opera |
House, Trinity church, Scotch Kirk, Baptist |
church, Athanaum buildings. King street
many dry goods houses, druggist. |
dealers in boots and shoes, Waverley Hotel, |
Park Hotel, Continental and the American.
On Princess street from Germaine to Prince |
William are the Western Union Telegraph of. |
flee, and fine brick structures occupied as mer.
chants offices.
On Market Square were Thorn's hardware
store, Lewis hardware store, the London House,
jourdan's dry goods establishment, Thompson's
jewelry establishment Smith drug store and
tTo or three large clothing stores.
East Williams street south of Processes
City Hall, fine granite building; Office of the
Daily and Weekly Telegraph; large brick
building which was being remodeled for the