Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

120 RAMBLES ABOUT PORTSMOUTH.
ever influenced " the old Deacon," (for he was one of the
deacons of the North Church) so as to allow the respondents
to escape the penalty of the law, if upon a fair and impartial
trial before him, he found them guilty.
In those days of which we write, the subject of laying
side pavements began to be agitated; for until then, there
were none in town except very narrow ones in Paved street,
so called, now Market street, which at that period was only
about one half of its present width. Said side pavement
being a mere apology for the absence of more commodious
accommodations for the ladies who resorted to the "Piece
Good Stores " there located. And although the necessity
of these were admitted by all our good ancestors, they
could not or would not agree upon a location for the commencement of them.
The belligerent boys also had something to do about
this matter. Strong prejudices were there operating be
tween the " Southenders" and i' Northenders, and the
belligerents had made Buck street, now called State street,
the line of demarkation between the respective parties.
They had also made Buck street, by common consent, neutral ground, upon which declaration of war was made and
parleys held.
Had not this practice and ill-feeling of the boys against
each other been the result.of the influences originating in
older heads, if not in implacable hearts, the interests of the
public would have been better promoted, But the antipathies engendered by the revolution between the Whigs and
Tories not having fully subsided, operated injuriously in
town affairs, and had prevented many improvements which
otherwise the inhabitants would have enjoyed. So it was
in respect to the laying of sidewalks. They could not
agree upon the location of the commencement of them.
At length, however, at an annual town meeting, one of
our wise, far-seeing and worthy townsmen, seizing upon