History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 173

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co.
Number of Pages: 1100

USA > Maine > Penobscot County > History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 173

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No prohibitory law being in existence, Mr. Samuel P. Eaton advertised for sale, at No. 30 West Market Place, "Old M. wine, old B. sherry, old P. sherry, brown sherry, old Oporto, old port, old Sicily Madeira, Sicily Madeira, W. H. Sc., W. H. Lisbon, Malaga, Muscatil, and claret, by the bottle and case; Champagne, Joly brand, Key brand, Dance do."

A correspondent of the Eastern Republican gives a notice of Bangor, which contains a fair representation of it as it was at this period. It is as follows:

BANGOR. - I have chosen a home subject for a short homily. There is but one word in the text, yet I shall divide the subject into seven parts, viz: First, Bangor as it was; second, Bangor as it is; third, Bangor as it will be; fourth, Bangor abroad; fifth, Bangor at home; sixth, Bangor as it is not; seventh, Bangor at home and abroad.

My introduction will be short. We live in the city of the East, and feel great concern for its reputation and honor; as a people we have been villified, abused, misrepresented; and we feel constrained to open our mouths and show our valor in redressing grievances and vindicating the honor of a slandered people.

To the text: First. Bangor as it was. A few years ago it was a wilderness, inhabited by wild animals and wild men. Trees, water, and mud covered the surface of the earth, and the hand of civilization could not be seen. Soon [ at length] a change was visible -- "the white man had been there "-trees, wild beasts, and wild men disappeared, and phonix-like, a thriving, bustling village grew up in the twinkling of an eye. Farmers, merchants, lumbermen, mechanics, doctors, ministers, lawyers, and idlers congregated therein, and then the Legis-

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lature made us a city. Every one was more given to business than pleasure, and thus all grew rich or acquired a competency. .

Second. Bangor as it is. It is a place of consequence. In it there are rich men and poor men, honest and dishonest men, honorable men and contemptible fellows, industrious men and loungers, men of talents and education and ignoramuses, men of genuine merit and downright impostors and hypocrites. Bangor as it is does not differ much in these particulars from other places.

Third. It will be the largest city in Maine, and the great centre of business and attraction. [A prescience of the distant future, but true].

Fourth. Bangor abroad. Here we shall be a little non-committal, but remark generally, that the character and genius of our people are not rightly apprehended. Certain malign influences, just now, operate against us-a cloud obscures the clear sunshine, and the darts of calumny fall fast and thick about us, sped from the long bows of our enemies, who are greedy of prey and unconscionable in their demands. There as those, however, that do us justice, who have eyes that will penetrate fog and mist, and who can see pure gold "dimmed by dust and concealed by cobwebs."

Fifth. Bangor at home. We do not like a display of egotism, but " dear unto the heart of man is the land of his birth," and the place of his adoption. Here are genius, talents, enterprise, the materials and elements which, when properly developed, fitted, and applied, with the most favorable location and all the desirable external aids and helps, cannot fail of making eminent, happy, and rich men and of giving us finally an enviable name and rank where we are now little known. True, there are many discordant materials to be shifted, much rubbish to be removed-many of our people are strangers to each other-there is among us a pride of the purse, pride of education and profession, pride of having been the first settlers of squatters ; but there is little pride of descent, for the parent stock is all about alike, and the loftiest heads do not dare to look as far back as their grandfathers for fear of stumbling against a cobbler, tinker, or tailor .* Every man stands on his own bottom, and throws away the rotten scraps of flesh and bones, and the mouldering dust of those who were born before him.

Sixth. Bangor as it is not. It is not the resort of all the rogues, sharpers, and knaves in New England. It is not justly celebrated fordis- honesty and swindiing in business matters. It is not on the retrograde and returning to its original nothingness. It is not in a galloping con- sumption. It is not a place to be avoided by honest and honorable men in the pursuit of wealth, and does not contain more bad citizens than are to be met with in all new places of equal size. It does not contain a bad moral atmosphere. It is not what others have rep- resented it to be, corrupt, depraved, heart and soul.

Seventh. Bangor at home and abroad. At home Bangor has ene- mies and professed friends, who have done more to injure her reputa- tion and credit than they can make amends for in a long life, and some two or three of the Bangor editors stand in front of the offending. Kindred spirits abroad have caught up the discordant notes of those thoughtless and stupid knights of the quill, and rung them upon every change of the newspaper gamut. Thus Bangor has been wounded and traduced at home and abroad by blockheads and notoriety seekers, who deserve to be ducked in a horse pond for their pains. Thus endeth my discourse.

Dr. Holman during the month of September gave sev- eral addresses upon the subject of temperance in Ban gor. They were to full houses and pronounced able.

The canvass for President was becoming exciting. General Harrison was in the field against Mr. Van Buren, and was drawing a large support.

The banks declared the following dividends: Globe, none; LaFayette 11/2 per cent. for less than three months; Penobscot 2 per cent. for four months; Eastern 4 per cent .; Mercantile 3 per cent .; Kenduskeag 3 per cent .; People's 3 per cent .; Commercial 4 per cent. ; Bank of Bangor 4 per cent.

The subject of a railroad between Bangor and the head of winter navigation was agitated. It now exists.

*Not true about half a century afterwards, when such hold their beads as high as others.

Hon. Ether Shepley was appointed an associate justice of the Supreme Judicial Court.

In the widening of Main street, Hon. William D. Wil- liamson was allowed $400 damages for land taken from him. This sum was not satisfactory, and Mr. Williamson carried the matter into the Court of Common Pleas, where the jury added $150 to the $400. Messrs. Garn- sey and Kendrick, in a similar case, were allowed a simi- lar sum.

A railroad meeting was held at the City Hall on the 13th of October, at which it was resolved, "That it is ex- pedient for the State to subscribe for a portion of the stock in a railroad from Bangor to Portland."

The name of "State street" was given by the City Council to what had been known as "East Main street."

The Bangorean, whose editor was Charles Gilman, Esq., was discontinued.

Ebenezer G. Rawson, Esq., was appointed County Commissioner.

At this time there were two thousand five hundred cases on the docket of the Court of Common Pleas, and one thousand six hundred on that of the Supreme Judi- cial Court in the county of Penobscot. Judge Ether Shepley presided at the October term of the Supreme Judicial Court, his first here, very acceptably.

Samuel Hudson, Surveyor-General of Lumber of the county of Penobscot, grandfather of the mother of Miss Blanche Willis Howard, died in Bangor on the 25th of October, aged forty-two.

In pursuance of an order of the City Council, the re- mains in the old cemetery at the corner of Oak and Washington streets were removed to Mt. Hope. Among them were those of Monsieur Junin, who was murdered in 1790. The crucifix and ribbon attached that were buried with them were found, and the ribbon was in a remarkable state of preservation. It appeared as if re- cently made.

The information reached Bangor that, by the request of a meeting of citizens of Portland, held on October 25, the Mayor of that city withdrew his consent that the "Maine Anti-Slavery Society " have the use of the City Hall for a meeting. The use of the Friends' meeting- house was not refused, however, and the meeting took place. There was a strong feeling in Portland against the anti-slavery movement. The meeting was disturbed by rioters. They threw missiles at the house, and shout- ed and hallooed like maniacs. The effect was to hurt Portland and help anti-slavery.

On October 31 the people of Bangor were shocked to learn of the loss by fire of the steamer Royal Tar in the Bay, off Isle-au-Haut, on the 24th. The vessel was on her pass- age from St. John to Portland, with a caravan of animals, and ninety two passengers were on board. Thirty peo- ple were drowned and two burned to death. An ele- phant and six horses jumped overboard. The elephant reached the land. The vessel was at anchor when the fire commenced; the wind was blowing a gale, the weather was cold, and the anchor was raised, with a view to running her ashore. The revenue cutter from Cas- tine came to the assistance of the vessel, and was the

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means of saving many lives; but all the property was lost. estimated at $200,000, including $60,000 in money and notes. The steamship had been in Bangor not long be- fore. The fire was said to be owing to the gross negli- gence of the engineer. Great sympathy was felt for the captain (Thomas Reed), who did all in his power to save the people. The ship was new, cost $40,000, and was owned in St. John. There were several cases of individ- ual heroism, that of the captain in particular, and several of contemptible meanness and cowardice.

The steamer Bangor was disabled in November by a defect in her machinery, and was taken off the route.

The first flight of snow of the season fell in November, and changed to rain, then to snow again, and melted nearly as fast as it fell. But it at last changed its vacilla tion, and came in such quantity that there was a foot 01 more of it upon the ground before it ceased.

Dr. Charles T. Jackson, of Boston, devoted three . months this year to the geological survey of Maine, be- tween Thomaston and the St. Croix, and up the St. John as far as the Madawaska River.

On the Ist of November the right of choice of pews in the St. John's Episcopal church was advertised for sale.

· The Bangor Glee Club (amateurs) gave an enjoyable concert in St. John's church on the evening of the 7th of November, and was well patronized. The building was about completed from plans by Upjohn, and consid- ered a beautiful church.

The political campaign for the election of President culminated on the 7th of November, in the election of Martin Van Buren President of the United States. The vote of Bangor for electors was : Whig, 516; Democrat, 312.

The subject of a market-house had been agitated for - a long time, and by request of the City Council the --

Mayor obtained the passage of an act by the Legislature, authorizing the erection of a market-house on suitable piers and works over the waters of the Kenduskeag, be- tween Kenduskeag and Central Bridges. The act was approved March 25, 1836. After allusion to the subject by the Mayor (Edward Kent), and various reports by committees of the Council, on August 1, 1836, that body appointed Nathan B. Wiggin, Paul R. Barker, and George Starrett, a Superintending Committee, to contract for laying the foundation for the City Market-house, be- tween the two bridges. The project, the location, and the whole proceedings relative to the matter, were gen- erally discussed, and by some very severely criticised. The estimated cost of the foundation, with exterior walls of split granite, and the building, was $40,000.

One of the critics, in the Commercial Advertiser averred that the undertaking could not be completed without an expenditure of $100,000.

The foundation was built in 1836-37, but no further work was done upon it by the city. It stood unoccu- pied until 1843, when the southerly end was rented by Messrs. Smith & Jones, Shaw, Ames, and others, who erected a wooden building thereon for a market-house and public hall. This was occupied until 1846, when it was carried away with the bridge by the flood of that

year. It was, however, soon replaced by a larger struc- ture, which remained until the foundation went into the possession of the United States Government, who raised and rebuilt the foundation, and built upon it the present substantial Custom-house and Post-office building.

Joseph Chase, of Sebec, was appointed Surveyor- General of Lumber in place of Samuel Hudson deceased. The appointment was sharply commented upon by the Whigs as 'entirely unfit, made for partisan purposes, and opposed to the wishes of those most interested. The only reason given for his appointment was that he was pleased to appoint no Whig deputies.

The Bangor Lyceum was organized at this time, by the choice of Frederick H. Allen, President; Daniel S. Jewett, Vice-President; Moses Patten, Jr., Treasurer; Abbot W. Paine, Secretary; William H. Foster, Cyrus Hamlin, Peleg W. Chandler, Managers.

Mr. Allen was appointed a Judge of the District Court of Maine; Mr. Jewett, a United States Senator from Missouri; Mr. Patten, a merchant, died carly; Mr. Paine, Insurance Commissioner for Maine; Mr. Foster, a merchant, died at middle age; Mr. Hamlin has been in various important positions in this country and abroad, as will be seen elsewhere in this work; Mr. Chandler be- came City Solicitor of Boston, and one of the ablest members of the Suffolk Bar.

The lecturers announced were: Rev. Frederick H. Hedge (professor in Harvard College and D. D.); Rev. Thomas Curtis, a learned Baptist clergyman, from Scot- land; Edward Kent, Esq., (Governor and Judge Supreme Court); Prof. Leonard Woods (President of Bowdoin College); Cyrus Hamlin (D. D.); Thomas H. Perry (teacher); Prof. George Shepard (D. D.); John A. Poor, Esq., (President of railroads); E. L. Hamlin, Esq., (State Senator); Frederick H. Allen, Esq., (Judge); a discussion on the Influence of Theatres upon Society, by Rev. Prof. Pond (D. D.) and Hon. J. P. Rogers (Attorney General).

The Mechanic Association was doing much for the improvement of its members by debates, lectures, and otherwise. One question discussed was whether the city should grant licenses for the sale of ardent spirits; an- other, should the county establish a house of correction where manual labor should be performed by convicts ? The settlement of these questions was in abeyance a long time, but it has been accomplished, and it is to be hoped permanently.

The meetings of the lyceums were crowded, and were of the most interesting character. The opening lecture was by Rev. Mr. Hedge, and was greatly admired. A debate on the moral tendency of theatres, in which Mayors Cyrus Hamlin and Daniel T. Jewett led, interested the audience several evenings.

The Bangor & Piscataquis Railroad was so far completed that its cars commenced running regularly November 30; The Bangor station was on the hill souther- ly of Meadow Brook, and the course of the road to Old- town averaged perhaps a mile from the Penobscot River. Mr. Eldridge Harris was its agent. This road was the result of the enterprise of two energetic and adventurous

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speculators, Edward and Samuel Smith. These persons accomplished a great deal of labor during the few years of their career, were the employers of many men, and the disbursers of large sums of money, but none at last was found in their possession. Some monuments of their enterprise are in existence, but the railroad is not one, "Smith's Block," at the foot of Hammond street, how- ever, is. When at length failure attended all their under- takings, one of them endeavored to obtain some accom- modation from the State and was unsuccessful. In the wrath that followed his disappointment, and with longing to gratify a feeling of revenge, he resorted to that able lawyer, Jonathan P. Rogers, for advice. Mr. Rogers listened coolly to the statement of his grievance, and then advised him to take the State into partnership with him.

There was at this time some agitation of the subject of referring the election of the judges of the courts to the people. The organs of the Democrats in Bangor favored, that of the Whigs opposed it. Fortunately the sentiment proved to be in favor of permitting the ap- pointment of the judges of the higher courts to remain in the hands of the Executive.

Captain Luke Wilder, for whom, it will be recollected, Mr. Webster, on his visit to Bangor, expressed such high regard, and whose portrait he caused to be painted by Hardy, died in Bangor on November 24th, at the age of eighty-three. He was born in Lancaster, Massachusetts; was with a company of volunteers under General Stark, and for some time afterward a resident of Salisbury, New Hampshire. He came to Bangor in the latter part of the eighteenth century. He was a man of great kindness of heart, and had the respect and veneration of all with whom he came in contact, He resided for several years in Kirkland-now Hudson.

The agitation of the subject of temperance was having its effect, in keeping the display of liquors from the ad- vertisements and counters of the more respectable traders, and in making some of the less respectable ashamed of their business.

One man, under the promptings of his troubling con- science, thought that though he must sell liquors in order to live by the side of his less conscientious neighbor, he would continue to do it in a way that would be attended with the least evil results. He therefore made the top of the casks containing his beverages a part of his counter, and perforated it with holes that the water with which the glasses of his customers were drained might find its way into the dangerous liquid and modify its destructive qualities. His apology was in this very language :

I know that selling ardent spirits is a great evil. I know that misery flows from it, and I know, too, that the more water I turn into the bar- rel the less mischief I do in the world. The fact is, I almost abhor my- self for being a rumseller, but my next-door neighbor keeps just such goods as I do, and he sells rum, and if I do not furnish my customers with the article, I cannot sell them other goods. Could I be assured that the professed friends of Temperance, who are now in the habit of buying there, would transfer their custom to me to make up my loss on the other side, I would abandon the traffic at once ; but I cannot run the risk of depriving myself and family of a living.

Colonel Joshua Carpenter acquired an unenviable no- toriety as Sheriff. The newspapers charged him with in- terfering with jurors, which was denied, and with putting

into the hands of his deputies a receipt, with instructions to take no other, which contained this form of agree- ment :--

And we further agree that we have actually received the property aforesaid of said officer; that it is the property of the said --- [the debt- or], and is of the full value aforesaid; and this receipt shall be conclusive evidence against us of all the premises heretofore or hereafter specified in this receipt, and of our liability to the said officer for the identical property aforesaid, or its aforesaid value in cash, at the option of said officer. And for the further security of said officer, we agree that he shall have a lien on said property, with a right to repossess himself at any time of the same; or to take of the property of either of the un- dersigned to the value aforesaid, at any time, into his possession for his said security; and that the execution or executions which may be re- covered in the aforesaid process may be levied at any time upon the personal property or real estate of any one or more of the undersigned, and satisfied therefrom in the same manner as from the property of said debtor; and that we will waive any irregularity in the mode of advertis- ing or selling any of the aforesaid property, or in the preliminaries to the same. Any balance remaining, after all demands shall have been satisfied, which may then be in the hands of the said deputy, to be re- stored to us on demand by any one or more of us!

John W. Frost, the editor of the Commercial Adver- tiser, who wielded a free pen, commented upon the con- duct of the Sheriff in a manner that would have dis- turbed a person of any sensibility.

On the 6th of December Mr. Frost announced the dissolution of his connection with the Advertiser, with the intention of removing to the South. The Advertiser was to assume the name of the Daily Post, and be edited by Thomas Bartlett, Jr. Mr. Frost was a member of the Bar, and a writer of ability.

On the same day occurred the death of Nathaniel Haynes, editor of the Eastern Republican. His health had long been poor. He was a member of the Bar, al- though he had been little in practice. He was a man of ability, and wielded a trenchant pen. He was a bitter partisan, and much of his severity may have been at- tributed to the condition of his health.

On the same day A. G. Wakefield, Esq., Secretary of the School Committee, gave notice that candidates for the city high school would be examined in the second story of the back building in District No. 2, on the 15th. Candidates for admission would be examined in " read- ing, writing, geography, and arithmetic, as far as com- pound proportion." No scholar under ten years of age would be examined.

A condition of business existed at this time that was discreditable and annoying. The "credit system " pre- vailed to a provoking extent. It was a practice from the beginning of the town to buy goods on credit, and the new comers readily fell into it. There were many who indulged in this practice who had no other intention than to pay. They could have paid down, but it was a practice of the seller to put a high price upon his wares because of the credit system, and it was of no advantage to the purchaser to pay down. But there were many others who did not have the idea to " pay" in their minds when they purchased, and they would permit their bills to run on from six months to a year, and, unless dunned, would never think of paying. Grievous complaint was at length made that men who were "living in the most extravagant manner," whose houses were "elegantly finished and furnished," who were using "money to shave

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

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notes at an enormous discount," would reply, when called upon to pay a small bill of groceries, that they had "no money." That sometimes they would pay by a draft or note upon which the payee would get the money at the bank by indorsing it, and when it became due it would be protested, and come back to the indorser for payment. Men of large property would allow themselves to be sued, and think the delay until an execution could be obtained would be an advantage to them in the busi- ness of "shaving." Men were so much in the habit of this that they did not reflect that it was dishonorable. In time, however, there was a reaction. The merchant found that a cash business with less "profit" was far more lucrative than a credit business with great "profits " and little pay, and gradually business reached a healthy foundation.

A meeting of the Bangor Temperance Association was held on the evening of December 19, at which Professor Enoch Pond offered a resolution avowing the expediency of requesting the Legislature to repeal the existing license laws, and to enact a law making the traffic in ardent spirits penal. The experience had always been that license laws were ineffectual to prevent the sale and use of intoxicating drinks by any one disposed to sell or use them. The annual report at this meeting pronounced the Franklin House, as a temperance hotel under the man- agement of Mr. John Frost, a success. The house had been purchased by a committee of the Association for $20,000. An assessment on the stockholders for repairs and furniture rendered the cost of the establishment nearly $25,000. It had been in operation about six months, and was so well kept that it had the patronage of others besides temperance men.

A fire on the 22d of December destroyed the wooden block at the westerly end of Kenduskeag Bridge, owned by Messrs. E. and S. Smith. The Smith Block, in im- mediate connection with the buildings burned, being fire- proof, escaped with some injury to the easterly wall. The loss by owners and occupants was estimated at $15,000.

A magazine bearing the name of Maine Monthly was at this time in existence, under the editorship of Charles Gilman, Esq., and ably conducted.

On December 19 the death of Captain Samuel P. Dutton, of Bangor, occurred in the city of New York. Captain Dutton was a man of great enterprise, and was connected with the house of Cram & Dutton, when dur- ing the unfortunate financial inflation of 1835 it was obliged to succumb.

On the 25th of December Charles Rice, Esq., died. He was a prominent man in the county from the War of 1812, during which he met with heavy losses in shipping and otherwise at the hands of the British. He afterwards held the office of Register of Deeds for the county, and other offices of trust.

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 173

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co. Number of Pages: 1100

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co.
Number of Pages: 1100