Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-07-07

to cehform to the speech of the native inhabitants.
instead Of ndulging in criticism.
We left Bingham yesterday morning. The
sky was overcast, and there had been rain the
night before, which effectually laid the dust, and
cooled the atmosphere, and thus added greatly to
the pleasure of the ride. The scenery grows more
beautiful and picturesque as you ascend the river.
It is not bold and grand, when the road you
pursue is shut in between high mountains. New
ertheless it is exceedingly broken and varied with
hills and valleys fields and forests, with here and
there a broad rich intervale bordering the river.
There are many well cultivated farms, with neat
buildings; whilst the route frequently passes
through long stretches of forest. Skirtng the
banks Of the river the road is smooth and compar
atiyely level, though hills and slopes, more or
less PERCEPTIONS, seen in every direction.
From Scion village to the Forks, a distance of
more than thirty miles, there is not hill in the
road which is worth mentioning Yet a more
hilly and broken country than this is seldom seen
anywhere. The farmers in this region all need
hillside plows to cultivate their land; and viewing
many OF the rich pastures on the steep slopes on
either side of the river, is apt to imagine the
cattle find it difficult 10 feed without tumbling
down the hills
We found it an exceedingly enjoyable ride fur
the whole distance. As one Of our ladies
| marked, the route is one ''full of surprises.
! There are continued changes from fine farms
showing all the marks of skill and culture, to
shady forests hills start up in every form, and
in unexpected directions, broken AMI divided by
valleys or wooded rayines; picturesque ponds,
larger smaller, suddenly show themselves on
one band or the other; sometimes the road is sep
arated from the river by a broad ntervale, a
woody ridge or a row of rounded core like hills,
and sometimes it hugs the bank closely that
only few feet intervene between them; some
times the road descends nearly to the level of the
water, and then again there is high and steep
bank, from which you overlook the tops of the
trees on the shore.
| There are two hotels at this place The one
where stop is called the Forks House, and con-
tains more than one hundred rooms. 1t is an m-
mense structure, apparently built without regard
to expense, and is furnished in city style, with Ill
the modern conveniences. 1t stands within few
feet of the East branch wide and rushing stream
which is continually pouring out the waters of the
mighty Moosehead Lake with current at once
deep and swift, iLto the kennebec, and here unit
ing with the more sluggish outhows of Dead river
called from its slow and leisurcly progress from
the foot OF Mount Bigelow and the wilderness be-
You'd till it reaches the point Of confluence. A
tongue of land runs down between the two
branches, standing on the point of which one may
consider himself at the head of the Kennebec, the
waters OF which, accommodating in their course by
receiving innumerabe tribu,alies, reach the ocean
one hundred and fifty miles below.
The Forks House appears to be well kept ami
guests receive every needful attention. Being SO
far in the INTERIOR and in a region so sparsey
settled, one would naturally think great waste
of money to invest it in such an establishment
But we were told that during the numbering sea-
son they have usually from forty to sixty guests
or boarders 1t is on the great Canada road, and
besides being central point for the Lumber bust
ness, the region around is abundantly supplied /
with lakes and streams for fishing.
AT this particular season of the year, there is
one drawback to the pleasures of a visit to this
section. This consists in little black insect, con-
sderably smaller than a mosquito, but more in the
shape of a common house fv, which gives no
warning of its approach, as the mosquito does by
singing its ducet song in your ears, but attacks
you silently and it by stealth, in front and
in rear and on every side at the instant.
The first notice you have, if not on your guard,
is by the wounds You receive. Its name is legion
Should you count hundred million of them, the
accommodating hosts that remained would defy the
powers of arithmetic. None of our party escaped
from the conflict without wounds if conflict it
may be called when the fighting is all on one side.
In such warfare, the only safety is in swift re-
treat. In the house, with the doors closed and
the windows protected by screens, the enemy may
be allowed to vent his rage without, whilst you
rejoice in comparative security within. 1t may be
added for the consolation of travellers, that the
"black fly" season is short, and now will soon be
this section is in September or October.
| have spoken of the smooth hard roads in this
region. The hardest to travel are those recently
'mended." Some of them are suggestive of the
results an earthquake would produce, l mean
moderate one. But the mode in which road taxes
are worked out" is particularly noticeable. We
saw gang of perhaps Twenty men and boys stand
! ing on either side of the road where they were
supposed to be at work, all leaning on their hoes
or shovels chatting together. The next morning
the same gang, at about nine in the forenoon,
were all sitting under the fence resting. There is
a total absence of ratings on bridges and on side
| hill roads, even those not more than fifteen feet
wide, and almost hanging over the river, as they
do in some places for many rods.
PEN HOLDER.
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