The Portland daily press., 1881-08-02
Letter From North Conway.
NORTH CONWAY, July

confess that here they take boarders from
very practical and prosaic motive, solely to
make money. And they are succeeding too;
the town is crowded; the roads are smart with
handsome horses and ugly horses, with every
sort OF vehicle, mountain-wagons, sun-shades,
buggies, phaetons, and jolly, devil-may-care
buckboards. The sidewalks, lanes and the
still aisles Of the pine woods are bright with
gay dresses. Parties of ladies and gentlemen
go galloping on horseback through the streets
North Conway looks complacently on the
exhilarating scene and ponders not the culti-
waited society it is honored with, but the golden
harvest!
But how beautiful it is here One never
tires OF looking at the wonderfully lovely Con-
way intervales, with their spreading
green acres, their grand elms, and silver flash
ing Saco; nor of watching the dreamy shadows
float over the sides of dear old Moat, nor Of
gazing off to the stately Kearsarge, no, nor try
ing to construct that hideous White Horse on
the face of the ledge that some misanthropic
creature evidently a victim of nightmare
doomed to be ever after called "White Horse
LEDGE"
attractions, fine pet places that make the fame
of the town, that cause people to go there SIM
ply and only to gaze upon these renowned and
beautiful features of the scene ry, but North
Conway is universally charming, lovely in ev-
cry nook and corner of her wonderful land
scape. You are bewildered and enraptured
with the great number of picturesque walks in
the Enchanted Woods, each one seeming
more picturesque than the last. There is a
whole summer of delight in the Rambles of the
Interyales alone, an to Echo Lake, perfect
gem, lying pure and still close at the foot of
the dark, weird, lofty ledge, the Cathedral,
one of the most wonderful places in the White
Mountains, to Diana's Baths, Artists Falls,
and great many more places whose attrac-
tions are obscured by the dazzle of these more
sought after ones, but dear and we'll known to
habitues, are only moderately long walks.
Other mountain villages may charm the tour
ist for season-or part of season-but he
will be sure to give his allegiance to the valley
richer than all others in beauty, variety and
never ceasing allurements-North Conway.
That 'Launcelot'' of the PRESS believes this
too, is evident from his staying part of each
summer at the Moat Mountain House. Every
reader of the PRESS will acknowledge the value
of his appreciation as testimony to the endur-
ing fascination of these mountains and waters
and pleasant sights.
The main topic of conversation the past
week was the Bemis will case. 1t reminds
one of the incoherency of human affairs, of
the insufdciency of even the strongest huraan
will, to reflect that DIR. Bemis, an autocrat in
his lifetime, sole monarch Of all he surveyed
from his many-gabled, many-chimneyed stone
house away up among the mountains is being
questioned now that desire to set his wishes
at naught is manifest, that however powerful
ones personality may be while he lives no in
fuence is certain to remain to affect those we
knew after a0e are gone.
DR.. Bemis ip 1853 willed his property to Will
liam Sohier of Boston, lawyer and rich
man. Mr.. Sohier came occasionally to visit the
Doctor in his mountain fastness where che had
lived most of the time since 1927, and constant
ly since 1840
The tales of the doctors eccentricities and
queer ways and notions will be preserved in
mountain legendary. Yet the manner and rea-
son of his coming was simple and common
sense-like enough. He was wealthy Boston
dentist and first visited the region for his
health, which was greatly benefited by Sum-
mer at the old Crawford House. He became
of the grand mountains, the pure,
bracing air, and built his stone house, he said
to commemorate the new life and vigor these
had impaired to him.
DR.. Bemis was apt to think that his relatives
and those who were extraordinarily attentive
to him, were deslrous of obtaining his proper
ty Several things occurred which made the
doctor distrust those whom he had once trust
ed. About ten years ago he employed one
George Morey and his wife to work for him.
Morey was young, honest, unsophisticated.
DIR. Bemis was man of broad and generous
culture, entertaining the learned and scientific
men of the day, when they came to his strong
hold on their tours through the mountains He
was hero, demigod in Morey's eyes, and he
served him with the zeal and dsingleheartedness
of true Crusader; nor is the comparison in
apt if small part Of what DIR. Bemis is said
to have considered due him from those who
ministered to him is to be credited. DIR. Be-
mis- was fond of Morey's children. They
frightened and made his home cheerful, may
be reminding him with a pleasant sadness
sometimes of his own romance in that very
pass, and Of what might have been.
He respected Morey's simple honesty and real
lied that, but for him and his family, his life
would have been far less pleasant. Years ago
he had provided that the Moreys should be
comfortable after his death, and he learned to
care more and more for them as he grew in
firm and old
Last Fall it seems that DIR. Bemis sent to
Mr.. Sohier to send him ten thousand dollars,
ito test him, he said. Instead of sending it
to him he demanded to know what the doctor
wished to do with so much money, and when
it was again demanded he put the doctor off,
aud gave evasive reasons for not sending the
money.
It was unfortunate behavior on his part, fer
DR.. Bemis dispatched his lawyer, F. B. Osgood
Of North Conway to Boston forthwith to OBJ
tain possession of all papers and property in
Sohier's hands. Then he revoked his former
will, making new one giving all his immense
property to George Morey, except few lega-
cies of 81 900 each to some relatives and five
thousand dollars to some Boston lawyer.
Then last May Dr. Bemis died and was bur-
led in the orchard OF his mountain farm, laid
away to sleep under the shadows of the noun
tains he had loved so long and that now seem
to keep loving watch over his grave.
And Mr.. Sohier of course contests the will,
wishing to show that Morey fraudulently
caused the last will to be made, that DIR. Be-
mis- was not Of SCUM mind, etc.
The preliminary trial was holden in Masonic
Hall. Many ladies attended, there were
good many lawyers and it was very exciting.
There was Ray of Lancaster, splendid look
ing man and right eloquent, there was e. AL
drich of the firm Of Bingham and Aldrich,
handsome and intellectual look ing,
there were Hon. G.. W. M. Pitman and Mr. f.
B. Osgood for the defendant. w. B. Cope
land was the leading lawyer for the prosecu-
ton. He is one of the ablest lawyers at the
New Hampshire bar and very remarkable
looking, tall, bony, powerful, wholly uncon-
scious of self in his grotesque attitudes and
he yet has certain unceuth grace
if one may be allowed so paradoxical an ex.
every movement is full of DOW