The Portland daily press., 1882-12-30
THE a5oth ANNIVERSARY.
1e52-Portlsnd-l972.

chanic Hall, last evening TO listen to
Hon. W. w. Thomas, Jr.'s lecture. Every
Ee at was occupied, and numbers stood through
out the entire address. 1t was received with
great enthusiasm and frequently cheered.
AS Mr.. Thomas has accepted other invi-
tat ions to deliver his address, we refrain, at
his request from printing it in full at the pre-
sent time, and offer but brief abstract, which
necessarily gives very imperfect idea of the
address itself.
Mr.. Thomas first gave a romantic and vivid
picture of the landing of George Cleeves on
our shores in 1882.
One could see the rough boat with its red
tanned sail blowing its way into our harbor,
the landing near Clay Cove, the telling of the
forest, the building of the first log house, the
women at work at the spinning wheel at the
open door, and the men laboring in the corn
field hard by.
Then came the long fight for the possession
of our neck between our first settler and John
Winter of Cape Elizabeth. The lawsuits lat
Saco in which Winter was cast and Cleeves
victorious.
Then Sir Ferdinando Georges deserts Cleeves
Civil war breaks out in England The old
English Knight takes sides with the King,
and buckles on his armor, Ceeves Bullets the
pillows OF the Atlantic, sails over to England
and espouses the cause of Cromwell and the
Parliament OF England, the cause of human
rights.
At Cleeves' suggestion Col. Alexander Rig
by,one of the parliamentary leaders, purchases
the Plough patent, and Cleeves sails back to
America the first President of the new Prov
ince of Ligonia, extending from Cape Por-
poise TO Portland, aud comprising an area as
large as the State of Rhode Island.
Then comes the hot struggle for political SUI
premacy over our province; shadow play to
he great contest going on over the ocean be-
tween parliament ana the King
The victory of Cromwell in England gives
the death blow to the Gorge's government in
Maine, and Cleeves' triumphant over all his
enemies, reigns supreme over Ligonia, and
bold his courts here on Casco Neck.
Cleeves, the first President of our province of
Lgonia ruled wisely and well, and peace and
contentment attended his reign.
Mr.. Thomss is direct descendant from
G Gorge Cleeves in the ninth generation, and
h pronounced a warm and merited eulogy up
on his ancestor.
We heartily agree with Mr.. Thomas that
Portland should honor with monument the
founder of our city, the first president of eur
province.
The first epoch in the life of Portland, the
epoch of founding, ends in 1876 with King
Phillips war. 1t ends in the complete des-
truction of our town.
Peace came, the settlers returned, the set
Element grew apace and fort Loyal was built
Then the black cloud of Indian war burst
again upon us. Fort Loyal surrendered after
five days desperate fight. The fort and all the
buildings on the neck were destroyed. Some of
the inhabitants escaped by the light of their
blazing buildings, the corpses of the rest lay as
they fell about their ruined homes
The second epoch in our history ends in 1890.
1t ends like the first in our complete destruc-
ton.
For twenty-six years, almost the space of
generation, our town was a bowling wilder
ness.
At last in 1716 brave old hermit Ingersol
came and lived alone upon our neck. His ex-
ample inspired others. In 17l8 there were
fourteen families here and we entered
upon the third epoch of our existence. Then
Parson Smith came among us.
Here on Munioy hill peace was ratified by
Gov. Dummer with the four tribes of Indians.
Saw mills and grist mills were built. Our
great pines were cut down and shipped to
England to become masts for the ships of the
Royal Navy Our town grew rich, and aris-
tocratic.
Then "the quality" promepaded in scarlet
cloaks and gloved on fashionable Fore and
King streets
In 1875 our neck numbered 1000 inhabitants
prosperous and happy.
Then came the Revolution. Mowatt sails into
our harbor. Our brave ancestors refused to
and cannon.
Falmouth chose destruction rather than dis
honor; and the British feet bombarded and
destroyed our town.
So ends the third epoch In our history. It.
ends like the first and second, in our destruc-
ton.
In 1856, Portland was set off from the rest of
Falmouth, and the lecturer described our rise
and progress through the fourth epoch, until
the great confagation of 1866, when this period
ended in the destruction of the greater portion
of our city.
The motto of Portland is Resurgan. It's
emblem, The Ph@ntn. Nothing more fitting
could be devised.
Four times destroyed; she has four times
risen from her ashes and ALWAYS brighter,
fairer and more prosperous than before.
Portland now stands forth as an independ-
ent factor in the life and business of the
United States.
She is one of the great Atlantic ports of this
country, and is surely destined to do her part,
and large part, in the exporting and import
lug business of this continent.
1T would be interesting could we know how
much our growth has been checked by the ter
rible calamities through which we have passed.
But these are all past now, and we have final
ly entered upon our fifth epoch, which surely
promises us great commercial prosperity.
We are certainly the inhabitants Of no mean
city, and of our founder and our history we
may well be proud.
1t is now two centuries and half since our
first settler landed on our soil.
In this year of grace, 1882, Portland has
reached her 250th birthday. and although we
have had no celebration of the event, every
Portlander may mark the year with white
stone.
For standing, as we do, on the turning point
of the first quarter of a thousand years Of our
existence, we may all look back with pride
upon the past and forward with hope and con-
fdence to the future.
Death by Poison.
A death by poison, which has not before
been made public, occurred Wednesday. Mr.
Isaac L. Hughes, Chestnut street, has been ac-