The Portland daily press., 1864-07-22
Letter from the Upper Kennsbec,

TO tke Editor cffhe Pr. So
Thinking 1t might be refreshing to your
! dusty town-dwellers to get Whit OF country
air occasionally, propose TO send them few
puts from this pleasant "down east" retreat.
In these dry, hot days It is an agreeable thing
TO get away from the dust and noise or town,
and breathe the air Of green fields aud woods.
Portland, it is true, has a kind Of country
look, from the garment of green in which
she hiss robed herself but with all her beauty
she is welded to traffic, aad her virgin fresh
ness has departed. We willingly leave her
behind for a season, for the pleasures of the
actual country.
This place, lying on one Of the iayorite av-
enues OF summer travel, the route TO Moose
head Lake. has in itself some of the prime
requisites for a hot weather resort; good air,
while Tue various ponds aud brooks In the vi
entity afford rare sport for The gentle lovers OF
the Waltonian art The beautiful blue lakes
in the neighboring towns Of Madison aud
Smithheld are rich in shining pickerel, and
the brooks Of this region hold many shelter
ed pool of marvellous depth aud coon IS,
where the delicious salmon trout have their
chosen haunts. Tie true way 10 enjoy this
short IS to have Your hamper packed over
night, your party-let 1t not be too numerous
ready in the early morning hours, aud give
the whole day to the woods. Talk not to me,
| oh dweller by the seaside! OF the delights OF
island chowder and clam bake Hast thou
/ ever tasted the luxury OF trout served after
the gypsy fashion? You take the pretty, gay
colored thing from the hook, and dress it as
+ Only the angler knows how, then deity en-
velope il ia fold after fold OF fresh leaves, and
/ cover il jast deep enough with the embers OF
/ your fire. In due time it comes forth, juicy,
! steaming, fragrant-a morsel Tor The gods!
Shade of Alexis Soyer!-but we iorbear
Here one may indulge, uurebuked, in any
extent or gree OF idieness, Very pleasant
we find it to lounge away long mornings I'M
der the shade of murmuring pines. watching
the din hiilsides twinking Ia the summer
heat, the little hreezes dimpling over the
river and whitening the foliage of the will
lows, or listening TO the soft sicish Of scyihes
through the dcwy grass, and the ,inkle of a
/ distant cow-bell beyond the wooded hill. ALI
Is so quiet here, so peaceful and secure that it
is hard to realize the contrast which might be
found on those pleasant farms of Maryland
and Pennsy lvania which Lees raiders have
Just over-run. Not that we can feel much
compassion for the class, as a whole, who
have been sufferers. Tue spirit of pusillan-
Unity which III have shown, not alone on
this, but on previous occasions, would rouse
US 10 indignation if The weather were not
quite too hot for the Indulgence Of any feel
ings so decided. II Is provoking to think OF
the poor spirited looms running away by
thousands at the first approach Of an enemy,
and calling upon the men OF the more north
erh states to rush 10 the defense of their
homes aud property. Ii is not thus that the
men of New England treat raiders. We
seem TO have heard OF an occasion when
troops were marched from Boston to Lexing-
ton aud Concord, on an errand connected
with certain stores of -four and powder, and
of field where the "embattled farmers"
armed with such weapons as their bold hands
could first lay hold Of, made 5 stand for their
own, the fame OF which has echoed round
the. world, and at the memory of which We
thrill even now. A little of their spirit
among those Pennsylvania farmers would
have glyea different aspect to the results OF
this rebel raid.
In this region the isrmers-an anxious
c'ass--sre more troubled by the long contin-
ued drough, than by any fears of rebel inva-
sion The hay crop is much parched and
dried. and other things are suffering severely
for want Of rain. Extensive fires. too, are
raging In many parts oil the state, aud seem
TO defy all efforts TO subdue them. Still the
sun
IAN in hot and copper sky
seems to look down releutlessly. The air at
night is full OF smoke and dead leaves, and II
We do not have rain soon much mischief must
ensue Another foe, even more destructive,
so far as il goes. than the drought, has made
great ravages In some localities. We @llude
to the army worm, which has been on a
raid" through some parts of this coulry,
leaving behind it lamentable psih Of devas
tatioa Extensive tracts have been swept
bare OF every green. thing. We were shown
growth OF young trees covering many
acres, which had been as completely stripped
as IL by the winds OF autnnil. Ths trees
do not, however, seem to be destroyed, but
are beginning 70 pat forth green leaves.
The ladies OF this place have been from The
lirst, unliring in their labors TOR the benefit Of
or sick aud suffering soldiers. Tne amount
which they have raised and distributed
ia food, clothing aud comforts for the sick
counts itself ia thousands ofdollars aud their
efforts are still anremitted Their last pro
ject in aid of the good cause was promenade
concert which afforded much pleaure to those
who attended, aud ii Is to be hoped proved
profitable TO Its managers. The music for
the occasion was furnished grstuituous by
Bigelow's Band, aud Mr.. Brewster of the
Skowhegan House kindly gave the use OF his
lne hall for the purpose. Success to all such
enterprises.
But this letter Is already quite long enough
for days when the mercury goes up among
the nineties. Some further items which bad
thought might have interest for your readers
must therefore lie over for the present.
More anon. EPSILON.
Hon. Ezra B. French
Mr.. French Is citizen OF DamsTiscotta, and
now fills the responsible position of Second
Auditor, In the Treasury Department. 4
late number OF the Washington Republican
contains the following testimonial TO his ener
Ky and worth:
AFFAIRS IN THE SECOND AUpToR's Or
FIcE.- 10 fully appreciate the many ouslaclvs