The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-05-11
[For the Press.l
Faithless Maggie.
BY ADAM NEwBEGIN.

BY ADAM NEWBEGIN.
Do you ever stroll into the old Eastern
Cemetery to look at the graves of the ancient
settlers and wonder if those worthless sleep
quietly amid the hustle which is increasing
around them, or whether if they rise %
moonlight nights to gaze about, they grum-
BILE in ghostly way at being shut in by the
high walls of buildings everywhere but to
seward? And do you ever wonder where
the graves may be of the original pioneers,
those who lived here from 1880 until the de.
struction of the town at the close of that cen.
fury? This ground seems to have been laid
out about 1870, it having previously belonged
to Parson Smith, and among the earliest
burials in it was the body of his baby boy
Feb. %, 1870. Major Samuel Moody who
commanded Fort Casco in the Indian war.
who died April 9Th 1929, is buried there, as
also "Mrs. Mary Green, ye dau'r of Capt.
Nath'l and Mrs. Mary Green. of Boston,
aged "a years, decd May the 23'd,
Ill.," who was evidently the maiden sister
of the Majors wife; but their bodies may
have been transferred from another ground,
perhaps from about the old church on the
corner of Middle and India streets, which
was built in 1725 and used until the sold
Jerusalem" or First Parish church was built
on the present site in 1740.
fancy we must look to Fish Point where
the first Westinghouse was built in 1880, for
the original cemetery, and that if we should
dig in that neighborhood we might find the
bones of George Cleeves and his neighbors
such as were not driven off or carried away
captive in the Indian wars, and provided
that the builders CT the Atlantic Railroad
and of the Portland Company works have
not had them already dug up and carted
away.
The walk from the Congress street entrance
brings you to an interesting spot where lie
buried Col. William Tying and his father-in-
Law, Alexander Ross, and near them is a
neat slab supported by four brick pillars
under which repose, side by side, two young
Scotchmen who died on the same day, March
23d, 1850. The inscriptions on the stone
are quaint and attract the attention at once.
'Here lieth all that is Mortal of Mr.. Alton
Mclean, Deputy Collector, who departed this
Life, March 23d, 1850, aged 26years.
Here lieth all that is Mortal of Mr.. John
Flett of Grutha in Orkney, who departed
this Life March 23d, 1850, aged 26 years.
Virtue first taught their early Life to bloom,
And gave Prospect of the Joys to come;
Swift their Years increased each sparkling Grace
Shone with fresh Lustre in its native Face.
Like some fair Tree that free from Storms has stood
The pride q Envy OF the thriving Wood,
Conspicuous thus they saw the vital Light,
Joys to the Heart q pleasures to the Sight;
While friendships mutual Charms their Souls DUR
sue,
Faithful as Castor and as Pollux true
Such Virtue In such youthful Breasts arise
Heaven viewed with Wonder g with glad Surprize
.sSuch social Souls, (she saidl so firmly join'd
ITO know parting Pang were meier desgn'd;
Come, (she repy'd) ascend the limpid Air.
And to her Bosom snatch'd the lovely pair.
Each inscription is surmounted by coat
OF arms. That of Alton Mclean is shield
quartered with an antique head, tripartite
cross, galley with flags of England and two
griffins with fish. The inscription is "yirtue
mine honor"
John Flett's is shield with three dolphins
and the inscription 'Pectemur Agendo."
Of their tragical death we read in Parson
Smiths journal:
"Sunday, March 90, 1850. was this morn
ing called to Capt. Ross, Mr.. Flett and Mr.
Mclean being killed by the fall of the kitchen
garrett floor, full of corn, upon the chamber
floor (where Mr.. M Lean was) which carried it
down in an instant and killed Mr.. Flett in the
kitchen. One of the servants was wounded,
but the rest escaped in the chimney.
"25 prayed at the funeral of Messrs. Flett
Nhn 1orn nd
funeral that ever was in the town. People
were very much affected"
We know that Capt. Alexander Ross in
whose house they were killed, was a famous
old merchan the great man of his day; that
he had large ships which carried masts and
lumber to England and Scotland, that his
memory is held in high esteem by the masons
because he introduced that fraternity here
and obtained the first charter of Portland
Lodge, and we have seen displayed in the
window of Fred Hale's art store, the identi-
cal pair of heavy iron-bowed spectacIes which
once bestrid his worthy nose. His wife
was an Orkney lady, Elizabeth Duguid, and
they brought hither several Scotchmen, some
of whom are represented by descendants
among us at this day.
And we know too, that the building in
which the young men were killed, stood on
Middle street and that Franklin street runs
through its site.
"But can we get at any more of the his
tory of these two young gentlemen ?" said 1
to the Elderly Person who had Joined me, as
I sat on the turf beside the grave on Sunday
afternoon. He had invited me to meet him
there that day.
The Elderly Person is of a thoughtful turn
Of mind, and slow of speech. He took his
cigar from his mouth, exhaled wreath of
smoke, and replied:
You know the house on the old Gorham
road, with the poplar trees about it, the one
in which Madame Ross died ?o
eyes, / know the place, but the old house
was burned after her death and that of her
son-in-law, Colonel Tying, and Mrs. Tyng
built the present house somewhere about
1870"
'No matter; Madame Tying lived there
until 1881. was in that old house one sum-
mer when it was unoccupied, and prying
about, found little closet beside CHM
ney in one of the chambers. The door was
so closely fitted that it seemed part of the
finish, but pried it open with my penknlfe
and there 1 found two little packets Of letters,
tied with blue ribbon, the paper yellow with
age, aud the ink faded, but in each packet
was little lock of golden hair"
The Elderly Person always has his pockets
full OF letters, which he brings forth at
opportune moments, SO 1 was not sur
prised to see him draw forth one of the
packets and hand it to me to read, while
he settled himself lazily back against COM
ortable broad maidstone and prepared to
listen carofu1Iu romnuad tho hire r;LLox.