The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-06

dfaW TO them. The PenObgcOt is perhaps
as beautiful as the Hudson.
~ Maine homes There are
none better anywhere on earth.
Not all homes, but the typical
Maine home, such homes as have sent out
lnultitudes of Maine men and women to
I'LL the front ranks of business and pro-
fesslonal life all over the Union Natives
OF Maine are found IN every state and
always at the fore. They are like the
Scotch in Canada who were the makers
and are the real rulers of the Dominion.
though inferior in@numbers.
ID The resources of Maine. Farming
was the first, and still equal to any. Our
sea-eoasU ana harbors being the finest in
America indicate commerce as our proper
calling So it was once and Will be again
Maine ships We're once the pride OF the
! country. The change from wooden to
iron ships, altered all that, but the time
VIII come again. Now we build and sail
three masted schooners so-called, big as
Our institutions. They are an honor to
the State and account in part for the SUI
perior character and success of It's sons.
Our scho7ls and colleges stand high and
improve every year. Public libraries Will
soon be IN every town. Our benevolent
institutions are on grand scale. Our
prisons are a little too luxurious, furnish.
Ing winter homes to many.
The churches. Their congregations
may not be SO large as in the last genera
t1on, for there are other interests scarcely
less eleyating which engage public atten-
ton. But religion as such is as vital
concern as ever. Only the form changes.
How greatly improved sthe relations of
the churches In vain q few, born out of
due time, try to turn back the hand on
the dial plate. 1t is Mrs. Darlington,
sweeping back the advancing waves Of
the Atlantic.
Woman's part. We talk too much of
men on these occasions. In Maine, at
least women have well done their part.
10 our wives and mothers we owe more
than TO any others. They are not only
half Of humanity, but the best half, to
whom men are chiefly indebted for the
noble purposes and refining influences
which make them men.
A notable feature of the music was the
rendition of the solo ''Trust in the
Lord" by Newcomb which was given by
Miss Antonio Sawyer of New York, for
merly of Waterville. She sang most
charmingly and her fine contralto voice
was heard to the best of advantage.
AT FIRST PARISH.
At the First Parish Mr.. Perkins
preached an historical sermon on the
Early Religi Gus Life of Portland"
He took as his text, Deuteronomy II 20,
q And ye shall teach them your children,
speaking of them when thou sittest in
thine house, and when thou walkest by
the way, when thou lest down, and
when thou risest up" lie said in part:
Christopher Levett was the first Europ-
can to examine and describe what is now
Portland, Maine. He built house and
spent the winter of 1928 + on Diamond is
land. With him was Sir Ferdinand
GOrges and his chaplain, Rev. William
Morrell. MorreH was a minister of the
established church of England. 1t is prob
able that his services were the first held
by European within the limits OF Port
land.
Massachusetts, early extended her inf1u
ence over what is now Maine and brought
OF course the Puritan religion. In 1869
the court decreed for Falmouth forth.
with to provids herself of an able and
orthodox preacher to be their minister:
and IN case OF neglect to supply them
selves by the twentieth day of September
next they shall pay to the ministry of
the next town adjoining theirs that is
supplied, fifty pounds per annum, during
their being destitute
The first minister Of whom there is a /
record was Rev. George Burroughs. He
came in 1914. 1t was at the time OF the /
Indian troubles under King Philip /
Every man was required to go TO meeting
armed.
so once for fear OF Indian beating
Our grand sires bore their guns to meet |
ing;
Each man equipped on Sunday morn
With Psalm book, shot and powder horn"
Falmouth was destroyed by the Indians
in 1876. Burroughs with others took |
refuge on Cushing's island, where they
successfully defended themselves. The /
meeting house was near where the office /
OF the Portland company now stands. I
Burroughs returned to Falmouth, but /
the town was a second time DESTROYED in /
1890 and Burroughs himself was executed
for witchcraft in Salem, two years later. |
Falmouth was resettled and incor- /
pOrated in 17lS, which date marks the
beginning of the present First Par ish |
One Jonathan PierpOnt, chaplain to the
garrison preached to the people. Il hey /
built meeting house on what is now the |
corner of India and Middle streets. Rev /
Thomas Smith came in 1925 and after
accepting a call, settled in town and re-
NAMED pastor until his death seventy /
years later A new church was built and /
occupied from 1740-1S25 on the spot where /
the present stone church now stands
There were difficulties with QuaKers,
the revival movements of Whitefield. in
ternal discussions and discipline such as
characterized all religious societies in the
last century. The parish was first divided
by the setting off of Cape Elizabeth in
1888; then by the setting off of New
Casco, our present Falmouth; then
Stroudwater, thus forming the second,
third, fourth parishes OF Falmouth
Portland was Incorporated in 1887 and
the year following the present Second
Parish of Portland came into being.
Mr.. Smith was short in stature. but
erect, a strong personality and the chief
citizen of Falmouth down to his death in
1895.
FREE BAPTIST CHURCH.
Large congregations were in attend
ance at both morning and evening SER
vices of the Free Baptist church and they
listened to interesting sermons by the
pastor, Rev. Lewis Malvern, who spoke