The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-02-28
GOV. CHRISTOPHER CORE.
The Stately Federa,ist who honored
Maine with Visit.
[Hon. William Goold.1

| the District of Maine formed part of the
commonwealth. He was born in Boston
| September Dist, 175S. His father was a
Loyalist butdi not leave his province. The
sons took the other side in the contest
Samuel Gore painter, the eldest son and a
| brother to Christopher, was one of the party
that destroyed the tea in Boston in 1773
Christopher Gore was educated at Harvard
College, and graduated in the class of 1776,
and settled in his native town of Boston. In
1859 he was appointed the first district attor-
ney of Massachusetts by President Washing
ton, under the constitution of 1887. In 1876
Mr.. Gore was elected one Of the commission
ers under the 4th article of Jays treaty to
settle the claims of the United States upon
Great Britain for spoliations. This appoint
ment took him to London where he remained
eight years, successfully engaged in the
| duties of his office. In 1903 he was left
charge des dfdires.
Governor Sullivan (who was a native of
| Maine) died in the second year of his service
as chief magistrate of the commonwealth.
| December 10th, 1908, which left Mr.. Lincoln
Lieutenant Governor, to act in his place dur
| ing the remainder of the term. In 1909 Mr..
| Lincoln was the candidate of the Democratic
| party for Governor. The Federal party
nominated Mr.. Gore-he had been its candi-
| date the year preceding. Mr.. Gore had been
much in public life at home and abroad, and
was particularly qualified for chief mags-
trate. Law was his profession and politics
had long been his study 1t was time of
great political excitement. The people were
groaning under the burden of the embargo
| fol i,,f
| the great injury Of New England industries.
| la December Of that year, twelve months
| after the embargo was laid, an additional act
was passed by Congress to enforce it, under
the pretence that eyasions of the first law
had taken place. This act was more strict
and severe than the first law-that of De-
cember. 1907. This statute was so oppres-
sive in the seaport towns of Massachusetts,
proper and of the District of Maine, that the
people became greatly excited. This was
was held which was attended with as much
| spirit and activity as on any former occasion.
| 1t was virtually national, and not mere
| State issue. Mr.. Gore was elected, but by
| by less than three thousand majority.
| The next year the obnoxious restrictions
| on commerce were not enforced with so much
vigor, and notifications were pre- missed when
Governor Gore and Lieutenant Governor
| Cobb lost their election.
| In 1914 Governor Gore was chosen to the
| United States Senate, in which capacity he
| served about three years, and then withdrew
into final retirement. Mr.. Gore had been a
very successful lawyer and had amassed a
| fortune Daniel Webster studied law with
| him. Governor Gore died at his residence in
| Waltham, March LIST, 1929. In 1888, he had
married Rebecca, daughter of Deacon Ed
ward Paine Of Boston, who survived him.
| They had no children.
Gore Hall at Cambridge which contains
| the university library commentaries mag
nifcent bequest in Mr.. Cores will. 1t was
named for him.
| William Sullivan describes Governor Gore
as tall, little inclined to corpulency in mid
die age, and erect, but began to bend at an
earlier age than common. He became bald
tied behind and dressed with powder. His
face was round and lorid; his eyes black;
his manner courteous and amiable.
john L: Morse, Jr., says Governor Gore
school. His habits and appearance partook
largely of that aristocratic element which
then distinguished the prominent Federalists
throughout the country. and nowhere in a
greater degree than in Boston. He had a
magnificent house at Waltham (ten miles
from Boston, with marble floor, a deer park,
and like expensive luxurious appointments
He drove coach and four with 0utriders in
livery. Indeed it Is said that the loss of his
election to second term of the governor
ship was largely due to these over gorgeous
habits"
Governor Gore effected great improve
|
Boston. He had resided near London sever
al years before he built his house at Wal
than and Covent garden market did not es-
cape his eye. He laid out extensive grounds
for gardening. He raised great surplus of
vegetables. His gardener soon stood in Bos-
ton market with the finest and earliest vege-
table that had been seen there, and some
new varieties.
Much Of our interest in the memory of
Governor Gore and his administration, arises
| from the fact that he was the first and only
| Governor who had been elected under the
constitution, that visited the eastern district
| of the commonwealth before Maine became
| an Independent State, while in Office The
| royal Governors in their time, occasionally
came sailing into our harbors In ships of
war with numerous retinue to build ports
at public expense, to make more valuable
the domain Of some land company in which
they were interested, or to ascertain If any
more men could possibly be furnished for the
expeditions to the Canada frontier. Or per-
haps to see If the people would bear
province pr tax 0D When en- they they came 'e Il
was not singly but by battalions.. When
Governor Shirley came to build Fort
Halifax In 1874, he brought eight hundred
men with him. In 1853 when Governor
Pownal built the fort at Penobscot. he
brought with him and collected at Falmouth
1853 men whom he says in his journal he bill
leted out on the people Of the town. In 1872
when Governor Belcher came to Falmouth In
man of war land sloop from Boston with
councillors, representatives and other gen.
tlemen from all parts OF the country" they
staid three weeks and seem, according TO
Parson Smith, to have been an uncommonly
hungry party. He says In his journal,
August 2nd "The vessels all sailed to-day.
They have left us quite bare, and nothing of |
the country's produce left only three BUSH
els of corn, and some small things" His next |
entry is one that was natural consequence. |
He says, I'VE had public fast
Governor Gore came to the District OF |
Maine to visit and encourage an infant insti- |
tuition of learning, and to qualify himself to
ton in 1920, all those noted Governors were |
our Governors, from Hancock to Brooks, as
truly as if we had been citizens of Suffolk, |
Middlesex or Norfolk, and our. district |
helped to elect them and pay their salary, |
and to make the laws which they signed and |
executed.
can recollect when my father left his |
home In the fall of 1885, in two-wheeled |
chaise, with his trunk strapped to the axle, |
for Boston to represent his town in the GEN |
eral Court. He was a firm believer in Gov |
ernor Strong and his policy. AT the COM |
mencement at Harvard College, August 30,
marked honors, and the degree of Doctor of |
Laws was conferred upon him. The next |
Wednesday, Sept. 9th, was fixed for the
tonrth commencement at B0wd0ln College, |
which his Excellency had engaged to attend. |
This of course caused great commOtion in |
Cumberland and Lincoln counties. 1t is a |
fact of history and recollection that his Ex-
cellency came in bis own family coach with
four horses, accompanied by his lady. he
was received at the Piscataqua by Captain
Tenants's company of cavalry ana escorted
to Kennebunk. Judge George Thacher, who
had been the governors classmate and chum
in college, lived at Biddeford. In college his
class shortened up Mr.. Cures name to
kitty" When 1t was announced that the
governor would visit Brunswick, Judge
Thacher sent him an invitation to stop at
his house on the way, and addressed him in
the note as kitty Gore" After spending
night with the judge the citizens of Bidde-
ford and SacO escorted the governor to Scar |