Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-05-14
! For the Ellsworth American.
Mount Desert.

A SUFFERER.
For the Ellsworth Americ*n.i
Mount Desert.
Down on the bold, rugged and rocky
coast of Maine, Mount Desert rises its
hills abruptly from the sea and stands tow.
ering its mountain peaks far among the
clouds. From the distance, out at sea,
1t seems but heap of bleak, bare and
rocky peaks, which ever change in shape
as you draw nearer, until when your
steamer is under the shadow of the grand
Old hills, you see the level stretch of land
which encircles their base, where the pref
ty villages are clustered. 1t was the bare
and deserted appearance of these hills that
lea the early navigators. who beheld them
while on a voyage Of discovery. to give
the name which they have held through
centurie>-l>le Of the Desert Mountains.
Ne" England people are generally sup
posed to know all about this famous sum
Otter make To u>-rather odd mistakes.
One learned professor from Kansas, a pas
sanger on board st. John steamer.
when told that the distant mountains.
which be found so grandy beautiful. were
the hills OF Mt Desert, exclaimed in
a>toni>hment: "Why, it is impossible /.
| always imagined Mt. Desert to be des-
err island far out al sea, but this" and
words failed him. In a letter to thr Ce.-
tfiy last year. Prof Eliot, Of Harvard Col
le-e. gave some wrong ideas OF Mt. Desert
people and their modes of living, thus
causing considerable hard feeling and lust
Indignation among all who know the real
state Of affairs
! do not attempt to give statistcs-the
guide books will supply that deficiency
but 10 give some idea Of the beauty of
nature, 20 grandly mingled here in noun
tains, lakes and seashore
he first attraction 10 people visiting the
island i generally to ascend Green Noun
tain, either by the railroad that winds up
The western side. or by the carriage road.
which j. reasonably smooth and safe for
travel The ascent i tediou, anu NAV be
ir.htfu. to the timid ones who go up In
the car, bu, the view from the top well re-
pays ali di>comforts Of the Journey. A
complete panorama OF land and sea for
miles around Is spread before you and
you stand enraptured, II the atmos-
phcrr is c.eai YOU eau see the dim peek of
distance. Below is the village of Bar
hay with its white sailed
and huge black ocean travellers lying al
the wharves. Far out on the blue water
are the larger crafts-some sinking out Of
light behind the horizon, on their way 10
distant countries others with sails set and
speeding before the wind IN another direc-
ton. The whistle of steamers comes but
family to your ears: the noise Of the busy
streets seems hushed and the Scene looks
quiet ana peaceful. You are really
Far from the madding. crowds gnoble strife
and the change is an agreeable one.
When the sea view pals upon your Wis
ion, turn to look down upon Eagle Lake,
living at the base Of the mountain and re-
hecting the trees and rocky crags in its
calm waters. A tiny steamboat-the Wi
nona-steams about, ready to take passen
gers across the lake to the station where
the cars start on their trip up the noun
tain side. The carriage road through the
woods from Bar Harbor TO Somesvillc,
winds in and out like brown ribbon and
you trace its wanderings until it is lost be-
hind a projecting mountain peak
To watch the sun set on clear evening
from the summit of Green Mountain is a
sight never TO be forgotten, The sky is
flushed with gold and crimson. shading
and blending past the power of mortal
painter, changing into purple. blue and
violet, darkening into deeper shades and
melting slowly away, leaving only a faint
pink glow in the western clouds to tell of
the glory departed. You turn away with
your way down the mountain side.
ride around the island is journey
that must be taken if one wishes to behold
the full grandeur of Mt. Desert scenery.
Starting early one pleasant morning from
Southwest Harbor, a pretty town by the
sea, near where Somes Sound flows up be-
tween the mountains, we were driven due
north over a smooth road between the hills
and along the shores of Echo Lake. beau
tiiul sheet Of water, which lay close by
our path for about two miles. Just across
its waters Echo Cliffs rose black and
| frowning and descending-a sheer preci-
pice-hundreds of feet to the lake below
We stopped on the hill to pay our compli
ments to the Echo and our voices were
sent back with singular clearness from tn,
rocky caverns of the mountain. Ou
screams evidently disturbed the peace of {
couple of urchins who were busy with tin,
| boats on the shore below and several re
marks not complimentary to us f1oated al
to our ears from their conversation. W.
would have enjoyed stopping here for
longer time, in spite of the discontinue O
the urchins, but the driver reminded u
that bar Harbor was fourteen miles ahea'
and if we were to come home by the Ion!
drive that we must go on" so we bad
farewell to Echo and proceeded.
Dog Mountain rose above US on tn
other hand for a mile or so; then came
series of hills before we rode throug
Somesville, which is a neat and prettil
kept village. The flower gardens whic
surrounded nearly every house shove
much care and taste and flowers bloome
luxuriantly. Leaving Somesville the roa
led through marshy country, divided b
numerous brooks and streams, then pas
villages and forests until Salisbury Gov
comes before US. From this place to Bs
Harbor the road winds along the shore
sometimes over high cliffs where the wave
wash up lar below US, then along lowe
land, where well cultivated farms sho
marks of industry and thrift The house