The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-06-15
WHEN WE WERE BOYS,
iS4o-I95o.
mo. g.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

"~AA ANODbhh1s
Early on bright warm summer Sunday
morning in the forties, two boys could have
been seen vending their way from Kent's
bake house then located on the corner of
Vine and Fore streets. 1t was the custom
In those days to send pot of beans to the
bake-house on Saturday night and most
families usually sent with them a large
earthern pot OF fresh sour apples all cored.
sweetened and spiced to bake at the same
time. The cover on the pot of apples was a
very thick crust of dough of some sort which
was baked quite hard and afterward broken
up into the apple sauce. the whole making a
delicious side dish for the hot baked beans.
This was termed .''pan-doudy," and right
good it was too. and only at its best when
baked all night in large brick oven, which
gave to the sauce rich delicate Jelly like
flavor. In fact 1t actually makes nv mouth
water as write Of it.
Now let us go back to the highway robbery.
On the morning In question these two bows
as they came round the corner of Fore and
Willow, (now) Pearl street, one of Them hav-
ing In front a large pot of baked beans and
the other large pot of pan-doudy, both
piping hot and the boys holding on for dear
life, they were confronted with crowd of
half drunken sailors who had their sense of
smelling aroused by the appetizing Odors
that peryaded the air. The crowd seized
Dotn boys who could do nothing but hug the
pots, and taking the entire cover from off the
top of the pan-doudy which on being turned
up resembled large bowl, they then filled
II up with the lions share of the pork and
pan-doudy and did not stop to even count
out the beans, but filled the bowl to ovefiow-
ing, and went on their way rejoicing. The
boys with tears In their eyes wendell their
way home and had the family ''listen to
their tale Of VICE." The boys were hardly
old enough to see where the fun came In, as
they were laughed at by the older members
OF the family for their tears. Police were
lew and lar between In those days and lucky
Tor the perpetrators of ''this high handed
outrage that they did not fall into the hands
OF our old friend Judge Luther Fitch, who
we fear. with his exalted ideas of the majesty
OF the law would have gived them full BEN
eht for breaking In" on an time honored
custom, baked beans for Sunday morning
breakfast. One Of those boys is lnow Presi-
dent dent OF one of our National banks in this
city, and the other is located In the Insurance.
business on Exchange street.
CHARLES E. BECKETT.
Somewhere in the forties Mr.. Beckett Kept
retail apothecary shop on the north west
side of Congress and Franklin streets. He
occupied large lot of land in the rear of the
store running down Franklin street. He
was great lover of Plants and flowers and
If l recollect right he had at that time the
finest display in the city. Some of his
friends induced him to open the grounds to
the public which he did by fitting it up into
an ice cream garden, and in the summer
months on pleasant evenings the garden
would be crowded with the best class Of
people In the city. Often would there be a
band in attendance who preferred to practice
out In the cool evening air, and solace them
selves with Beckett's delicious ice cream.
The garden all aglow with candles and Ian
terms and decorated with sweet smelling
spruce and fir trees, made it for those days a
garden of Eden. This was the most popu-
lar resort In the city for the young man to
take his best girl for an hour or two, and
flowing and it was well patronized for a few
years. But for two summers in succession
heavy showers In the evening during most Of
the warm weather involved financial loss
and Mr.. Beckett closed the garden to the
public WV
Mr.. Beckett was very pleasant, genial,
whole.sou led fellow. He was lover Of
horse flesh, fond of horse back riding and
merry fond Of his fishing rod and trout. and
was one OF the first to follow the streams in
ne th country round and one of the last to lay
was to Flick up his brush and easel. Mr..
Beckett was an artist and produced many
choice paintings and they were much ad-
beautiful. AS an artist, he filled in the SPACE ace
between Charles o. Cole and our own Harry
BrowD. Cole succeeded the artist Goldman.
Many OF Becketts paintings were destroyed
In the great fire of 1866, but some of them
citizens.
AS q landscape painter, true to nature,
sketcnlng and reproducing everything ex
actly on canvass as he would find 1t in the
woods and fields, In the valleys and noun
tains, In the brooks and ponds, in Summer
and Winter, in the painstaking and delicate
fne touch displayed in everything that he
attempted In that line, whether it was horses
cattle, sheep or some stately elm or sturdy
old oak, each and all would show that fine
hnlsh, that true lover of nature that is SO es.
sential and necessary to produce the pic
turesque. which he never failedto show In
all his efforts. Good judges declare there
never was his peer in this city or state.
Mr.; Beckett left a daughter, Miss Marie,
father as an artist, and who has by earnest
and hard work at home and abroad, won for
herself a name and fame.
JOHN HOLLAND.
Holland was a colored gentleman who
kept sailor boarding house in Sandy Hol-
ioWs which was located on the southerly side
of MuDjoy Hill. His patronage consisted
principally of negro cooks, who made his
house their home while on shore between
trips. Holland got the idea in his head to
open private bank, and induced many of
his boarders to deposit their surplus funds
with him to speculate with. He was to give
them the lions share of the profits, after re.
serving a fair amount for himself For a
time the money flowed in quite rapidly in
small sums, and at last about $500 had been
credited on the books. In the meantime as
the money came in, Holland felt on better
terms with himself than ever before and re-
plenished his house now and then with new
furniture, beds, bedding. etc. He had taken
IN money and paid out money but had never
STOOD, Some had over drawn but most all of
them had deposits to their credit A dull
season came on, the cooks staid at home, a
call Tor money commenced and Yery soon
there was trouble at the bank. Holland.
VINO was perfectly honest about 1t, could not
seem to understand 1t or explain the defc-
iency. neither could he find any funds LAYING
calls for money, he notified all the creditors
OF the bank to meet ut a certain place on
certain evening and he would then explain
matters: The evening came, all the creditors
IN the city were present, and Holland took
me floor and told them as follows:
Gemmen, | Is very happy to see you all
near dis evening. have looked de books
all over and you names is all In de books and
de books is all right and de money is in the
bank all right; Cloud applause) but i'se very
sorry to say that de bank am bust, but the
next time you come home from sea make
dat alright" This seemed to satisfy them
for the time being: He managed to pay them