The Republican journal., 1869-07-22
MOUNT DESERT.

y GOftr> popdtnt Oh me boston journal VINO
Ia Investigated the claims of Mount Desert
Il 4 summer resort and made some iny esti-
cation Of its peculiarities writes 10 that pa
per rs follows
10 the great majority Of summer travel
Ter, Mount Desert Island has been compare
lively unknown, Situated, as IL is out of the
ordinary routes Of travel and until recently
but imperfectlv connected with the rest of the
world through the medium Of conveyances,
il has had little opportunity Of becoming
known. And yet it is not 4 new place.
lovers Of comfort without fashionable mise
~ and eXtortionate charges, have enjoyed
the advantages it presents for more than de-
va,le. Dame Fashion, with all her other
rare' had paid but little attention to this dis
lant domain. and her votaries content to
follow only where she leads have turned
their faces in hcrdrections. Within two or
three years, however that tickle goddess has
examined its claims to be placed on her lists
and The results Of her, at present, limited
sanction, are seen in the annually increasing
number Of visitors to its shores 1t will be
several Years before her reign there is COM
piptely established, and meanwhile the island
remains a. OF old pleasant and enjoyable
resort.
South West Htrbor, as its name implies,
Nhough why west Is added we cannot con-
coiye) i located upon the southerly shore Of
the island, and is it, principal port and bust
ness centre. Its business, however, interests
hut little those Of US who go for pleasure and
relaxation. Our minds are more interested
ii revolving the question of what we shall do
t0f amusement and how we shall do it, than
in asceriaining the amount of Messrs. Under
wood < CO.. lobster business, or the number
II vessels which the Dekin" builds and re-
pair, in the course of a year.
(i;trRes Point. which stretches out from
the Island forming one side Of the entrance
10 >omes' Sound, commands the best general
view TO be obtained from any spot in South
west Harbor, excepting the mountain tops.
Distinctly visible from this point and running
,,ut into the sound, is Fernald's Point, where
the first attempt to found a French settlement
upon the Island is supposed to have been
made. Various circumstances related in the
history OF the settlement seem to point to this
locality as the spot so chosen. Elijah Hamlin,
ESQ, Of Bangor. brother Of q former Vice
President of the United States, after making
4 careful examination ofthe place, was led to
the same conclusion. Southwest Harbor Point
TWO OF three miles distant, is supposed to
have been the location of their second attempt
10 found settlement, in both of which they
were Frustrated by the English after short
residence.
The treasure seekers who are at work on
Il patch Of ground at Valley Cove, about
three miles from Southwest Harbor, are Just
now the nine days wonder of the Island
The characters are Wasgatt a man of abou
iiftv-six, a whilom blacksmith, believer il
Spiritualism, and claiming to work under
spiritual directions; and Robincon an idle
4httless sort of Il fellow, who happens to be
possessor of the ground under which the
spirits say the vast treasures of Kidd and hi
associates are concealed. Wasgatt does al
the digging and Robinson all the talking
rather IN unequal division of the labor on,
would think, but Robinson being ''lord of tn,
soiI cannot be induced to touch pick or shov
q 10 aid in the laudablc undertaking. S,
Wasgatt, if he would have anything done
must needs do it himself. In the course O
his excavations, our blacksmith has reached
q large, smooth ledge Of rock, marked b,
him assume shapes indicative of the spoils be
meath He firmly believes this ledge to b
the roof of kidds Cave, but with all his dig
ging he has not yet found an entrance. ''Pu
in q charge of powder and blow open tn
hedges, says an obligng neighbor" Cant
spirits won't agree to it, is Wasgatts tiers
reply, as he resumes his spade and fills anoth
er barrow with earth. The ''sprits' sail
Dig here, and thou shalt meet with thy abun
dant reward In obediance to the mandate h
has dug for nearly a year with unwaverin!
faith, but still the reward tarrieth, and n
signs OF the treasure appear. Last season
though he was at work, his project was no
noised about sufficiently to excite any attcn
ton. This season we venture to predict tina
1.-THE diggings'' will be honored by tn
presence OF sufficient numbers of the curious
whose voluntary contributions to the old ma
viii no doubt greatly exceed anything he vii
ever extract from his hole in the ground.
Echo Lake, long pond lying by the road
side few miles from S. w. Harbor and skirt
ing the foot of Beech Hill Mountain, is notice
able only for the fine echo which haunts il
borders, and from which it takes its name
Lake Whitney, a beautiful sheet Of water 81
miles long is situatedfu further back in the cour
ny. Both these lakes offer excellent trou