The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-12-29
Temperance Work in Michigan.

FLINT, Michigan, Dec. "a, 1881
To The Editor Of the Press:
This is one of the prettiest towns have seen
in Michigan, having about ten thousand IN
habitants. 1t has one principal business street,
the best stores on which would not look badly
even in Portland, where some Improvements
have been made in these latter years in the
matter Of architectural adornment The dis
play of plate glass in the shop fronts in these
small inland cities, is quite remarkable, the
fashion having grown up within very few
years.
Manistee, that left this morning, has been
always isolated from the rest of the State, the
only way of access to it being by many miles OF
travel by stage or wagon, or by steamers ON the
lake. that do not run at this season. A rail-
way is now completed to point two miles
from the town, small lake, served by little
steamer, intervening between it and the end
of the rail, which will be extended next week
to the city station. At present there is but one
train each day, arriving at 1.20 a. M, and de-
parting at 345 a. m. So of all the little towns
ever visited this is the hardest to reach and
much harder to leave. Persons visiting 1t
now have to wait at little shanty of station
twenty-seyen miles distant, from three p m.
until teI-the schedule time-but waited,
watched and wilted there until 11.2O, as the
connecting train was late. At the distance OF
two hundred yards is a little shanty where the
sssection master lives with the five men who
help him in keeping levelled and aligned the
rails and ballasting on this section Of the road.
This is the only place where supper could be
had. and SO had there a slight experience OF
frontier life, manners and mode OF living,
Manistee is said to produce more shingles
and better ones than any other place III the
world, it being in the very centre of what was
a few years ago, the vast pinery of Michigan,
but which has now, alasl been driven back BY
the inexorable, pitiless axe Of the woodman.
The broad acres where a few years ago stood
dense forest of invaluable pines, are dotted
over with the blackened stumps OF the noble
trees and very soon there will be no trace left
of that vast mine of wealth as precious as gold
and lar more useful to man, if only one or the
other could be had. In this little busy town
many Maine people dwell, who are great helps
to its prosperity. Some OF these were from
Portland whom knew in the old time, the
guest Of one Of whom was. There is one pc
culiarity about this little place; it has many
earnest workerS-men and women-in the
temperance cause. That is not the popularity
l allude to; it is this that some OF its most
prominent and prosperous business men are
heartily helping with personal influence, with
votes and with money.
The Women's Christian Temperance Asso-
citation has large, fine hall, well furnished,
built by subscription, and all paid for. IL is
building Of white brick, two stories high, and
very good. The wife of millionaire is presi-
dent Of the society, and her husband said to
her one day: sWife, do not like the situa-
ton of that hall of yours, nor the quality of it;
it looks little shabby to my eye. You may
send to Mr.. - "a Chicago archltect) to make
plans of good one On such lot-and tell
him to come to see the spot where it shall
stand.
TnIs new hall is nearly completed. 1t is of
white brick, very large and handsome. With
in as we'll as without it will be first class in
eyery respect 1t is so constructed that the
noble auditorium may be contracted to suit
smaller audience, by means of sliding screens
of huge sheets of plate glass, which shut OIL
large apartments that are to be used for the
private purposes of the association; but when
a large audience Is expected these screens are
withdrawn so as to make very grand hall,
forty-seveu feet high from the floor to the apex
of the arch, and harmonizing in all its proper
tions. The building has large commit
tee rooms, a large parlor, cloak rooms, water,
gas a large, we'll appointed kitchen,
and grand refectory, where it is expected
''the gullets'' of the teetotalers-as the New
York Tribune elegantly expresses twill be
gratitied by great many nice things that have
none of 1.-THE drunk in them. The old Tenn
perance Hall stands in the busiest part of the
town, and will probably be converted to COM
mercial purposes, the rents going into the trea-
sury of the Association.
On the 18th instant an immense mass meet
ing of the citizens was held at the Temperance
Hall to consider and adopt measures to compel
the "Saloonists" to obey the law. The clergy
men Of the town were the promoters OF the
meeting, and its managers, in connection with