The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-03-26
Nathaniel Deerinp

| great age of SO years and months He was
the of James and the grandson of Ma
| thaniel Deering, who was born in Kittery
| in 1879, came here in 1850, and estab-
lished himself as ship and boat builder. In
1866 he married Dorcas. daughter OF Deacon
James Milk. They first lived in house that
stood at the north corner of Exchange and
Fore streets, having an unobstructed view of
the harbor The lot is yet owned by their de-
scendants. They afterwards removed to Mid
die street, to house with deep front yard
on considerable elevation where now
| stands the post office. He was the principal
promoter OF the building of Long wharf in
1898, which was extended from his breastwork,
on which was his boat house and yard. He
became successful merchant and an extern
sve land holder, which was the foundation of
the large Deering and Prebe estates of the
present day. He died in 1885, aged 56, and
his widow died in 1926, aged So.
| Nathaniel DeeriDg senior had two children,
Mary, who married Commodore Edward Pre-
BILE, and James, born in 1866, who succeeded
| his father in mercantile business at the corner
of Exchange street and afterwards on Long
wharf He lived on Middle street opposite his
fathers. His wife was Almira, daughter of
Enoch Ilsley, prominent and at one time a
| wealthy citizen, who had been selectman and
town treasurer fifteen years. The house from
which James Deering took his bride in 1889 is
| yet standing on the south corner of Middle
and India streets. 1t was built in 1884. James
| Deering, who was respected by every one, died
in 1850, and his wife a few years later, both at
| advanced ages. These were the worthy pa
rents of Nathaniel Deering, whose death calls
| for this notice. He was born in the Middle
street house July 25, 1871, and at the time of
! his death was the last survivor of a large fam
| lily of brothers and sisters, the youngest of
| whom was the wife of VIM. Pitt Fessenden
| In his early boyhood Mr.. Deering attended the
| school kept by Master Patten. From this
| school he went to Exeter and received his pre-
| paratory instruction from Benjamin Abbott,
the celebrated preceptor of Philips Academy.
| When sufficiently advanced he entered Har
ward College, from which he was graduated in
| 1910. His name stands fourteenth in class
of sixty-three.
| Before commencing the study of law Mr..
Deering thought of pursuing the business of
his father and grandfather, that of mer-
| chant, and with that intent he entered the
counting house of Capt Asa Capp, where he
| remained short time. He then entered the
Office of Judge Ezekiel Whitman and was ad>
mitted to the bar in 1916. He commenced
| practice in that part of the town of Canaan
which is now Skowhegan. Mrs. Lydia Maria
Childs wrote the following epigram while Mr.
Deering was practicing law at Canaan and be-
| fore his marriage:
''Whoever weds the young LAWYER at c.,
| Will surely have prospects most cheering,
| For what must his person and intellect be,
| When even his name is n. Deering.
In October 1924, he married the daughter of
Major John q. Howell, of the British army.
| Her grandfather was j. q. Howell, Esq,
! who commanded the garrison at Fort William,
| at Calcutta, at its surrender on the Goth of
June, 1876, and with 145 others was confined
| in the black hole of the prison, of whom only
% persons, including the commander, came
| out alive.
Mr.. Deering returned to Portland in 1886,
where he has since resided. He was the editor
of political paper called ''The Independent
Statesman" which was started in Portland in
1922, in the interest of Henry Clay, think,
| for President, and of Gen. Wingate for Cover
nor. Mr. Deering gradually relinquished the
law for the more congenial profession of litera-
ture. In 1880 he wrote 'Carabasset," TRACE
dy, in five acts, founded upon the death of
Father Rassle, who for forty years was the Je-
suit missionary to the Norridgewocks. This
| play he dedicated to his old preceptor, Mr.. Alb
| bolt, for whom he had great respect. A few
years later Mr.. Deering wrote "The Clarvoy-
ants" a comedy, which has several times been
represented on the stage, both in Portland and
Boston. His tragedy of "Bozzaris," in five
acts, was written and published in 1851, and is
the most carefully written and finished of his
| productions. His best known short stories are
"The Donation Visit - 'Timotheus TuttIe,'
"Tableaux Vivants," and "Mrs Sykes
Soon after the capture of the Boxer by the
Enterprise, in 1918, the citizens of the town
| gave public diener to the surviving officers of
the Enterprise, at which Mr. Deering sang an
"Ode' of his own composition, of which that
battle was the theme. 1t called forth the most
lively applause, and he was compelled to repeat
| it. He was then % years DID, and so diffident
was he that he refused repeatedly to furnish
copy for publication, and it is lost. His toast
on that occasion was the following:
"The brave who fell in the late action they have
given to their country dignity and lustre and to
| themselves an mperishable name'
ballads. short poems sonnets, epigrams, etc.,
which have appeared from time to time in the
periodicals of the day.
The Deering homestead farm of about two
hundred acres, is within one mile of the City
Hall, and is nearly surrounded by dense settle
ments. It's broad park-like appearance, its
multitude of gigantic oaks, well kept and ele-
CANT buildings and grounds, are said to COM
pare favorably with any similar establishment
in the United States, in the immediate vicinity
of city. 1t is remarkable for its spreading
oaks, of both the white and red varieties, of
mopstrous size. The white oak is of very slow
| growth, and some Of these of from twelve to
| fifteen feet in circumference. must have been
at least two centuries in attaining to their pres
ent majestic appearance. The margin of each
of the original roads through the estate is or
namented with elms of seventy-fve years
growth, while the fruit trees of all kinds are
almost without number.
The farm was purchased by Mr.. James Deer
ing in 1898, of several owners, the principal of
whom were the Noyes and Freeman heirs.
George Cleaves, the original proprietor, con-
veyed this land to his son-in-law, Michael Mil
ton, in 1868. Anthony Bracket, who came
here in 1862, married Millions daughter Ann,
aud had his residence very near where the
mansion house now is Brackets house was
attacked by Indians in 1876, when his wifes
brother, Nath'l Milton, who resisted was killed
on the spot and Brackett and his family were
taken prisoners to Merrymeeting Bay There
they were left unguarded for a while and es-
capped to the northern shore of Casco Bay.
Here they found an old bark canoe which Mrs.
Bracket mended with needle and thread, and
in this they escaped across the bay. Captain
Bracket was killed in battle with the
Indians near his own house, September
Dist, 1859, in which Colonel Benjamin Church
of Plymouth colony. (the saras who killed
King Philip in 1861 with two companies of
Plymouth soldiers, some friendly Indians
from Cape Cod, and the garrison of the town,
were engaged from dawn of day until sunset,
with three or four hundred Indians, whom
they compelled to fly. The loss to the Colonists
was eleven killed and ten wounded, four of
| fInH 1o1 Of