Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-09-21
RURAL WANDERINGS.-II.
RUMFoRD CORNER,
Sept. II, 1874.

RUMFoRD CORNER,
Sept. II, 1874.
The lovely Androscoggin river and its sur
On the contrary, we have never seen the land
scape when it presented more beautiful views
to charm the eye. Picturesque, natural see
merry is the true loyeliness to which Shaks-
peare's lines apply, when he says it ''needs
not the foreign aid of ornament, but is, when
upadorped, adorned the most" What could
the hand of man add to the charms of this
serpentine river, winding its way through
green intervales, sloping pastures, wood
crowned hil-sides and towering crags, broken
and variegatedin countless shapes and heights!
1t is true that the neat farm houses and pref
ty villages, here and there interspersed do
not mar the beauty of the scene, but seem to
form Part Of it, not inharmonious with the
loveliness and grandeur of natures own
works.
We have not been cheered or annoyed
much by the bright beams of the sum- since
we started on this journey. The clouds have
with occasional slight Installations OF mois-
ture, but not enough to lay the dust During
a part of the day yesterday, the clouds of dust
were exceedingly unpleasant. filling the eyes,
and covering everything with floury (not
foweryJ hue. If, as the adage runs, every
one must eat his ''peck Of Dirt we have
probably accomplished generous part of our
disagreeable task whilst on this route. This
morning the skies look rather more watery,
and the surface of the ground is already lit
tie moist from the moistness of the atmos-
phere, although there has been nothing that
we could call rain. The clouds, however,
look threatening, and the fog rests down upon
the mountain slopes, and there is every ap-
pearance that Jupiter Pluvius is about to
make an attack in full force.
We learn here that there was sharp frost
about the last of August, which nipped vege-
tation little in this vicinity, and still further
north, on the road to Lake Umbagog, killed
the green crops. Since that. it has been
much warmer, as well as quite dry. Until
August, the Androscoggin was unusually full
of water, but during the last three weeks it
has rapidly fallen, and is now as low as it was
last year at this time, if not more so.
We are stopping at the public house at Rum
ford Corner, which is the half way house be-
tween the railroad station ct Bryant's Pond
and Andover. Every night, after the arrival
of the afternoon train on the Grand Trunk
| from Portland, the stage arrives here at sup
| per time loaded with passengers, and passes
| on in the evening to Andover. One would
| not expect so much travel up here in the
| wilderness as you on the kennebec would
| imagine it to be; but the attractions OF An
| dover for summer travel, and OF the lake be-
| yond, for fishermen, are sufficient to keep the
stream flowing through the season.
We ate our picnic dinner yesterday close
| by the shore of the Androscoggin, moistenine
| it with water from one of the mountain springs
which abound in this region for the refresh
ment of man and beast The day before, We
dined on a rock in green pasture which
soped down towards the road with such an
inviting look that we could not resist its al
luTetUeHts IL ally ouC "iShVS w S"' "'N''
good appetite, let him ride dozen miles with
an agreeable company, and then dine in the
open air, in pleasant spot, with pure water
to allay his thirst and if the bread and but
ter, cold meat, boiled eggs, doughnuts, apple
putfs, tomatoes, etc, doesn't relish, he must
be past cure. With such appliances, "good
digestion waits on appetite, and health on
both" VIAToR