The Portland daily press., 1893-10-02

Delightful Recreation.-One May Pass
Through Purgatory any Fine Afternoon.
The sebasticook, Lake Winnecook, the
Lake Region of Kennebec.-Some Fine
Towns and Beautiful Villages.
One of the most delightful excursions
is afforded by September carriage drive
through Maine. This monthssis in many
respects the most charming of all for
the country 1t is the harvest time, to
begin with, and hard indeed is the year
when the Maine farmer does not find
opportunity to rejoice in some one Of
his long line of products. The glory of
the pumpkin is in the fields, and the
life to the farm yard. Then, too, Au-
tumn is just coming upon the stage
where Summer is closing her triumph;
and each stately Season is in her most
winning mood.
In this beautiful season the writer be-
gan a carriage drive to the eastward,
aiming to reach the region of Lake Win
necook, in Waldo county. 1t is about a
hundred miles from Portland to this
lake, which, by the way, was formerly
called the Twenty five Mile Pond, and
is IN the towns of Unity, Burnham and
Troy. The carriage roads along the
route taken are very good in September,
and lead through most beautiful re-
gion. The valleys of the Androscoggin
and the Kennebec, and some of the fair
est lakes in Maine lie along this route
1t is convenient to leave Portland by
way of Aliens corner and the Smelt Hill
road. This will lead to Yarmouth, al
though not by the prettiest road, which
may besleft for the return. The delights
of ride to Yarmouth are too well known
to Portlanders to need enumeration
here. But all have not kept on through
Yarmouth to Pownal, and thence to the
place mysteriousiy referred to on the
guide boards as Durham S.W. B." On
the way our party played roadside crib
bage," that interesting game where the
travellers las once did the Pope-divide
the whole world. The highway in our
case was the dividing line, and the game
was to see which side Of the road would
produce for its owner the largest score
Of farm animals. This game leads to
close observation of the kind of stock
kept On the green hillsides of Kennebec
county, especially In the dairying region
of Winthrop, the sleek Jerseys, each
counting five, rolled up our scores. But
in the beautiful Town Of Pownal scoring
was astedious occupation, since vast
fiocks of hens, each hen counting but one,
wearied both arithmetic and patience.
In ride of over two hundred miles,
through twenty seven towns and one
plantation, no region was seen that so
abounded, in hens as did Pownal. 1t
was evident, however, that other animals
have in times past abounded there, since
shsrt distance from the principal village
is a very picturesque stone enclosure,
presumably the ancient town pound for
strayed animals.
AT Pownal we were told that Durham
S.W.B.," SO frequently proclaimed by
the guide boards, is Durham South West
Bend of the Androscoggin River. Dur
ham village lives in these days according
to the Delsarte method. No, nervous
energy is wasted. But in the old days,
when the stages ran between the Kenne-
bee and Portland, and Lewiston was only
Lewiston Falls, Durham village was a
busy place !. Famous men and women in
the Maine of that day enjoyed the cheer
Of it's inn, and fortified themselves for
the remainder of the journey to Port
land or Augusta. The passing traveller
in these days will be interested in seeing
in Durham the house where Annie
Louise Gary was born. Il =
Thereswas formerly bridge at Dur
ham S. W.B. but years ago it was swept
away, and today a ferry takes over horse
and man.
ThelAndroscoggin
is deep and placid here, flowing between
high, wooded banks which give great
beauty to the river scenery.
From the ferry it is but short drive
to Lisbon village, which, being thirty
miles from Portland and half way to
Augusta, is convenient stopping place
for the night. This village is not SO
large and busy place as Lisbon Falls,
a little lower down on the river, but its
cotton mill is, conservatively managed,
anc good support to the place. Mr..
Edward II. Lunt, first selectman and
overseer of the poor, tells us that the
hard times are very little felt.
1t is thirty miles from Lisbon to Au-
gusta, comfortable. drive for an au-
tumn afternoon. The route will lie
through Webster Corner, an active place
in the old days when the Dwinals did
business there, but now resting; and
along the high hills that overlook Sa-
battus Lake and command magnificent
sweep of the Franklin county hills, and
the nearer Androscoggin valley.
From the hills of Webster we drive to
Litchf1eld, passing from Androscoggin to
Kennebec county. Webster and hitch
field are, with the. exception of Durham,
the first "back townsn we have met
This term is used in the sense that they
are back from the railroads. Abandoned
farm houses begin to appear on some
of the less frequented roads, and occas-
ionlly appears one that has fallen into
utter ruin. The farms about them seem
to be cultivated, the houses only being
Abandoned -;