St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-08-10
Down East.

Down East.
With the Maine coast as a summer
resort and Florida and California as a
winter retreat, it would seem that the
average health or pleasure seeker had
little more to ask for. But does the
reader realize what wonderful sum
mer resort Maine has become 2 Take
map and trace the sea coast from
kittery Point to the Province line and
consider its extent; but this is as moth
ing compared with its rugged grandeur.
Maine has monopoly of the rocky
coast of the entire Atlantic seaboard.
New Hampshire and Massachusetts
have little, but it soon runs down to
sand or low beach and so continues
to the Gulf of Mexico. While sand
beach has attractions, it is slight for
the average pleasure-seeker compared
with rugged rocks and dashed
precipices therefore it is that this
Maine coast is so popular as a summer
resort and is growing more so every
year.
PrOut's Neck is an irregular shaped
neck of land making out into the sea,
ten miles down the coast from Port
land and directly opposite Old Orchard
beach and some three miles across the
bay from the latter point. This neck
was once an island but is now Joined
to the rest of the state by a narrow
strip of land perhaps fifty rods wide
The nub or head of land is like an
enormous dOnkey's head, only instead
of two ears this head has as many as
six or eight points of land which might
be called ears. This head" is from
two to three miles in circumference
and has on it six small hotels and some
eight or ten cottages. Nearly all the
buildings are in sight of each other
and on the west end of the "headn
next to Old Orchard and Pine Point
bay. The remainder of the land is
wild and largely covered with brush or
scrub trees. At least three fourths of
the distance around this "head" is
rocky, precipitOus beach, and when
there is a heavy sea on it is grand
beyond description, and at all times it
is never-ceasing joy and wonder.
Prout's Neck is a good place for those
who like the kind, but even this place
has its drawbacks. 1t has no railroad,
or telegraph, or telephone, or post
office, or store, or saloon. 1t has no
billiard hall, dance hall or Punch
and Judy. Consequently it has no
rowdy men or fast women-at least
none who advertise themselves as such.
Nevertheless, to those persons who
want a resting place without dissipa-
ton who want pure sea air and can
forego the above-named suppOsed-to-
be prerequisites of Il summer resort
who can content themselves away from
''the rest of mankind :" who want to
leave the busy world for season and
cannot "climb tree"-I can most
heartily commend PrOut's Neck and
the Checkley House, because this house
is in the best location on the Neck, and
besides it is neat and very well kept
by Ira c. FOss, the proprietor. Now
don't all start mp and come down here
the next train, because every room on
the Neck is full and will be until
after the Goth of August. No one
should come here after the middle of
July without engaging place before
hand, as accommodations are limited.
Professor Henry Fairbanks has
solved the great problem which comes
up every summer of what to do and
where to go, by erecting pretty, two
story cottage of some eight or ten
rooms about ten rods east of the
Checkley House, on an eminence which
has commanding view of open sea,
bay and land. Old Orchard and Pine
Point are in plain view, and eight
miles south are Wood island and SacO
pool, while two miles north east is
Scarboro beach with its two large ho-
tells
1t is always cool at Prout's Neck.
From whichever way the wind blows
it has to come over the water. The
past week has been delightful in
and barring the monotony
and loneliness of self-impoSed isola-
ton, has been all that could be desired.
The Neck is reached by very safe but
very slow conveyance, four miles from
ScarbOro station on the Boston and
Maine railroad, ten miles west of Port
land. c. NJ. s.