The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-11
POLICE RELIEF BALL,
A Great Grand Gathering in City
HALL

Great Success of the Episodes in The Po-
Iiceman's Life-Interesting Matter Con-
Ger ming the Force.
The police of Portland had good reason
to be pleased last night for the manner
in which the public responded to the no
.ice that the annual ball.o the Relief AS
ISOLATION was highly satisfactory When
Chandler's band began their concert at
s O'Clock, the galleries were crowded, and
row after row of settees had to be placed
to accommodate the audience.
Prior to s O'Clock the members Of the
city government and many of the city
officials, were met at the Mayors office
by Officers Quinn and Jones. who ad
been appointed the reception committee,
and with Marshal Tricky and Deputy
Hartnett, were escorted to good locations
in tho hall from whence they could take
it all in.
The. various features of the concert were
exceedingly we'll received and the band
Ibid itself proud" When the great de-
soripuive piece was given, Episode in
the Life of Policeman" it was difficult
to make space enough for the mock
policeman, and the young bloods about
town I'd manoeuyre. The piece took as
well as it did last year and proved a
great card. When the concert was over
the grand march was formed and was
led by Floor Director. Officer Thrasher.
Following him came Officers Conion,
Madden, Skillings, Ball, Williams, Web
ster, Phillips, Smith and others of the
force with ladies. There must have been
fully IT'S couples in the grand march
At It's conclusion the long order of
dances was enjoyed. In the Reception
hall, during intermission, capital menu
was provided, land it was well patronized.
The ball must nave realized quite $1,000,
for the fund.
The souvenir programme was itself
worth the price OF admission. 1t was no
gaudy affair of gilt and colors, but
most interesting little book, OF 80 pages
very neatly bound. 1t contained photo
graph portraits of Mayor Baxter Il Marshal
Trickey, Deputy Marshals Sterling and
Hartnett and the following officers OF the
Relief association = President Massure,
Vice President Harmon, ETreasurer Quinn
and Secretary Webster Besides the con-
cert programme, the order Of dances and
many attractive advertisements, there
were the location ct the police signal
boxes, the roll of police officers now in
service with date of appointment, and
the following interesting statemen6s
rim yrArnrr w
An ex-patroln al says that there was
a time when the Portland police force
WAS a strangely made up. oddly gov
erned and, generally speaking, peculiar
body That was from about 1850 until
1851, when something like the present
order and discipline was introduced. In
1855 there were fourteen patrolman and
four watchmen, but as a matter OF fact
the watchmen were all night patrolmen.
There were two deputy marshals, but
they were in reality only day patrolmen,
and there was a marshal who possibly
may have acted as janitor, because there
was SO very little for him to do officially.
The patrolmen were supposed to patrol
the entire city, but as o matter Of fact
used their Judgment where to go, and If
row occurred at the ''corner" or at
sailor town. the whole force was apt to
be there. During the summer months
the patrolmen went OH duty at z o'clock
in the afternoon and went home at mid
night, while during the winter[months
they went on at e, and of at IL. They
were paid by the hour and were, in adj
dition, allowed fees. Many arrests were
made, and one day forty-eight persons
charged with drunkenness and distur'
bRnce we're before the court. There was
in general free ano easy way of do
ing things, and the judge frequently found
when he got down town that the recorder
had held court, and cleared the docket
of all cases. The station provided with
two large cells and prisoners of high and
low degree, and of all stages of intoxi-
cation, wero put in together to fight it
out as best they could among themselves.
Uniforms were unthought of, but the
patrolmen wore aEband, something like
that now worn by hackmen, with
"Police'' on the front, and this was
worn on HdG Of cap DIS Uu0 patfOlludU
happened to fancy. OF course no two
dressed alike, and the force on review,
that is, if review was eyerssattempted,
must have been sight well worth go ing
long distance to see. In fact a greater
contrast can hardly be thought of than
of the old police department of the city
of Portland and the present force.
AS THE FORCE IS.
The fourteen men of the old have given
place to the forty-fve of the present
force, with several special officers almost
constantly on duty. Beats are SO we'll de
fined that patrolman is not left in tn,
slightest doubt as to the section he is tt
officially guard. The marshal is the heat
of the force, and gives his constant an!
personal attention to the work of his de
partment. and the deputies are exactly
what their official title would imply
They are in command, acting under thu
direction of the marshal, and at all times
day or night, they are ready to decid'
and do decida mattars of inheritance no