The Portland daily press., 1869-05-13
I'm the Kenuebec.
[From an Occasional Correspondent
AUGUSTA, May IL, 1856

From an occasional Correspondence
AUGUSTA May II, 1869.
To the Editor of the Press:
Unless you have taken especial note of the
new arrangements for travel on the Portland
& Kennebec road, you are hardly prepared to
appreciate the excellence of them. Now, by
availing yourself of the happily made-up time
table of the Horse railroad Company, you can
leave Market Square at ten minutes before
seven and strike the early morning train at
Woodford's Corner and go anywhere upon the
Kennebec, without waiting for the train which
connects with that from Boston. By this ar
rangement Augusta is reached about noon.-
The arrangements for the trains running to
Portland are equally advantageous to the trav-
eler. The fact is that this road is not run tor
the benefit of Boston only, but for Maine as
well, and the people will not fail to appreciate
it. Indeed, what has been done by this road
has been done to a considerable extent as to
all lines of travel to Portland, and let us thank
the spirit of enterprise which has wrought the
change.
BRUNSWICK.
For the first time in my earthly pilgrimage
I Struck Brunswick yesterday, and spent
half day there, town beautiful as was ever
given to man by nature, and which has not as
yet been made over wholly by mans cunning.
1t has great natural advantages, and the COL
lege has given to it a classic cast Its magnif-
cent water-power is almost utterly neglected,
which is a wrong to the community. expect
soon to see change there. Already a fine
building for paper mill has been erected on
the other end of the bridge across the river,
and the needed capital cannot long be wanting
to put it in operation.
Brunswick has many things of interest to
show the summer soiourner and occasional
visitor, and among them Of course are the pc
culiar institutions of the college, the most no.
table being the rare old paintings. Let not
the visitor fail to look at these, for he will see
few of the works of the cid masters, fine as
can be found in all this broad land. am in
debted to Tenney Of the Telegraph for a safe
conduct among the books and pictures. Tenney
is good item-telegraph item.
AUGUSTA.
At Augusta, now so still to such as remem-
Der it best on account of the legislative battles,
there is little new. A few buildings are going
up, and there are the usual signs of thrift. No
great demonstrations in the way of the new
manufacturing enterprise so much talked of,
have been made this season, and there are on
ly few 'Sprague men" to be seen thus far in
the opening campaign; but there is harmony
and happiness in the ''great heart of the
State" as my friend Hon. James G. once said
of this favored spot.
The hdbitues of the State House take things
comfortably and try to be cheerful and any
body who has read Hawthorne's "reminiscences
of the old days of clerk life can fancy how the
warm and hazy atmosphere there now COM
pa1es with the sharp weather and the sharp
excitement of the winter times when Legisa-
tive caucuses are doing their terrible work
making and unmaking political fortunes.
One hears and sees already the precursors
of the great campaign of 1871 which virtually
opens this summer at the Bangor Convention.
Already the chances of four or five gentlemen
for Senatorial honors are being discussed, and
it is admitted on all hands that no previous
contest has ever comprised the complications
that will appear in this one. 1t will be- pre-
eminenty, matter of the most thorough and
elaborate .fpesse and manipulation. There can
hardly be feature that will rise to the full
understanding and dignity of familiar popu-
lar issue, and it is, therefore, theme to be
contemplated with at least some shade of ap-
prehension if not sorrow, since such contests
neither leave party nor the community SO
pure as before.
But it is really too bad to talk politics such
day as this, the first spring weather, when
overcoats are off and buds are on, when all
our busbandmen are starting off in the glori-
Gus work of making the earth to blossom again
with flowers and fruit, the most charming oc-
cupation of mortal, and which fills the soul
with the pleasure of endowing,
With the rapture of creating"
And so leave the dreamers to dream and the
workers to work. ITINERANT.