The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-09-30
~ T.AEns. WOODS AND NOUN
TA1Ns OF MAINE.


INDIAN Rock, Sept d, 1856.
7ofhe Editor of the Press:
The wild regions Of the head watsrs of the
Androscoggin are less knownto yollr Portland
readers, fbefieve, than those az the Kennebec
and Penobscot rivers, and with this impression
propose to give you in two or three of-hand
epistles my impressions of the former. from the
midst OF which this is sent forth. would You
knowmore particularly Of my whereabouts, you
may do oby glaneing, on the man of Maine, at
a point where the Lackawana and Kenebago
rivers unite about equi-distant between Moos-
| le-me-quintic, Cup-suptic and Ranpely Lakes.
Here amidst broad lonely waters, huge noun
tains and unbroken forests, an intelligent and
enterprising backwoods man, named Richard
son, has built spacions log cabin, where he
entertains hunters, anglers, and wanderers
generally-supplying them with boats and
/ guides, and an abundance Of substantial food,
OF which the noble trout of the lakes formsno
sunimpo rtantmoiety Butt viii leave more
full account Of him and his surroundings, and
lelucldatemy recent experiences by commence
ing at the beginning, and detailing them IN
the more easy form of narrative,
f. Passing from your city by the Portland and
Kennebec railroad, at Brunswick we were
switched off on the Androscoggin,s and away
we went rattling along at a goodly pace
through the pleasant scenery of Topsham,
Lisbon and Webster --skirting Sabbatus Pond
in Wales, and occasionally catching, delightful
views of river and water scenery. until we ar
rived at Leeds crossing. Here, inthe shadow
of ruin, that in the palmy days Of the
Greeks, perhaps hadb depot (it was not
the depot,) we discovered our friend of the
Transcript porting over mysterious manu-
script which he had broughtfto light during
his four hours detention in that ancient re-
gion, and which ere. this has probably been
laid before the readers of his spicy hebdomi-
dial. He had come up on the Maine Central,
from the Editors Convention at Bangor, with
his mind full Of the important doings ofthat
august body, especially as related to their pi-
quaint discussion of the clam-bake, and so racy
were his descriptions that your humble SER
want sighed that his lot had not been the lux
urious and easy one of an editor!
r We Joined fortunes, and pursued our way
on the train towards Harrington, where we
arrived in due time. This was my first ride
over the Androscoggin rails, and it behooves
me to state my conviction that I know of no
road in our State more smooth or in better
condition; and on every hand there was evil
! dence of excellent management. III
Pennington has often been recognized as
one Of the most pleasant, busy, and weIl-built
| towns in Maine, and my own observations, so
far as they have gone, entirely concur in all
that has been writtenabout it, sAss - <
An easy-going wagon, span of feet horses
and an intelligent and good-hearted driver,
gave additional zest to the fertile and beauti.
full scenery of the Sandy River, up which we
now took our course, and we next came to a
halt at Phillips, IS miles above Pennington,
and, as indicated by chart hanging up in the
homelike, quiet, and pleasant tavern of mine
host blanchard, 7S7 feet above the level of the
sea!
OfPhillips had previously known little, save
that was settlement infringing on the re-
mote wilderness; and had rather expected to
ind here scattered admixture Of log cabins
and painted farm houses keeping guard around
the more pretentious residences of those nee
essary concornitants of civilized life, the doc
tor, the lawyer, and the clergyman-with, it
might be, a saw-miH or two half buried in
slabs, butts, and lumber, enlivening the scene
with their busy music. But large and hand
some town, with its long main street lined by
! well filed stores, busy mechanics shops, and
handsome residences met my view instead, and
the outlying mills and factories had an aspect
of strength and permanence as though they
| were built to last 81
Phillips is beautifully located in the center
Of a broad basin, which is supported by triad
| of gigantic pedestals known as Mts. Abraham
| Blue, and Saddleback, its edges scalloped into
lesser hills, up whose sleeps are smooth, high
4 ly cultivated fields, and neat farm houses, adj.
joining barns plethoric with the abundant har
vest of hay, wheat,oats and corn-to say moth
| ing of heaps of golden-hued pumpkins. These
scenes are interspersed here and there with ap
pie orchards, groves of sugar naples, ant
wood-lots, while on the upper ridges, stani
remnants of the primitive forests, like sen
tries keeping guard over the peaceful scene.
below. The fields and pastures are still robet
ina living green, which strongly contrasts
with the sere and arid appearance of the fact
of nature in Cumberland County, and from
the steep whence last viewed it, the seen,
was one of enchanting beauty.
4 The Sandy River, clear as crystal, glides ov-
er bed of granite, super-imposed by boul
ders and pebbles in part Of quartzose rock
| jasper, and trap-dfke, brought down from
above; and just above the bridge, the falls, in
the lapse of ages, have bored huge holes il
the bed rock, and otherwise wrought it intt
singular and fantastic shapes which cannot fai
of attracting the attention of the most ordin.
I airy observer. 4ss<A ssNsstsAsA
Among other objects of interest of the neigh
borhood, is huge granite boulder, which look.
at a short distance like the ruins of one of tbs
gloomy temples of the Nile. tits spherical in
form, 265 feet in circumference, and some Al
feet high, and in dropping from its transport
ing iceberg, seems to have fallen upon soms
hard substance, and cracked asunder by it.
own weight; and SO little worn in the lapse o
ages have the sides Of the gaping assures be
come, that could it be closed together, they
would fit as readily as on the day when, mil
lions Of years ago perhaps, it was here deposi
ted. 1t stands alone in the middle of NOV
i ing field pertaining to the farm Of Mr.. Dennis
Dagget, and the current Of water that swept
around it. at the tine'of its separation from
its icy mountain, scooped out hollow in the
hillside that would contain ten thousand
men-a fitting depository for, this plaything o
the gods r1N 81 ST
Phillips has also its mineral spring. whose
waters, where they have been tried, have
proved remarkably eficaeious IN alleviatinG