Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-09-02

NATIONS PLAYGROUND.
new Phases Of This Subject Presented BY
Prof. Macdonald Of Bowdoin.

81
to pour itself. during the summer
season, into the western and southern
parts of the State Of Maine, writes
Prof. William Macdonald of Bowdoin
college, to the New York Evening Post.
beginning in moderate way-a few
families here, a. party of sportsmen or
torists there-the number of summer
visitors and residents has grown
steadily. until it now reaches several
hundred thousand annually; and the
increase has been especially rapid in
the past ten years.
Although the regular summer popu-
lation is drawn chiefly from the New
England and Middle states and Canada,
nearly every state in the Union is rep
resented. or tourists. strictly so called.
the number is probably less than in
some other places, quite the larger pro-
portion of summer visitors being regu-
lar sojourners and their friends. In it's
size and character, however, as we'll as
in its growing volume, the summer
population marks Maine as unques-
tionably the chief summer resort of the
Atlantic coast, and of the United States
as well.
The movement of this temporary
population is mainly along three routes,
or, rather, into three sections of the
State. Fishing parties gravitate to-
wards the Rangeley lakes, and hunting
parties towards MoOsehead. while most
of those who aim to combine pleasure
and sport in about equal proportions
commonly make one or the other of
these places their starting-pOin There
is royal salmon fishing on the Penob-
scot, and both fishing and hunting in
the wild region further north, but the
number of sportsmen who visit either
of these localities is small as compared
with the number who flock to the
lakes.
The other route is along the seashOre,
with Mount Desert as the terminus
From Kittery Point to Bar Harbor al
most every mile of the coast has some
of the marks of summer resort, al
though Old Orchard. Cape Elizabeth,
and Casco and Penobscot bays catch
and hold the greater part of the tide.
Beyond Bar Harbor the summer popu :
lation is reciable-partly, no doubt.
because both coast and interior are
here less beautiful than is the case
further south, and party because the
region is not yet easily accessible.
Along the New Hampshire line the
influx, while increasing. is not yet very
considerable, and is more in the nature
of an overflow from the crowded re-
sorts of the White Mountains than an
appropriation of new and distinct
locality.
Tn n ah1ractQr and inns
the summer population of Maine pre-
sents the greatest variety. There are
representatives of almost every type.
from the excursionist and "globe-trot-
ter to the regular visitor of many
years standing. from the family of
narrow means to the Croesus whose
thousands are scattered without 4
thought. Sportsmen, as has been said.
seek the lakes, and with them goes 4
small army of less noticeable and less
wealthy persons, both men and women,
who push their canoes far into the un-
broken forest, along the streams and
lakes which carry one up to the Cana
dian and New Brunswick border.
Those who go inland seem, as rule.
to eschew the sea. and vice versa; so
that along the coast one finds a sum-
mer population which cares little for
rod or gun, but takes it's pleasure in sail
ing and saltwater fishing. Life in the
woods represents the acme of the neg
lige; at the seashore resorts, on the
contrary, with their large hotels and
greater opportunity for display, the de-
mands of fashion are heavier, and one
dresses for dinner.
rI 20 rdiyo
magnificent beach, has changed much
in 20 years; it is no longer fashionable
nor even attractive, but is given over
to gigantic excursions, Salvation Army
conclaves, and th-healing." a
large number of Canadians, however,
still regularly pass the summer there,
and a few remoter parts of the town
have escaped, thus far the barbarian
invasion. For the most lavish show Of
wealth and the fullest fury Of the So
cial whrl one turns, of course, to Bar
Harbor; but Bar Harbor is a little
world by itself, and, Notwithstanding
it's superb beauty, has long since be-
come impossible for all save the finan-
cially elect.
Finally, scattered over the entire SET
tied portion of the State are thousands
of summer visitors, representing al
most every calling and condition in
life, and attracted, some by family as
sociations, some by the charm of a
particular locality, some by the mex
pensiveness of living. From June to
September there is an endless success
sion of summer people" on every
train, steamboat and stage, and at
every hotel and boarding house in
Maine.
OF all modern devices for giving pleas
,ire to large numbers of people, few have
tailed more conspicuously than the aver
,ge summer hotel. In this respect Maine
is no more fortunate than other states.
While the situation of the hotels is often
extremely attractive. the houses them
selves are too often cheaply built and
poorly kept. the ruling principle seeming
to be the maximum of price for the mini
mum of endurable accommodation. so
far indeed, have poor service and exor-
bitant charges been carried at Bar Har-
Dor that many influential cottaeers have
refused to recommend certain hotels to
their friends; and there are said to be
signs that the resulting loss of patronage
is fastening the coming of much-needed
reforms. Moreover, such beauty of sit
uation as many of the seashore hotels
originally possessed is being rapidly de-
stroyed in many cases. by the multiple