Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-07-20
Local anD State Nfms.
THE EDITORIAL TRIP TO THE NOUN
TA1Ns, TO QUEBEC. AND THE Sac
IENAY.

| NJ" puicua>ing u IeAm OF paper, set himself down
TO the tack OF writing a comprehensive history of
the United States. We share with that yonth in
bis feelings as we undertake to give our readers a
brief outline of the wanderngs of the editors and
publishers of Maine, on their annual excursion,
last week. among the White Hills, to Quebec, and
the iar-famed Saguensy. 1t is an inexhaustible
subject, and its unfolding will afford. food for
| thought and contemplation during the months of
toll that follow the swift flying houls of the week
| If recreation.
| The party from Augusta, numbering fifteen, be-
sides those from up river, started the forenoon
train, Wednesday, July 10Th, were Joined AT Hal
| lowell by Maj Rowell and the wife of Rev. Mr.
| Ne~combe, and at Gardiner by III. X. Mo1eli.
| President of the Association. who bid a most
aifectonste and fearful farewell to his dog Spot
| The faithful fellow followed the cars rs they went
on unit he was lost TO sight, and may still be run
| nlng, Tor all we have heard. The happy aud ex-
| pectant company passed rapidly through the
| beautiful scenery lining the kennebeC, noticing
particularly the excellent condition OF the Maine
Central track and cars, aud the good judgment of
| the company In employing such model conductors
| as Anderson and Phiibrook. At the transfer sta
ton ont of Portland the editorial party was fully
made up numbering in all forty seven person.
consisting OF the editors and publishers and their
lady friends. We now take the cars of the Port
land and Ogden~hurg Railroad, pass the simmer
| merng waters "t Sebago lake, where two pleasure
| steamers, the "Sebago" and "Mt. Pleasant, y" are
| IN waning 10 convey pleasure seekers to the green
hills and health giving hreeZes OF the inland towns
| Less than a three hours ride brings Us To North
| Conway, where the distant mountain peaks rise
grsndy before Us, seeming to beCkon US on TO
still subllmer and nearer views. Here in this val.
ley oil the mountains, this home OF the towering
| and graceful kiafss ge where the green intervals
border the winding Saco river,-here we change
the close cars for observation cars the tops being
covered with canvass the sides open. and reyoly-
ing arm chairs provided for passengers Thus
SCI q he Of th.
White Noun aims. The road crosses deep ravines
through mountain gorges, over towo ring bridges,
penetrating by deep cuts the mountain sides, until
| the observer if indeed he is not appalled, at the
| scene, wonders at the grand mechanical and en-
gineering achievement that has built a railroad
through tins wild mountainous county. by the
side OF this achievement we Gaze to wonder at the
possibility of the construction of the railroad up
| the fl owning sides of old Mt. Washington. As
| we pass the Wiley house. the Crawford mansion
the winding carriage road in The valley below the
towering heights of Mt. Washington, the lofty
battlements OF Mt. Webster. the Silver cascade,
and other points OF interest, we find ourselves in
the Notch Of the White Mountains. A. we linger
here to await the arrival of the down train we are
furnished free of expense. aud without indication
of the same in the programme of the committee,
with thunder tempest among the mountains,
something We have waited lifetime TO witness.
The iotked lightning flashes from tue bosom of
the black cloud hiding the mountains, aud twin
kles out its life in the vale below, while the thun-
der reNtrbelateS among the circle OF mountains,
dying away in sounds resembling the discharge of
distant artillery, reminding of the gho,th
nlnepin games of the demons who pursued poor
Rip van Winkle among the Catskill Mountains.
We pass on through the Notch to Crawtords and
Fahyans. having obtained most advantageous
view of the entire range of the White Mountains.
Tourists who have crossed the continent" over
the Union Pacific road admit that scenery on
the American contiI ent can compare with that
witnessed nom the observation cars of the T. 4
o. Railroad, while passing through the Notch.
To prevent a delay of several hours at Craw-
fords, Supt Dodge did the geutlemany thing by
making no an extra tram, and conveying our par
ty to Fahysn's, where the cars of the Boston Con-
cord and Montreal Railroad were taken for Beth.
lehem n. II. Here wcaried but delg hted
party spent the night and the next forenoon at the
Sinclair House. Durgin < Fox, proprietors, one
of the largest anu best appointed hotels among the
mountains, competing successfully with y dozen
or other houses, built 10 this rural mountain
village The day before bad been sufferisg
in 4 hot Office with the mercury skipping about
among the nineties; now a we paced the veran-
dab of the "Snclsir,' we found summer over
coat rot uncomfortable. After ride about the
town in which our entire patty participated,
no longer wondered that the village of Bethlehem
is reckoned among the favorlte summer residences
in the mountain region. These are the highlands
of New Hampshire the altitude of the village be.
ING greater than that of Any other village east Of
the Rocky Mountains. The place commands va
ried and extensive views of the White Mountain
and Frauconia ranges.
| The next afternoon sgsn take the stages for
a three miles ride to the cars, and find ourselves
"marching down to old Quebec" for a peaceful
raid upon Her Msjesty's Canadian Dominions.
At Grovetown Junction a Pullman is placed
at the disposal of the party by the Grand Trunk
Railway OF Canada. The conductor. Mr.. Moul-
ton, a Maine man. did all in his power to make
the journey pleasant. The car was retained also
for the Journey hack and the admirable arrange
me nts for the c1mfoit and convenience of the par
| b,s naH mar p tod hv Matp Tho
general agent of the company at Portland. The
smooth running of the trains and the excellent
management of the road in every respect were
particularly noticeable
| Go FRIDAY morning the party awoke from their
slumb,r r. to find themselves entering Point Lewis,
opposite Quebec, on the shores of the st. Law
renee, and all eyes were tn ned toward the embat-
Elements of the walled city. Omittng psttic-
ulsr reference to this or the few hours spent 10
waiting for the steamer, We embark on board the
! staunch and large steamer "Saguenay" which has
been placed at our disposal by the active and gen.
tlemanly agent at Quebec, Mr.. Henry +. Beew,
and speed away down the mighty inland ocean,
the St. Lawrence river. view of Quebec and
harbor, never to he forgotten, Is to he obtained
from the deck of the steamer, sail out of the
harbor for trip of 235 miles down the st. Law
renee aud up the Saguepay. This trip occupied
two nights and nearly two days.
| We shall not attempt to describe it in detail,
but only speak OF the special points alor the
And first is the Isle of Orleans, where Wolfe land
ed IN the beginning oil MS operations on tlueDec.
II is twenty miles long and from half mile to
five miles wide, being very picturesque and di-
versifed in its appearance. 1t has six Catholic
and one Protestant church On the right is
Crosse Isle which has a melancholy interest as
being the quarantine station for Quebec, where
all vessels having contagious diseases on board
are obliged to be examined by the proper officials.
In one grave are buried 1000 emgrsnts who fell
victims to the ship fever in lS47. About the
same number claimed by the cholera in
lS49 1t is indeed a cemetery in the ocean. 1t
seems impossible you glide past these beauti
| full islands, one after smother, that you are borne
on the bosom OF a river and not out at sea;
the lighthouses the shores looming up, and
the wide expanse of water reminding you
very much of the wild and ragged sea coast of
Mt. Desert Passing Murray Bav, a famous
summer resort and the river Du Loup, we APP
roach Tsdousac, which lies at the entrance Of
| the waters of the far famed river, Saguensy,
towards which the fondest hopes Of the Maine
Press excursionsts have many years been direc
ted. To this part of Her Maiesty's Dominion
come the crowned heads of Europe with their
families for summer rest and recreation, and to
these wild scenes the people of Quebec and
Montreal make glad pilgrimages. The larger
places along the route dotted with fine sum |
| ner residences. Salmon and trout and val ious !
| fsb of nnnronouncahle names abound in the wat