The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-03-11
THE MARINERS SPRING..
A Spring Which Has had History for
More Than $50 Years.


The Rev. George Burroughs, who was
a martyr of the witohcraft dslusion in
1892, owned a farm in the central portion
of the neck, now Portland, upop which
was a spring, famed in his day, and
which had been used by the redmen long
before the advent of Europeans. Willis
says that "Spring street was laid out as
far as the spring in 1884," and when
South street was opened this spring was
at the junction of the two streets and
was called the Mariners Spring. Later
a building was erected over it, and
wall built around it SO as to enclose q
body of water perhaps IS feet in circum-
feranee, and 10 in depth, and it was then
popularity called the Fountain. The
source of this delicious water was known
to be In the higher land toward the
northwesterly. and before the erection
of buildings in that direction 1t was
more easy to trace 1t than at the present
time. 1t, however, became In process
Of time necessary to take the vein which
supplied the fountain higher up, SO as
to furnish the townsfolk, who were
building on Congress and Free streets,
rough highlands which had been recent
ly laid out through the extensive blue
berry pastures which comprised this
region. and the town took the matter in
hand, and at the corner of Congress and
Oak streets found the vein after some
probp eoting, and there established the
town pump, which became as famous
for the purity anu excellence of its water
as the fountain lower down the deolivi-
ty. This town pump was used until
about 1850, when 1t was removed.
When the foundation of the Baxter
memorial building was laid out, 1t was
proposed to utilize thu old town pump
reservoir to supply the building with
water. but upon blasting Gus the cellar,
which was all of solid rock of the hard
est kind, the moist rock In the south
that here was the point to reach the
vein of water which was sought. This
entire territory for acres around il of
solid rock, and by boring a six-inoh hole
through this rock, it was expected to
reach the channel supplying the Mar
iner's spring or Fountain, at depth Of
between 80 and 40 feet; but in this, the
expert. who had the matter in charge,
was at fault. The occasional bubbling
up of water, however, showed that the
right spot had been selected and the
engine was kept boring, when, Eurekai
at depth of over 150 feet the drill
dropped several feet showing That the
true channel had been reached and imme-
diately the clear and delicious water
rushed up the tube to within few feet
of the surface.
One word now about this water. 1t is
well known that all large bodies of watt
or, exposed to the sun and air, and over.
flowing low lands about them, are
charged with vegetable matter in solu-
ton. This water tai en- from the solid
rock over 10 feet from the surface, has
not and could not have a single trace Of
such matter. Analysis shows it to be a
water, which If drunken freely, will be
found OF great value in promoting diaes
tion, and there is no reason why 1t
should not take the place in this vicinity
OF similar waters from some Of the
celebrated springs in the vicinity of Sara
toga. Poland water which, like this,
comes from the heart of an immense
stretch of solid rock. is particularly
adapted to kidney difficulties. This
differs from Poland water. being especi-
~ IT,, 81
INDIGESTION. People who desire to try
Its Efficacy are being suppliedsfrom the
charge at the present time, and by leav-
ing their jugs with the jenitor can have
them filed