Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-02-25
Beauties OF tbs Maine Coast

One Of . class Of articles which
are calling the attention Of wealthy
and cultured persons throushous the
country to the beauties Of hsine - 9
place OF summer fesidence and
soj urn. appears in the issue Of Garden and
Forest New York; for last week. This
journal is the highest type Of = publication
devoted to subjects pertaining to gardening,
landscape adornmens and rural beauty, and
has the most wealthy and educated classes
Of our country As it, constituency. The
article in question is from the pen Of Mr..
Charles Eliot. . distinguished landscsps
gardener Of Boston. and 10 sn6tisd The
Cosss Of Maine" Beginning at Piscats-
qua river on the west, Mr.. Eliot describes
the coast Of Maine to Grand Manan. Cam
pobelio and Quoddy on the extreme east,
which he calls exceedingly interesting
and refreshing" the mere map Of The
coast being most attractive" With
rare wealth Of picturesque description Mr..
Eliot tells Of the inlsts, hesalauds. islands,
cliffs. mountains. ssves. lodges and ford
like rivers Of this two hundred milss
of coast, describing iss character
istic fora. the wonderful charm Of ito
varied scenery. and its no less picturesque
history. with musical names for localities
that record so much Of the red-men's his
tory in Muscongus. Pemaquid, Megunti-
cook, Eggemogaiu, Moosabec, Sssadahoc;
and of later historic period embodied in
Grand and Petit Manan, Bots Bubsrs.
Monts Deserts, Isle au Haul. and Burnt
Coat, 3 naturalization, evidently Of the
French Cote Brule.
Some notes on the history Of the Maine
coast. which begin with the voyages Of the
early French sailing vessels, followed BY
that first scientific exploration Of Cham
plain, also including the French and Eng
lish occupation Of Acadia and ending with
the account Of Baron Saint Castin, are
next given, and Mr.. Eliot says that he nnds
the human history of the Maine
coast almost - picturesque and
varied As ito scenery" But . "sec-
ond discovery" Of the Maine coast, Mr..
Eliot says took place about 1860 when
the picture.queness and summertime
he al,hfuness of the Maine coast began to
be appreciated by few educated summer
visitors from Boston. "Only the beaches
of the western quarter of the shore were at
first occupied by hotels says Mr.. Eliot,
"but when the poor hamlet Of Bar Harbor
leaped into fame through the resort to it Of
a few well known landscape painters, it be-
came evident that the whole coast was des-
tined to be much frequented summer re-
sort. At present. York, Kenne bunk port,
Biddeford Pool and Old Orchard Beach, to-
gether with the Casco Islands, Booth Bay,
Camden, Mt. Desert and Campobello. are
few Of the more populous neighborhoods ;
along the shore, and colonies Of summer
villas of all grades Of costliness occupy
many Of the more accessible capes and
islands. Thus there are many cottages at
York, and the islands near Portland are
fairly covered with cheap structures.
Squirrel Island in Booth Bay 10 another nest
of small houses, and Bar Harbor 10 BUM
mer city surrounded by multitude Of very
costly and elaborate wooden palaces. The
finest parts of the coast are already cor
trolled by land companies and spectators,
while the minds of the constant residents
are inhsmed by the high prices which the
once worthless shore lands are now supposed
to command
The spectacle. remarks Mr.. Eliot Of
thousands upon Thousands Of people able
to spend aAnually several weeks or months
of summer in healthful life by the sea-
shore is very Amer IAN and very pleasant,
and the impartial observer can find but tive
points about it which are in any consider
able degree discouraging or dangerous.
One of these is the small amount Of thought
and attention given to considerations Of
appropriateness and beauty BY the builders
and inhabitants of summer colonies 1t the
sea coast; the other is-and the writer re-
CARDS it q real danger-that this annual
flood Of humanity, which seeks the sea coast
every summer, with its permanent struct-
ures for shelter, may so completely over
flow and occupy the limited stretch Of coast
which it invsdes, as to rob it of that flavor
OF wildness and remoteness which hitherto
has hung about it and which in great mess.
ure constitutes its refreshing charm. Mr..
Eliot's bill of particulars relating to these
dangers of the beauty of the
Maine coast ~ places of summer residences.
and his plea for stay Of these dangers 10
so well worthy Of attention by our citizens.
improvement companies and municipal au-
thorties, that We reproduce. entire, the
concluding portion Of his intere sting article
"A surf beate q headland may be crowned
by n lighthouse tower without losing ito
dignity and impressivsness, but it cannot be
dotted with frail cottages without suffering
q woeful fall. A lonely ford shrt in By
dark woods, where the fog fingers in
wreaths, As it comes and goes, loses ito
charm whenever even one bank 10 stripped |
naked, and streets of buildings are substi- |
tuted for the spruces and pines.
few rich men, realizing this danger,
have surrounded themselves with consider
able tracts of land solely with the intention |
of preserving the natural aspect; and At
least one hotel company, by buying almost |
the " hole of the Wild island OF Campobello, |