The Republican journal., 1896-11-12
\ Ride Through Aroostook County

The ride from Houlton to Caribou-a
distance of sixty miles-was a slow and
tedious one. The express train which
should have left Houlton at d. M. hav
ing been held at Bangor to accommodate
party of excursionists, the mixed train
was held at Houlton to start on the ex-
press trains time. With the slow rate of
speed and the many and lengthy stops at
the way stations it was eight O. clock
when we reached Caribou. The night
was dark as Erebus and the rain Just
poured upon the car roof, which was any
thing but cheerful sound. But with all
the Inconvenience of train and rain we
enjoyed ourselves as only good natured
people can; and though many a joke was
banded at the expense of our "slow
COACH" nobody got cross and disagree
able to make it uncomfortable within.
Arriving at our destination hacks were
awaiting to take us to the Vaughn House,
where we found good supper all ready;
put the good supper came into collision
with hungry crowd and, of course, was
vanquished, though it must not be infer
red that we ate it all, for the proprietors,
b. j. Smith & Son, don't get caught that
way. After supper we set out through
the driving storm for the new court house,
where the commissioners held the most
interesting meeting of their session and,
although it was past midnight when it
finally adjourned, all felt that they were
well repaid for the inconvenience expert
enced by coming out through the storm.
Thursday morning the rain had ceased,
though it was far from being pleasant,
but all were anxious to edo the town.
and soon scattered about the village. l
joined blackboard party and rode dis
lance outside the village limits, but the
mud was so deep and the atmosphere so
damp and chilly that not many miles were
covered before we were glad to ask the
driver to turn back.
Caribou village is situated on the
Aroostook river and is one of the bright
est villages in northern Maine, although
it has many The business part of the
village is on the low ground close to the
river and the buildings are packed to-
gether so that, from the higher lands sur
rounding it, it has sort of congested ap-
pearance; but away from the river it is
more open and has some fine churches and
elegant and commodious school buildings
and many expensive private residences.
There is one thing about these com
paratively new villages that residents of
older settled parts of the State will readi-
ly notice, and that is the entire absence
of old tumble down and abandoned dwell
lings and outbuildings. Here they are all
new and bright; though some are plain,
all are neat and tidy. Of the industries
of this village | have not the data to give
an intelligent description; but what seem
ed the most important one at this season
OF the year is the starch factories, which
dispose of the understandable part of the
'armers potato crop, and, in case of an
excessive crop, dixie last years for in
stance) portion of the merchantable
Out among the farms the most extern
sively cultivated crop is the potato. for
which Aroostook county has long been
famous. There is an under strata to this
} land that seems to be of il limestone ma
, ture and is said to be specially adapted to
the growth OF these tubers; but how long
this element will be retained ia the Soil
With continuous cultivation is not Vet de.
termined. Many Of the farmers believe
that they have been raising potato to o
long already and that they have thereby
injured their land for the growing of other
crops. One thing is observable here
among the farms and that is, with few ex-
ceptions, the smallness of the barns and
the small numbers OF cattle and sheep to
be seen. There are many beautiful farms
and farm bulldings and the land. living in
long, billowy swells, is free from stone
except of pebbles ol cobblestone from the
size Of walnut up to a medium sized
pumpkin. The absence of boulders, while
it would be highly appreciated by most of
our farmers here in Waldo county. is
source of inconvenience in many parts of
the Aroostook. Here the cellars of houses
are, of necessity, constructed of cedar OF
other timber, while the wells are walled
with timbers of hewn pine. The same is
true of abutments to bridges; and the
many, many other uses, to which are put
our liberal supply of rocks, are there very
largely supplemented with wood. The
appearance of most of the grass fields
does not Indicate soil adapted to heavy
growth of grass. l saw but light growth
of aftermath in the fields, not even where
it had been recently seeded to grass
very different from the fields in lower Pc
nobscot and Waldo counties-yet it is pos
sible that when the lower lands, intervals
and swamps are cleared up, as they are
likely to be, that better land for produc-
, ing grass will be found. Fruit culture
evidently is not a success, for | noticed
but few thrifty looking orchards in the
whole territory l traversed. 1t was told
me that the winters are too ruUUad and