The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-19
Vancouver Reached HIRE at Dark
Last Night.
Other Ship Due Fere
This Week.
Activity at Grand Trunk Begins
Today.

The winter steamship business Will be-
gin in Portland this morning when the
dominion liner Vancouver which arrived
here about 9 o'clock last evening from
Liverpool, will haul into the dock to dis
charge her small cargo and take on board
a cargo to her fun capacity tor the re-
turn trip. Several years ago this COM
mencing Of the winter steamship busi-
ness In PORTLAND, was an event Of great
Importance Then the big store houses
which had been empty and deserted all
summer were the scene Of great activity
and everyone who could find the time
went d3wn to the Grand Trunk docks to
welcome the first English ship. Now the
commencing OF the winter steamship
business here is not ss well defined as 1t
was two years ago. The Thomson line
has been operating a fortnightly boat
from this port all summer and the citi-
zens OF Portland do n IT regard the arri-
val here OF a big steamship as such an
unusual thing as they did a few years
ago.
Stin the winter activity at this Grand
Trunk docks means a great deal to Port
land and from this time until the first
Of May this section OF Portland Will be
indeed a busy place.
Everything Is In readiness for carrying
on a large amount OF business here dur :
ing the winter months. The big sheds Of
the Grand Trunk are now pretty well
filed up with freight, the elevator is
crammed full of grain with many carloads
waiting an opportunity to discharge In
the yards. The Vancouver viii begin
loading as soon as her cargo is dis
charged and the next ship to get here
will probably be the Ribston Of the
Thomson line which Is already due. on
Wednesday the Numidian of the Allan
line VIII reach here and Others ara on
their way. During the coming winter
the following lines Will have boats come
here for oargoes: Allan, dominion, Le-
land, Thomson, (London line), Elder
Dempster and also what is commonly
known as the German line. 1t is now
generally known that these lines will be
steyedored by Mills, MoMasters s. Co,
Irefethen g. Dugan and Mr.. Ferns. 1t is
evident that there will be enough men to
supply all the demand for labor and this
morning an organized crew Will be pre-
pared to go to work at once on the Van
couver.
The steamship clerks are commencing
to arrive here and the offices In the one
story sheds on the Grand Trunk wharves
In which SO much business in done dur
ing the winter, are being opsned. Yester.
day, Mr. John florence. Jr, the agent
for the Dominion line, arrived in Port
land. MIR. Thomas Ross and MIR. Alexan-
der Hickey who have been here season af
ter season, were also to be seen at the
Dominion Office yesterday and were well
coined by many friends in Portland, who
have known them for years. Mr.. Con-
ley, who was here last season, was al so
at the Dominion Office.
The Allan line clerks and officials will
be here on Monday afternoon to open
their office In the old.fashioned wooden
building just above the Grand Trunk
depot where the Allan headquarters in
Portland have been located year after
year. The officials of the other lines with
their assistants, ana the army Of clerks
for the Grand Trunk freight department
will all begin work this week.
Many of these gentlemen have been
coming to Portland so many years that
they seem almost like residents OF the
city. They are gentlemanly, genial and
whole-souled crowd as a rule and number
their friends by the score.
Besides the clerks and officers Will come
a small army Of experienced stevedores
who live half the year in Portland and
the other half in Montreal. These steve
dores all belong to the Portland Long
shoremen's association and pay their dues
to that organization with great regu.
larity.
They affiliate with the Portland steve.
dores readily and as there Is always work
enough for ali hands they get along with
very little trouble.
All OF the extra custom house officers
go on duty this week. The winter sea-
officials who are obliged to work great
many hours each day to superintend the
unloading of ships and see that Uncle
Sans tariff laws are not violated.
1t was stated yesterday that there
would be 100 ships arrive in Portland
d lring the coming season, being one for
every day. IL is said that the number
win not be quite as large as this, but
more are expected than ever before.
A NEW DEPARTURE.
The Vancouver arrived here after
dark, being brought into port by the vet
Gran pilot John Martin, who went out to
meet here In the lobster steamer Nina
and Lizzie which he chartered for the
"trip. The ship left Halifax at O'Clock
on Saturday night and Is said 70 have
about so passengers, some OF whom are
destined for the far West, while many