The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-08-12
Men and Things in Aroostook.

The Aroo>took Exploration Party conducted
by Hon. Fred Atwood, of Wmerport, made
the trip last week by special train, leaving
Bangor at 49, A. NJ. Aug. 81, and arriving at
Caribou at 6 =. NJ. Here the night was spent.
The next morning was devoted to sightseeing,
including drive to New Sweden. and at | z.
NJ. the special train left Caribou for Presque
Isle, a run of 81 minutes. Drives and walks
about Presque Isle occupied the afternoon and
next morning at 1.3O the party left for Houl-
ton, arriving at the latter place at 1870 p. NJ.
Here sightseeing was i'm order, and at 80 A.
NJ. Aug. 9Th the special left Houlton home
ward bound This is a mere outline of the
trip. which was successful beyond the cNpecta
! ton of its promoter and afforded Il great deal
of pleasure to those who participated in it.
The story of the excursion will be told here
after in these columns by ''Our George" who
found numerous admirers in Aroostook. His
letters will beg in in next weeks journal. 1t
only remains for the writer to jot down few
notes of his VISIT and this will be done without
regard to consecutive order. The tineracy
of the trip is given above as a matter of record.
| "a fellow-feeIing makes us wondrous kind
and so in Il big excursion the newspaper men
naturally gravitate together. Mr.. Z. p. MAYO.
OF the Fairfield Journal was the life and mo-
tive power of the boys" and although he had
an invalid hanging to his coat-tail he rustled
through Aroostook like Il young tornado.
McCleery of the Boston Journal, who digests
statistics as an ostrich does board-nas, and
who would never be suspected of the many
tricks of which he is accused by Mayo, used to
disappear mysterously at times. when he is
supposed to have been loading up with facts
and figures for future use. Mr.. A. L. Kinds.
of the Portland Press, was styled the baby of
the Big and Little -Four because of his youth
when compared with his bald-headed and eye
| gassed seniors As he stands six feet or 80
| in his stockings he made bouncing Eabv.
"Our George i one of the late riser> and so
was never seen until the neXt day. Mr.. ii. Il.
Morrelf> mission to Aroostook seemed TO be
to witness the burning of the town of Caribou
and he sat for two days on the vcranda Of the
Vaughan House in expectation of that calam-
lty and came home disappointed man. Mr..
Smith of the Lewiston Journal was 50 quiet
that one could hear pin drop anywhere with
in half a mile of him. and Dakin of the Indus
| trial Journal was not particularly uproarious.
| Col. Z. p Rowell of the Lowell Courier was
! the handsome man of the press gang, and
of the Prog. Age. supplied the dignity. The
| agricultural editors did not materialize.
| Aroostook county has five weekly newspapers
and four Of the five >anctum> We're visited.
Mr.. Cary of the Aroo>took Times, iIoulton.
was out when we called. but his paper has
good quarters in the Times Block and we know
the editor to be a clever and courteous gentle
man. The office of the Aroostook Republican.
Caribou, resembles that of the typical frontier
newspaper. The sanctum contained an abund-
ance of light literature in the way of Con-
gre>sonal records and patent office reports
Mr.. 5. W. Mathews, the editor. is lawyer by
profession, man of decided ability, and is
well and fayorably known throughout the
state He is an excellent speaker and his
| speech at the recent Republican State convcn-
ton won him many laurc>. The Aroostook
Herald, Presque Isle, has neat office. of
absence of Mr.. Hall and turned over his eX-
changes. The Herald makes specially of
| advocating local industries and enterprises in
Guiding direct line of railway and in en-
deavoring to build up the section in which it is
| located ought to prosper correspondngly. In
| the coy sanctum of the North Star we found
| frof. knowlton, veteran teacher who has
laid down the ferule for the editorial pen,
which he welds with like vigor. (Ferule-
| have perhaps gone out of date, but although
| the writer's school days We're III the long AFRO he
| has a distinct recollection of the implement a>
| an important factor in early educaton) The
post office is in the same building with the
North Star and Mrs. +. q. Parker. proprietor
of the paper, i the postmistress. Judging
from what we saw of it the Presque Isle post
office is a model of neatncss, and the many
friends of the late DR.. Parker of whom none
| speak save i'll terms of praise. are glad that
tins appointment was given to his widow. The
youngest of the ArooStook editorial fraternity
Is Mr.. George II, Gilman. who succeeded to
the cditorshp and management of the Aroos-
took Pioneer, the oldest and largest paper in
the county. on the death of his father, the late
W. 5. Gilman. The Pioneer is we believe the
only newspaper establishment in Aroo>took
using steam power. 1t has Il counting room
and sanctum on the principal street, with the
printing department and job Office on the same
! floor i'll the rear, and is de,eryedly prosperous.
Mr. Gilman is full of business. but can ALWAYS
find time to do Il good turn for friend He
has all the qualities which command success
There was some speculation As to the motives
OF Mr.. Atwood in getting up this excursion.
| and a. to its objects from railroad point of
view. The speeches at the towns visited which
were expected to cucdate this problem threw
no light upon it. As the New Brunswick rail
way was the principal entertainer it was argued
that the expedition could hardly be in the inter-
est of a direct line. We believe the cNplana-
non TO be Very simple one, and that there
was no other object in view than to exhibit to
gentlemen from out of the State. ANA to some
of our own people the resources aud clpabili-
ties of the Aroostook region. We know from
conversations and correspondence with Mr.
Atwood that he has been for years Il consistent
advocate of the Garden of Maine that he ha,
eNcrted himself to secure representations of
her agricultural products and industries at the
fairs, and has sought to direct the attention TO
this section of those who have had their gaze
turned to the far west. But one reference was
made to railway matters that we now recall
and that was by 5. W. Matthews Esq, editor
of the Aroostook Republican, in his remarks at
the meeting in Caribou, when he spoke of the
friendly feeling for their New Brunswick
nelghbors to whom Aroostook is indebted for
railway communications with tn. nut.1: u:nrll