The Portland daily press., 1896-02-28

Abi1lA1IB n6r TdW anu SohAAiS
out the finished product. Progress every
where; energy i'll every section, devo-
ton to Names interests in every por-
ton of our State are apparent. With this
feeling among cur own people there is,
there can le, no doubt rs to the bright
future that awaits the commonwealth.
Cur City Strong in tho love alike OF
her native and adopted sons, may her
future be even more prosperous than her
past.
Response by Mayor James z. Baxter.
MAYOR BAXTER'S REMARKS.
Nj President:-I respond most heartily
to the sentiment which you have offered
Portland is indeed strong in the love of
her sons, ard, may l not add, that she
has reason to be p oud of those sons, SO
many of whom have done her credit in
various fields of activity at home and
abroad, for, if we look about us, we may
witness their handiworK on every side.
How many useful organizations N our
midst reveal to lis their generosity and
wisdom. Among these none appeal to US
more directly than those devoted to
charity, hence we have assembled here
tonight to celebrate the centennial OF one
Of these noble organizations.
Professor Packard, on the celebration
of his eighty fourth birthday, made the
striking remark, that d man was really
proud of his age ut but two periods of his
life: namely, when he entered upon
mans estate, and when he reached ak
trena age; and the same, it is to be sup
posed, may be said of a society; for
when it reaches it's majority it feels that
it has demonstrated its right to live, and
when it attains the age which this So
ciety has reached, the age OF century,
it doubtless feels that it has become an
almost indispensable support to the social
fabric.
The Marine Society is the most venera-
BILE Of the charitable organizations of
Portland, and tonight celebrates it's cen
r@Nnial. We may we'll take on this occas-
"a retrospect of q century, and men,
. . place ourselves in this same town
III the year of our Lord, 1896. Here where
we are assembled tonight is all open pas
ture, where children gather whortleber-
ries. Free street has but recently been
| laid out, and but few struggling build
| ings are to he seen in the Immediate
vicinity. All above Exchange street,
which is considered too far up town for
| business, is pasture and swamp over
grown with bushes, with here and there
cultivated patches of ground. A number
of streets have been laid out through this
region but are not much used, as for in
| stance, Plum street. so named from the
plum trees in Deacon Titcomb's garden
at the head of the street; Love lane, now
Center street; Main street, a principal
road toward Stroudwater; Spring street,
Ann street, now Park street, and some
others, upon which the owners Of adjoin-
ing land are hoping to see houses built at
no distant day, for speculation in house
lots is beginning to make itself felt in
the community. In the whole town at
this time there are only about three hun
dred houses. The aspect of the old town
is much like that of some prosperous
fishing village still TO be seen On the
Nova Scotlan shore. with many small
houses, among which are few larger,
gambreI rooted buildings, looking quite
pretentious among their humber neigh
bors. And the people, how oddly they
look to our nineteenth century eyes, with
| their knee breeches, buckled shoes, long
skirted coats, and hair tied in queues
falling over their coat collars; and should
we stop to chat with one of them, he
would probably take from the capacious
pocket OF his long waistcoat a snuff box
and politely offer US a pinch, before tell
ing US of the Marine Society now being
formed by some of the enterprising people
interested in maritime affairs. If we be-
long to the gentry we may be invited to
| the house of staWyer Davis'' to meet the
| Duke de la Rochefoucauld, who 'came
on Sunday to Portland, and was sur
prised to find the Inns SO decent and we'll
| kept, in a part of the country so remote,
and so rarely visited by travellers. 4"
Portland, says the Duke, sis situated on
a peninsula which juts out into the bay
| entered it by the way of the isthmus
which connects the peninsula with the
land. You are Obliged in coming frc m
North Yarmouth, to go more than three
miles about. But bridge is now build
ing across the arm OF the bay, which
gives occasion for the present circuiIous
approach to the town. The bridge is
| built by subscription and is half fin
iahn n iC is FNtttyo R1rt61 rn VIZ iah
in just Ger +ury from the time the
Duke wrote, We are about to rebuild.
| Continuing he says, that " Portland may
be reokoned handsome. That part of it
which is called the new town, really con-
sists of houses Of a very good appearance.
The old town which was burnt by the
| English IN tho war which ended in the
freedom Of America, is parcel of mean
| houses, the habitatioDs of the poorer
people. The quays nre few, and under
them ships receiving or disoharging their
landings can lie in with safety; adjoin-
| ing, are spacious storohouses for the re-
ception of goods. They are at present
constt ucting on the site of an old earthen
| breastwork, fertilization, which they
expect to com mand the town and render
| it at least secure from the invasions of an
enemy. This nsW fortlfication stands at
the extreme point of the peninsula on
which Portland is established and con-
| S1StS Oh a battery OF hfteen or twenty
heavy oannons of large calitre, command
ing that wide entrance of the bay which
was above mentioned. This battery is to
have by means of d covered way, COM
munication with a small fort at dis
tapce of four or five hundred toses,
which it has been thought necessary to
erect on the highest part of the isthmus.
The fort is sufficient to hold two hun
dred men.
The trade Of Portland is carried on in
seventy ships, of various burthens. all
belonging to the town many of them sail
to Europe, though oftener to the Antilles.
About twenty are engaged in the fishing
of cod, which ere taken among the
islands at the mouth of the bay.
The merchants of Portland are numer-
Gus; but none Of them possess great CAPT.
tai, as Portland and the parts adjacent
are not equal to the consumption of the
cargoes which the ships import in return
for their exports; these are generally car
ried to Boston, which is the principal
mart for foreign commodities. The want
of money occasions greater proportion
among them to be sent to the capital,
than is for the advantage of the place
and hence, while the storehouses of Port
land arc neglected, the goods which
might be bought and sold here, at more
| IL L