The Republican journal., 1883-03-15

NOTES OF STAGE COACH JOURNEY THROUGH
EASTERN MAINE. RUM AND DISCORDS A
CAMP FIRE AT ELLSWORTH.

N-A4hI TINE Al Ellis " ORlH
Correspondence of the Journal
This time the flight was to be towards the
East. Monday morning, March 9TH, was the
time appointed for starting on the journey.
The thermometer was u degrees below zero.
The point of departure was the Penobscot Ex-
change. The hour was 8 A. NJ. The vehicle
was covered COACH the motive power, three
powerful horses. "All aboard shouts the buff
falo robed "Jehu" and we Chamber in. The
crack of the whip rings out sharply on the
frosty air, and away we dash. We soon make
an inventory of the occupants of the coach
Mr.. b., an estimable and gentlemanly insurance
agent of Bangor, and young lady whose name
ana residence Were unknown, occupy the rear
seat Two men fresh from the logging camps
of the Penobscot and now returning TO their
homes in Hancock county, occupy the seat in
the forward part of the coach with your scribe
| sat in the north east corner of the vehicle
and rode backwards. The wind was blowing
from the regions Of the North Pole at the rate
of ten miles an hour, and had free access through
the numerous openings in the sides and bottom
Of the coach. The lumbermen who occupied
the seat with me had been tarrying in Bangor
for short time. and notwithstanding thr rep
utalon that town enjoys in the matter Of tenn
perance, they soon began to show indications
that they had there come in possession Of a
large amount of poor whiskey The first indi-
cation | noticed of this was when the older Of
| the two pulled pint flask from his pocket and
| asked my friend the insurance agent If he
would not drink. b. replied that he never
| used stimulants of any kind. This reply, com
| ing from 50 dignifed a source, Sutficcd and his
| Veracity was not questioned. 1t was now my
| turn and gave a similar answer, but EVIDENTLY
| my appearance Was against me. The owner Of
| the bottDe looked at me for 4 moment with an
| ncreduous look, and then said: ''.Ah Captain
that is too thin. No use to put on airs and a.
ny it, for know by your looks that You are one
| Of the MoHs" When they found that neither of
| us would drink, they kindly informed Us that
! they would not insult Ii, hy drinking in The
coach. But they had Il great deal Of sympathy
| for the horses, and whenever we came 10 Bill
| they kindly insisted upon getting out to walk
up, SO as to favor the horses; but when they
re-entered the coach we could easily detect an
additional odor of poor wniskcy in Tie atmos-
! phere.
| 1t was cold ride from Bangor to Ellsworth,
| a distance of tWentv-siX miles. The mail was
| changed at each post-otiico and rs we sat shiv-
ering in the coach through the tedious ;;rucrss
Of changing mail, we could but wish that tht
| Post Masters would put OF additional help to
assist in reading the postal cards, that the de-
| lay would be less. Our companion, from the
| f0rcsfS urey I,iIariCI,S W. r,ra.aa.toI The
| older Of the two turned suddenly upon your
scribe and demanded ''What DO YOU suppose
my politics are: | could only answer, Il
| guess you are a Democrat" mo sir. well
then Republican," ''No.' "A Grccnbacker:'
| "Ies 81" And then he continued, II was
| born and bred Dimocrat, but the party be-
came 50 corrupt that left them and joined the
Greenbackers. They cl me now thai the
Greenbach party i dead; If that IS 50, what
shall DO. | can never 90 back to the Dino
Gratis" "Well, join the Republicans" | sug-
gested. "Neyer,' he shouted, ,thcy are worse
than the Dimocrats. 80, if the Greenback
| party is dead, will join the h,S,De Hosp'ti"
| Politics soon gave way to music and they began
to sing hymn, and songs mixed up in TIE most
absurd and shocking manner. The younger Of
the two soon showed signs Of sleep, and his
head dropped between his knees, and with his
body i'll the form Of hoop he Slept the sleep Of
thc-drunken. His companion continued to
| sing; his voice was sharp and cracked; his fay-
0ritc song appeared to be one that he called
| The dark eyed Sailor" lie sang the Wretched
doggerel through With the utmost satisfaction
to himself and then evidently imagined that he
had been encored aud deliberately sang ii
through again. When it was completed the
| second time the machinery of song was evident
~ under such Roadway that it could not be
| stopped, and for whole mortal hour we We're
obliged to listen to that song. The voice grew
husky, but the lungs became strong. The only
relief we experienced was when the sleigh
would plunge into some deep rut. and for a mo-
ment would break ny the horrid song. At
| length to our great relief the coach came 10 a
| halt and tie door was opened. Our compan-
ions had reached their home, and were to leave
US. The younger and more sleepy of the two
stepped easily out. The other was quickly I'M
| loaded. The last | saw Of him as the coach
was dashinS away, he was leaning at an angle
| of forty five degrees against northwest gale
waving his hat in parting salute, while clear
and sharp through the frosty air there came
that awfullN doleful sound those wretched
words, made more wretehed by Il score of rep
ititions-'The dark eyed Salon."
At one O'Clock Ellsworth was reached and we
drew up in front of the "-American House.
The excellent bill of fare here provided soon
made amends for all the Inconvenience eXpe-
rienced by the drunken associations of the day
Ii was our first visit in Ellsworth We found
1t beautifuI little town, Many of the dwell
ings, the churches, and the public buildings art
in excellent order, and their neat appearance
speaks we'll for the citizens. The large brick
block Of which Hancock Hall is 4 part, would
do credit to any city in the State. A few mo
ments were PASSED among friends in the custom
house, and then hasty visit was made TO the
sanctum of the Ellsworth American The otic,
Is a model of neatness and comfort The sun.
shine CLEANS. III through the broad. deep win
doWs, but even that is ccpsed by the sunshine
of the gifted and genial Vaughn, the presiding
genius of the establishment | attended lect
ture in Hancock Hall in the evening. It was
beautiful auditorium, There was a large audi
ence and very happy presiding officer. From
nine to eleven p. NJ. there was Il miniature CAM
fire held in room No. at the American House
Around it was a remarkable gathering of tn,
members of the Grand Army of the Potomac
men who had fought on the Peninsula. at Bul
Run, Antietam, fredericksburg. Gettysburg
The Wilderness, SpottsylVana. Petersburg
Port Hudson, and Nieksburg. There was one
whose empty Sleeve spoke Of brave deeds per
formed, and Of fearful wound, received or
Moreys Heights at Fredericksburg, when they
We're successfully assaulted by the Light Brigade
of General Burnham in May, 1863. There wa,
another who was captured at Spottsyyaniaan C
who passed eleven months in AndcrSonvill,
Prison. At eleven O'Clock the campfire wa,
extinguished. The comrades said goodbye an,
departed. The writer retired to rest, for tn,
flight has only begun and must be continued fo1
a week, regardless Of bitter cold and pelt,n.
storms. q.
The new Tariff law will, it is said, effect
revolution in the work of Custom Hous
officials.