The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-07-21

Thursday Morning, July 81, 1870.

pDES1 Ia ~ d

Mount Desert.
AS summer resort, Mount Desert is rapid.
ly becoming famous. Each year adds to the
number ofits visitors, and enhances its repu-
tation as one of the most attractive and
charming resorts to be found upon the copti-
nent. As yet it is not what is commonly
called fashionable watering place." There
are no magnificent hotels, no gambling halls,
drinking saloons or dance houses. The ac-
commodations are, plain, comfortable and
cheap. The people primitive, simple and
honest Born and reared in the midst of nat
ural scenery so grardly beautiful that it never
falls to extort involuntary exclamations of
wonder and delight from all who visit il they
seem never to have appreciated it at its true
value, and almost wonder at the enthusiasm of
their guests. The next generation of Island
ers will learn that their inherited acres are
more valuable than their fathers thought:
anc will apprdise them, not for the amount of
hay they will cut, or the quantity of corn
andpotatoes that can be coaxed therefrom; !;
but for the view OF sea and seashore, ILL and
| lolanu winch lney command.
Mt Desert is an island in the sea, connect
| ed with the main land by Trenton bridge. 1t
is fourteen miles long and eight miles wide,
| contains one hundred So uare miles, about
1000 inhabitants, is divided into three towns
called fremont, Mt. Desert and Eden, and is
part of the county of Hancock. 1t lies 11O
miles east of Portland. Persons desirous of
reaching it from this city should take passage
on the steamer Lewiston leaving railroad
wharf Tuesday and Friday evenings imme-
Boston.
This is the only practicable route, and not
withstanding the fact that there is no comre-
ttion, is everything that could be desired
The boat is stanch, seaworthy, and, as the
sailors say, "lucky." This latter quality is
due, no doubt in great part to the skill and
prudence of its officers. 1t belongs to the
portland, Bangor and Machias Steamship
Co.," and has always been fayorite with the
travelling public. Messrs. Ross and Stud;-
want, the agents, have an office at No. ITO
Commercial street, and not only understand
thO wants VI thOii pdtloLo, Uut dIc luutldbSa-
bic in their efforts to meet them promptly.
Captain Deeling and Mr.. John F. Goold the
clerk, are not only accomplished officers, but
gentlemen as well, and spare no pains to
make the passengers feel comfortable and hap
py. The boat leaves at about 10 o'clock in the
evening, and is due at Southwest Harbor and
Bar Harbor at about noon the next day. This
arrangement is most favorable for obtaining
view of the island and coast, the approach TO
which is indescribably grand and beautiful.
Robert Carter, in his Summer cruise on the
coast of New England" justly observes, 'It
is difficult to conceive of any finer combina-
tion of land and. water than this view. Ger
tainly only in the tropics can it be excelled,-
only in the gorgeous Islands of the Indian
and Pacific Oceans. On the coast of Amerj-
ca it has no rival, except, perhaps at the Bay
of Rio Janeiro."
Bar Harbor is al present the place of great
est resort. Several gentlemen of wealth from
Massachusetts and New York lave erected
spacious private residences, which add greatly
to the appearance of the village. The bal
ance of the village seems to be made up most
ly of hotels.
The pioneer establishment is the Aoamont
House, kept by Tobias Roberts, opened i'll
1856 and capable of accommodating so guests.
The following named houses were built in the
years and accommodate the number of guests
set against them respectively. -uamor House
1868, 40 guests; Rodick House, 1865 with an
addition the present season. 60 guests; Harbor
House, 1865, 40 guests; Bay View House, 1868,
10 guests; Deering House, 1869, 25 guests;
Newpor House, 1869, ,25 guests; Ocean House,
1870, 80 guests; Rockaway House, 1870, 30
guests; Waywide Inn, 1869, 25 guests. Be-
sides these, others are nearly completed be-
longing to John Lyman, John Douglass,
Frederick j. Allen and Ash &c Brothers re-
spectively.
The Rodick House commands a capital
view of the mountains and sea, and its land
lord assisted by his sons show every attention
to the comfort and convenience of their
guests, and are rapidly learning how to "keep
a hotel" The Green Mountain House on the
summit of Green Mountain, or adams
Grave" $1,000 feet above the seal is about four
miles from the Rodick House, and is kept by
the Messrs. Brewer. There are hundreds of
localities on the island which we would like
to speak about but have not space. We COM
mend to those interested in the subject pc.
rusal of the little book published by Loring,
Short E Harmon. entitled "Mount Desert on
the Coast of Maine," by Mrs. Clara Barnes
Martin. Heer Bader, whose sinsularly at
tractve letters from Wells Beach were recent
ly published in the PRESS, has promised to
send us his impressions of this mountain is
land. AS nothing that is beautiful in litera-
ture or nature escapes his eye (notwithstand-
ing he sees through glass darkly,) the un-
fortunates who cannot visit it in person will
have the satisfaction of reading description
from the hand of master.
The fare from this city in the steamer Lew
iston to South West Halbor is $4; to Bar
Harbor So state rooms 50 extra; excellent
meals are furnished on board the boat at rea-
sonable rates. The ordinary charge for board
aJ Bar Hafbor is from S1050 TO SIS per week.