The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-10-21
ALit,le aonpleasnn,ue.s., ),


Ii there was any one feature of the recent
press excursion which the country editors W ent
wild over, so to speak, it was the dauce at
Presque Isle. In local way this dance has
become quite as famous as the Quadroon ball
which the visiting statesmen attended in New
Orleans, The gambols of the editors who were
on the floor have been described with much
pleasantly by their brethren of too little grace
or too much orthodoxy to take part and the
affair has served to tighten up for weeks
columns that outside of their immediate
locality are oftentimes dry. There was one
editor, however, who viewed the proceeding in
a very different light 1t is rot too much too
much to say that he was disguised, and he
washes his hands of responsibility for the
'disorderly assemblage" in the following
card:
PREsQUE ISLE, Sept. 1873.
The undersigned, chairman of the Excur-
sion committee of the Maine Press AssOcia-
tlon for its excursion to Aroostook, on whom,
91y the rules and practices of the Association,
oevolved the duty of the direction of its pubic
meetings and receptions, wishes to say to the
excurslonists and to the respectable portion OF
tne citizens of Presque Isle and Maysville, that
am in no sense responsible for the converting
what was intended to be meeting, on Thurs
Gay evening last, at Johnson's Hall, for
pleasant interchange of thought, an intellectual
treat. into disorderly assemblage in which the
frlvolous element of the community was in the
ascendant, and ending in silly and senseless
dance. 1t devolved on me to make an address
OF welcome to our visitors, and Rev. Dr.
Warren was called upon by a gentleman of
Inc Association to respond; and he was to
nave been followed by Messrs Holman, Rowell
Rev. DR.. Quinby, Rev. 81. S. Burrage, Elwell,
Adams, Tenney, Sprague and others, to hear
whom at least two hundred of the best and
most intelligent portion of our community
were in attendance. AS soon, however, as DIR.
warren closed his remarks, the man, Il do not
say 9enttenld1ai) who from mere courtesy had
psen requested to preside, announced there
would be no 10 ore "dry speechifying,' but
season OF Tree conversation; but In less than
tnree minutes he again announced that there
would be dance, closing his remarks with the
objectionable insult to our visitors. that. those
acho do not choose to dance can hold the hats Of
those aoho do''
1t is very true that had any one of the
Association interfered at the instant as he
audience had risen. the meeting would not
have been broken up. but an excitement would
have been produced very unpleasant to all, and
especially to our friends.
am happy to say that Lone of the leading
citizens of Presque Isle had anything to do
regret the loss sustained by not enjoying rich
Intellectual repast, but are indignant at the
outrage upon distinguished gentlemen who
had come long distance mainly for our
benefit
l am also very happy to know that no un-
pleasant incident occurred either at Houlton,
Fort Fairfield, Caribou or New Sweden and
but for this, the whole excursion would have
been one of unalloyed pleasure and enjoyment.
DANIEL STICKNEY.