The Portland daily press., 1890-03-22
SEEN AND hEARD.

ly begun. The reform to which refer is In |
the spelling of the word are. l have always |
been taught to believe that the proper spell |
ing Of this word was as 1t is written above. |
Some few weeks ago however a Boston |
paper spoke of ''an az trust" in large type. |
At the time thought it was a typographical |
error but noticing in a great many other |
papers since then the same photography, |
came to the conclusion that the edct had |
gone forth from general headquarters to cut |
the off and that it had been done. This is |
in line with the other edicts from the same |
source, that have taken letters and syllables |
from such words as programme. leaving |
them, so | am told, more like the old original
Anglo-Saxon, though l doubt if programs
were known to that long suffering people
upon whose unhappy shoulders so much has
been laid.-A learned man assures me that
this practice of eliminates silent eS from the
end of words is to be commended In
asmuch as the letter e is the most used of
any in the alphabet, its elimination might
be of some slight benefit to printers and
others, but to the rest of us the practice, If
sprung suddenly and completely, on the
public, would be somewhat confusing Here
is an example. "She cam out from the stor
near her, and saw the boy who stol chees
from stab!-1oor she saw noon" This is
"sentenc" selected at random from book
lying near me. and is not perhaps as astonish-
ing as could "b'' manufactured with "little
expens of tim and troubl" l feel it in my
bones, as the good women say, that this re-
form which is said to be the invention of
Congressman Lawler of Illinois will not be
universally adopted. If it should be, taking
an ak" to man will be only another way of
referring question for decision.
A railroad conductor has recently taken
| up his abode at our house, and he contributes
| no small share to the chats that we have at
| our table. He likes our Union Station very
much. Says it is gem INTELLECTUALLY con-
| sidered and Is convenient for the railroad
business. But there is one popularity of
human nature developed by popularity of
Its construction that he does not like at all.
AS every citizen of Portland knows or ought
to know by this time, trains run through the
station, both ways. When person desires
to go on the Maine Central line to the east,
ne or she, should take a train that is pointed
toward Congress street and should sit facing
that street. When going on the Boston &
Maine line or over the Mountain division the
passenger should take train pointing away
from Congress street, and should sit with
his back to that street. lay down these
rules at the request of the conductor who
| says that he would be astonished, only he is
FAR beyond the astonishing point, at the
thick medicines of many people. He is in
| the habit of going to his train rather early
and locking himself into his little office in
the front of the car, where he looks after his
trip reports, etc. 1t is amusing. he says, and
at the same time pitiable, to see the lack of
what he calls geographical knowledge in so
many people. 1t is no uncommon thing, he
says, to see two women enter the car, loaded
down with parcels, grips and umbrellas, and
standing in the aisle effectually blocking all
progress OF other people debate the question
OF which way the car is going to go when it
starts. "Why" says one, ''all the seats are
turned this way. We are going out So"
Perhaps not" responds the other, "the
train has just come 10 end probably the men
haven't had time to turn the seats over yet"
And so 1t goes on for longer or a shorter
time, usually ending by the seizure of two
seats which are turned to face each other,
one being filled with bundles, the other with
the women themselves. After the train has
gone about twenty miles they begin to have
the courage of their convictions, and decide
that the train has really started. If they are
riding backward as they are, nine times out
OF ten, they change over and rest contented
with their sagacity
Speaking Of the Maine Central railroad,
reminds me to remark the quickness and
completeness with which the name "moun-
tain division" affixed itself to that portion of
the company's line formerly known as the
Portland q Ogdensburg. When the lease
of the Ogdensburg was effected and the
Maine Central took possession it was an
nounced that no specific name would be
given to it. Carrying out this good resolu-
tlon the signal registers were labelled. one
Portland & Bangor line. the other Portland
& Fabyans line. That name did not satisfy
the newspapers however, and the latter line
became the mountain division. For time
the railroad officials tried to stem the tide.
In fact they have not entirely given 1t up yet
as their advertisement of trains in the
PRESS reads white Mountains line," but
even the wording of that shows a slight
bending to the popular will. Everywhere
else the road is the mountain division. This
1t seems to me a most conspicuous example
of the force of popular will showing that
acts af the legislature or the city government
are not necessary to effect the change of
name of place of public resort or railroad.
My attention has been called to the picture
of the monitor Wassuc, in R. S. Rand's
window on Congress street. Beside, ac-
cording to the Major, being an accurate re-
presentation of the craft, as he remembers
her, the picture has additional value from
the particulars of construction that are
given around the edges. Ihave been told
that several men have visited the PRESS
Office and under the impression that they
were talking to me have gone over the whole
story with my friend the Editor; all however
stopping just short of the point which the
Schoolmistress wanted to have settled.
namelyswhat became of the Wassuc eventual
ly. The name is not now in the navy
register; it was, in 1866 and later. How
came it to be taken off? Unless find some
body who knows something to the contrary,
shall be obliged in spite of myself to agree
with Jack that an was put into the monitor;
that is to say that she a1as sank, at some
time and place unknown. SYLVESTER.