The Portland daily press., 1867-08-03

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, August l. 1867 y
To The Editor Of the Press:
As a place Of summer resort NJ Desert is
something altogether unique and singular
Those who have chosen it as home for a few
weeks OF the hot weather seem to make it
rather place of rest than scene for the repe-
tition of the fashionable folies and eayeties of
winter in the cities. The conventionisms of
society are almost entirely laid aside and ra-
tional enjoyment and rest seems to be the
chief object of visitors here Mrs. Grundy
reigns with limited sway and what "people
will say controls but slightly the actions OF
Mt. Desert plea sure-seekers OF course there
is some "shoddy" intermingled with the pre-
Vailing good sense, but with one or two excep-
tons these remarks are rue of all the visitors
now upon the island. s,.-. -
The number who choose this as one of the
points OF summer excursion is largely on the
increase and will soon compel additional hotel
and boarding accOmodations AT present every
hotel and boarding house on the island is more
than full and new cOmers are filling every va
cancy as fast rs it occurs. The visitors here
are largely from New York, Philadelphia and
Boston, though last week we met goodly
NOM VI bidiit, spnlt Oi WHO'LL
yet remain. Rockland and Bangor are also
represented. ~ Ii od T
No other spot on our coast affords equal op-
portunties for views of mingled ocean and
mountain scenery; fact of, which our land
eo'Pe painters take all due advantage, as a
w'hler visit to their studios will attest. Hud-
son OF Portland procured several sketches here
last season, and / remember to have seen one
especially fine painting therefrom at bis rooms
asst spring. This season finds L.. w. Perry Jr
of New York and n. L. johnson and VIRGIL
Williams of Boston busy filing their sketch
books with transcripts of grand and beautiful
views abounding here. l much mistake if
these artists do not add to the celebrity of this
island among the art lovers of our sister cities.
The gloom thrown over the island by the
fearful catastrophe oflast week is by no means
yet dissipated. The search for the bodies of
the lost consinues with uninte Knitting vigor
ana IS stimulated by large rewards offered by
the friends oil those who so suddenly passed
"beyond the river" Up to last evening these
efforts had been without avail and at best their
future success is doubtful
have thus far made no mention of the par
t;cular attractions of this island as watering
place. A pamphlet recently published in your
city and written by one of your own fair
daughters, will do this far better than am
able Enough that at no other point from
Eastport to the Rio Grande can such combi-
nation OF mountain and ocean scenery be
iound. Here all the distinctive features of
each are blended with those of the others.
The grand and rugged outlines of the upheav-
ed granite; the tiny lakslet embosomed in the
cosiest of Sylvan solitudes;' the mountain
stream, gushing through the rocks and tum-
bling over precipices; and the deep and rolling
ocean with its mysteriously throbbing bosom.
its FAR surface dotted with sails and broken
with islands,-all these may be comprised in
one and the same view from q score of different
points. For the angler, half hundred un-
fshed trout streams meander through the for |
ests, ready to yield their spotted beauties to |