The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-25
1T VlES WITH GMUNDEN.
A Spot in Maine That Compares With
Italian Scenery.

There is choice spot in Maine, less
than three hours from Portland that vies
with Italy's fair CULTS as it sits almost
proudly like queen in her own domain.
It is the village of Naples.
This lovely retreat is almost counter
part of Gmunden, the summer home, in
Austria, of the Duchess of Cum berland,
a place at which the Emperor of Austria
halts on the way to his royal
chateau at Ischyl. Grunden is situated
gram failed the Salykammergut, only
an hour or two distant from the Danube.
Here all the daughters of the old king
of Denmark with their royal husbands,
the Gar of Russia and the Prince of
Wales, love to retire from the weird
sounds of despotism and the current
scandal of court life. Our Maine resort
is only country village, but it is a bit
of fairy land reached by a route worthy
to be kings highway. The village it
self is not unlike other Maine towns, but
it is the door to innumerable avenues
of delight. On one side of it is the Bay
of Naples, formerly known as Brandy
Pond" from the legend that a captain
of oldeu times spilled a ton of brandy
into the placid waters, furnishing tonics
for all the people of succeeding time,
and cures for all the ills of generations
yet unborn. Be this superb bay Brandy
Pond, or bearing the name of Italy's
proud port, it is beauty itself.
AS is known to all, one leaves this city
by rail, and after navigating our own
Sebago Lake past the Indian haunts OF
DID, " the silvery, sinuous Songo," IKE
q magic syren, lures one on until the
@lochn is reached, curious thing to
people now, but was no uncommon sight
In the old canal which brought the
products of country life to our own
town, for in the course of this canal
81 of these lochs were passed, in which
the wall of water above is gradually met
by the rising water in the tiny basin
VIII ere the staunch steamer is fastened
within waiting for water supplies.
Nature has made no mistakes In this
region of lakes and mountains, for she
has projected capes, made islands, formed
straits, constructed peninsulas and ar
ranged all to minister to the eternal
beauty which the shadow of the noun
tains from afar and the lesser mountains
nearer nodding down, completes, form
ing a picture for the pleasure seeker ex
tending his route to its end and to the
tired business man as he sits in the shade
of some beautiful villa on the banks of
the lakes, who feels that all the king
doms of the earth with their glory be-
long to him.
Such a spot is the old "Hill farm"
now owned by one of our citizens, con-
sisting of three hundred acres, and in it.
self an absolute monarchy. A little dot
enough for future private villa, with
walks, lawns and avenues; this island
forms foreground in the CLASSY waters
which stretch picturesquely into the
length of Long Pond, the old Indian
lake, which extends to /. Bridgton and
Harrison.
In the time of the October glories the
little island just mentioned appears to
be a blaze of splendor among the worlds
of glory all around, and re-duplicated in
the clear mirror beneath is reflected in
flaming brilliancy, suggesting to the
mind the burning bush in which the Lord
appeared to Moses.
There is the real worship of nature in
this charming retreat, and eternal rest
full Sabbath of delights while several
times daily the beautiful shadow in the
water is made tremulous by the passing
of the fairy steamer and the trifie more
clumsy freight boats which navigate
these mystic lakes And while breath
ing in the tonic from all the surround
ings,
"The meanest fioweret of the vale,
The simplest note that swells the gale,
The common sun, the air, the skies,
To all are opening paradise.