Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-04-07
A DAY I'm PORTLAND.

Occasfen at Portland Episcopal
Church-The House of mr. Sage the
Or1nthe 0gist-Conn Birds
Mr.. Sagess TWenty-Seven Hundred
Specimens.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
That the Americans are becoming q SEN
sible and philosophical people is proved In
a variety of ways; perhaps as much as In
any other, in the increasing number Of
holidays and their also increasing willing
ness to stop and enjoy them.
While church people may not approve
of the decidedly festive character now
given to Easter, they would possibly con-
cede that the present standard is more de-
sirable than that Of the days of the "Pi1-
grim Fathers" who looked upon the
''cross'' as symbol of Popery, and Chris
tian delights were regarded as Romish
junketings unbearable. There Ia a ten
deney to s'go off somewhere" or "do some
thing" little out of the ordinary, rest
lessness in the spring air that affects all
who breathe 1t. The small towns turn to
the cities, and the great cities interchange,
and it should be the Christian like belief
of everyone that consciously and unoon-
sciously the great human family are rejoic-
ing in the glorious message that first Easter
nineteen hundred years ago brought to q
sin. stricken world.
For family reasons the writer also
stepped aside from the usual routine, and
spent Easter away from home. The town
of Portland, Conn, is the place, and
Trinity church is the spot, about which
the memories of the Easter of 1898 will
always be bright.
The day was full of sunshine, the air
was fine, the faces of the people accorded
with the festival time and season. At
church the floral display was beautiful;
on the altar, white alone was used, q CROSS
four feet high, with clusters of Easter
lilies, calais and carnations on either side
sent their perfume through the entire edi-
fee. Around the chaucel steps plants In
bloom and Of variegated foliage were ar
ranged and extended to the side aisles. At
the children's service held in the evening
the floral effect was heightened, when
there rose into position a shepherds staff
crossed by two keys, the design formed
the Easter offering of money, by each
member of the Sunday school. This en-
blem stood at least eight feet high,
The first service, with communion, waf
at half past six, the next at half-past ten
and the children's at seven O'Clock in the
evening. Your correspondent attended
them all. Even at the early service there
was good attendance, the church being
quite full at both other services.
There seems great unity and heartinest
in the way the entire parish join in church
worship and all affairs connected with thu
| church. Perhaps because the parish If
small and all know each other. perhaps
| their isolation (for Portland is almost az
island) brings them together; for these OF
| some other reasons the outsider is impress
ed with the feeling that Trinity parish II
unusually loyal and sincere.
They possess, as q communication las
December informed your readers, the mos
| handsome and complete church edifce IL
| Connecticut. The present rector, the Rev
| o. a. Rafferty,, is a man of remarkable
| ability, judicious in management and pro
l Rrsssive, without being so liberal as to draw
| out criticism. His idea Of church musi'
is appreciative and advanced, and bis de
sire for supplied choir will 90 be carried
into effect. The choir of mixed voices
supplied, has been successfully carried
out elsewhere, and Trinity church, Port
land, will be the first to have 1t in Con
| necticut.
One rare pleasure of our Easter trip wa
visit to the home of Mr.. John q. Sage
I the eminent ornithologist, where we wer
fav ored with view of such portion o
his twenty seven hundred specimens O
Connecticut birds, as our time would al
low.
| In the study room lie fine glass case Q
birds, stuffed and mounted; golden eagle
shot in New Jersey and sent to Mr.. Sag
by some admirer, a white evil, Gas whit
as they ever are," says the ornithologist,
l blue heron, mallard, an awk, kingfshe1
1 on1 forniH q
and unfamiliar birds interested and d.
Lighted US.
We were then shown into an adioinin
room, long and narrow, lighted by tw
windows on the side opposite the dool
the entire wall space being hidden by Yin
and 1acquered cases containing nearly thre
thousand stuffed, but unmounted birds, a
obtained in our own state.
To protect these treasures, which M
Sage has been collecting for thirty year.
| he has zinc cases about four feet high, eac
fitted with a door which presses again
rubber when closed and held in place b
six clasps These cases are furnished wit
| shallow drawers of wooden sides and past
board bottoms, where lie the now NUT
singers, with their wings folded close I
their sides, their bright eyes replaced b
tufts of cotton and their tiny legs an
claws pathetioally crossed over the
breasts; some plump, many quite fiat, {
with all his facilities Mr.. Sage is obliged
economic room as his collection increases
He showed us first the small birds, nc
larger than csnaries, blue and yellow,g grey
black and brown; the 6nches and groi
becks, chimney swallows, robins, thrnshe
and many whose names were new an
which we cannot recall. Then larger bird
followed, black birds and sparrows, hawk
a great number Of the hawk family, til
butcher bird, so unkindly misnamed, th
} larks, plover. pigeons, partridge, qua
and woodeook and owls, OBJ, the beaut
and wisdom % there stuffed and SILENT
, The limit of our time WAS too 800
! reached, and there were many cases u
unseen. But Mr.. Sage's birds can't q
away, although they had q remarkable q
feet upon the fight of time and we loo
l forward to the future when we may behol
more treasures of those zine cases. tt
collection of birds eggs and of mammel
which Mr.. Sage is beginning is also r.
served for a future visit.
The drive to MiddletoWn and throug
its principal streets brought our visit {
it's close. During this drive we saw tt
beloved Bishop Williams out walking wit
a friend.
Following is the program for the mus
at half past ten.
Organ Prelude-Grand Chorus in G.........
Professional Hymn los.
Anthem-'Christ Our Passover. ........H ayd
Glorias-Plain Chant.
Te Deum, IN y nat ....................La Hacl
Jubilate, in fat. ....................... Ellio
Alnr AYE ib as'b
GlorIa 11pi ''..'......'.'...'.... dHpe
Ofertory Authenticity Have Taken Away
l. MY LorQ. ..........................Sta Stain
| Tersanctus.
Hymn EOS
| Recessional Hymn 105
Organ Postlude- offertoire in G........ Wei
KEITH ST. JOHN
| Fire Yesterday Afternoon-Loss $4Ot
| The alarm of fire from box SO yesterda
| afternoon was struck for fire In the res
dence of Thomas Clerkin on the corner
Humphrey and State streets The Fl
originated in the attic of the house amor
come clothes which had been hung up
dry, and, besides consuming the clothe
| spread to the rafters of the roof, While
were soon in flames. The roof was burne
through in various places and the fam
were under such Roadway that 1t BEGAN
necessary for the fremen to put strea
of water into the building before they we
subdued. The damage to the roof is CO..
siderable and in all probability new ro
/ will be necessary on the building. In co.
| neotion with this damage the building W
| damaged by water to a considerable exte1
i and the loss Ia estimated at about 500.