The Republican journal., 1884-07-31
The Maine Press Picnic.
REPORTED BY OUR GEORGE FOR THE KENNE-
Bee JOURNAL.

PLYMOUTH, MASS. Well, here we are.
Our party arrived here safe and hungry
especially hungry An all days ride on
q ham sandwich is not very filling, and
| found my stomach shaking hands with
my spine when got here. Superintend-
ent Tucker of the Maine Central R. r.,
gave US special car from Augusta 20 Bos-
ton, and into it all the Mainiacs were put
without ever a keeper to watch them. Last
year our badge was a piece of blue rib
bon tied in the button hole, but as that
is the emblem of a temperance society,
it was noticed that when the party would
simultaneously make a rush into bar
room for a drop of something to quiet
the pangs of collie, that the gentlemanly
spirit dissemination would be paralyzed
with fear, thinking temperance pray
ing band had swooped down on him, and
he would rally sufficiently to inform
them that they had made a mistake,
and were in the rooms of the Y. Nj. C.
A., instead of bar room. A Maine man
does not make the same mistake two
years running, and the result is a change
of badge, and we are this year decorated
with a huge yellow ribbon, thai resem-
bles slice from "yarler" dog, bearing
the words "Maine Press Association Ex-
curson for 1884, July IA to 49,"
At Boston we took car on the Old
Colony r. r. to South Abingdon, where
special train was given us to Plymouth
The distance is l6 miles and we ran it IN
lo minutes. a part of the time we ran
more than mile minute. \ man with
| plenty of time on his hands can afford to
loiter along this way, and as l was in no
| hurry | did not feel like asking the fire
man to throw in another shovel of coal
| never went so before. | felt like a
telegram announcing the death of d
mother inlaw. When got into Massa-
chusetts expected to feel a change in
the air. A sort Of strained through "a
ladder feeling, with a Pres. Eliot, L. W.
Higginston, independent flavor about
1t, but much to my surprise it left a sort
of Blaine taste in my mouth that seemed
very natural.
Arriving at Plymouth we went to the
( hotel. 1t is named for a man who was
formerly a land agent here, Sam. 0. Set
He was an Indian consequently we can
get gooC Indian meals here.
| shall always remember Plymouth.
A good many of our party will remem-
| Der her for the historic interest that
hangs around her. But that did not
catch me. My memory will treasure up
fond recollectlons, as touching something
nearer TO me than that. All Plymouth
| can never forget thee, for in one>of thy
tonsoral palaces did get shaved As
felt the cutice being carefully removed
from my face, asked the barber if he
did not have a razor that he didn't have
to drive with a rubber bit and an over
| draw check, as noticed that one SEEM
ed to be "puller." He put that par
ticular blade back and harnessed up
another, but it was too late for him to
put back the skin on one side of my face,
(the outside), though if his apologies had
been salve, have no doubt but what he
would have cured my wounds instanta.
The evening of our arrival we were
serenaded by the Plymouth Band.
suppose they felt sort of kinship to us,
inasmuch as brass bands and good
many newspapers are run by wind.
Our party were called upon by Mr..
Doten, the editor of the Old Colony
Memorial, who offered his services as
guide. From him and the guide book,
picked up great deal of information,
which was as new to me as it probably
will be to your readers. 1t seems that about
| the year 1920 a yachting party came
| over to this country from Holland, in the
clipper Yacht May flower. They were
the original independent boilers. They
kicked at the regular nominations and
came over here to worship God on a
platform of their own, and to use every
available means to prevent anybody else
from boiling, and to force them to sup
port the new ticket. They arrived here
in December, and Il boat load of them
came on shore to buy little bread and
considerable rum and tobacco. The
shore was sandy with the exception OF
one boulder, which stood out bolder than
anything else, and the boat was steered
for that. The rock is about as large as
a cattle show prize bull. The water
had frozen on it, coating its surface with
glare ice. They we're all standing up in
the boat, when she struck the rock, but
as though bolt of lightning had struck
them, they all tumbled over the thwarts
and were swearing at each other for
running against the rock. Getting on
their feet, the man in the bows tried to
step on the rock with a line. He got
one foot on the rock, with the other in
the boat, when she started to return to
Holland, and he found himself openin 2
like pair of dividers till he thought he
should split up to his collar button. Max
ing desperate spring, he landed on the
rock, slipped and fell over into the water,
scraping his shins on the rough corners
Of the rock, and getting wet through
with 10 below zero salt water. Crawling
on shore, colder than Chas. Francis
Adams, we are told that he fell on his
knees and thanked the Lord. Who
wouldn't? I've seen all the passengers
on a steamboat come ashore after a
rough trip, and do the same thing, and
if anybody ever tried to get out of a row
boat on a slippery rock, and not felt
thankful when he had accomplished Tie
feat, then times are not now what they
used to be. This, as understand it, is
a graphic pen picture of the landing
of the pilgrims.
guess this is sufficient for the first
dose will see you again.
OUR GEORGE.