The Portland daily press., 1882-06-12
NoTABL EVENT.
PORTLAND MERCHANTS APPRECIA-
TON OF JOHN AIN.
Grand Trunk Employees Take Hand.

The Falmouth Hotel was the scene OF not
able event Saturday evening. Last Wednes-
days PRESS announced the fact that Mr.. John
Main, the efficient represen, tive of the Grand
Trunk Railway in this city, " as probably about
to be promoted to Assistant eneral Freight
Agent with headquarters at D troit, and Fri
day morning the news was oenfir =. When
the wholesale merchants on Commercial street
most of whom transact good deal OF busi-
ness over the Grand Trunk-read the an
nouncement they determined Mr.. Main should
not leave the city without some substantial APP
probation of him, on their part, as an official
and man. Time was short, for Mr.. Main had
been ordered to leave for his new post to-day,
but little time accomplished good results A
few merchants who carried subscription pa
per were met more than half We by every
merchant asked to subscribe, and the only rea-
son why we do not publish the list of subscribe
ers is because many who were not asked, owing
to the want of time or because they were abb
sent from town, would feel sighted, when there
was no such intention The employees of the
road also determined to make presentation,
and decided to do Sc at the same time with the
merchants.
At 8 D. m. parlor No. 10 was filled with some
one hundred and twenty-five gentlemen repre-
senting all the departments of the Grand
Trunk road, and some eighty merchants. 1t
would be useless to call names, for all were
there who could get in. 1t had been the in
tention to have ex-Prssident w. S. Dana of the
Board of Trade make the presentation speech
on the part of the merchants, but sudden at
tack of illness in his family defeated the plan,
and John W. Deering, Esq, kindly consented
to oficate.
Capt. Deering said the company had assem-
bled for special object, to bid good-by to Mr..
Main and to present him with memorial on
the part of the Portland merchants as proof of
their kind wishes. He referred to the faith
fitness with which that gentleman had. always
attended to the interests Of the great company
of which he was the representative in Port
land, to his urbanity with his dealings with
the merchants, and his earnest efforts to help
both. He hoped the watch he was presenting
would be a reminder OF the pleasant moments
he had passed in the Forest City, and in be-
Mr.. w. w. Duffett, Assistant Treasurer of
the Grand Trunk, then stepped forward and
referred to the many years of pleasant inter
course between the employees and Mr. Main
Many of their members had parted from them
in that time, but none whose loss would be
more deeply felt than his. You cannot, said
he, find more or better friends than you will
leave behind you here, and may the links OF
this chain (here presenting superb chain)
only serve to bind US all the more closely to-
gether. In conclusion he wished him, from
all, long life, health and prosperity.
Mr. Main rose to reply, but it was evident it
was with difficulty he could restrain his emo
lions. The affair had been SO sudden; he had
received no previous intimation of the extent
of the demonstration; and the heartfelt ex-
pressions of sorrow &C his loss on the part of
the speakers proved too much for him. Flo
said: Gentlemen, I cannot put it into words.
1t is a terrible thing to go away from Portland,
where have lived for sixteen years. I came
here at that time with letter to Mr.. Porteous,
and since then have grown up along with
you.' Here his voice trembled, and he said,
ST can't say any more I thank you very
much. / shall always cherish the pleasantest
recollectiops of you all
Remarks expressive of the high appreciation
in which Mr.. Main was held were made by Mr.
John H. True, of True & Leighton, DR.. Mer-
rill, L. G. Wade of the PRESS, Edwin Glenn
emit, of E. Clement & Co., and others, and the
party then broke up with farewells to Mr.
Main.
The watch is heavy, open-faced Swiss, val
ued at $3.50, purchased at J. Ambrose Merrilps.
On the outer case is the monogram, j. M"
On the inside case is inscribed:
Presented to John Main
by
Merchants and Friends.
Portland,
June 10th, 1882.
The chain is formed of close links, is very
heavy and is valued at $780, Attached to it is
locket with head cut in cameo on the onyx.
There was beside an elegant seal ring. Aporte-
monnaie accompanied the watch, containing the
t.oy,, FORT tla sup, of $500 in gold