The Portland daily press., 1871-10-23

- ,,,ornino. The whole affiir was so pleas
nj ~ thar it is decided To have another hunt of
the same kind, the date OF which will be duly /
given.
How Achilles evinced his wrath, aud brought
voes on the Bridgton Greeks, ia bintea al in
another paragraph in the same paper, which
tells of mysterious hunter met in the woods
W ho carried all day long his gun but no ANNA.
milton, being determined to hunt, if at ali,
without the aid OF ''vilainous satpetre.''
Still more suggestive, but much breier, are
the mastery touches by which that greatest of
the rites of the New England harvest, the
"Husking," is described:
Now is the time for huskings There was
one at Mr. Wyman Longs in South Bridgtop,
one night last week, which was a big affair OF
its kind. There were some sixty persons pres,
ent, including our Selectmen Chadbourne ana
chaplin, and good proportion OF LADIES'; "a A.
10 o'clock the corn was all husked, ana tne
company adjourned to the supper taole, WEI
most generous 'Old fashioned nusKlng cup
per awaited them; and after that was al iass ~
disposed of pleasant season was spsne IN
games and dancing, until the iie nisu ~ Nv -, nou, ~
| Last Monday night MIR. Ihomas onhi1u y. 5nS snS
| same village, also had husklng; whlch ehden
| in very enjoy able party, with GOOD supper
sand wiched between-whicb, by the way, Is an
| indisnensable feature of this phase OF New
| England farmer life.
This would have all been spoiled if the re-
norter had "written up" the Husking, instead
of leaving to the pleased fancy of the reader
| to picture for himself the hilarious scene in
| the roomy, crowded barns, with the oxen open
ing their large, mild eyes wider than ever al
such "carryings-on," the blushes of The pretty
| girls at finding red ear, the osculatory pen
! nj lot +bo
| at the table bountiiuly spread.
| The Farmers Meeting is less picturesque
| perhaps, but not less stimuative of though
| that sends the mind lovingly country w ard
Harrison is the town that has the praiseworth
| public spirit TO support this club. At tn
meeting reported the Rev. L. b. Green spok
learnedly of the insects that prey ON the far
mer's crops and declared that OF all these bug
the hunbug bal wrought the agriculturs
most harm. Then MIR. A. p. Whitney be
sought his bearers "to spare the birds, the lit
tie birds,' So earnestly that we are certain hi
remarks would cause the indefinite ras.y.~--~
ment of that promised hunting match if tb
young braves OF Pnhook had heard them
| Mr.. Whitney spoke of the scarcity of robins
swallows and several species of fy-catcher
| anu WUEu -tdtGrS tuiS Nci idC
which all observing persons will have noticed
and which ought to cause Longfellow's "Bird
at Kellingworth" to be read from the pulpit il
every country village in Maine. Next a de
spondent neighbor remarked that farming
s'didn't pay" to whom Mr.. e. X. Whitney
| responded thus:
He agreed that farming was not payins
business compared with many ether kinds o
| employment, but so far as himself was con
| cerned, be loved it because it brought him int
| direct communion with Nature, and he believ
ed the influence of farm-life, and the kpowl
edge one gains Of the wonderful processes o
nature by W hich vegetation is caused TO sprins
into life and grow to maturity aside from tht
| actual results of the farmers labor, in a grea
| measure compensate him for all his toll anC
| care.
| Commend us to Mr.. WhitIe3 Wonder:
will never ebd. Farmers are politicians they
| are fast tecoming expert botauists and zoo!o
| gists But here is one that is also specula
tive philosopher, and talks like the Nortl
| american ReUie,o or BidckUo0ds Mag dzine
His thought and diction would do credit to an,
of the British classics. Careful! Mr. Whitney
or you will degenerate into a magazine write
| or mere poet!
| We hold that reports like these are genu
inc "holding OF the mirror up to nature" ant
with reports of a "Paring Bee would bav'
made up almost an ideal country paper. Ye
we dare say many Of the subscribers grumbe,
last week because the Bridgton NewS didn'
compete with the PRESS in Maine politica
news, the New York Herald in general new
aud the Tribune in general politics, negectin
the Farmers Meeting" the "Huntin
Match" and the"Husking," though the Neao
is printed for the people of Bridgton and th
| neghboring towns. or course there would be
neither space nor facilities OF any kind for an
swering such unreasonable requirements. Be
sides, most people take the PRESS, or SOM
other good city paper, for their general news
in addition to their local journal. They ough
to patronize their local paper at any rate-es
| pecially the NeuS, and we say all this neithe
as an advertisement nor as a puff, but out G
sincere appreciation alone.