The Portland daily press., 1894-11-24
PORTLAND'S EARLY DAYS.
Interesting "reminiscences of the Old
Time Forest City.
How the First Steamboat Came to Portland
A Remembrance of Lafayette ana OF
His Yisit-Other RecollectiOns.

A Remembrance of Lafayette and OF
His visit-Other Recol1ections.
The story in the Transcript recently re!a-
tive to the upsetting of yacht anu the
drowning of the occupants, when the Eng
lish ship of war the Macedonian was mere III
l84O recalled the affair to MIS-. ueorse
Merrill OF Searsport now visiting nero WV
was neigh hbor of the parties at the 'iiao.
Her "reminiscences of the aHair sho" 'h"'
Peaks Island was as popular then as now.
The party which comprised misses
Richards. Ingraham, Adelaide Thurston,
Julia Plummer and two llsley SISTERS IAN
voung girls, accompanied Charles Pett1ng1ll
and Geo1ee Carter, on sail. The day be-
fore there had been a storm, but Mrs.
Merrill remembers that this day was perfect.
The party enjoyed a sail and then went to
Peaks island, when the young men got some
milk from sMarm Trott,' and as they
started for home prepared to enjoy lunch.
The heat was excessive and all the girls,
with the exception of Miss Richards went
into the cuddy. In the midst of the fun
white squall swept down and rolled the
boat bottom up. Miss Richards and the men
were able to cling to it's bottom, but the re-
mainder of the party perished in the ouody
of the boat.
Mrs. Merrill, who is seventy-tive years of
age, but wonderously spry and young IN
appearance, yividly remembers the appear
ance Of the first steamboat that ever came
into the harbor. 1t was, she thinks the
Chancellor Livingston and she remembers
we'll the excitement it caused. She saw
from her house on Munjoy hill long line
of smoke away over the Cape, and it was
ha
mother to the door TO look. and thought it
must be fire on the Cape. but soon saw 1t
was not that. A neighbor who also saw 1T
| said. cit is the day of judgement" and
there was panic until some one thought
| of the steamboats, that had been reported at
New York and sure enough it was steam
boat. She steamed ZIP the harbor before the
| greater part of the citizens who had
| gathered to see her. At that time there
were but TWO or three houses on the hill.
| the majority of the land being COW pasture.
| and there was where the celebrations were
| held on July 4th.
Another event that Mrs. Merrill remem-
| ers with great pleasure was Lafayette's
visit to Portland That was almost seventy
wears ago, and she was but five years old.
| A demonstration of school children had
| been arranged. but she was SO small that
| she had been left out. A neighbor's child
| came running over and complained that the
cap that had been given to her was SO small
| she could not wear it, and wished to borrow
cap 90 the little scamp:traded. getting the
can BIZ lending a hat of her sisters. The
children were all decked out. the girls wear
ing caps and sashes with the word
l1I,afayette, and the:boys with badges and
white trousers.
Arches were erected and the reception
give the distinguished Frenchman as every
ono knows was hearty one. He was. put
up at the old Sun Tavern opposite the head
of Plum street on Middle, and as he was
lust going in, the littlo girl had crowded up
near The 'front.' A tall man saw her and
fearing she would be hurt tossed her up on
his shoulders. Yhe General had been bow
ing his thanks, and as he saw her he most
| politely bowed to her and smiled welcome.
| That bow and smile has fingered tor nearly
| three-quarters of a century.
+! Mrs. Merrill visited Diamond island last
| summer, and remarked that it was the first
| time she had landed there since back in
tbirty-fiye, when with a companion, she
took boat from the Cape and rowed over.
They were caught in heavy blow. and
probably would never have got home but
they mot party of neighbors who were
down with sail boat. Mrs. Merrill was a
Miss Tobey before her marriage to Captain
George Merrill, who finally settled at
Sesrsport. She has large family of chill
dren and dearly enjoys dropping in upon
them unawares and is a great traveller. She
thinks nothing of trip to New York alone
and few women of her age could follow her
about. Her memory of Portland's early days