The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-08-25

1
Maine.
On, on, the steamer passing myriads OF
green isles, and when nearing Bangor the
floating pieces Of timber and saw dust told
us that our journey via boat was about
ended; and much had we to regret, for oul
friends we made on the boat said the wind
ings, and wooded coast, and green islands,
and lofty peaks and delightful residences
upon the Penobscot would fill my diary
with much my memory, in future days,
would love to recall: but we could not help
the fog Bangor is Il city of no small di-
mansions, and from the solidity of its bust
ness center we set it down as having solid
claims. Mills OF every description were in
sight as the train of +. & n. A. Railroad
took us from its limits. We crossed the
Penobscot several times before we arrived
at la Grange. The railroad runs parallel
with the river. Oldtown is n thrifty place
on the Penobscot, whose waters run some
Of the largest mills 0umber) in the world.
This city has suffered from 4 recent fire.
The town has several churches. and the
chief employment, like all towns in Maine
mot one eXception). is numbering.
Opposite this town is an Indian island
where lives the remnant of the Penobscots
They live mostly in houses nicely built.
-.
trolled by the resident priest. They own
little patches of land and raise vegetables,
but their principal means of support is fish
ing, trapping and hunting wild animals
and numbering. The women make baskets
of fine split wood; these are of all Sizes
very fanciful in design, and cost in proper
ton.
The grave yard is on a gentle slope of the
island, and the names on the crosses tomb
stones sound strange to our ears. One
bore this, "Locke Besin SwaSen.' Sew.
eral children's graves were laid out like a
garden plat, and the toys of the child were
strewn on it. Legend says the first Penob
scot Indians came in canoe from the wat
ers of the St. John up the Penobscot. The
State allows the Indians to cut ash timber
on any ones land wild and uncultivated),
and also donate to them every island in the
PenobscOt River, which comprise three hun
dred and sixty five. Tradition informs us
that the chief, i'll other days, spent day
on each island. They bury their dead with
candles in the coffin, a box of bear meat to
sustain him, and to afford him light to the
"happy hunting ground"
At OromO we were told the State Agri-
cultural College was located. The next
town of Importance was Castine, where
tiourishes the Normal School. This town
was formerly situated on peninsula. but
during the war of 1912 it was so fortified
that the British cut a canal through the
isthmus, and ever since it has had the APP
pearance of an island. SO you see that
this town is one of the t01rns that can date
some of its interest to the war of 1912.
AT La Grange we were met by our friend,
and i'll a few moments after our baggage
was seen to and transferred to carriage (our
umbrella being the most importantly, and
we drove into the Maine forests from hill
top to hill top. We had many uninter-
rupted views of an hundred miles of an
evergreen sea, backed invariably by noun
tain peaks Old kalahdins Jagged apex,
always soaring above the rest. We sighed
as our eyes roamCd over this limit!ess
stretch of wood, and thought of cord wood
at home at s. and Sc per cord and here it
lay wasting by the thousand cords.
Our first impression of Maine was, that
we had found a lodge in some vast will
derness." The houses, we thought, need
whitewash or paint, but on learning of
their long, severe Winters, we decided it
would be waste of money to do either
The style of building houses with wood
shed and barn under one continuous roof
looked strange. The comforts and conve-
niences of a home are looked after, and it
is really binding on them, in such a eli
mate, to use little precaution.
We were soon at our friends, and after
a few days rest began to look around at
his farm home, which few years previous
was a part of the great surrounding will
derness. We tried to "do as Romans do
by eating their cakes and pies for break
fast, bat too long had we lmbibed Mary
Il Of 60
PLANTATION, IRE were excused.
We visited the town school and found
"dapper," but ail-looking school marin
at its head. We were at home and soon
became friends with teacher aud scholars
She told me the manner in which the
teacher was pad in Maine, and ! wish our
School Board would soon adopt it. The
number of scholars married and single
were counted in the town district between
six and twenty one, and she was paid for
all that were retained between those ages.
No difference whether they come or not,
the teacher received her pay. The town III
which she taught there were y on the reg
lister married and single and 80 in attend
ance. She was paid for -; SO you see when
ladies get married in Maine they have all
the advantage of their public schools until
they are over twenty one. The eXamina
tions are conducted orally. | think the
schools and teachers of Maryland will com
pare iavoraEiy with the old pine State.
We met young lady teacher who was
doing house work then, and was much in
tcrested in her description of how her sex
an education in Maine by attend
ing the normal schools, where tuition is
free and boarding themselves and fire.
quently defraying their expenses by doing
any kind of work between hours. Ser
want girls | found to be far more intelli.
gent than our class of them; and let me
further add that they are more So than some
we call the bon ton, whose knowledge eX-
tends to perusll of some sentimental love
story aud few furbelows which, to a Yam
kee girl, does not claim a secondary thought.
1t is pure knowledge she seeks, and finds
by the sweat of her brow. Many of them
will fry you a steak and then seat herself
at the organ and give you a sonata from
Beethoven whilst You are RECALLING the inner
man.
We were astonshed to see unfenced road
sides, but we found Maine laws were as
strict ON the protection of cattle at large
as they We're on the liquor question.
Onr nerves were somewhat worked upon
by the numerous bear stories that callers
gave us: and one a few days previous had
seen one cross the very road we had driven
over recently. Brun seems to be regain
ing his old haunts, as now he is not hunted
for any thing save protection or his meat,
the State having taken off the bounty. We
longed to catch a glimpse of him, say the
tip end of his receding self, or hear his
peculiar ugh," but was disappointed.
PHILus.