The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-07-07
AT RANCELY.
Opening Of the Phillips & Rangely
RaiIroad-BIg Boom In Summer
Business.
Correspondence of the Press.l

ILEASANT ISLAND July 9, loJl.
With the opening of the Phillips and
Rangely Railroad your scribe took an outing
for few days and came to this fine sporting
camp.
Leaving Portland at 1.15 p. IN. we .came on
The same route to Pennington. the Maine
Cen.ral Railroad whose excellent service Is
well known to all its patrons, changed there
to the petite serroY gauge, the Sandy River
Railroad, which has recently bean laid the
whole distance with steel rails, making the
beautiful ride along the winding Sandy more
pleasant than ever. Here close connections
are made with the Fast Fly Fisherman of
the Phillips and Rangely Railroad which
has come to stay, and does away with the
twenty-five mile ride via stage or priya.e
team. as now the trip can be made from
Portland to Rangely by rail in seven hours.
This new route opens up one Of the most
picturesque regions In Maine as 1t runs
through an almost unbr0ken wilderness the
whole distance. The mountain ranges COM
pletely environ the route, while skirting
the line nearly the whole distance are beau
tiful winding brooks and streams full of
trout treasures. Then all along are bits of
lake scenery and cascades, one Of which has
fall Of over hundred feet, and you see:
".The grace, the grandeur, the wild lovelIness.
And stern magnthcence OF waterfall;
Dark chasm, smooth pool, tall tree and foamy
flash
OF rapids; foliage fresh and green. and curls
Of teathery ferns"
There are two fine mills just erected on the
line, which promise large amount Of busi-
ness. Rangely is at last reached and we
have fine supper at the Rangely Lake
Home which overlooks the Loeb Katrine Of
Maine.
We asked N. b. Beal Esq, President of
the Sandy River Railroad what the passen
ger traffic compared with former years and
he said 1t had Increased this year one third.
Landlord Marble of the Rangely Lake Home
says his arrivals In June this year are five
hundred more than last and at all the
other hotels the increase Is the same. Messrs
Hervey and Clark fnd their two steamers
are not enough to do the business and are
building an elegant boat with capacity for
three hundred people which viii make
close connection with the new Railroad.
Capt +. @. Barker at Bemis reports fine
summer business. There Is excellent fishing
here now. Hon. Nelson Dingley caught a
six pound salmon yesterday morning, and
Or. Tucker one that weighed 81 pounds
Inere are several new cottages now building
on the lake shore.
This Is one Of the prettiest lakes In Maine
and this camp situated on a gem Of an island
Is completely surrounded by graceful birches
which makes as cool retreat as any mortal
could ask for. The fly fishing Is superb and
the sailing on the lake with small steamer Is
a pleasant recreation. We have plenty Of
trout that open the deep red color served in
every form daily, with other delicaeles that
are much appreciated. With the opening of
the new railroad, capitalists are coming here
TO invest. A Mr.. Hanson Of Allston, Mass.
has bought extensively at Rangely village.
A party Of Boston capitalists have organized
TO raise fund to build a splendid hotel on
the point at the village, to cost S25, ,0OO-S7,-
600 OF which is already pledged. q. n. IL.