The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-10-04
Our George at the East Maine State

In the 1aii, the horse and cattle.
Begin TO grow their winters coat
| In the fall. the embarrassed merchant,
| Gets the bank TO renew his note.
In the fall, the reporters fancy.
Lightly turns to cattle shows,
And the next week in his paper.
He will tell you all he knows.
And the conditions being favorable, it does
not take me great while TO accomplish my
mission. Armed with my credentials. walked
aboard the katahdin on her up river trip to
Bangor. Mind YOU. | didn't Jump aboard" as
| most every writer always does. be it male or
| female. have Jumped aboard" ferry boat
occasionally before now. and came near getting
| left. but when 4 steamer is alongside the dock,
| simply walk aboard, and don't jump. unless
the boat happens to let of steam just at that
moment. The ride up the Penobscot was de-
| lightful. as it ever is. We don't half appreci-
ate our beautiful river. l know | don't. In
fact | never appreciate any natural scenery.
not even when it is flung right at me. unless
| some one calls my attention to it: but there
don't much of anything else get by me that l
| don't see, unless It's going by telegraph. But
know the sail from Belfast to Bangor is lovely.
because | have been told so. and am going to
make a point of not forgetting it again.
Before arriving at Bangor. Steward Tyler
took me down below and ballasted me, so that
| | could ''bcar the heat and burden of the
day Il think | will quote that remark for
am not sure that it is original with me- when |
arrived in Bangor. | boosted myself into a
| prehistoric cart at the wharf. and was hurl-
ed through the city to the fair grounds. which
1 IL
on the Hampden road. Hero found plat Of
some 10 acres. fenced in and graded. with sta
bles for the trotters, and pens for the sheep.
and root vegetables. such as hogs and pigs, and
| stalls for the cattle. etc. and large and com
modious grand stand two stories high and COM
handing good view of the track. which is
half mile long. The whole ground is on eeya-
| ted land and commands fine view of the sur
rounding country. | meandered up into the
| judges stand. where | found Howard owen Of
the Maine Farmer. and Mayo Of the Somerset
Reporter, and Wing of the Commercial. and
Blanding and Rowe of the Wing. Mayo went
! down South last winter in search of his health.
| He didn't find it. but he found the health of
| somebody else that was a good deal bigger than
of his size. He has got health enough now to
last him till 1888. if he takes care of it. The
chief event of the day to me was to see our fel-
| low citizen Geo. O.. trot. There is no use try
ing to rub it out. Belfast has got trotting
horse this time sure Geo. O.. better known to
his Belfast friends by his nickname Sam"
came on the track, piloted by John HaineS.
may ba ohp Ioosn't
but he does understand how to handle the rib
bons. He can drive horse as well a> l can
drive nail Geo. Q. did not look any the
worse for his seven Victories and although his
tail is a little bald headed. yet the way he sings
his legs and the honest way lie trots, gain him
friends amongst the people, and when he joys
in under the wire Just far enough ahead Of the
other horses to win the heat. he always gets
good round of applause from the grand stand.
Geo. O.. YOU can never be President. but You
may get better record than a good many Of
them have.
In the class for gentlemen's driving horses,
F. W. Berry entered his horse Frank B.. and
in less than three minutes he had >cooped the
biscuit and sated down 800, taking the heat
and first money. Take the whole team. the
horse. the natty little box buggy. and Frank
himself it certainly was as fine a looking turn
out as one seldom sees
The display of cattle was very fine. some say
better than at the fair at Lewiston. though not
as large. | heard gentleman who is posted in
the matter say that the display would be cred
liable in any section OF the L. ). Here again
Belfast rose to the occasion, and Parker 4 Otis
of the Bay View stock farm took the first pre-
MUM for herd of Imported IIcrefOrds. beside
some minor awards for specialteS. Ii begins
to make me tired to see how Belfast looms in
the sporting line. Our trotterS and driving
horses carried Oft the best premiums, and our
base ball club has laid out the champions of the
State, and when they dealt round for the gen
tlemen's matched driving horses, Frank Berry
held the best pair. and raked in that pot also
If this thing keeps on much longer. it does
seem as if we Belfasters will have to quit speak
ing to other people; but we are not too proud
of our success, but just proud enough. and shall
keep right on talking.
In the evening. by courtesy of Frank Owen
manager of the Bangor Opera House | attend
ed the performance of the play of the World"
| had heard of the beauty of this place of
amusement, but | was not prepared to so
fine theatre. 1t is one of the prettiest. co>iest
theatres was ever in, and for its size its seat
ing capacity being about 1900 is equal to any of
the theatres in our large cities. OF course it is
not quite as elegant in all its appointments, but
everything necessary for comfort has been
carefully looked after 1t has parquet, par
quet circle, and two galleries; handsome parlor
and toilet rooms, smoking rooms, &c. The
stage is well arranged and commodiouS with
green rooms beneath it. The interior of the
theatre is handsomely frescoed in drabs. bronZes
and terra Gotta shades. The chairs are comfort
able, and all command good view of the stage
There are four boxes, from which the Occur
pants can obtain an unobstructed view of the
- audience. but as no one who cares to wit
ness play ever occupies Il box, these serve their
purposes well any. The exits are easy.
and if any accident should occur the theatre
could be cleared in a few minutes, while those
on the stage can step out of the window, the top
of the stage being about level with the ground
in the rear. If | had known how we'll the
theatre was arranged in the way of exits |
think should have yelled fire Just once SO |
could have seen how quickly the house could
have been emptied. If Bangor people are not
proud of their Opera House, their pride must
have had fall and broken its neck.
To use medical expression. it seemed as if
Belfast had taken an emetic, and it had operated
in Bangor. Every time | turned around saw a
familiar suit of clothes, and on trying to get Il
room at the Hotel, l found that other towns had
furnished their quota, as all the rooms and some
''others' were full In this dilemma | be-
thought me of the boat, and meandering to the
wharf, told the purser that | was an orphan,
and was starving to death for place to sleep
in. When Joe Patterson saw the tears in my
eyes he opened his heart and handed me the key
to a state-room. | don't mean that Joe took the
key out of his heart for it hung up on the key
board, but mean that his kindly nature seized
him in d sort of Roman Grecio match and threw
him. There is nothing that will break down the
strong heart of man like the pcarly tears in
boo g lNrJ