The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-12-15
Academy for North Conway has excited
much interest, and

Academy for North Conway has excited
much interest, and
A Course of Lectures
is being given in aid of the Womans
Fund for furnishing the seats and desks.
The first lecture was given in November
by the Rev. William S. Jones, pastor OF
tn, Methodist church here. His subject
was "Wales,' and as he lived twenty
years in that picturesque country,
his eloquence was jsutified by personal
knowledge. 1t was delightful lecture,
filed with the poetry and romance OF
old Wales legends, Astounding with fine
descriptive passages and sparkling with
wit. He was followed by Mr.. Nathan
Whitaker, who gave fine stereoptlcon
exhibition. The next lecture, on the
18th of December, will be by the Rev
William Greer. the rector of Christ
Church, North Conway, and his subject,
"a Tour Through the Donegal High
lands" Mr.. Greer is an Irishnlan, with
the wit and brilliancy ascribed to his
race, and his lecture is sure to be enter
tanning. Other speakers to follow are
the Rev. A. S. Ladd, the Rev. r. Henry
Davis, Messrs. F. B. Osgood and John
w. Nash and DIR. George Ell. Shedd.
Late in the winter, probably at the CON
clusion of the course, a concert by MISS
Edith Chase and Miss Margie Thompson,
two favorite pupils of the late Thomas
P. Murphy, is anticipated with much in
terest
The
Academy Building Is
the skating rink, metamorphosed. And
there is poetic justice in the plan. II
might in fact, as in New England educa
ton and religion have always gone hand
in hand, be regarded as restoration OF
the old building that was originally
Congregational church, and one of the
oldest in the region. The low estate to
which it had fallen has always been held
to be dissertation by Congregationalists,
and indeed by everyone who has the love
of country and reverence for historic
buildings.
The Maine Central Railroad
is evidently doing very large freight
business. The heavily loaded trains that
come down through the mountains look
we'll nigh interminable. There are some
times forty cars in these trains. The
Maine Central buildings here are hand
some and well kept, and almost con-
family there is something being added
| or changed for the comfort or conven-
fence of the roads patrons. just now
| large freight house and an engine house
are being added.
| And how much it tends towards the
| public veal to have man like Payson
| Tucker become even a summer resident
! of place like this, cannot easily be es-
| timated. The lower and older part of
| the town in which beautiful Birchmont
| is situated, had long before he came
there gone-to-seed aspect that was par
ticularly depressing when one reflected
| that with it's great elms and enhancing
meadow prospects, it ought to be the
most attractive part of North Conway.
| But since Mr.. Tucker became zone of
the neighbors''- of course from the
force of good example it has plucked
UP heart and now looks quite spruce,
like lonesome widower, after while.
In speaking of the
Increased Summer Business
of North Conway in the last few years,
Mr.. Tucker must be counted large fac
tor. The Maine Central road gave us
the daily train to Mount Washington and
return, for which the hotel men had been
clamoring for years, and certainly the
great success of the last Coaching Parade
that caused North Conway to be talked
of far and near, was very largely due to
Payson Tucker. He is one of the men
for whom the world would be better ii
there were more of them-the men who
while they live are alive.
There will be more summer residences
in the lower part of the town next sum
mer and it is said that Mr. Howells, the
novelist, casts longing eyes at quaint,
little, old-fashioned, one-story house that
fronts the Moat and intervale and po-
etic stretch of grassy field.
Speaking of Howells, the writer had
the pleasure, not long since, of passing a
day in the company Of the former editor
of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette,
Mr.. John T. Perry, now editor OF the
New Hampshire Journal. He gave many
interesting "reminiscences of the times
| when
tHowelIs and Whitelaw Reid
were reporters on the Gazette whose
literary decadence and sensational tone
he greatly deprecated. He told sof the
"nerve'' and determination that made
Whitelaw Reid famous when he was
war correspondent. but he did not seen
to regard Howells as reporter to bt
held up as an example to others in that
profession, Notwithstanding his clever
ness in sketching the ways, and dissect.
ing the motives of his former brethren.
Il remember one time," said Mr..
Perry, "when there was very import
ant discussion going on in the Legislature
Howells was up at Columbus and one
day when the excitement was at lit'
height and we expected column and a
half or two columns of matter from him
he sent down two or three paragraphs
on the debate, which it was very evident
he hadn't taken the least interest in-anc