The Portland daily press., 1869-05-29

Sagadahoc. ..........JOS. M. HAYES.
Somerset t............JAMES BELL.
Washington I'D. X. HOBART.
York. j. e. BUTLER.
Republican State Committee.
Especially reported for the Pressl
An Eastward Trip, Cast me, its Beauties
and its History. The Normal school
and the Graduation Exercises.
CAsrINE, May 9th 1859.
To the Editor Of the Press;
suppose your readers have no idea of the
wealth of newspaper matter" to be found in
this town and region, and I must "boil it
down. to the utmost in order to give you in a
newspaper letter what have gathered in a
| short sojourn.
begin by acknowledging the kindly favors
Of my friends Of the Machias steamer, and es-
pecially of Capt. Deering, whose ruddy Wis.,
age is token of great and genuine warmth.
Captain Deering Is temperance man,
Ia remark I think prudent to make in con-
nection with the coloring of the preceding
| paragraph
WHAT THE TOWN AMOUNTS TO.
The wealth of this town is great, for its
| size, but it is living upon its capital and not
upon its income, I am afraid. There is little
left of the business before the war. With
the decline in shipbuilding came decline in
Its general trade and the coasting business
that was once so profitable and 50 extensive
is now confined to few neighboring towns.
But 1t is the prettiest town on the coast
do verify believe. There is much more to
Mt. Desert than this town, but there is nc
! single view there SO pretty and yet SO vast as
can be obtained here. I am not given to po.
etic fancyings, but as I stood upon old Fort
George yesterday, and looked upon the glis
tening waters that comprised all depths ant
shapes, from broad harbor channel to the
tiniest lakes and rivers in size and form,
thought had never seen anything so fine
The town does not share the barrenness O
the ordinary Goa st, for it is planted with trees
and slopes sharply to the sun, shutting oui
the wastes from which the torms may come
in long sweeping fury.
intended at once to begin .report" o.
the Normal School examination etc, which ]
came to attend, but l have become so inter.
ested i'll historic memories that are awakened
and so enlivened by the surprising kindness
of the people, that crave the indulgence o.
the reader while tell him some history and
some gossip. Perhaps, however, can do nc
better than to give, in connection, some few
facts concerning the town in its present state
1t has large interest in brick-making which
can be said to be the most important business
enterprise which has sought to take the plac.
of the old ones. Three millions of brick.
will be turned out this year and be loaded up
on vessels from the yards, thus saving the ex
pense of handling and danger of breaking
which comes of dumping" from carts. These
sell at from so to $40 per thousand, and the
supply cannot equal the demand. The
whole plan of this work and the appliance.
are very ingenious and every token of grea
success is apparent. J. Winslow Jones o
your city has just started large lobster-pack
ing establishment within few weeks, which
is doing very large business.
There are the usual number OF stores, al
one of the largest of which find my Ole
soldier friend, General Tilden, whose fam.
is well known. There are most excellen
|schools, acknowledged to be the best in th,
State, great care having been devoted to then
for years. The buildings are N eat and capa-
cious, and there is free library in hevilagt
which is one of the choicest iu the State
There are also three fourishing churches
The Methodists have neat and ample, but
not pretentious house, and good support
The Congregationalists have a large and ele
CANT structure, made from an old one, and
there is great thrift and unity in the Trinity
The Unitarian church is very old structure
but well preserved, and, has prosperous so
ciety. Hhst evening, at DR.. Harris's lecture
Iso far forgot the proprieties of the occasion
as to take my pocket-rule and measure the
"clear stuff in one of the square, high
backed pews. I never saw the like of it. II
would astonish you, the estimate made o.
what all these would bring in any market, il
demolished, but / cannot presume to "lumbei
up" your columns with such things, and
beg to have it un derstood that my worldly
thoughts came of the animated discussions
of the High Street Parish in your city, which
I had the fortune to attend throughout the
spring months. Indeed, could make a most
excellent report In detail Of lots of things in
a material wav, did dare to take the space
AL lmy surroundings have been fortunate and
happy for observation. In my own room
where / mediate and work, there is ca.
pacity and comfort. l had room given me
| with two beds in 1t, and one of the beds had
two rooms in it. 1t is not gaudy but good and
there is a quie:ing sense aboutit. Just above
my head, and the most notable wall adorn-
ment is a lithograph OF the traditional widow,
standing by the traditional monument, "sa-
cred to the memory" and over which the
traditional willow weeps in the traditional
way. trust many of my readers have seen
the same thing in country houses, and IL they
have they know the sentiment. Generally
there is little child held by the hand, but
this widow had no child, which made it all
the more striking. It was we'll executed, and
must have cost more than it would now
when widows are "cheaper" than they were
before the war.
But beg pardon again for DEPRESSING, and
will straightway tell you
SOME HISTORY.
The first adventurer who came here is
said to have been Champlain, in 1904. Three
years later Capt. John Smith came and spoke
of it consequentially in his journal. Several
years later some of the Plymouth settlers are
said to have had a trading post here, but it
was soon taken possession of by D'Aubney
in the name of France, and was disputed ter
rtory until Vincent de Castine, from the
French army of Quebec, established himself
here, built fort, effected large trade with
the Indians and married the daughter of the
Chief of all the region. He lived and -four
ished here, with an immense retinue and with
almost unbounded influence until 100. A
year afterwards the English assaulted and
captured the fort. The "French and Indian
War" ragged here for long period with terri
BILE vengeance on both sides and the region
was laid waste, In 1850 Gov, PoWnal of