The Portland daily press., 1892-01-26
Correspondence of the Press.I

BATH, Jan. 70, 1897.
Sneering at the present city govern
ment, or rather, at the head of the gov
eminent, Mayor Twitchell, seems to be
the order of the day. AS the hour OF the
municipal election is not very far distant,
it becomes a fruitful topic of converse
ton, both among loafers and laborers,
politicians and laymen. We are told that
Mr.. Twitchell will be renominated beyond
the possibility of a doubt. That every
one who voted for him, together with
many who did not, will support him, and
he will be re-elecled. Then on the other
hand, his opponents declare that both
factions are dissatisfied with him, and
that he will never be renominated. Such
are but samples of the prevailing opin-
ions.
What offense has the Mayor commit
ed, that his own party should fail him?
A few of them are outlined in Saturdays
issue of Councilman Upton's paper, the
Enterprise.
Briefly, we are told that he was instru-
mental in putting in the fire alarm system,
which the next government must pay for.
Perhaps SO. But with incendiary fires
bursting out at night in the very heart of
the city, and no adequate means of sum-
moning the department in anything like
reasonable time, it would seem that
some such action must be taken as
means of preserving the safety OF the
community.
The second offense which the Prince,
ESQ called from a resent lance, real or
fancied, to Albert Edward,) is called to
account for, is that of too much paving.
The plan originally included only por-
ton of Front Street, but vote of this
benighted city government extended the
provisions of the contract SOFAS to cover
more of Front, and Center as far as City
Hall.
In the midst of this scathing denuncia-
ton, the step from the sublime to the
ridiculous is an easy error and unfortu-
nately worm-eaten issue is dragged in.
Standard VS.. Local Time.-Are the
the good people of Bath never to hear the
last of that? Again and again the rusty
old Ratchet is dug up to crack this al
ready worm-eaten chestnut. Arguments
pro and con. often degenerating into bit
ter disputes, and explanations for the
benefit of the uninitiated, have all com
bined to make this, of all others, the
most foolish and Improbable issue OF
Bath politics.
One grievance, however. comes within
the understanding of every thinking man.
A sly hit on this point in the local daily
brings this up again. That NJ. c. r. r.
freight house matter, was the mayor
alone to blame? Somebody Numbered
and most grievous blunder it was, too.
But there is one comfort, sWe may wish
to take the matter up again.
The Registration Board are hard at
work, and we shall soon see how beauti-
full system is the new law.
News is scarce. Death has been busy,
and has found terrible allies in the grip
and pneumonia. The death of master
builder Elisha P. Mallett gives rise to the
question, To whose hands will the COM
pletion of the Roanoke be intrusted?
Arthur Sewall's other clippers, the i'll
fated Rappahonnock, the monster Shen-
andoah, and the queenly Susquehanna, all
were products of Mr.. Mallett's skill as a
master mechanic. Mr.. Mallett's funeral
occurred Sunday. A short distance from
his home, stands the unfinished Roanoke
mutely appealing, as it were, for some
one to take up the work, that the tireless
veteran has relinquished forever.
Lorettus S. Metcalf, late of the Forum
is at the Phoenix, in this city for few
days. He has been connected with the
North American Review and numerous
Journals of the metropolis. Mr.. Metcalf
is a native of Monmouth and is accom-
panied by his wife, nee Miss Lemont of
Bath. He severed his connection with
the Forum last year, and is now travell-
ing for his health.
The ice men are on tenterhooks for
fear that the Hudson river companies
will get ahead of them.