The Portland daily press., 1897-11-15
THE PORTLAND OF TODAY.
A Recent Visit of Bangor Man to Names
Metropolis.
(Bangor Commercially

(BangOr Commercially
! The other day / was called to Portland
on business and having few minutes
to spare there, took a trip over the town
to see If 1 couldn't find something that
would interest," me. I've been reading for
long time about Portland being sleepy
town and when arrived there I found
the reports were true-it was 2 am. when
the train got in.
It's all a mistake though about Port
land being sleepy. The people over there
are just as much up-to-date as any in
Maine. This town can beat Bangor to
death in lots of things. Why, they have
an electric railroad over there that q
corker When you ride in the cars they
go SO slick that you almost think you
have wings. In Bangor the cars ride a
good deal like camel
Then Portland has four or five parks
that are far ahead of the Bangor House
park, and several miles Of macadamized
streets that were built by experienced
men, and they are as smooth as a floor.
Portland has theatre that's a peach
and it's local manager is a man who
knows his business from A to q. He has
given Portland some of the finest attrac-
lions in the country and there are more
to be seen there yet. Among them are
Under the Red Robe, The Girl From
Paris, Wizard of the Nile, Tess of the
D. Urbervilles. The man who holds the
important position of local manager Of
The Jefferson is Mr.. Stephen Bogret, and
he is one of the most popular men among
the theatrical profession as well as the
patrons of his house, as there is in this
country. He has had years of experience
and knows just how to run place of
amusement like The jefferson.
The jefferson is rightly named, too.
When you step inside the doors and pass
through the marble entrance into the
theatre, the first thing you think of is the
grand old man after whom it was named.
Everything about the house is grand and
there is no other way of thinking differ
emily of one Of Americas most honored
men.
Portland has grown during the past
year. New houses are to be seen every
where and In the business portion of the
town everything looks metropolitan. Just
now magnificent building is being
erected for the Y. M. G. A. 1t is located
in Congress square and is very striking
structure.
Portland has board of trade that is
everything that the name implies. Its
business is not done by half dozen men,
but all of them get out and hustle. It's
president ia Col f. E. Boothby, the gen
eral passenger and ticket agent of the
Maine Central railroad, and he is making
things "look up" just the same as he
does the passenger business. just now
the board of trade is hustling for dry
dock and there may be such a thing that
she may get it. BY the way, Col. Booth
by told me that he believed next season
would be a corker for the summer resorts.
He says that business is growing better
every day and he believes that the season
of 1893 will be one of the best for years
He says that Bar Har Dor is always going
to be a summer resort.
''Thero is too much money invested
there for the summer business to die
OUT, said MIR. Boothby. ''We provided
the summer visitors with train service
last season that could not be beaten and
it will be just as good next season.
Nearly everybody asks when you strike
Portland, Where are you stopping? and
If you do not say at the Congress Square
hotel, you are informed ssthat you're not
in it," The Congress Square is man
aged by Geo. W. Stearns, whom everyone
in Bangor remembers as manager of the
Bangor Exchange. He is keeping great
house. Full most every night and during
the summer season people were turned
away every day. MIR. Stearns is popular
with his guests and with Portland people
and there is no reason why he shouldn't
be. Mr.. Stearns told me that there was
Talk of building an addition to the hotel.
The land in the rear has already been
purchased for it. The Congress Square
has 100 rooms and about every other
room is connected with bath. Mr..
Stearns has large corps of most efficinet
clerks, who are always endeavoring to
look after your comfort. l.. W. u.