Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-09-17
A PEDESTRIAN TOUR IN MAINE.
Correspondence of the Spy.


A hazy atmosphere yelled the sun, as we
crossed the bridge at an early hour, to the east
side OF the Kennebec Before reaching Au-
gusta, we had noticed that in many places the
shores were rocky. Now, we saw that the
water flows in a bed of dark slate rock, whose
grain lies parallel with the current. The tide
rises and falls at this place some four feet Just
north of the bridge is dam, the first one on
the river. Opposite is large cotton factory.
For two miles north from Augusta the way is
lined with plain white dwellings, which grad.
ually lessen in number, to farms and farm
houses. AT intervals, by the roadside, stands
the little red school house, so characteristic of
our New England villages. We ventured, for
gettul of our travelling gear, and the KNAPP
sack on our back, to look into one of them
Our presence occasioned considerable disturb
ance among the scholars, and the teacher
blushing and half frightened, tried to be polite
The schOolroom was contracted and low stud
ded The windows were high up, and many
OF the small panes of glass were laced with
cobwebs. On one side, bare-footed boys in
blue overalls, sat with open books, OH the hard,
straight backed seats while opposite, were
sun-brown little girls, in pantalets, whose cali
co dresses could boast at least of one hoop. We
listened to some of the exercises, and then
thanking our stars that we were not one of the
little boys, pushed on. In the way of villages,
there is little to see between Augusta and Wa
tervllle, bat the scenery is pleasant, and the
road leads over easy hills, and by the banks of
the We Ctnpna1 WI ,ila
some woods and looked in among the trees.
only here and there, the suns rays penetrated
the interviewer branches, and danced on the
moss clumps beneath. Some birds twittered
over mead, and tar Ill, a graceful grey squirrel
capered on the trunk and limbs of fallen
tree. How unlike the sombre stiffness of this
scene, the busy, restless world in which we live.
The country in the vicinity of Waterville, is
quite level. The land was covered with a
rich verdure, and some of the farms appeared
very good Waterville is pleasant town, and
is well known as the seat of a fiourishing col
ege, which is finely located on the banks of the
Kennebec. We were informed that the class
just entered is unusually large. AS at Angus
ia, the river here flows in bed of slate rock
The water was low, and portions ofthe exposed
edges displayed interesting forms and shapes
beautifully smoothed and rounded by the
numerous eddies that necessarily whirl above
them at high water. Four miles west of Wa
terville, on Emerson's river is a cascade
This is worthy the visit of any traveller. True,
it is not backed by Swiss scenery, nor legends
of historic interest, but we doubt if in SwitZer-
land, or elsewhere, spot may be found of
more simple natural beauty. We thought it a
fine subject fol the pencil of some of our Wor-
cester artists, and commend it to their consid-
Grafton in their summer rambles. From Wa
terville, we turned west for Pennington. For
short distance the road led along the banks
OF clear running stream then it branched off
into woods and over hills. 1t is interesting as
one travels inland, to observe, at every step,
the constant but gradual change in the country
and its inhabitants. After walking a long way
through woods, without meeting a single per-
son, we find ourselves in wide open pasture,
where the sun beats warm, and the sultry air
sings of crickets and grasshoppers. On one
side of this pasture, without fence, and with
but little shrubbery, stands low rooted farm
house. The shabby barn, want of thrift, and
the appearance of the dwelling, bctoken power
ty. Here, shut out from society and the
knowledge Of passing events, somebody ex-
lists; how, we cannot understand. The
sun shone warm, as we passed through the
quiet village of Smithfeld and so noiseless
was all around, we could not keep thinking it
was Sunday. We followed round the shores
of a beautiful lake in the south part of the
town, and over hills, till we stood on an elevat-
ed position that overlooked the Sandy River
Valley, and the surrounding country. The
scene was grand and delightful Opposite
Instant blue hills ranged abruptly through the
Antry. Between us and them, in all the
I'm repose of a summers day, lay a rich
galley, through which threaded silver stream,
bordered with ample and luxurant farms In
Mercer, we found ourselves i'll Worcester
nelghborhood, quite number of our citizens
having settled there. We deseened into the
valley, and walked through New Sharon to
Pennington. This is small but pretty
town, situated on the side of hill round
the foot of which flows the Sandy river
A railroad has lately been completed to this
point, much to the convenienc Of travellers, and
greatly conducive to the business interests of
the town. One of the most attractive places
in Harrington, is aprivate boarding school for
boys In the tastefully arranged grounds that
surround it, we saw some thirty lads, engaged
In gymnastlc exercise, a feature which we
wish might become part of every similar in
stltutlon III the country. The farms bordering
on the river are fertile. The dry weather was
beginning to act unfavorably on the crops how
ever, and in many places grasshoppers were
ravaging the fields. Just at sunset it was a
curiosity to see whole acres of grain, black
with grasshoppers that had crawled up to
roost. The high hills west of Pennington are
each summer becoming increasingly popular
as places of resort We assembled one of the
highest of them, Mount Blue, an elevation con-
siderably over two thousand feet, and were
amply rewarded for the exertion. The view
of the valley and country through which we
had passed was magnificent, and west were
plainly to be seen the Umbagog chain of lakes
and the White Mountains Of New Hampshire
Our cup Of happiness is full, and we only
wish that others, who are confined in cities,
between brick walls, might share our enjoy
ments HOMER,