The Portland daily press., 1885-09-11
FIELD DAY EXCURSION.
Maine and Sagadahoc Historical
Societies at Ancient Sabine.

| by the SagadahOc Historical Society for
| Wednesday had to be deferred on account OF
the stormy weather until yesterday, and like
| all postponed excursions which depend on
the next fair day." it suffered from that
uncertainty of decision and as a result but
| few of the members Of the society residing
| out of Bath attended the excursion yester-
| day. The Portland contingent had prepared
to go on the original date but the weather
indications for yesterday were so unfavor-
able that after one delay already made the
attendance from this city was very small.
| The day proved to be almost perfect in spite
| of the doubt east on it by the signal service.
| A northerly wind had smoothed down the
| turbulent ocean and before noon not cloud
| appeared in the sky. AT o'clock the
steamer Percy V. was boarded at Bath by
| party of forty ladies and gentlemen, under
| the guidance of committee of the Sagada-
| hoe Historical Society who had come spre-
pared to enjoy the day to the fullest limit.
| The boat and passengers waited about an
hour for Hon. r. X. Sewall of Wiscasset, one
| of the chief promoters of this field day ex-
| cursion, but to the great disappointment of
all that Jealous antiquary did not arrive and
! the party had to proceed without him. Tho
sail down the Kennebec was made without
any stops and at II o'clock the excursionists
were landed on Stage Island at the mouth of
| the river, where under the direction ef Rev.
| Henry 0. Thayer Of WOolwich and A. G.
| Tenney, Esq, of Brunswick they pro-
| ceeded to examine the ancient remains
| of human occupation. 1t is stated by Sulli-
| van in his history of Maine that Stage Island
| c;ko of tod
| in 1867 by the Popham colony, and this
| opinion is entertained still by some histori-
ans, although the majority believe that it
| was situated on the promontory Of Sabine,
| on the opposite side of the river. On the
| southerly end of the island a number of
| wells are to be seen-six in number-and
the remains Of an old cellar; but it did not
| appear that these were in existence prior to
| the last century. In this part of the island
fossiliferous rock, was discovered by one Of
the party which afforded an interesting
study for while. 1t was of composite
! material and impressions of shells and
leaves were distinctly marked, as well as
the cavities occasioned by the death and de-
cay of the small animals lodged in the stone.
On the northerly half of the island the re-
mains of large earth fertilization were ex-
| amined. Its dimensions were found to be
95x145x65 feet the remaining side not being
distinct enough to furnish any accurate
basis for measurement. Within the enelos-
| ure may be seen the apparent location of a
well and it seems clear that at one time a
palisade fort might have existed there. The
evidence that it was the site of the fort built
by Popham is not yet forthcoming but an in
teresting fact which may have a bearing on
the question is to be found in the
existence of an old apple tree Just
across narrow channel ON the
main land in Georgetown. This apple tree
which was visited by the party had its begin
ming beyond the memory of man, and if we
may trust the ''oldest inhabitants" it was
planted by the earliest settlers. This is the
general testimony of all the people. The
trunk, which is very large, lies prostrate and
broken, but for years life Ihas been kept in
the under side and one limb still bears few
miserable specimens to show that it yet has
an existence, In this connection a state
ment made by Henry Gardiner in his New
England's Vindication," published 1860, is O.
interest. In speaking of the Popham colony
and its failure he says: ''The ruins of the
fortl and the fruit trees may still be seen
there" Possibly this may be one Of the
trees left by Popham and transplanted-if
| the Stage Island theory is to be advocated.
It would make this old tree 27S years of age,
not much older than the famous Endicott
pear tree in Salem. After some further ex-
animation the party re-embarked and steam
ed to Fort Popham where an excellent din
ner was served in the Eureka House. This
| part of the programme was highly appreciat-
| ed, as the invigorating cool breezes and the
work of exploration was enough to sharpen
the appetite of the most Jealous antiquary.
The literary exercises which were to have
taken place at this stage of the proceedings
were omitted by common consent, as several
| of the expected speakers had not arrived. In
place of this the supposed location of Old
Fort st. George was visited by the investiga-
tors and the probabilities of the place dis
cused in the light of new facts and fresh
theories, but nothing of Importance was de-
veloped. Until the time of departure o'clk,
the party divided into numerous squads each
! seeking different fields of pleasure,
some in smoking, some in rest, and
others in enjoying the ocean view
from the bleak headland of Sabine, whence
magnificent vista greets the eye-a pam
Drama of beautiful blue ocean walled in by
rugged crags and lodges, ana fr-fringed
shores, and far off white-winged fishermen
penciled against the horizon. In the after
noon the wind had died down, the sun was
settingsand the return voyage up the Ken
nebec was charming. Not ripple disturbed
the surface of the water save the occasional
eddies, and when the steamer reached her
| destination in Bath at 545 the entire party
felt that they had been fully repaid for the
delay occasioned by the weather.
The arrangements for the excursion were
in the hands of a committee consisting OF
Hon. r. K. Sewall of Wiscasset, S. F. Dixie,
| d. D., of Bath, and A. G. Tenney, ESD, Of
, | Brunswick, representing the Maine His
| torical Society, and George E. Newman, j.
| L. Douglas, T. NJ. Reed, Esqs., of Bath, repre-
senting the iSagadahoc Historical Society.
l The party were much indebted to the Rev.
| Henry o. Thayer of Woolwich for his fund
of historical and typographical knowledge,
of which he readily gave to inquiring minds
! | and made the sail thrice pleasant by his run
} ming commentaries on the passing historic
| landmarks of the river. Mr.. Tenney also
sEEeSre5vzss5 VurfcerrfriIg Ilt
| early settlements.
) Among those present we noticed the follow
ing: Rev. S. F. Dixie, d. D., Bath; Rev. G.
3 | F. Allen, d. D., Brunswick; H. w. Richard
son, Portland: DR.. Charles E. Banks, U. S.
M. H. S., Chelsea, Mass; J. Lufkin Doug
lass, Bath; A. G. Tenney, Brunswick; anC
: Rev. Henry o. Thayer, Woolwich, of thu
4 Maine Historical Society; Geo. E. Newman
e T. NJ. Reed, G. NJ. Preble, A. A. Reed, WV
|. Robinson, A. G. Page all of Bath, members
of the Sagadahoc Historical Society and thr
Rev. Mr.. Whittlesey, formerly of Bath, as th
. guest of the latter society
The absence of the venerable president o1
. the Maine Historical Society, Hon. Jaiie
: W. Bradbury of Augusta, was much regret
i ted, as well as that of Mr. Sewall, whose in.
8 innate knowledge of that historical region
is recognized by ALL We learn that the pa
pers designed for reading and discussion a
the field day exercises will be read at tn,
winter meeting of the Sagadahoc Historical
3 Society.