The Portland daily press., 1894-12-01
A HALF CENTURY AGO.
An Old Citizen Recalls the Portland
of the Past.

VI Gu6 aSts
Thanksgiving CeIebraters Encountered
Then the Captain of the Watch-"rea'
HuilabaIoo at Fires-Railroads, Steam
efs and Business Methods.
Fifty years is a very, very long time TO
look forward to, but looking BACK from
the other side of the half century, now,
very short it seems! Events occurring
fifty years ago seem as viva as OF yes
terday. 1t is only as we look about US
for the friends and acquaintance OF
that long ago period, that we realize IN
some measure what mighty change the
half century has wrought.
1t was on Novem Der tweny-fourth 1874
that the writer came to Portland to re-
side.-uhe day of the Presidential cleo
ton in this State; for the election was
not held on the same day in all the
Safes then, as now. James K. Polk was
elected President. Portland contained
then about one-third the number of
people of the present day, and less than
a quarter of valuation of property. She
was then just getting aroused on the
subject of building the Atlantic & st.
Lawrence railroad. Meetings were then
being held in old City Hall, and enthu-
siasm ran high. A steamer coming from
Liverpool to Boston was intercepted by
one of our steamers off this port and an
extra mail bag taken off and sent by
Mr.. Warehouse with sleigh and relay of
horses to Montreal, arriving there some
hours ahead of the mail by way Of Bos-
ton. Ground was broken at Fish Point
for the road July 4tb, 1886. A large pro-
cession paraded our streeJs and partook
of a collation. under q large tent in front
of the Observatory. The road was
opened to travel, az far as Yarmouth.
July 4th 1648.
The half century past has brought
great changes to Portland, one of the
most prominent of which is in our street
department.. There were then no street
lights, no pavements, no sidewalks TO
speak of, and no sewers worthy the
name. In those days at an alarm OF IRE
the bells all rang, and every body shout
ed " fire" as loud and long as he pleased;
but by the sight of the smoke by day
or the light by night. This was the
day of hand tubs. The city had no
police except city marshal. Capt: Neal
was then captain of the watch. with a
four or five watchmen under him.
Probably hot more than one or two
men are in business today who were, then
in active business life in Portland. The
lawyers, the doctors, the ministers of
that day are all gone. There We're then
fourteen churches ably supplied by the
following talented preachers: DR.. Nichols
at First Parish, DR.. Condit at Second
Parish, DIR. Dwight at Third Parish. Dr..
Chickering at High St., DR.. Whitman
at Park St., Mr.. Eaton at Free ST., Mr..
Pratt at St. Stephens on Pearl ST., ME-.
Beacher at First Baptist on Federal St.,
Mr.. Brown at Christian chuch on Temple
ST., Mr.. Webber at Chestnut ST., Mr..
MoulJon at Casco ST., Mr.. Freeman at
Abysinian, and Mr.. Blake at Brackett
St. ward room, the new Methodist church
formed in 1874. land which afterward be-
came the Pine St. church of today.
The Washingtonian move dent was
then at it's night, and the people were
getting thoroughly awake on the tenn
perance question. There were then sew
eral distilleries, and many rumsellers in
Portland, who were mostly Americans.
Moral suasion was then preached. and
the pledge was circulate at the temper
ance rallies. Neal Dow, young man of
forty, was then, rs now, at the front.
The Rechabite order. secret temper
ance organization. was then in its prime,
having two tents in Portland, with sew
eral hundred mem bers.
Our water communi cation with Boston
was then made with the old propellers
Commodore Preble and Gen. Warren
Our water communication with Boston
was from Custom House wharf There
was also, in the summer time, boat to
Bangor and one to Hallowell, and steam
er Secor to Brunswick.
Another of the notable changes of the
last half century is the method of do
ing business. Then the country traders
came to Portland two or three times
year to buy goods; now not at all: but
buy all their goods of travelling sales
men. Our city merchants don't know
their country customers By sight. Then
the Vermont traders sent their farm
products to market by two-horse teams
through the "Notch" to Portland, and
received their store supplies by return
trip. It took week or ten days to
make the round trip.
Fifty years ago there was no telegraph
ic communication with the outside
world. There was but one railroad line
entering the city, the P.S. P. It's depot
was on Canal street, narrow street
running from the old distillery at the
foot OF Park street to the canal locks.
On this depot was a small tower, in
which was a bell said to have been
brought from convent ID South A mer-
lea. This was run five minutes before
the starting out of a train.
Our merchants were then having a
prosperous trade with Cuba and other
West India islands. The vessels engaged
in this trade were largely barks aud
briggs. They took out lumber and
brought back molasses, sugar and rum.
Our hotels then were the United
States and American House on Monu
ment square, and the Elm House on
Federal street, and Ryerson's Hotel,
that stood where the Motley block now
stands. Our stores and public buildings
of today surpass anything dreamed of in
those days. The most elegant building
in the city at that time was the old Ex-
change, which stood where the post
office now stands, and which was really
a very fine building.
These are some of the many changes
which the half century has brought to
our city, but the changes, to our coun-
try at large have been still greater. Fiji
ty years ago there were no telegraph or
telephone lines as now. Ocean steam