The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-02-23

whom he said had journsyed far and put
himself to much Inconvenience to keeT
his engagement to address the society.
Judge symonds smoke In his interesting
and schrl larry manner anuEhis address wa
listened 70 with deep attention. He be-
gan BY eaying that willis looking up tbs
history OF the First Parish church awhill
ago he had become extremely interested
In the early history Of Portland. He had
found much to reward him In the oourss
Of bis researches and Judge Symonds
then proceeded 20 briefly sketch in a most
entertaining manner the history of this
city previous to the Revolution and with
this foundation gave very interesting
summary from Parson Smiths journal
OF tn happenings In Portland during
this formative period In our national life.
lie told OF the telling OF the first tree
on Falmouth Neck in 1852. OF the growth
OF ths llttls setilsment OF Log cabins here
In the midst OF an unbrnken wilderness
How the settls OF hardy men and
brave women at first fIonIished and was
then swept away by the Indian attack
and massacre, he related briefly but
graphically. 1t was the unhappy fortune
of the new world TO feel the effects OF for
eing complications. Foreign cabinets
who brought about these wars In the
course of their manosuvrsings had no
thought for the struggling settlements
which were in no ways involved but
which suffered annihilAtion and dsvasta-
tion rs the result OF this clash OF foreign
arms. so 10 was before the exciting
period previous to the Revolution and ELL
OF the ups and downs Of the CLING
town on Falmouth Neck Judge Symonds
well portrayed. Then he came to the
coming 70 Portland Of the young man
from Boston, who Is % lsbrated today as
Parson Smith, who more than any one
man In this town moulded the thoughts
and the character Of the early residents in
Portland for several score OF years.
Taking up then the journal left behind
by this parson and onronlelsr of local
events faithfully kept up by Parson
Smith almost to the hour of his death
Judge Symonds went on to tell OF the
town in Revolutionary days.
"If we had q Hawthorne TO reproduce
the lines for US OF the ancient King street
of Portland as he had reproduced the
lines and romance OF King street In
salem wat q picture Of interest 1t would
present. And the speaker went on to
draw a word picture OF ancient Falmouth
of It's outlying forests and infrequent
oIearings and rude log huts, of the leaf
strewn paths through the woods OF the
struggling streets of the town with outly-
ing cabins OF logs, OF the interesting
groups which might then have bsen
found upon the streets, Of many historic
al structures long since swept away by
this tide OF progressive civilization, OF the
rude speech and rough dress OF the curl
GUS customs and stern code of morals Of
the jewellers In this old town. All OF this
was well set forth and much more in
Judge Symonds inimitabls manner and
then he told something OF the wonderful
sight 1t must have been to our simpls an
csstors when the governor OF Massaohu-
sets came here attsrded with his brill
liant staff to treat with the Indians
bright in their French colors.
"should suoh a Hawthorne come to
picture tina early town and life here"
said Judge Symonds, "He would not
have to darken our streets with the WITCH
PROFESSIONS such as were seen In Salem
nor would he have to picture the mob
surrounding the Quaker women who
SPOKE from the church steps,"
With this the speaker approached the
tine of the excitement oooasioned by the
passage OF the stamp act, of Parson
Smith quaint illusions TO the wrath OF
the people the ever increasing excitement,
the day of hope that all might be settled
we'll and the depressing day OF gloom
when the mother country became the
tyrannlcal parent and determined to
punish her unruly children. From kthe
successive entries In this journal of
days the audiencs followed Judge Sy.
monds through this exciting period, saw
with the good old parson the destruction
of the town by Mowatt and the fleeing of
the people. the marching away to war OF
the first company of continentals, of the
rejoicing for victories which were oele-
hratsd by what would now be regarded az
drunken EcNclb nI0 Va tAS WILLIS Va WIZ
church bell at the news of defeat. The
simple quotations from this interesting
journal punotuated with the graphic de-
scriptions and comments OF the speaker
made Judge Symonds' address one OF the
most interesting of the day, and he was
given hearty round of applause at the
conclusion.
The next speaker was Rev. William q.
Mann of Westbrook who prefaced his
speech by witty story and then spoke OF
Washington In part as follows:
"No one ever was before, or ever can
be again, just such man as Washing
ton. The circumstances which deter
mined his life can never be repeated
The high position which he occupied has
now no steps by which It may be at
tanned. But the materials from which he
chose to fashion his character, are with
in the reach of the poorest and humbless
of our great nation.