Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-02
Editors Letter Box
The Queen City and Prophecy.

The Queen City and Prophecy.
Editor Kennebec Journal:
l shall not attempt to give history
of this beautiful city only a few OBJ
servations and comparisons. Its his
tory up to 1880 has already been told In
the Gazetteer of Maine" by Geo. j.
Varney AS every one knows Portland
occupies prominent position, the
browning points of which are Munjoy
Hill-161 feet above sea level and
Bramhall Hill-171 feet. The city over
looks Casco bay. one of the deepest and
best harbors on the Maine coast, gar
landed with islands, every one gem.
At that time the people were distin-
guished for their enterprise and urban
ity and l should judge from a recent
visit that they had lost none of the old
time colonial dignified courtesy but,
rather, had added to it by the delight
full charm of modern informality.
Urbane, Mr.. Varney? I should say so
and more than that. for they treat their
guests royalty, Of high station or low.
The mayor of Portland is fine gen.
tleman, tall, dignified, courteous and
obliging; he invited and conducted me
through several departments OF the
new City hall, took charge of my coat
and hat and told me to make myself at
home. At dinner in the big dining room
of the Falmouth 1 was treated as if a
royal guest; had a table for a while
all to myself with waitress that paid
no attention to anybody else, until (my
goodness) the future Governor Of Maine
| ~, mr.
recognition took a seat right opposite
! to me at the same table. That poor
waitress girl was astonished and puZ-
zled to see people rush in, and carry
him off two or three times. before he
had time to eat hardly anything, and
she was more astonished when / whis-
pered and told her who it was, but she
never let up in her attentions to me, on
that account, her service was impartial
to both; so, when my ship comes in l
am going to board at the Falmouth.
Here are a few facts about Portland:
| In 1856 occurred the great fire which
destroyed a large part Of the city. In
1870 the population was 1,413. In 1880,
IA years after the disaster. when the
city had in so far recovered as to have
wider streets and bigger and better
business blocks and houses, the pop
ulation was $3.50, an increase in ten
years of 1897. At the present time the
population is estimated to be $4,000,
which is an increase of 26190 in SO
years, averaging 1875 for three and
| three fifths decades. In 1880 Portland
| had six National Banks. with an ag-
! eregate capital of So so 900. The Maine
! Savings Bank in Portland. on the LIST of
November, 1880. held in deposits and
profits, the sum of s3,1S1,195.45; and the
Portland Savings Bank, at the same
date held s4,4s0,770.32. Portland now
has lin 1870 so churches and church
organizations, in what is termed
Greater Portland" which includes
South Portland; seven theatres and ten
banks, including the Fidelity Trust
Co. with assets Of about s14,000,000 and
| the Maine Savings Bank with assets
of about SIG, 100000 also Portland Saw
! ines Bank: First National Bank: Canal
National Bank; Chapman National
Bank; Casco Mercantile Trust Co.;
! United States Trust Co: Forest City
Trust Co. and Union Safe Deposit &
| Trust Co.
The above shows in one way how the
! city has grown. but I forgot to men,
ton the newspapers. prominent among
which in 1880, were the Argus-ancient
and respectable and always fresh,
| bright. readable and Democratic: the
Press, reliable Republican sheet, al
ways elegant and honorable; the Ad-
vertizer. the oldest daily paper in the
city, but at that time considered the
most concise, Republican. but indepen-,
dent in it's views; and the Portland
Transcript, which had the unique dis
tinction Of being known to every fam
fly in Maine and unsurpassed in it's
field by any newspaper in the country.
Quite a puff Mr.. Varney. And the
Argus-that bright and lively sheets
just as bright and lively as it was SO
years ago.
In regard to the shipping facilities Of
Portland, friend who has lived in that
city many years, and who is a good
business man, says the shipping facili-
ties of Portland, though not. Of course,
as extensive as those of Boston or New
York. are capable Of vast expansion.
certainly sufficient to take care Of ev-
erything for many years to come.
He says, The principal transporta-
ton lines serving Portland are the
Maine Central r. r. Co.. Grand Trunk
Ry., Boston & Maine r. r. and Eastern
Steamship Corporation" He further
says, 'The principal transportation
lines serving the State are practically
the same as those serving Portland.
The c. P. Ry does very little business
comparatively within the State. The
business Of the Maine Central R. R.
since 1900 has practically doubled; that
of the passenger traffic not quite
doubled; freight traffic however, q lit
tie more than doubled. The mileage