The Portland daily press., 1890-05-10
THE old FOLKS AT HOME.
Smart Men and Women Who Are
Marching on to a Hundred.
Four Score Years and Ten Attained
by Many.
Some Of PortIand's Venerable Cit
liens.
IHnn. William Gnnld 1

Hon. William Goold.1
William w. Thomas Is descendant In the
sixth degree from George Burroughs the
martyr, through his daughter Elizabeth, who
married Peter Thomas Of Boston. Elias
Thomas descendant came here and married
Elizabeth, daughter of Judge Widgery in
1902. These were the parents of our honored
citizen, VIM. w. Thomas. who was born on
what is now Church street, November 7th.
1903. He finished his school education at
the Portland Acadamy. At the age of 10, he
commenced his business education with
Joseph Harrod then in the retail dry goods
trade, Cd the corner of Middle and Exchange
street. where the First National Bank now
stands. He was afterwards with Vinton &
Cox, on Exchange street, in the same bust
ness. In 1922, then 10 years old, Mr.. Thomas
bought out David M. Gardiner, on Exchange
street and commenced the dry goods bust
ness on his own account. When they were
first erected, he removed to MitchelPs build
ings, where now stands the st. Julian Hotel.
From there he went to the corner of Middle
and Union streets. He left the dry goods
business in 1885.
Before Mr. Thomas left the dry goods bust
ness, he owned the bark Marcella. Having
been successful with her he took a ware
house and counting room on Central wharf
and turned his attention to navigation, not
forgetting to look after any we'll situated
real estate which was offered in the market.
Gen. Samuel Veazie was Portland boy :;
his first business was as journeyman baker.
and drove Thaxter's bread cart. He had
conceived the idea that there was something
in store for him in the eastern country. He
was one of the projectors and owners of the
Bangor, Oldtown and Milford railroad"
the first in the state. A gentleman told me
many years ago, that he was passenger on
freight train on this road In It's early days,
when they came to car on side track that
projected too far. The engine struck 1t and
made a large three-corned hole in the boiler
through which all the steam escaped. Here
was fix. 1t was their only locomotive, but
the engineer was fruitful in expedients. He
went to a mill and obtained seasoned pine
shingle-bolt, which he shaped to the hole in
the boiler and drove 1t in with an axe, and
started the fire. The steam swelled the sea-
soned pine inside, which prevented 1t from
blowing out. Steam was got up and the train
was hauled to Bangor successfully.
Veazie had built the ship Susan. but CON-
merce was too slow business for him. and he
being much in want of money to equip the
railr cad, he sold his ship to VIM. w. Thomas
for ten thousand dollars and went to Bangor
and got wealth.
Andrew Scot had been an unsuccessful dry
goods merchant alongside of Mr. Thomas,
and was out of business. ScOtts father was
a shipmaster and the son had made several
voyages with him, and was well up in all the
requirements ola navigator and merchant.
In letter to me years after Capt. Scott
wrote: 'My friend Thomas gave me a ship
when no one else would"
Mr.. Thomas inherited share Of his large
property, but the bulk of his estate is the re-
suit or skllrul management and profitable
investment. His numerous tenants speak in
the highest terms Of his treatment as a land
lord.
Mr.. Thomas has been president of the
Canal Bank fifty years. His son Elias is
vice president. He was elected mayor in
1861 and bore the great burden of the Office
during the two first years Of the war of the
Rebellion. He has also been repeatedly
elected representative and senator. He was
twenty years an overseer of Bowdoin College.
In 1856 Mr.. Thomas was married to Miss
Elizabeth Goddard, who died in 1884. They
began housekeeping first at Howe's bloch.
Pearl street; then in Park street block. In
1S47 they moved to the present spacious resi-
dence on Danforth street.