Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-08-21
The Aroos,ook Excursion In 1858.

| The AroostOok Excursion In 1855.
The proposed excursion to Aroostook county by
the Maine Press Association and Others recalls to
mind the excursion to that county twenty years
ago. The press of the State had no organization
at that time, and the invitation to visit Presque
| Isle and attend the annual cattle show and fair,
was extended by a committee of ten citizens oil
Bangor and Aroostook, to proprietors of the pa
| pers in our State, requesting that each paper
| should be represented either by the editor or a
| proxy. At that time the county of Aroo-took
was spsrcely settled, the most of the broad do
main composing II being In a state of nature.
The State bad not disposed OF its land, and the
only way by which Presque Isle could be reached
was by stage from attawsmkeag, the distance
| being near hundred miles. The object Of the
visit was to advertise the lands of Al oosoOk and
| show their peculiar adaptation to agricultural
| purposes, aud also to help forward scheme, then
| agitsted by the people oil Bangor, for a railway
| to iloulon.
| The response TO the invitation was general and
hearty, and all the leading papers in Maine
was selected as the time for making
| the trip, aud more delightful autumn
weather WAS never enjoyed. The parry stopped
at Bangor the first night, at the Bangor House
| aud Penohscot Exchange. The next morning
they took the train Tor OldowD, thence by steam
| Ell to Msttswamkeag Point, where the second
night was spent. The third night they reached
| lloulton by stage and put up al the Smell House.
| The fourth night they reached Presque Isle. Az
| ter attending the cattle show and far and visiting
the yoiuts of interest IN the vicinity, including
Fort Fairfield, the party divided into three parts,
| one going down the river to ST. John, another go
ing through northern Aroosto ok and coming out
| at Patten and the other returning by way of
| iiouiton. 1t was delightful trip and one not to
| be forgotten 10y those who participated 10 IT. The
papers TOR weeks afterwards, were b led with
glowing accounts of the wonderful fertility OF the
| Aroostook lands, AID the tide of emigration which
soon set IN in that direction, fully satisfied the
| expectations OF those who projected and carried
| out The enterprise.
Twenty years have wrought great change, not
only in the condition of Aroostook county, but in
| the party of editors and proxies who made up the
editorial party. The population Of the county,
notw outstanding the terrible depletion by the war,
| has more than doubled, and the facilities for trsv
ell are such that instead of consuming three days
| 10 reaching Fort Fairfield from tngor, the jour
| ney can be made IN one. The following are the
names of the persons who made the excursion to
| Aroostook in 1858, with their present place OF
residence, 20 far rs known to US: Lewis q. Cow
an of the Blddeford Union aud ournal, dece ased
John A. Poor of the State OF Maine, deceased !;
| Darius Forbes OF the Maine Temperance Jour
nal left the State wears ago f. II. Elwell, Fort
| land Transcript; Rev. j. &. Fletcher. he we'll
known author, wbo represented the Portland Al
vertiser, was not resident Of tie State; Brown
| Thursoo, lions Advocate, still prints that paper
y. Dingley. Dr., Lewiston journal; Frank l..
| Dinghy, Maine Evangelist is now on the jour
| nal; J. ID. Stetson, VINO represented the Demo
cratic Advocate for bis brother, became lawyer (;
W. b. Lspham, proxy for oxford Democrat, is
| now of Augusta: A. u. Tenney, Brunswick Tel
| egraph James NJ Lincoln, American Sentinel,
deceased John L. Gilman, Bath Times, lett the
state, E. Rowell, Halowell Gazette, is postmaster
| a: Halluwel; ID. L. Pike, Augusta Age, has re-
| red FROM Journalism; Rev. A. Battles. who rep
| resented the Maine Farmer, is at Bangor; j Q A.
| Hswes proxy for the kennebec journal. resides
| IN Hsllowell; J. " Hanson OF the Gospel Ban
| ner publ-hc the New Covenant at Chicago
| Chale. Il. Paine, Lincoln Advertiser, residence
| unknown; >. III. Chapman, proxy for the Rock
| aud free Press, went into the war, and was
| the first man shot dead at the first Bull
| Run hstte; Il. Pope Nose, Rocklsnd Gazette 4;
Vim. Dyer, " stervllle Mail, residence unknown
| Vim. ii. NadrOn, proxy for the Morning
Star, now publishes the Lewiston Gazette Charles
Z Roberts, Bangor Evening lines, residence I'M
| known; Joseph Bartlett, Bangor Jefferson, de-
| ceased John H. Lynde, Bangor Wing and Cour
| ier, deceased, MsIcellus Emery, Bangor Com
| mercia aud Democrat. OF others of the party not
| connected with Journalism, Charles l.. > etson
| and Isaac X. CLARK still reside IN Bangor, Thomas
| ii. GarDsey has lett the State aud Hon +. X.
| Smart of Cauden has deceased. OF tue twenty
| eight editors and proxies, including Mr.. Smart,
who both before aud after that time was connect
ed with the press, seven are certainly dead aud II
Is quite probable that Others of whom we have lost
| sight, nay have passed away. 1t is not probable
that more than hsithe original party wi unite
| in the excursion of this year. At that time the
| only lady OF he party was the wife of Rev. j. {.
| Fletcher. We hope that the press of the State
| may be fully represented on the occasion OF the
| excursion in September, and that the story OF
| Al oostook may be told anew, With such additions
aud improvements as the improved condition OF
| the county may justify.