The Republican journal., 1881-09-29
NUMBER 80.
Pilgrimage to Aroostook.
Correspondence of the Journal.

At o'clock one beautiful morning recently
We stepped on board car the narrow gauge
railead connecting Bucksport with Bangor, and
under the direction of conductor Putnam the
train glided so swiftly over the smooth road bed
that : o'clock found US at the depot of the E. q
~ A. K. r. in Bangor, just in time to Join large
party Of excursonists Ell route to the Baptist as
sociation meeting to be held at Houlton. Our
destination the same place, and in company
with genial Methodist preacher and his wife, we
settled down amidst the disciples of John Calvin,
with not a wave of theological controversy to dis
turb our peaceful breast. All! o'clock came the
cry 'all aboard and tten the long train glided
swiftly from the depot, along the bank Of the great
rushing turbuent Penobscot We soon passed
Mount Hope, Bangors city Of the dead; a most
beautiful spot, with its slabs, monuments, green
plats Of grass flowers, Shrubbery and nicely kept
walks AS we looked at it through the early msts
made golden by the rays Of the morning sun, it
looked SO sweetly peaceful that one would almost
sigh to drop the burdens Of lifo and enter its
peaceful rest. Eeazie, Great Works Orono Old
town and Milford quickly appear, and as rapidly
vanish from view. AS we looked at the foaming
rushing waters the falls and ledgca together with
the RATS Of logs, the great mills many Of them in
ruins, and the hugh piles OF unman dtactured lUm
Der, it reminded us of the heroic days of um ber-
ing. when the rivers channel was packed with
logs-when hundreds OF rlyer-meE II red shirts
aud steel calked boots, covered the logs by day
and filed the villages at night-when every water
wheel was in motion and scores of mills rasped
their harsh music, and sent the fruit OF honest
toll forth to the markets Of the world
From OIdtown for two score miles our route
lies along the eastern bank of the river Here are
numerous villages and farms and long stretches OF
rich intervale lands, which return large annual
dividends to the hands OF those who till them
At Mattawamkeag, fifty miles from Bangor we
find thriving village Here the Mattawamkeag
river comes down from the great forests, and
Impetuously pours itself into the waters Of The
Penobscot Before the days of ralroadlng this
| used to be the half way point between Bangor and
Houlton, and the hotel was crowded with passen-
gers carried upon the great coaches that made
daily trips between the two places The guests
gathering around tile huge chmnBys with the
blazing fire logs, presented pictures of comfort and
enjoyment unknown amidst Tie smoke and cuders
of the present day. The village has changed and
is changing. Two Of the most important ostab
lishments are the shops Of the T. d \. A. X. X.
and the Methodist Episcopal church. The latter
is in an unfinished condition. remaining so, We
understand, from a lack Of funds, five hundred
dollars being needed % complete it. On, for
Belfast congregation and an hours time
From Mattawamkeag we swing to the right,
I !,
border line, fifty miles away-htty miles Of the
most desolate country we ever behed. Glanclng
at 1t from the car window, we found that tor the
first time, we began to cherish faith in the de
velopment theory Of Darwin, for ike his theory Of
man, this country could only reach its present con
dition through series Of the most wonderful de
velopments. And Darwin finds the starting
| point IN the monad we find ours in vast accu-
mutation OF atoms. bound to each other by cohe
sjye laws thus forming huge irregular forms rocks
| Of every conceivable size and shape These seem
| to have been developed from some hidden con
/ dtioD beyond and left in a state OF widest con
fusion ridges, hills, hollows plains, valleys all
rocks, The next step in the process was thin
I layer Of soil either evolved through the crcvces
| between the rocks or scattered down from the
/ skirts Of some evolving sister world that chanccd
to be in the immediate neghborhood Then came
vegetable life in the form Of forest trees growing
in the thin soil curling their roots around the
| rocks and holding on for life, with the grip of
despair Thus far We could trace an unbroken
! succession but here the connecting link is miss
ing and the wheels of development that have
thus far borne rs so rapidly on rotate upon their
aXlcs, and our theory undevelops luitc as rapidly
| The trees are cut oil for lumber and bark forest
fires sweep over tie country, consuming nearly
| all vegetable matter and the soil upon which it
grew. Hero and there a green patch remains, bat
| they only serve to make all the rest look more
| desolate And these acres Of rocks, scorching and
Jstering in the rays Of the sun, relieved only by
/ backened stumps and loss, with now and then d
strip OF green, is all that grects the vision Of the
observer for fifty drcary miles But in tie midst
Of these gloomy speculauons the train rolls into
Eauceboro, and the brakeman shouts Thirty
minutes tor dinner.
| Nanccboro Is a village owing its existence tn
tirely to the L. a n. A. n r. 1t is the place made
famous upon the completion of the road, by the
visit OF President Grant and other official dgnl
taries from both sides Of the invisible line, that
here separates the two nations. 1t nestes among
/ the rocks upon the western bank of the St. CroiN
river, to which it is securely lashed by the many
lines OF IRON rails which stretch like sinewy arms
around ii From Nanceboro to McAdam Is eight
! miles, and the rocky ,tfugged sol Is spanned by d
| double iron track McAdam is quite a railroad
center. The \. b. a e. K. K. here crosses the L.
n A, their tracks, switches, and buildings
| twisted and built among the huge granite bould
! ers As onn glances out over the broad, dos0atc
acres which surround the station, he is impressed
with the thought that thus far at least the Queens
domain presents no Improvement over that OF
! Uncle Sam, through which he has 50 recently
passed Within a few years the road bed of the \.
| b. a C. Il. Il. has been much improved We rode
| in beautiful Car, at the rate of thirty miles an
| hour The eyes grow weary looking at the rocks
| We close the shutters and enter in conversation.
The Presidents condition politics, theology, rail
| roads, the coming association. the Methodist camp
meeting and church Teopening are all discussed
The moments fly unheeded. The sun rolls down
the western skies the wheels roll and clang upon
the iron rails, the mile posts flash past and we are
startled by the cry of Canterbury station This
| is small hamlet IN the depths OF the forest we
netced the only painted sign n the village,
| "GrocerleS and Liquors On one side OF the door
| was a bunch Of cedar shingles, on the other hung
dried fish, showing concusiyey that in this
| country at least the people are provided with the
| Injuries and necessares of life. Debec station is
reached, and we pass upon the lloulton branch
| railroad seven miles in length. As we leave the
station signs of civilization appear. Like the
| Israelies Of old we have passed through the pill
grimage of the wilderness, and Aroostook, the
| promised and promising land spreads its fertile
fields and orest-crowned hills before our grateful
vision. Houton is reached. In the Exchange
| find both rest and refreshments Our next letter
will tell you what and heard q.
| FISH AND FlSHING. The following vessels fitted
| from and have returned to Orland from the Banks:
Clara Pitman, Perry, master, 900 qulntals of fish
| Snow Squall Hanson, master 500 quntals Char
| lotte Morgan, Sparrow, master, $50 quintals Mar
| blphpad Leach maStar 500 nnntaS A swinpla