The Portland daily press., 1870-06-02

TROUT-L0BSTERS- MOUNT DESERT-PRE-
PARATIoNs FOR RHE WATERING CAM
PAIGN-BUsINEsS-FAR
JAMES GORDON BENNETT sTEUBEN
sCHoOLMAsTER.
STEUBEN, May 80, 1870.
To he Editor Of the Press:
This is quiet old town lying on the south
west verge Of Washington county, away down
east. Perhaps a few bucolc notes from one
who has recently strayed bitherward may be
not altogether unattractive to the more lei
surely readers Of the Press.
How came your correspondent here? No
matter. The brooks and ponds of Steuben
and neiehborhood are iull of trout, with few
anglers to look after their welfare. This labor
now devolves mainly upon DIR. Stockman, a
native of Portland. Then the angler may
travel many hundred miles before finding
more tidy and cheerful quarters than are fur
nished by Capt. Haskell of this town. A word
TO the wise is enough. But two words as 10
how your eorrespo ldent got here may not be
out OF order. Several weeks ago he lett Port
land in the steamer Lewiston, under the COM
mand of Captain Deering,a gentleman who
stands deservedly high in the good opinion Of
the travelling community. The Lewiston fol-
lows the inside route, which is most cham.
ing one when the weather is pleasant. 1t lies
among islands innumerable, with glimpses of
old ocean between to the south, while the
shore is dotted here and there with pleasant
villages and hamlets, the steamer stopping at
many of them. Nowhere along the shore of
the sounding sea- can the tourist find more
lovely SAIL
At South West Harbor on Mount Desert
island, your correspondent hal his first intro
ducton to "lobster factory" where Holsters
are taken in and done for by the "little mill
ion." In serried ranks and with Gathering ar
NOR the unsophisticated Holsters march into
into one end of the factory and soon emerge
at the other in Theoretically sealed cans, ready
to be eaten by the epicures of Portland, Bos-
ton, New York and Hull. On their way
through the factory the Holsters drop their
shells, which are taken TO the failing fields of
the farmer, where they bleach and crumble to
the great advantage of the clover crop. The
lobster-cannng business gives employment to
several thousand men and women along the
coast OF Maine. There seems to be no de-
crease in the number of the Holsters, but they
are not so large as when this wholesale de-
struction began.
For the special acc ommodation of several
gentlemen from Boston and New York, who
had come on to attend to building operations
preparatory 10 the summers watering CAM
paisn, the Lewiston, for the first time in the
season, touched at Bar Harbor, which is on
the east side of Mount Desert island AS
there is but little business at Bar Harbor. the
steamer does not touch there regularly until
those in quest OF health and pleasure flock
thither to escape the heats and lassitude of
summer. The watering campaign commences
about the first of July. For the accommoda-
tion OF guests there are now fourteen hotels
at Bar Harbor, with three at South West Har-
Dor, and one at Somerville. These hotels can
provide for nine hundred guests, while ac-
commodations for two or three hundred more
can be found in private families.
Mount Desert island has circumference of
about seventy-ive thousand miles, There are
H.
which is the highest, has an altitude of near
ly two thousand feet. The island is divided
among three towns: Eden, fremont and
Mount Desert. The population is about four
thousand. There are twenty three school
houses, and one who has travelled in nearly
all parts of the State says they are better
than can be found in any other rural district
OF equal area in the State. This speaks well
for the people.
AT Mllbridge, some twenty miles beyond
Mount Desert, the steamer landed YOUR
correspondent, with a great number of
empty egg boxes and considerable quan-
tity Of freight. In this immediate section of
the State, about Narraguagus bay, there Is
cluster OF towns on the whole quite thrifty
and handsome: Milibridge, Steuben, Harring-
tor, Cherryfield, Addison and Columbia Falls.
They have varied resources, found in the soil,
in numbering, and the manufacture of lum-
Der, in shipbuilding, fishing, and life on the
rolling wave, to which should be added the
egg business, for eggs are shipped in great
| quantities to Portland and Boston. Just now
the hens are under cloud, their eggs bring
| ing only thirteen cents dozen. In the towns
above mentioned, but yet more in some ada
cent towns, the white birch, that often sue.
| ceeds the old growth, is converted into spool
wood, selling for some eight dollars per cord
where it can be got at readily. 1t is manu-
featured into spools for thread, no other wood
making equally good spools, so clean is II
and so little inclined to shrink.
Had not the peOnle in this porf;o,, of A.
State such variety of employment. il is
probable that they would conduct their farm
ing operations much better than now. and
they would probably find it to pay proportion
ately well. Much of their land is beyond the
pale of culture, so rocky is it, but quite por-
ton is of very good quality. There is the
sea, whose estuaries pierce the land eyery-
where, carrying to the farmer variety of ex
cellent fertilizers. Though the land is quite
| uneven, yet much OF it is quite moist; but
| drainage would bring relief, making the spring
| earlier aud prolonging the autumn, while it
would prevent the winters frost from rending
the soil and tearing out the grass roots. The
| agricultural spirit, however, is manifestly
wanting here today, and hardly enough Of
anything is produced for home consumption.
| There is some grumbling IN Milbridee, be-
cause Mr. Hume of Cherryfield, recently APP
| pointed deputy collector OF customs for this
| district, has removed the office from Mill
bridge to Cherryield, where it always was
| until about two years AGO. Tlere is no OBJ
| lection to Mr. Hume, well known as an able
and active member of the last Legislature.
| In political matters there is very little stir.
Something is said about the next eubernato-
rial nomination, but nothing appears, as yet,
| to have teen done. Since tbe smplifcation
of the question, all are feeling better, so far as
one may judge from outside appearance -
| Some are for Hersey, but it is thought b.
many that the majority of Washington aud
Hancock counties are Tor Perham. There is
nothing to indicate that any opposition will be
made to the denomination of Hon. Eugene
Hale for Congress. 1t is acknowledged on all
SIDES tnat he is man of eminent ability,
| while he has discharged the duties of his Of
nee TO the satisfaction of every oDe unless We
include among the duties OF his Office the dis
triDutlon of patronage. There is, OF course,
somewhat of grumbng among those who
nave failed to secure wished-for appointments.
IL Is not probable that the Democrats can
nominate any one, or that citizens candidate
can be put in the field who will produce any
detection in the Republican ranks.