Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-09
DANDY TROOP :
Continued from page ~

l
houses show evidence Of thrift an
prosperity. All along the line the farm
ers. the farmers wife and the farmer
sons and daughters came out to tax
last look at the troop that all o
nearly all had seen at Bangor
AS we wendell our way between field
of ripening grain and growing corn w
were impressed with the scenic beaut,
that came to our view in a natura
panorama. one that no pointer can re
produce and no tongue can describe.
Mrs. Moses. wife Of Lieut.. Moses
concluded to make the trip to Pittsfielt
with the troop. riding in the ambulance
The ride in the early part Of the da,
was breezy and the lady said she en-
joyed 1t. There was only one novelt,
about the ride that Mrs. Moses had no
enjoyed by the time we reached Etna
and that was driving the mule team
Here she signified a desire to take the
reifs and Driver Tholan, willing, she
guided the four-mule- team for the rest
of the drive to Newport, and she drove
well as / can testify.
| The trip from Carmel to Pittsfield
was uneventful otherwise than that
everybody quit work and sat on the
fence to see us go by. But the ride was
| a beautiful one. 1t was interesting
| from the fact that 1t brought out In
glorious splendor the scenic grandure
of Maine. On the upland and down the
lowland, as the troop wound in and out
from farm to wood, the good stiff
breeze, thrilling every vein. the broad
scene spreading out before uslending an
tnchantment to the occasion that was
enjoyable and enhancing.
Here we are troop of Uncle Sans
soldiery traversing a section of Maine
in time of peace. but calling out the
grim thought of war and the horror Of
what may be; the people rushing to the
doors and yards waving salutes. just
as they did in 81 when, the life of the
nation being assailed, the sons Of
the North sprang to rescue and
marched just as we are marching to-
day. 1t all brings back with grim vivid
ness to the old whose hair is silvered
the dreadful memories OF the past. and
yet withal. although the mission of
Troop + is one of peace. the true patri-
otto spirit is shown. just as in the days
of yore.
Old age and infancy. imbued with
babe God-speed to Troop along it's
route. Veterans of the late unpleas-
aEtness' have come out along the route
to greet the younger soldiers. the SOL
diers of today; wives who lost their
husbands in the war, mothers who
mourn sons buried in unknown graves
on Southern battle fields; daughters
who hardly remember the fathers who
went to war and never returned: sons,
who remember and will never forget
that the life of parent was given to
protect the life of nation: all greeted
Troop F and the boys of the troop are
of the unanimous opinion that in all the
country no people excel the people Of
Maine in point of hospitality and gen.
uine patriotism.
While we were traverSing that part
of Maine only partially rescued from
the grasp Of nature. the thought came
TO US that it was not so many years
ago, one hundred or so. that along the
same route travelled another race; ::
race that had given way to the sons OF
light and progress and had retreated
tiliiioSl ~ Vic Va tAS e,ANae ~
yond.
Oh. well. am getting romantic. If
don't branch off soon will be telling
the Journal readers the same old story.
that we read and studied and reviewed
in those halcyon days when the
teacher and the switch mingled with
our existence and we felt satisfied tina;
amid these scenes of poetry and ro-
nance, the Indian lover once bowed
down and wooed his dusky mate: that
twas in the waters of yon limpiG
stream (the Satisfactorily that the
Indian hunter once bathed and viewed
his manly limbs; that it was here that
he heard the war cry echo along the
hills and read his doom in the evening
skies: here the council fire blazed AMI
the battle cry sounded stirring tribes to
hostile action: twas here that the no.
BILE red man worshipped the Great
Spirit: saw Him in the clouds. and
dropped tear upon his country's
tomb.
ing with plain, prosaic civilization with
a troop OF armed soldiers thrown in.
There are no Indians here, not a lone
.Gu man 10 AWAKEN the cavalry IMAM u
a sense of duty to his country in par
ticular and civilization generally.
1t was not necessary to send out
scouts to watch for signs of Indians. |
We knew where we were-in the grand
est of all States-Maine, the gardens
of which ARE richly diversified into
hills and dales, mountains and valleys, |
through which spring walks to strew
the earth with flowers romantic and
beautifully sublime" where summer |
charms and autumn entrances the |
spectator traveller and provides an
abundance from the fields from which
the Almighty has never turned the
light of His countenaMce.
There is an occasional halt, a bugle |
call answered by old Monk" an am
'bulance pole mule, who will obey the |
call to halt as quickly as the most ex
perienced trooper. The dust flies from
the hundred hoofs of the tramping
steeds and Mrs. Moses. in the ambu- |
lance. begins to realize to the fullest
measure what 1t is to eat a peck of
IA t.