Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-10-09
ON NEW ENGLAND,s COAST.
Notes and Recollections of Seal Hal



Come and stroll with me as I make
end of the long white sand beach is Charles
Clements Sea View house. Seafaring men
are more apt to go there. When the larger
house is crowded some of the guests may
get in there. And still another hotel of
stone is rising at the time related. Cap
tain Coxe's store is over here. He has lots
Of shells, etc., from the West Indies,
whittier he used to go sailing. There are
some few other houses here scattered along
up the road. Their owners in this valley
have good pastures and COWS and can raise
the needed vegetables-corn and beans,
tomatoes, potatoes, squashes and the like.
Charles G. is postmaster, but we have one
mail sent to our house. l want to get this
old wharf and fish house, with it's old logs
and quaintness, into picture. The very
colors of the antiquated pile are pic
turesque, and here is small feet of row
boats and sailboats-for pastime or for ser
vice. Those accustomed and who knew
how, guests as well, go outside the harbor
and catch good fish of varied sorts. Lob
sters are not in season now and the closed
emit, but they are taken in those peculiar
traps you see piled up here. The bait is
put inside and then they are moored off
the coast near the bottom by iron or stone
weights, with a wooden float and line at
tached to show where they are in rather
deep water, and visited from day to day,
hauled up by the boatmen and examined
SO made that the lobster once in does not
get out. Since protected the industry be-
comes fourishing again.
Now I have the wharves and fish house
where con and other fish are sailed and
packed in season. I find something not
less picturesque to add to it all and get
Charles Clement to place it on the wharf
as desire to locate it, viz. a real white
birch bark canoe, which was purchased
from some Indians up in Maine and found
its way down here. I think it about 10
feet long, wide, hardly 2 feet deep. 1t
is veritable naval specimen of Indian
workmanship, intelligently framed and
fashioned with great beauty of outline, the
bow and stern quite sharp and higher
than the middle; its bottom centerwise is
rather flat and rounded up at sides, which
curl in a little at the top.
There is strong light frame of slender
numerous fiat ribs, transversed by other
lengthwise strips, bottom and sides. Out
side of all which the thick and tough white
birch bark from large trees goes in wide
and close fitting bands, around from one
side to the other, securely fastened to the
ribs and long strips, and bound all along
the edges or gunwale by an added outside
strip close fastened. Being old it has been
patched and pitch used to make it water
tight. The same making reddish and dark
streaks of color in places. I thought it 6
fine study of form and color, and my
friends said I had got it very truly and
| nicely. What is more it varies my col
lection of color studies, realistic and more
| true to nature than pictures are sometimes
| All to whom 1 show them are at once tax
en- with the canoe of birchen bark. Proba
| bly, three persons would ride in it nicely
possibly in still water six could go safely
and not sink it, so strong and light ant
we'll made it was. I would be very mucl
pleased to show them to any one of artis
tic tastes, who would care to call on M
and see my Mt. Desert studies.
The steamboat wharf beyond Clement
wharf is where the 'Rockland' and MT
Desert land any newer steamers of thei
size) call to leave or raceive passengers
| And now some of our friends must leav
| us, we will walk down and see them off
That is a courtesy which prevails here
How nice it is, refreshing, resting! to ge
away for awhile from the noise of loco
motives and rushing trains and nois,
i whistles of factories and the din and whir
| Of commercial life.
The occasional call of the steamers. TIL
daily passing of the small and large one
just outside our harbor, to and from Ba
Harbor, remind US we can HE us home
ward easily when ready to go, but som
of US tarry long and longest of all.
| will with fo N1aroa
Point once more, to get that view of Eas
Bunker's ledge with it's solid stone monu
| ments where vessel was wrecked in
snow storm, around and over which tn
waters foam and wildly dash in heav
seas and storms, you will see how foun'
one of my very best studies during
"North Easter"
The clouds were drifting so low ths
one could not see beyond the monument
mile away and along the shore in sigh
waves were leaving their course an
of wide reach under the ragged rock cliffs
I could only work in pencil in that mis-
and slight rain, but next day in m
froom transferred the study to a sma
canvas The sky and sea dark, exceI
near the shore. The rocks always take o
some color when wet.
Over here alone on another and pleasar
morning making pencil sketches in variety
especially one of Seal Harbor and Sea Sid
house The westward hill beyond an
Sergeant mountain, partly visible benin
all, am agreeably surprised by a gentle
man who has come from N. E. harbor
see me. We have a nice chat, returning
dine together and then I went in his bos
across Bracy's cove to charming beach,
wish to tell about before I get through
we meet again some other day at tn
funeral of one of the old inhabitants. N
chapel there at that time. The service
were solemized by the local Methods
preacher in the school house near Lon
pond. The deceased was quite old, ha
been sea faring man, as most of thes
natives have been. The friends and neigh
bors throng the little building and some c
the visitors are there too. How impressiv
these rural funerals are from the fact tina
one long known in the little hamlet will G
in and out among them no more and tn
place which knew him will know him n
more. The crowded town does not 8
much or long miss an individual, but her
everyone that goes will be missed an
longer remembered-it must be SO. Tn
smaller the circle, the nearer the member
are to each other.
But when you come to family life, tn
same law intensifes. The old must die
the young may. That's beautiful littl
poem beginning
Leaves have their time to fall,
And flowers to wither at the north wind
| BREATH
And stars to set, but all
Thou hast all seasons for thine own, o death.
Even at Mount Desert I recall instances
and think best to give this one in sui
stance told me and as I knew about ii
Soon after arriving at Seal Harbor
learned of a then recent sad event. Tw
young men visitors had taken one sal
boat and another one another boat an,
gone up to Bar Harbor, ten miles or SO
and returning were toward evening nea
together somewhere off beyond Bunker
Ledge. AS the wind and sea were fresh
ening, the two called upon the one to bea
in, as they were doing, and offered help
He declined aid and they had to come il
on account of the lessening daylight ant
rough waters He was very strong ant
vigorous, full of strength and energy ant
confidence. They never saw him more
He did not get in, neither did he reach tn
life saving station on Cranberry island
The boat was afterward found bottom up
ward toward Bakers island. All tn
shores were searched. Anvils were fire,
from the deck of schooner where it wa
thought he capsized that the conclusion
if possible, might bring up his body. /
dey or two after the revenue cutter of tn