The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-10-13
Especial Correspondence Of the Prese.l

l1k>NSANA
To any one familiar with the wonderful
growth of western towns, and with that OF
many Of those in the older states, there will
be nothing of special interest in the rresent
condition of Houlton, compared with what
1t was when / first knew it, A cousin OF
mine and had some wild lands here MANY
years ago, aud we came to see them and to
have them surveyed and prepared for settle
ment. We travelled from Bangor to Oldtoyn
in an old, rickety, two-horse stage That
was the end of the highway running North.
We brought there an old fiat bottomed boat
called ''Datteau," and hired two boatmen
for the voyage up the waterways and the
journey to Houlton. These men were skill
full watermen, but one of them was a wretch
ed drunkard who stipulated with my cousin
that he should be supplied with rum, that
being the tipple of such people in those
times instead of whiskey and beer on which
they are finished off in these latter DAYS and
graduated in far less time, which upon the
whole is an improvement.
We laid in a stock of provisions for the
voyage, mainly of salt fat pork and hard
bread, with tea and sugar, and rum, fonly
one quartz, for our drunken boatman. which
was doled out to him in small quantities bv
my cousin. We launched out upon the PEN
obscot river, ascending it slowly against
rapid current. Everything ahead seemed 20
be as wild as in the days of our Pilgrim IA
theirs. We landed upon the banks to broil
our pork and to make our tea, and at night
fall we kindled a fire upon the shore and
camped there, as the men of Montgomery
and Arnold did in ascending the Kennebec
on their way to Quebec.
We went up the river to Mattawamkeae
at the mouth of which we found large en-
campment OF Penobscot Indians. 1t was the
season for catching eels which they obtained
there in great quantities. They prepared
them for winter use by hanging them npon
poles over smoking fires kindled in their
lodges. The fish was opened and spread out
fiat, so as to take the smoke more readily.
The overhead of their lodges was SO closely
hung with eels that the roof could not be
seen, and there was a constant drip of oil
drop by drop from the fish, thoroughly
amounting all who occupied the huts, and
protecting them perfectly from mosquitoes
and black flies which abounded in that To-
cality.
We assembled the Mattawamkeag, ALWAYS
camping upon the banks until we reached
the Baskahegan which we assembled to the
Garry" between Penobscot and st. Croix
waters, where we dragged our batteau two
miles through the woods to Schooduc lake
which we assembled to it's head. There we
concealed our boat in the forest and taking
our packs upon our backs we tramped more
than twenty miles through the wild woods
to Houlton. That was the only way of
reaching the place in those days. It was
very small village rudely and rregnlarly
built, mostly of log huts, in one of which I
took my abode with the owner, one of the
two first settlers, and very cosey and COM
Portable found the hut to be with suffi-
Gent and excellent commissariat.
Houlton in those days was very small
opening in the midst of vast forest of
magnificent trees, extending many miles
in every direction. Now it is easily reached
by mail in one day from Portland, and the
distance can be greatly shortened and the
way greatly improved by link of railway
from Houlton to Danforth of about twenty
seven miles, which will be built some day.
Great was my surprise on driving from
the station into the village, to find it large
finely built place, with great hotels, three
and four stores high, with a long, broad
street lined on each side with shops of two
and three storys, having snowy fronts, and
large windows, displaying extensive stocks
of goods in every variety. Here the buildings
are without exception in good style of
architecture, handsomely painted and nicely
kept. The dwelling houses are all good aud
substantial, and many of them so good and
handsome, that they would not be out of place
in the best.strtets of any town in Maine.
On the way here / met in the train Bos-
ton gentleman dealing in produce" He
has had business relations with Houlton and
all the Aroostook region for many years, OBJ
tanning large quantities of agricultural pro-
ducts here. He said that in the season one
thousand barrels of potatoes land such pota-
toes J are delivered daily at the station in
Houllon, and great multitudes of other
things going from Aroostook to Boston, The
evidences of this large and profitable trade
are abundant everywhere, not only in Houl-
ton, but in all this region. The huts are all
gone: there are no old hats and old rags in
broken windows, as there were formerly all
over Maine; but good, substantial, well. kept
nicely-painted houses afford comfortable
homes for the Industrious, thrifty people
and the plump, shining skins of the cattle
show that they share in the general prosper
ity.
There used to be much liquor sold here,
but the people held a large public meeting
and Resolved that it must and should CO."
A committee was appointed to carry out the
will of the people. They had and have now
a sheriff who honestly discharges his sworn
duty, but they had trial justice who would
not sign warrants. That fact was commu-
nicated to the Governor, who dismissed him
promptly and appointed another-the Gov
ernor, though not specially pledged to do so,
discharglng his full duty in this matter as
an honest and faithful magistrate.
In coming to Houlton all the railway from
Vanceboro is through New Brunswick,