The Portland daily press., 1879-09-11
A Letter from Mt. Desert.
GRAND CENTRAL HOTEL. BAR HARBoR,
EAST EDEN, MAINE.

GRAND CENTRAL HOTEL. BAR HARBoR,
EAST EDEN, MAINE.
August 27th, 1879.
"It is Eden,-it is the garden of the Lord"
exclaimed the fervent and supplemented
Scotch minister in William Blacks charming
novel, ga Daughter of Heth," where his eyes
rested for the first time on the glorious scenery
of the Western Highlands And, with added
appropriateness may the fortunate visitors to
this favored spot repeat the words. For the
name of the place is well chosen. by whom,
or with what idea, deponent saith not Blu
whether oy chance or design, the name hts,
forming, in this respecta striking contrast to
the general system of town nomenclature in
this State, whose only apparent merit consists
in the facilities it affords to people Of limited
means to make the whole grand tour of Eu-
rope, from Paris to Moscow, and even Jerusa-
lem, with Peru and Mexico thrown in) with
out going beyond the limits of the Pine Tree
State.
This is, indeed, wonderful spot,-one
which grows upon q person year by year, of
which he never tires, and to which he returns
again and again with ever fresh affection;
SPOT which makes all other summer resorts
seem tame or monotonous by comparison. You
may find loftier mountains, grander cliffs,
more beautiful lakes, more majestic forests,
more picturesque brooks, a more extensive sea-
view; but know of no place, far or near.
that combines all these attractions as does this
modern Eden, Mt. Desert island.
To describe it's natural features in detail,
would, at this day, be an impertinence, like
describing the Coliseum or st. Peters, or Nj
agara Falls, but the village of Bar Harbor is
constantly growing. and some account of the
changes here and the adventures of the sum-
mer population may, perhaps not be without
interest, certainly not to those who have been
here themselves.
A veteran Mt. Deserter who knew and loved
the is land ten or dozen years ago, feels privi-
legged to criticize and resent the many inno-
vati ons and modern improvements, which
have been introduced into the village since
that time. Such a one breads the approach of
civilization to the spot that he had chosen for
his summer retreat. The telegraph, the daily
steamboat the cottages, the large hotels, the
elegant costumes and long trains, the hops
kept up to the ''wee sma' hours all announce
to him that "old times are changed, old man.
SeSAi w
his trunk, and, with a regretful sigh, move on
to Grand Menan or some other remoter region
receding, like the Indian, before the resstless
march of civilization, but fortunately in the
opposite direction, towards the rising, not the
setting, sun.
But, viewed fairly, the changes are by no
means all for the worse. There is far more OF
comfort in hotels and boarding houses than
formerly. The landlords no longer feel at lib
erty to exercise despotic sway over their guests,
and to prohibit dancing or games in the parlor,
for fear of injury TO fifteen-dollar carpets; the
blackberry-p are no longer half filled with
coffee beans; the roads are little better, and
the fearful plunge of the Perpendicular Hill
has been avoided by the construction of new
and circuitous road. Shops have sprung up;
well-selected public library has been estab-
lished; bowling alley, and building for salt
water baths, either hot or cold have been
opened and large livery stable built. The
introduction of buck-boards has created rev.
olution in picnic and excursion arrangements.
The old clumsy mountain-wagons have nearly
disappeared, and, in their stead, the one and
two-horse buck-boards drawn up on both sides
of the street, with their drivers wearing num-
bers on steel badges, which give them, at first
sight, the air of formidable police force, are
now regular and important feature of the
place. The means of communication, too, with
Portland have greatly increased. Formerly,
the staunch old Lewiston, which, with its
universally popular Capt. Deering, seems
as essen tial a part of Mt Desert as Green
Mou ntain itself, brought passengers here twice
a week, ON Wednesdays and Saturdays, return
ing Mondays and Thursdays. Now, there ar,
sometimes four boats day, besides the daily
Bongor stage. The "Mt. Desert" runs daily
ito and from Rockland, the Lewiston" and
"City of Richmond make four trips week
from Portland, and steamer runs twice
week up the river to Bangor.
Then the appearance of the village has
much improved. Formerly, as one approached
on the Lewiston" its aspect was so bleak
and bare that new visitors were apt to expert
ence a sense of disappointment, and many, it
waf said, would have gladly returned the next
morning had an opportunity offered But
now the sight of the village from the bay, with
its large turreted hotels, and its many brown
rooted, picturesque cottages, is very pretty
and attractive.
But there are changes which are not I'M
provements. The old spirit of the place Is
chan ging fashionable element, which has
no business here, is creeping in; the ladies'
dare less and less to appear III mountain cos