The Portland daily press., 1873-09-02
Old Orchard Camp Meeting.
OPENING DAY.

For those who have never seen the Olu
Orchard camping ground, delightful surprise
is in waiting. Thirty-five acres of woodland,
of hill and dale and miniature ravine formsthe
grounds. TO the rear is the beautiful Fern
Park. Almost directly in front are the great
sand dunes, which make the sea-wall. Beyond
these is the broadcast beach in New England,
over which crawls the hungry sea in its vain at
tempt to lave the feet of the forest trees but
little way off. The major portion of the
growth is the pitch pine of the sea-shore, inter-
spersed with which are great shaggy hemlocks
with crows nests swinging in their tops,
smooth, gray notified beeches consecrated to
the names of lovers and the initials of fools
naples, SCARED by many wound which has
drained their sweet life.blood away, and the
scrub oaks with their pmples of mast on every
twig. Along the ground we see the trailing
blackberry and the wintergreen, shooting p
among which in moist places, are the blue hare
bell and the scarlet pimpernel and the Indian
pipe. On rocky knobs and the trunks of the
trees grow the coral and the bearded moss.
In the very centre of these thirty-fve acres is
natural amphtheatre, in the deepest depres-
sion of which, shaped as a circle, and built in
open at the 'front.' the speakers stand is situated.
It's diameter is nineteen feet. From it, up the
sloping sides of the hllocks radiates the audito-
rum, the comfortable high backed benches of
which seat at present, $500 people, and can be
enlarged to seat 5000. Between the seats run
spacious asles. eight in number
| On the first terrace, separated from the audi
forum by broad avenue of thirty feet are
| the Society tents. A street of twenty feet in
width divides these from the circle of family
tents. On the terrace behind the family tents
and on the brow of every hillock that rises
| among the trees are the cottage lots, many of
them already pre-empted. These command
view of the beach and the sea, from the rocky
shores of the Cape to the sandy hook of the
Pool. Taking it all in all, the location is I'M
doubtedly the finest in New England.
| AS matter of course the scene at present is
one of confusion. The ground has been but
newly cleared, and many i'm provements remain
| TO be made. The Association has already ex-
pended nearly $4,000 in putting things into
shape. Yesterday afternoon tents were being
pitched and cottages built on every hand. At
| six o'clock round hundred of tents were up
a large number considering the disagreeable
weather All the afternoon the air was heavy
| with mist, and low clouds hung over
the sea. But just at sunset red streak showed
itself in the west, giving the campers hope of
pleasant weather on the morrow. The attend
ance from the shore towns of York County is
large and the interior is well represented
Portland, Cape Elizabeth Gorham, Scarboro
and Standish are all of Cumberland County
that have yet put in an appearance. The Port
land societies have most excellent locations es-
pecially Pine street, whose canvas is stretched
Just behind and above the speakers staEd, so
that Israel may sit in his. tents and listen to
the voice of prayer. Many of the camps are
tastefullv decorated with evergreen and flow
| ers The foundations of the Pine street cot
| taee-53 feet by 16-have been already laid,
but the superstructure will not be erected before
next season.
Should the weather this week be fine, an i'm
mense concourse of people will be in attendance
The unsurpassed attractions of the place, and
the novelty of camp meeting by the seaside
will act as great inducements. Its accessibility
! is another feature in its favor All the Boston
& Maine accommodation trains stop at the!new
camp station but few rods from the grounds
| Water is excellent anu ABUNDANT, ana GDe large
boarding house just erected, amply provides for
the wants of the inner man. This building,
which is two storied with a French roof con-
tans dining hall, 75yS6 feet, seating 400 per-
sons. Attached TO this is an admirably arrang-
ed kitchen, 20 feet square. The second floor is
divided up into chambers for lodging. The
building is finished one, and has been erected
with a view to the accommodation of boarders
throughout the summer season. 1t is under the
management of Mr.. Reed the accomplished
Boston caterer, SO well known to camp meeting
habitaes. The place is destined to more than
weeks occupation each year, for it is a very.
| pleasant summer resort. Already thirty cot
tages have been erected and lots have been pur-
! chased with a view to erect many more.
nd and the seats were quite damp
The grou.. :, II, ,,,oo,;,,,, w., ,,,as
last night, so the usual ''' Ia ;rs,a.s
omitted, a service of prayer being '''''fHN'
in the spacious Biddeford cottage, the finest