Year: 1864

LEWISTON, March 2, 1864.
To the Editor of the Press:


Leaciston' 1t may be that you, Mr.. Editor
(for editors are said to know almost every
thing) and some of the readers of your paper,
other than your correspondent, have become
familiar with the name and fame of this rapid
ly growing city. The place had not escaped
my observation; SO three months since took
up my residence here, and can give you some
account of its peculiarities, erceltences and
beauties.


PECULIARITIEs.


Arriving here in the cars some afternoon
one will learn Immediately that he has reached
city not necessarily from the appearance OF
the town, but from the people, high and low,
rich and poor, who never neglect an oppor-
tunity to bring in the word city, by way of re-
minder, at every turn in the conversation
To speak of coming to town" would cause
one to lose caste. A man of doubtful virtue.
or one who had recently made virtue one of
his acquisitions, when virtue is spoken of, is
apt to feel fdgity lest his virtue should be
overlooked. Though there has been city
here scarcely twelve months "The City Mar
ket,' City Eating House," City Billiard Sa-
loon," City Barber Shop" in fact nearly every
branch OF business has one of the trade and
sometimes two who "hang out the shingle,n
as they say out west, with the adjective citg
prefxed to the word denoting their employ
ment.


Perhaps there are more people in proper
tion to the population and less number of
houses in proportion to its size, than In any
other city in Maine. The rule is that no two
houses shall be within hailing distance of
each other unless they are connected with the
factories, In which case they are all Joined to-
gether. Every house contains two families
or more, usually two, the "family above" and
the family below" think law should be
enacted that the family above should move
down stairs and the family below should move
up-for this reason,-the family above, with
out exception, as far as my knowledge extends
have contracted the disgraceful habit of turn
ing In later at night and turning out earlier
In the morning than the other family, and,
sir, you could hear a watch tick in Bedlam
more readily than can any member of the low
er family hear himself think, while the family
nearer heaven is stirring 1t is needless to
add that your correspondent does not board
with the upper family. Again, the lofter
family is usually large, twice as large AS are
ordinary families, though they have way
here Of getting up ordinary families very large.
Scarcely manuwn his house, and still more
rarely he owns his land.


Though one can hardly look upon the street
without seeing, or drive upon the street with
out running against loads OF wood, and though
the distance from here to unbroken wilder
ness is hardly a half days ride, good wood
and cheap 10 curiosity rarely exhibited 1t
Is true there are prices for wood and they
vary according to circumstances Of the seller
and the .peculiarities Of the merchandise
The greener and raggeder the man, and the
greener and wetter the wood the higher the
price. So with board, the poorer-the more
one must pay for it. Your correspondent
fortunately pays low price for his board.


ExcELLENcIEs.


The men are honest and scarce the women
are beautiful and plenty. Cobblers and taiors
do their work at the time agreed upon Mer-
chants never cheat, when Gotten is highest In
the market, by saying that all wool goods are
part cotton. Lawyers adhere strictly to truth
and uprightness. Doctors kill less patients
than they cure. And the ministers rarely
preach politics. AS natural consequence of
all the above Copperheads, like other serpents,
are not often seen openly and among people
Justice Is administered according to law. |
am still to be convinced that an Irishman is
any more likely to escape his regular fine
when he gets irregular drunk than any other
man; as will appear from recent court record
which copy.


michael O'Flannigan, charged with getting
drunk Sunday night and turning bis wife out
door at midnight. Found guilty and fined.
Patrick McClinchy ditto, ditto" fourteen
cases of same kind.


THE BEAUTIES.


The more noticeable of the peculiarities
and some of the more valuable OF the excel
lencies Of this spindle city, have mentioned; !;
there now remain the Beauties.


In architecture there is little worthy of
notice. People have not contracted the habit
of living in luxurious or expensive dwellings,
The only buildings in Lewiston exhibiting
much architectural beauty, are the Court
House and Lewiston Falls Academy - the
latter recently rebuilt-which are not in Lew
iston, but in Auburn. Lewiston boasts of some
beautiful and commodious churches, and has
one beautiful hall, but no particular architec-
tural taste is displayed in them. In young,
manufacturing, money-making community, it
is hardly to be wondered at that the useful
too often supercedes the beautiful.


There are, however, beauties in nature.
The "West Pitch" of the falls, the "Pulpit
Rock Falls on the little Androscoggin; but
these, like the architectural specimens belong
rather to the suburbs than to the city proper.
The principal remaining beauties not yet mem
TONED may be found among the 4000 OF the
other sex within the buildings by the canal,
and wi hin the sanctum of the Lewiston
Daily Journal. More anon,


CAr-HANCE.