Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-11-05
Turks Island.
EGtor # The .4mertcan


and eet,lag the impression that ii hss been
upon the whole, a successful one recalled
what Hon. F. 4. Pike remarked when !
put the question squarely to him after his
return from Europe in ls6-. i do not re-
member the YEAR What VIII become Of
Name 2" He very frankl, said, Il, will be
com. the Switzerland of America"
Al the time the question was pu, and the
above answer given. Maine seemed 10 be IN
a transition state Her noble forests uer.
stripped Of the pine and the spruce. the
hemiock was fast disapl ~arng, and the lum
Der vandas were destroying the Younger
growth 50 tina, there was no future for lum-
bermen. Name - No longer, BY night Of
her noble pine forests the pine Tree State.
The meuhaden fisher, sss ahou, PLAYED
out, an industry that bad brought. If not
wealth. certainly remuptra;jye employment
TO thousands Of tie hardy men living on the
shores Of Maine, for goody number Of
years. Bat the oleaginous fnny tribes Of
the shore, Of Maine, could not long survive
the war made on them by the various con-
trlvauces ef the ingenious Yankee. no was
in hurr, to get rleh, q, Their expense. So
thsy struck off, for more peaceful waters,
leaving tie improsised shore settlements
ten .n,!r.> with a., the appar,cnances Tor ex-
pressing the oil, and drying and grinding
,ht refuse matter for fertilizers, - monuments
or fe.ie, Of once profitable business.
SAipbu.l ding was OF the wane There
were plenty II crnaker, who were prophecy
n rain 'o the State. with q tar share Of
financial, politica! and economical doctors
ready u vel the reason Why the impending
ori., VA, upon Us, and 10 outline the cure.
Nevertheless. iron ships we're roofing out
wooden ones, and steam as motive power
WAS coming into universal Use aud cotton
and hempeu duck ami .ail vessels were no
longer seen In any sea. One OF the worlds
great changes, IN the interest OF commerce.
civilization end progress, vas just making
It's appearance, and il was as grea; a wonder
10 the unreasonlng blped. as Is CONF; or
shooting star Nevertheless. steamships for
a certain kind of carving trade we're fast
sapplaniing the noble wooden ships built in
Maine and Massachuse',s and the inevitable
was upon Us. The potato hug and rot had
pat an end to the production and eonse-
quent expectation of this vegetable. which
had been TO the farmers an available source
of revenue. So then, without being
croaker OF pessin1ist. one might well pro-
pound the query, Nv hat i, 10 become Of
Name ?"
The answer was not entirely satisfactory.
What was il to become the Switzerland Of
America :" In one sense there was no phv-
steal similarity, for Maine has an unparal-
!eled sea-coast. and Switzerland has none
and Yet the lion. Wm. ID. Kelly says in
one of his ESSAYS on the tariff. tina, "Swit-
zerland exported more goods, per capita.
than any other nation in the world" Would
Maine become net work Of small industries
where every house, almost, in some sense,
is miniature mandatory? Not quite tina,
because the State has the waters of the At
Iantic bank te draw upon. and hardy
race Of seamen equal 10 the task of extract
ing wealth or a sustenance from It's depths
Ii has no mouRtalns equaiing in extent and
grandeur those OF Switzerland. What then
Why, the riddle, like most others similar
10 character, has solved itself. Il has be-
come the resort in the hot summer months,
Of the wealthy, the man Of leisure, the tired
man of business, and the restless of the ma
ton. It's unequaled sea-coast, its cool, sha-
DIV hooks. its romantic scenery, and sea-
breezes. make tarry of a few weeks or
even months deIig hiful change from city
life
This influx of class Of men as full of
new wants as an egg of meat, has stimulated
the farmers near the sea-coast to supply this
demand as far as they can. 1t has created
u new market for the sale of many kinds Of
early vegetables. But the fact, and the one
that Names summer visitors disburse .'lots
of money!" is not the main cause of the
States actual and almost universal prosperity.
The people have been turning over a new
leaf, they have been al this change for years,
they have been turning farmers, and no one
can detect this change well as an old citi-
zen living cut of the State and making peri
odcal visits to ii. Many an old lumber
man, ship builder and sailor now owns a
''snug farm and does not have to go to
New York to mil, y as "Major Jack Down
ing once declared was the rule in Maine.
There is evidence Of thrift all through the
State. 1t is to be seen on every hand in
the new and better buildings, in the improv-
ed stock, in the pride taken to have the
| best, or next to it, of anything conducive
to the health, the happiness and the success
of the whele family.
The newspapers have done much TO bring
this about The old Maine Farmer was the
pioneer, then came the Rural In,elligencer,
and the Leciston Josrnat, one of the best To-
cal papers and farmers companion that can
be found. But all the local newspapers of
the State have had for years the''farmer's col
umn" or one whole side of the sheet devoted
to the farm or household information, oil
improving the taste, promoting sound
knowledge in various ways TO all readere.
And who does not read the newspapers of
to-day? We might almost ask who does
not publish a local newspaper?
Has not the AMERICAN done its part in
this grand work Of making a new State out
of an old one, in all the years Of its history?
Let its readers answer.
n. X. S.
Oct. %, 1885.
The Congregationaiists Of Thomaston
..li.1 Rev II Ssrnuf