Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-08-27
( Correspondent Boston sunday Herald
Rodick's Fish Pond.

Each stranger who comes TO Bar Harbor
says, IL AXE me 10 the ish pond. | want
to see this fish pond tina, | hear so much
about" Forthwlth,w hen evening arrives and
the mail has been distributed, he or she is
dragged forcibly down to Rodick's and in
trodueed 10 this famous angling place. The
FISH pond is nothing more or less than the
huge office Of that huge hotel. The parlors
and the music hall were originally intended
TO be the resort of guests more especially Of
the gentler sex, while this free and easy
office where formality is cast TO the winds,
was supposed to belong. as it were. to the
men, the smokers. por,ers, bell boys. etc.
For some reason or other this little scheme
Of Mr. Fountain Rodicks wouldn't work"
All the men resorted there, sat on the
counter. smoked until the air wa, blue, tilt
ed back on their chairs, stuck their fee,
upon the desk. frequently assumed re-
cumbent attitude thereon, brought IN their
dogs-that oftentimes found sufficient cause
to get into noisy disputes with one another
in fact did everything that men are wont
to do when bv themselves, under the I'M
preston that they were sole heirs, owners
and lords of the establishment, and that no
one would or could for that matter, dispute
their own peculiar, private, biennial,
perennial and regular rights, and privi-
leges."
But, alas, for their confidence woman
appeared She came she saw, and she
conquered Politeness forbids the sus-
picion that she wilfuly and Intentionally
followed the men. The only explanation
of her capture of this stronghold throws
the blame upon the latter, themselves.
The main staircase leads down directly into
the fish pond" and as each damsel appear
ed tripping down the steps, and arrayed in
her loveiest and looking as fresh as
a rose, the effect was irresistible. The
men, individually and collectively, COL
lapsed, utterly and entirely. Every lovely
creature as she shove i'll sight of the fishing
grounds-and none but the loveh-
est ever do "heave in sight"-was assailed
by masculines, who actually debarred further
progress into the parlors. The girls were
caught in the fish pond. but they them
selves and not their csptors were the con-
querors. From that day to this the great
office and hail has remained in possession Of
the ladies, and, as sweet Is must for for
mality's sake be chaperoned, chaperones
poured in BY the scores.
The men saw their error, but too late
To revenge themselves and delude others
into wrong belief, they held an informal
meeting and decided 10 call it The Fish
Pond" throwing out hints in the usual subtle
and gentle masculine manner as to the sex
by which the angling for matrimonial catch
es was INDUCED in. Without exception, this
fish pond, any hour after s p. NJ, is the
most extraordinary and amusing sigh, upon
the island of Mt. Desert. So extraordinary
is it that it has acquired fame equalled
only by that of the island itself.
Imagine an enormous office and highstud-
ded hall, packed to the verge Of inconven-
fence with a crowd of boys, girls, youths, and
maidens, men, women and patriarchs and
natrons, leaning against the counters, sit
ting upon the counters, all but living down
upon the counters, standing lolling against
the pillars, sitting in every available chair,
on the windowslls. upon the stairs as far as
the second foor-all wild, eager. restless
eyed, gesticulating violently, each one
| shouting at the top Of his or her lungs, not
| one paving the slightest attention to what the
| other 10 saying-or, rather screaming
while the terrific and deafening din and ba-
bel is rendered still more terrific and deaf
ening BY the shouts of the clerks and their
ringings for delinquent bell-boys, together
with the ceaseless pounding tread of pro-
menaders upon the porch outside.
Imagine oil Of this, in combination with
the brilliant glare Of The lights and the brill
liant glare Of the many dazzling, cosmopoli-
tan and wonderful costumes and you will
confess, with the Herald, that the scene is
one never to be forgotten and one that, to an
uninitiated and non- English speaking for
eigner, might convey the impression that
there was "screw loose" in the top story
| Of the assembled multitude. But peculiar