St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-07-16
From the Seashore.

The Maine coast seems to be the ia
vorite resort for people from your sec
tion-the majority going to Peake's
Island and Old Orchard Beach. The
latter place,-12 miles from Portland on
the Boston s. Maine R. R.-has the ad-
vantage of fine beach and good surf
bathing. 1t also has its crowds and
this is no small attraction to people not
sick enough to be called invalids. Old
Orchard is very accessible-a feature of
great Importance to those with limited
time. One can take the train at st.
Johnsbury at IL o'clock, pass through
the White Mountain Notch, reaching
Old Orchard at half-past six same day.
A train leaves the beach at in the
morning, by which persons can reach
St. Johnsbury at 3 o'clock same after
noon. Tickets down and back, good
for 30 days, are sold for $500.
Old Orchard seems to have grown up
like Jonah's gourd. Between PrOut's
Neck and Biddeford Pool, there is a
semi-circular beach, perhaps six OF
eight miles in extent. This is Old Or
chard. In about the centre of this semi
circle are about 25 or 80 hotels and
boarding houses directly on the beach,
with twice as many saloons, groceries,
variety stores and cheap-JOhn shops in
the rear of these houses, skirting the
Boston & Main railroad track, which at
this place runs perhaps 80 or 40 rods
from the ocean. The opposite side of
the railroad track from the beach the
ground rises considerably, and some so
rods up this slope there are two very
large and elegant hotels, the Old Or
chard House and the Ocean House.
These are very slightly locations, and
the houses are we'll kept but they are
too far from the water to suit the ma
jority of people, and they therefore
crowd the smaller houses near the surf.
Among these latter hotels, tho most
popular one with st. Johnsbury people
is the Fiske House, kept by Mr.. c. Fl.
Fiske. There are dozen people here
now from your place, and more are
coming the present week. The house
is neat and comfortable, we'll kept, and
directly upon the beach, a great ad-
vantage to those who go to the seashore
to get the full benefit of the salt water.
The terms at this house are from $40
to SIS per week.
The "season" at Old Orchard is short.
Although people begin to arrive
about the Goth of June, the crowds do
not come until about the Goth of
July, and leave the last of August.
During this time it is next to impossible
to get good accommodations or any sat
isfactory service. For that reason many
come here between the last of June and
middle of July, thus avoiding the rush
and being more independent in many
ways. At the present time there are
from twenty-five to one hundred guests
at the various hotels-enough to make
things lively, but not enough to appear
crowded. These numbers will doubtless
be doubled by the close of this week.
The great feature of Old Orchard is
surf bathing, and hundreds sport in the
water daily, some probably to their
health and vigor, and doubtless many
others to their harm. 1t is a gay scene
from eleven to twelve o'clock-the ia
vorite hour-to witness the bathers,
and it is hard to resist the temptation
to join them in their aquatic sports.
A new diversion this season is the
beach railroad, track having been
laid from the railroad station south to
the Sacco river. At this point a wharf
is now being built, and the cars will
connect with the steamer from Bidde-
ford. 1t is used now mainly, however,
for excursion parties. Open cars like
the open cars of horse railroad, are
propelled by little dummy engine,
and ride along the beach for three or
four miles is afforded for 90 cents the
round trip. But of this road, the camp
ground, and various other surroundings,
1 may have something to say in anoth-
er letter. c. M. S.