The Portland daily press., 1894-05-04
MAINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Subjects of Local Historical Interest
Discussed.

History and Tradition OF Its S1te-Iem-
perance in the OIden Time-Ancient
Mail Service in Maine.
The regular monthly meeting of the
Maine Historical Society was held at the
society's rooms yesterday afternoon. In
the absence of Mayor Baxter, George F.
Talbot, ESQ.,, presided.
Rev. HIS. Burrage presented memorial
of the late DR.. w. B. Lapham, which
had been prepared by Charles E. Nash,
Samuel w. Lane and George ". Martin,
committee of the Lo, al Legion.
L.Stevenson's collection of alman-
acs, from 176S to 1892, interleaved and
annotated with personal and weather
notes, were presented by Mr.. Baxter.
They are principally the Robert B.
Thomas almanacs and are bound in
thirteen heavy volumes. Mr.. Stevenson
was formerly resident of Gorham.
Three papers were read in the after
noon. "The Octog enarian's deposition of
Events in my Lifetime" was sketch
of the great material advance of man
kind by Albert W Paine of Bangor. The
tenor OF the paper may be judged from
this interesting reference to Maine:
SIN our own state of Maine the condi-
tion of things may be correctly judged
from the fact that weekly
MAIL On HORSEBACK,
from Augusta to Bangor, and all plac-
es beyond, was sufficient to answer all
demands of social and bEsin ess life IN
that line, a fortnight mail on one occa-
sion answering all demands, without
the finding of any fault with the carrier,
while his single horse saddle bag an
swered all demand for room for two
weeks mail, all along the route or its
termination.
"Cape Porpoise, Old and New" was the
title of an interesting and we'll arranged
article by Henry F. Knight of Cam
bridge.
WHITES BRIDGE OF WINDHAM,"
is picturesque and beautiful place, and
Mr.. Samuel T. Dole of South Windhanl
gave some of the history and tradition
connected with it. The bridge is at the
outlet of Lake Sebago, where the waters
discharge themselves through narrow
channel into Basin Pond. The outlet of
this pond is spanned ny Whites bridge.
From this bridge the view is magnifi-
cent, commanding a large part of Jor-
dams bay and Mount Washington and
the Presidential range. 1t is said that
this was once duelling place of the
Indians, and Poland, the redoubtable
chief, who was killed at South Windham
in 1756, had his headquarters in this re-
eion. The land about abounds in Indian
relics and Mr.. Albert Kennard. who lives
near by, has fine collection which he
has gathered. 1t is said that a man
AIMED Elliot, who one day shoulderd
his rifle and started from Saccarappa to
explore the river was the first white man
to visit this spot. While he was drink
ing in the glories of the scenery, several
Indians appeared. and he hastily depart
ed. After the Indian wars, a man
named Roberts is said to have settled in
the locality. The cellar of his house
remains. Nothing is known of him.
Peter White, of Buckeld, who died
in 1904 was the first prominent settler.
His grandson, Edwin White, still owns
the acres he settled.
"a Sketch of the Life of Rev. A braham
Cummings" by Parker M. Reed of Bath.
was the last paper for the afternoon.
In the evening Mr.. LIB. Chapman of
of Deering read..an interesting account of
some of the old garrison houses about
Portland. There were several gin Deer
ring, one at East Deering, two or three
in the Stroudwater region, etc. They were
built by private enterprise and were gen.
orally strong houses rather than forts.
Some of them had stockades. Mr.. Chap
man gained most of his facts from orig
inal, unpu blished documents, which he
has studied with much care.
"Temperance and the Drink Question
in the Old Time," was treated by Mr..
George f. Talbot in a long and interest.
ing article. An extract giving Mr.. Tai
BOTS description of customs in the Ma
chias region previous to the temperance
movement of 1927 will give an idea nof
the customs all over Maine as well as of
the style of Mr.. Talbot's paper: @ r.s
Workingmen in the fields, in the
| woods, in the mills, and handling logs
and lumber in the river were supplied
with a regular ration of spirits-a half
| gill of rum diluted with water, at IL
| o'clock in the forenoon and again at
| O'Clock in the afternoon.
81 remember seeing gang of men
| at work on the road finging down SHOW
ell and pickaSe by a common impulse at
IL O'Clock, and streaming into my faith
| er's store, where each was served with
his dram, probably charged to the
town at three cents head, as have no
recollection of seeing any money pro-
duced. Men in the bayfield, used to
measure the height of the afternoon sun
by finging the open palm up arms
| length against the sky. Lahorers on the
! road did not hesitate to ask any well
dressed person passing presumed to be
| the possessor of a watch, for the time of
| day, and this enquiry was prosecuted,
| and this rude observation was taken
with view of ascertaining whether the
next drinking time was at hand which
seemed to
THE THIRSTY CITIZEN.
as long in coming as in the commemora-
| ted observation OF the governor of North
| Carolina to the governor of South Caro-
|