The Portland daily press., 1879-03-27
THE PAST AND THE PRESENT.
A Venerable Relic.

Mr.. EDIToR:-Few occurrences interest the
| average coUntryman more than fire in the
| city, and the preparations to extingaish it. It
seems to him to have been previously arranged
| Tor his special entertainment; that the horses
have been harnessed to the dIffert MT machines,
the fFemen dressed, and the fire lighted in the
engines, previous to giving the alarm, so rapid.
ly do they all appear on the scene. Bat when
the building is seen smoking at every angle the
Illusion vanishes
By accident yesterday found myself at your
City Building when the fire alarm was struck,
and came out to see wooden block near. ap-
parently all on fire. In witnessing the hasty
but orderly preparations to extingush it, my
mind, as it sometimes will, wandered back
fifty years, to the time when q similar occur
renee would have set all the church bells ring
ing and every housewife would have thrown
into the street pair of gaily painted leather
buckets, which had been hanging in the front
entry. The male population on their way to
the place Of danger, would take the buckets
with them. The small hand engines with no
power to draw water, would be drawn to the
Same place by men and boys, with many shouts
of encouragement The Fire Wards would ap-
pear with their long red Stats of Office, and
compel all that were able to form lines-one to
pass the full buckets from the pump, and an
other of the weaker class, to return the empty
buckets.
Yesterday portable hydrant was secured to
a fire plug in the street and several lines of
hose run out from it in different directions. In
doing this the hose carriages seemed like huge
spiders, securing fly, which was represented
by the hydrant, and the threads by the hose.
When all was ready, at the bidding of the
magician with his wand, personated by a fire
man with his wrench, the water of an inland
lake some 20 miles away, rose from the ice
covered earth, and proceeded to quench the
fire, without the application of any visible
power; and if it had proved too slow in the
work, several smoking demons stood ready,
under control, to quicken its speed. But they
were not needed. To contrast the old with the
new was irresistible, and like Calico, was
compelled to admit that the world does move.
In looking around to see what other build
ings were in danger, my first thought was of
the Sims Of court and next of two story
wooden house on Chestnut street, next to the
building on fire. This house has a history. II
first stood on the site of the Canal National
Bank, on Middle street, and there, became the
first banking house in Maine The Portland
Bank was chartered ard went into operation
IN 1893. 1t was the fifth bank chartered by the
General Court of Massachusetts. The first
regular bank Ct the common wealth was the
Massachusetts Bank of Boston, chartered in
1884. The old house arovs mentioned, was a
dwelling house when it was purchased by the
bank, and all but the front lower room contin-
ued to be used for the same purpose. OF the
organization of this bank, the directors lack of
knowledge of banking, of its vault, and the
printing of its bills. could give long history,
If had the time and you had the space.
In 1906 the banking company sold the build
ing to VIM. Haskell, cabinet maker. who had
lived in the second story tenement. He moved
it to its present site. He had his shop on the
corner now occupied BY the building which took
fire. Haskell sold the house to Elias Merrill,
who had lost lee, which was then considered
a necessary qualification for the Office of Reg
lister of Deeds, to which be was elected in 1904
Mr.. Merrill held the Office and lived in the
bouse many years. After the great fire of
1866 this house was the frontier building bor-
dering on desolation. 1t escaped yesterday
also, aud if its good fortune does not forsake it,
it is good for another century. VIC.
Windham, March 26th.