Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-08-18
A Sleepy Town Becomes World
Wide Famous.
I Written for the Spectator

Just thirteen mOnths'ago [ was a
passenger on the four masted coal
schooner s z. Black burn. when she
dropped anchor at the mouth of the
Piscataqua river. All of us, from the
captain TO the most insignificant deck
hand. had deeply lamented our fate
when we learned, just few hours be
fore sailing from Newport News, that
our point of destination was the sleepy
old town of Portsmouth, New Hamp
shire. Little did we think that We
were to spend two weeks or more in 3,
locality that is To-Day the exposure of
the nations of the world, in city
where now are gathered the plenipo-
tentiaries of two great peoples in the
endeavOr to restore peace to the eastern
world.
1t may therefore be of interest to the
readers of the SPECTATOR to hear
something about this place from one OF
their own number who has seen it III
its usual every day attire and hum
drum life. Portsmouth is situated at
the mouth of the Piscataq1e, q mar
row, deep and treacherOuS river, which
at this point forms the boundary be-
tween Maine anG New Hampshire. 1t
Is city just about the size of Staun
ton; likewise it has narrow macadam-
lied streets, the business streets being
for the most part paved with vltrltiad
brick. The principal street of the city
widens into a large cOnrt inst in the
business center. Here the street car
lines converge, so that one can, at this
point, board car that will take him
to any part of the city or to any of the
numerous pleasure resorts that are
within few minutes ride. In fact,
if it were not for the trolley rides to
Y Ork beach on The north, Rye, Hamp
ton and Salisbury beaches on the south,
Dover and Exeter III the interior,
Portsmouth would be intOlerable TO
the pleasure seeker.
After day and evening spent at these
resorts there is nothing more refresh
ing than return TO quiet old Ports
mouth for nights rest at one of the
many pretty little summer hotels and
villas which dot the shores of he Pts
cataqua. These hotels and villas SO
picturesque and conveniently located
for water Sports OF ali kinds, together
with the easy accessibility OF the Du-
merous pleasure resorts / have men
NCE 6bLld az
tive to the summer traveller Although
there are many pretty homes i'll the
city with we'll kept and extensive
lawns, the buildings are for the most
part old, both in architecture and APP
pearance. In fact, Portsmouth is Que
of the oldest cities in New England
The people saem to take pride in this
distinction and do not impress a
stranger as being in the least dissatis
fed with their city's lack of modernism
Like other, New England towns, a
Town Marshal, instead OF a Chief OF
Police, looks after the peace and digni
ty of the community. In some respects
Portsmouth, il spite Of its drGwslness
is far ahead of Staunton. The streets
are clean and Kept so, force of street
sprinklers and sweepers being continu
ally at work. A public library is open
to the public at convenient hours a
cOmmO2i0uS depot, with an extensive
| shed which entirely covers the savera
| tt acks OF the Boston and Maine rail-
road, Is supplied with well equipped
! restaurant, lunch c0uuter, fruit anC
| Suda water stand. There are no Sepa
, ratu apartments for the white anG
, coloreu peuple us there ole practically
10 G',iOTru pei pie III the place. Ports
! mouth has also first CLASS hotel, TIL
j Vent " ortb, a handsome brick struc
! lure, five stories high, that would az
CT edit to d much larger aud more pre-
! tentious place, at this hotel the plen
ipotentlaries of Russia aud Japan ar,
CHARTERED. 1t is not here, however
That the peace conference is beini
held; in fact it is not being held II
| Portsmouth at all, as is commonl.
supposed. The Navy Yard is lot il
| Portsmouth, but is on the other side
of the river from Portsmouth, in tbt
town of Kittery, State of Maine. w n
the station is spoken of as the Ports
mouth Navy Yard rather than th
kittery Navy Yard / am not inform
ed, posi- Oly tor the same reas on tina
the Portsmouth, Va. yard is some
times credited to Norfolk. AT an
rate in The Naval Stores Building
Kit cry, Maine. the conferences which
world is now watching with unwout
ed aud unabated interest, take piac
each morning and afternoon. Ant
when tue days work is over the euGlr'
party, either by launches Or ferry boat
recrosses The river 60 rest amid th
peace and quiet of Portsmouth.
w. q. MORTON.