The Portland daily press., 1897-09-01
THE SUMMER SEASON is WANING.
The Ottawa House. Cushing's Island
Closes It's Doors Today.

Gradually the summer season is draw
| ing to close and in few weeks Port
land and the several adjacent summer
resorts will resume an air of comparative
quiet At Peaks island the proprietors of
the hotels and boarding houses find that
each day now the transient travel is ceas-
ing and that summer guests and tourists
are homeward bound.
To-day is the closing day at the Ottawa
house, Cushings Island. Yesterday was
day of activity among the remaining
guests of the house to get their things in
readiness for departure and last evening
some twenty or more left on the boats to
return by the evening trains to their
several abodes. Today the remaining
guests will bid adieu to mine host Gibson
and by the time that the sun sets tonight
the summer season Of 1897 for the Ottawa
house will have come to an end. Mr.
Gibson was seen yesterday afternoon by q
PRESS reporter and in the course of an
interesting conversation, the reporter
learned that the season of 1897 had been a
remarkably good one. "When the season
opened, y said Mr.. Gibson, "there was
somewhat of doubt in the minds of
hotel men as to the results to be accom-
plished as the hard times had been severe
in the west and south and other localities
from whence the majority. of the summer
tourists come, but we have found on the
whole that the past season has been one
that. will go on record as comparing
favorably with past years.
Last year was about the best in the
history of the Ottawa, and think it may
be safely said that..athis year has been
equally as successful, and we are in hopes
that it will figure in advance Of last
years business.
The guests during the past season came
early and we have had gradual increases
from week to week so that some weeks
the entire capacity of the house has been
taxed. 1t would seem in view of the fact
that in this climate we usually get fine
weather through the month of September,
that our resorts would be well patronized
through this month of months, but ex-
periences has taught us that when August
has passed away that people are anxious
to return to their homes and business, re-
CARELESS Of the delightful September
weather. We have had this week applica-
tions for accommodations from people in
the west that desire to come this way
about the middle of September, but it is
useless to keep these large summer houses
open unless at least fifty boarders desire
to remain. as less number than this
means to run hotel of the size of the
Ottawa at loss. Every year we welcome
people from more distant points of the
west and south, and during the past
season we have had guests from Texas
and Colorado and many Of the western
and southern states, showing that the
praises of Maine as summer resort are
being heralded to all parts Of the country,
SO that it is only a question of time in
my opinion before Maine will have nearly
doubled her POPULARITY as health giving
climate and resort which will mean an
increase in hotel accommodations.
The reporter was reminded that the
| lease under which the present manage
ment was running the Ottawa expired
with this season, and in response to q
query as to whether or not he should re-
new 1t for another season. Mr.. Gibson
said most assuredly he should if the terms
could be satisfactorily agreed upon, after
certain needed repairs had been made on
the house, and the right of title to owner
ship of the building now in litigation,
has been settled.
| Mr.. Gibson has been the most success
full lessee of the Ottawa and has made
many friends during the past few years,
| and it is the expressed wish Of a host Of
friends and the travelling public that Mr..
Gibson return In the same capacity an
4 othor uoar nndor noxu loo