The Portland daily press., 1880-04-03
The Old Broad Andirons at the Friendly
Inn.

LIS O1u orOaO AuQ1rOnS at the Friendly
Inn.
The visitor at the Friendly Inn will be
struck by pair of quaint brass andirons, and
if collector of antiques will be very likely
to break the tenth commandment. These
andirons belonged to Thadeus Broad. who
built the tavern at Stroudwater, known to
our ancestors as "Broad's Tavern" and which
was their favorite resort half century ago.
Looking at them one can but be carried
back to those bygone times, and in magma
ton behold scenes of which they formed part.
Ii they only could speak how much would
they tell us. Ninety years ago Thadeus
Broad, then brisk, enterprising and pros
porous man, proudly placed them in the great
fire place of his new house, arranged the
bright fender before them, and stood the tall
shovel and tongs like sentinels beside them.
linen as the days went along, as they ever go
the expected guests began to arrive The
shy bride placed her dainty feet on the fender
and warmed them by the blazing logs which
these same andirons bore up on their strong,
shoulders, while the groom, perchance as shy
as she, looked on at a distance admiringly
Family parties came-perhaps the mother of
the family this same bride-and recalled in
their glow pleasant "reminiscences of the past
There was that whist party, so familiar to
many of us, which lasted until past - o'clock
on Saturday night, when, finding that they
were desecrating the Sabbath, the gay re-
vellers agreed to give the stakes to Parson
Bradley, and one, whom many still remember,
took the money, and called at the Parsons
rnfy 70 i, 80 .x-r,s l.
OF the party remained at the gate. Hearing
the knock the parson put his head out of the
window and asked the cause of the disturbance.
why" said his caller a little thickly, but in
voice familiar to the parson 1--WE were play
ing cards at Broads and found it was Sunday
morning, so we agreed to give you the money
for the Lord" The window went down with
bang. and moment after, the parson appear
ed in his nightly gear, at the door, and as he
took the money, he said, while his ewes
twinkled humorously in the moonlight, "Why
didn't you play little longer Harry" How
much Tom and Jerry and how many smashers
and fiips have been drunk before these gilt
tering andirons. "Boys," the old landlords of
past days would say, "Shall make you a
flip with new laid egg and loaf sugar, stirred
with silver spoon, or one with molasses stir.
red with wooden spoon and no egg" and
the old audirons would shake with the shout
''None of your molasses and wooden spoons
for u.s. ~
But Thadeus Broad and his wife grew gray.
and SO did their guests. Even Silas, whose
curly head of fax the guests were wont to
pat, grew old. Still the andirons held their
place, and apparently their youth, while
funeral after funeral took place, and till guests
ceased to come to the old house once new.
And now, in the year of grace eighteen hum
dred and eighty, they glow as cheerfully as
ever in the old fire place of the Friendly Inn,
which noble women of Portland are laboring
to keep open for the benefit of needy way
farers How many such come here in dispair,
bound by alcohol with stronger than iron
letters, and hearing words of sympathy and
encouragement begin a new life! Many most
certainly, as all know who are acquainted with
the work, and did space permit, some of these
cases should be related here Our citizens
have an interest in sustaining these ladies in
their good work, and will not forget them.
May these old andirons of Thadeus Broad
which he SO proudly placed in his new house
nearly century ago, shed their pleasant
glow at the Friendly Inn for many year, and
may the good work prosper