The Republican journal., 1900-04-19
A Personal and Political Pilgrimage.

he CLERK Vi Tile weather ulu HIS pTeIIieSG
last week for the Republican conventions,
and April 10th and 18th the sun shone by
day and the moon by night, and the political
sky was roseate and without a cloud. While
the air was spring-ike, the ponds and
streams still bore their coating of ice, and
patches of snow were more or less frequent
in the brown landscapes. But the buds on
the trees We're beginning to swell, blades of
green grass were to be seen in sheltered
places, and the cav OF crows was heard as
they circled over the fields. Spring is al
most here, and the political campaign in
Maine has been auspiciously opened. But
that is another story. to be told elsewhere.
The delegates to the State Convention in
Lewiston April 18th did not find their duties
numerous or combining. Indeed the Port
land Argus termed the convention ''cut
and dried affair. And so it might be call
ed, for there were no contests, no taking of
of coats, no brandishing of tomahawks,
but instead a time of good fellowship, with
the honors ungrudgingly bestowed upon
worthy recipients. The meeting of friends
and acquaintance from all parts of the
State was not the least pleasing feature of
the gathering; and the ne W Dewitt was the
scene of many social greeting. This hotel,
which for five years was closed to the public,
has been reopened, modernzed and made up
TO date in every particular, and is evidently
tiourshing. Meanwhile Belfast waits for
her new Crosby Inn.
| In 1s5G-1 the writer attended the Lewiston
Falls Academy in Auburn, and not since
| leaving school there in the spring of the
| latter year had he seen more of the place
than the glimpses atfored in passing through
| by train. The "reminiscences of those days
were published in The Journal some years
| ago and will not be recalled now. Last
week an attempt was made, without a guide
or encdiry, to find some of the familiar
scel:es OF these early days. Crossing the
t bridge over the Androscoggin the first quest
was to find the old Academy, or the spot
where it had stood, and when near the
present high school building letter carrier
vas interviewed; and 10, we were there,
But what "a change. There was nothing
| recognizable. The statue of Edward Little
| now stands on the site of the old Academy,
| which faced the river and had a row of
| trees on each side of the walk leading down
TO the street, In those days we went May
| ing in the woods that hid from view the
| Little Androscoggin, and many romance
! began, and perhaps ended. in its shady
hooks. Now. exposed to the broad light of
| day with the factories and mills along its
banks II is very prosajc and business-lke
! stream. Auburn had no factories in those
days Think Of it. you present-day dwell
lerS in the now busy city. then mere ham
| let, Lewiston then was only at the beginning
of her industrial career, and her factories
could probably have been enumerated on
| tine fingers of one hand. But one familiar
| thing was seen in the afternoon 5 ramble,
and that WAS the name Of Roak on big
brick block. The block was not there i'll
the old days, but the RoakS were and two
| school-mates Of that name are still held in
| pleasant remembrance
| The Principal of the Lewiston Falls
Academy at that time was Enos T. Luce,
who later engaged in the practice of law in
Boston, and is now probate judge in
| Waltham, Mass. The classical department
was in charge of Edwin Pond Parker, b. A.,
who has been the pastor of a church in
| Hartford, Conn. since 1860, and is a writer
and author of celebrity The assistants
We're Miss Mary j. Lorng, English Depart
ment; Mr.. Charles Is. Adams, Mathematics
Mr.. Charles c. Briggs, Latin.
| And now the scene changes to Portland
Ratio and the writer left their autographs
on the register at West End and after a good
supper and a cigar boarded an electric ear
! for Oak street and the jefferson, Portland s
| new theatre. TO see the Jefferson was per-
haps the main object. but both the theatre
a I'D the play We're found good, and it was
surprising that such an entertainment could
be given in such Il house at the very low
| prices of 10 20 and 30 cents The Jefferson
is well equipped IN every respect, with a
general parior, ladies' parlor and smoking
room, with very comfortable chairs, and
| every seat commands good view of the
| stage. The first novelty was music by the
| Lenna Howe Ladies' Orchestra: the next
| striking feature was that every lady in the
audience removed her hat before the curtain
went up. Very nice they looked, too.
The play was "a Social Outlaw" with
George W. Wilson in the leading role,
supported by an excellent company.
| Mr.. Wilson was prominent member
of the old stock company at the Portland
Theatre in 1s7l-72, was later of the
Boston Theatre company for five years, and
then for 16 years member of the Boston
Museum stock company. For some years he
has been at the head of his repertoire COM
pany. That he is an established favorite in
Portland was very evident. There was what
might be called continuous performance,
as between the acts there were moving pict-
ures, songs and dances and other specialties
and it was good entertainment all through.
The next morning was devoted to calling
on friends so far as time would admit We
knew that the L. S. Marshal's office was in
the post office building, but it took some
| i'm to find the right entrance to interview
Deputy b. O. Norton; but you have only to
violate a United States law and the deputy