Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-06-20
MAINE RESORTS.
A Visit to Our Inland Sea,
Moosehead Lake.
Beauties Of That Famous Spot De-
scribed BY Hon. S. ". Matthews.
neassa aad Nss siais Qsasriss -Piseaiassis
cssay in PrsspsFsss csatitisa.

In pursuance of . resolve passed by the
last Legislature directing the commissioner
of the bureau of industrial and labor sta
iistics to investigate that important branch
of Names industries, its summer resorts,
have recently made brief visit . Moose
head Lake and other points in Pisea:aquis
County. A brief account of my observa-
tons in that well known and much written
about section Of the State may not be en-
tirely devoid of interest to your readers. Z
Accompanied by Hon J. +. Sprasue of
Monson, who has, for years, shown great
interest in the summer resort business of
his county. and whose contributions to the
Forest and Stream and other papers have
done much to draw public attention to the
resources and opportunities of Nothern
Maine for rest and recreation during the
hot summer months, went, via Bangor
Piscataquis Railroad, to Greenville, at
the foot of Moosehead Lake.
We took dinner At the Moosehead Inn,
an excellent hotel kept by A. n. Walker,
where we found a number of summer visit
ors. After brief tarry At this pleasant re-
sort, we took steamer for kineo, our objec-
tive point, reaching that famous resort at
2. 80 p. M.
II is not my purpose to attempt descrip-
ton of the beauties of the lake and its sur
roundings; these have been set forth many
times in prose and poetry. My purpose is
to give some practical facts and plain fig
ures which may do more to call attention to
the subject Of investigation than mere
description of scenery, however practical
or full of Figures Of speech
Moosehesd is. As your readers already
know, the largest lake in New England,
being 40 miles in length, and varying in
width from two to Is miles. 1t is at the
head of the Kennebec river, and is more
than 1000 feet above the level of the sea.
The varied attractions of forests abound
ing in game, of waters prolific in trout and
other tribes Of the finny race, of mountain
scenerf and of an atmosphere impregnated
with nfe- giving ozone, have for many years
made this lake popular resort of seekers of
pleasure and health, popularity which has
certainly increased until the number of
those who visit it during the summer sevon
has grown to many thousands.
The number of first-class summer hotels
about the lake at the present time is IA.
The Mount Kineo house, located near the
mountain, and half way up the lake, is the
most extensive and best known of these ho-
tells, and with the "Annexes. is capable of
accommodating some 400 guests.
AT this early period of the season we
found only about 80 guests at this hotel but
were informed by the proprietor, 0. A.
Dennen, and his popular clerk, George II.
Bemis, that nearly all of his 242 rooms
H., ea-
the middle of October. The pay roll of
the help employed at this hotel shows about |
$50 employees, nearly all the help being
Maine people. Twenty steamers are PM
ployed in carrying passengers and freight /,
to various points on the lake.
We obtained partial list of the names
and post office addresses of reliable guides, |
our list including "a names, 45 Of whom
near the Mount Kineo House, managed by
l.. X. Turner. These guides furnish the |,
boats and canoes at a charge Of s. per day
for services and boats.
The season at Kineo commences about
the middle of May and continues until
about the middle of October, and the pros
pect for good run of business this year is |
excellent. 1t is not anticipated by any of
lIie uUtti ptopfNtuIo WIN We hhNt
conversed that the Worlds Fair will ad- |
versely affect their business.
Our stay at this interesting point of in |
vestigatiOn was necessarily brief one as
many other places in the State must be |
visited by the commission. Upon our re-
turn we stopped day at Monson, our head |
quarters being the Lake Hebron hotel, an
excellent house and a summer resort of
considerable importance.
Lake Hebron, in the town of Monson
and at the foot of which is beautiful and
growing village, near which are the Maine
Monson slate works, is about three miles
in length and abounds in trout Many
other small lakes in the town abound in
fish of various kinds and offer inducements
for fishermen and persons seeking health
and recreation.
While at Monson we visited the slate
works, which we found in full blast. with
$50 men employed, under the management
of X. C.. Penney as superintendent. The
annual product of these works is 81 900 to
&c. 900 squares, of 100 square feet each.
Since our last visit. some two years since.
many improvements in machinery and in
other respects have been made. A new
quarry, called the Hillside slate quarry,
at the present time.
Messrs. Ballard and wilkins have recent
ly engaged in new enterprise called the
Novelty Slate Works, for the manufacture
from slate of headstones, emblems for
lodge rooms and ornamental work Of many
kinds, some specimens of which we exam
ined at their shops and found really beauti
ful in design and finish. ark 9Th IIa
Piscstaquis county gives evidence Of a
gratifying condition of prosperity much of
which is due to its opportunities for hunt
ing and fishing. On this account we found
much interests taken in the propagation and
protection Of fish and game, as well as a
disposition manifested to observe the laws
of the State enacted for that purpose.
The Maine Sportsmen's Fish and Game
Association can and will do grand work in
this direction, work that is attracting the
attention of people in all parts of the State.
and which meets the approval Of nearly all
persons with whom We conversed while on
our recent tour of investigation among the
summer resorts of Northern Maine.
S. W. MATTHEWS.
DeFAUlTER FOR Si65,000.