Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-08-27
Correspondence.


A Trip to Aioostook.
On Wednesday morning. July, 22d. We
took tickets for Houlton on the E. & N. A.
Railroad. The day WAS good for car rid
Ing. clear sky and cool wind. The cars
In this road are commodious. but not ele.
giant, the conductors are intelli gent and
pleasant men, looking so much like Yam
KEGS that we should not have supposed
ourselves under British guidance had not
the brakeman announced our second stop
ping place As Horono. From Bangor to
Aatawamkesg, the road being on the
bank Of the Penobscot, We had view Of
the saw mills which have made Bangor
the greatest lumber mart Of the world.
Several towns upon the line Of the road
have prosperous look indicating a good
"bnek country" for numbering and farming.
The tanneries at VIM and Kingman In.
dictate that Maine should build factories
Of various kinds 10 the interior instead OF
transporting heavy crude material, which
brings but . small remuneration, to the
seaboard and to Mass. The state IL be-
coming impoverished by this wholesale
destruction aud expectation OF heavy
lumber
Timber that Is now burned upon the
ground In clearing farms, il hoated down
the rivers In logs would be worth ten dol
lars cord or twenty five dollars q thous-
and feet and even more, could IL receive
bone manufacture. II capital Is not
ready to enter the forests. let the forests
wait for 1t and pay . rich interest to the
owners for the delay. At vancsboro. on
the line, we dined sumptuously, at one Of
the best eating houses on the line OF any
railroad. At McAdam we changed cars,
taking the n. b. ( c. Railroad for Houl-
ton.
The country on the line Of this road has
few attractions for the traveller. There
Is pleasure 10 the "pathless woods" but
q road cut through miles OF forest be-
comes mono,onous. Nero and there are
little settlements At which the train stops,
and We step out to see place aud people.
The hustle and thrift OF Yankee towns
are not observable. The people take the
duties Of life quietly. They seem In no
hurry, they have time enough for what
there Is to do and they seem to get il done,
At least to their satisfaction. Our people
should spend their vacations In the Prov
inces, not only to rest their bodies but to
calm their minds.
Maine man notices the significant
sign on the grocery stores, "iiqvors," and
curiosity prompts us TO follow some Of
our fellow passengers who are dry" into
the saloons where genuine liquors are
sold at rea sonable prices; one from Yam
keedom, who thought his thirst Nigh, re-
turn amer he crossed the line again.
bought bottle OF pure brandy Of the bcs,
brand for 81. remarking this would cost
600 in the states with suspicion Of its
purity when obtained Good LIQUORS
may be valuable but good morals are to
be preferred. After dull and tiresome
ride Of four hours through a dreary sec
ton OF country, we were glad to reach
Maine again and to take the hack into
the beautiful village OF Houlton.
Few things In our travels have furnish
Ell a more agreeable contrast, than this
presented TO our eyes, by the pleasant
streets, elegant houses. highly cultivated
gardens and farms OF Houlton. compared
with the country through which we had
recently ridden.
This Is one Of the oldest towns In the
county. and fertile soil, a back country
rich In timber and farm products, renders
1t one Of the most promising towns for
growth In wealth and population in the
State.
We spent two nights In the place and
can speak In the highest praise Of the
"Houlton Exchange" and OF the many
friends who We'd in their kindness maui
Tested In showing us the beauties and adj
vantages OF the town. The farming capa.
bilities Of the section are indicated by the
fact that one man, sold three hundred
tons OF hay last year, of his own raising,
and Capt. Putnam has this year cut four
teen tons OF hay from field OF less than
five acres.
From Houl:on to Pressure Isle. a dis
lance Of forty two miles, we journeyed In
4 heavily laden stage coach over the worst
road We ever saw. The spring rains had
rendered the earth unusually soft and the
heavy wagons, which carry all the freight
north, had cut the road into deep lurro VS.,
which In many cases had been partially
filled with stones Of all sizes and shapes
One needs . good constitution to endure
many such rides of ten hours duration.
The road runs nearly par allel to the Brun-
swick line, at an average distance from 1t
OF about three miles. we judge. 1t passes
through six towns all of which are more
or less settled on the line of the road.
The farmers have cleared land, east and
west from the road, but on either hand
beyond this cleared and cultivated strip
OF less than mile in width, the dense
forests stretch as far as the eye can reach.
The growth OF wood consists of the usual
varieties embraced in the term hard"
together with cedar, spruce, larch and
hemlock. We did not see dozen pine
trees during the journey. 1t seems waste
full TO destroy such immense quantities of
wood and timber as must be sacrificed to
open farms in this region, but the axe is
the pioneer OF civilizations, Machinery
must follow the strong arms of the hardy
settlers and change the giants of the
forests into things Of use and value In the
practical arts.
Pressure Isle is q thriving Village hav-
ing a good country trade and manufsc-
tories of lumber and cheese. The last en-.
s-rprise is but just established, but the
quantity and quality Of milk furnished BY
the farmers Of the vicinity indicate that
this will prove = renumerative branch of
industry.
From Presque Isle we rode with friend
to the town of Fort Fairfield. This is an
excellent farming town, and we greatly
enjoyed the several DAYS spent there in
the family Of Mr. AverilI u,ho 10 ooo ~