Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-21
ARN0LD'S ROUTE.
How His Forces Made Their
WAY to Quebec.
Places as They Now Exist Along This
Historic Trail
As Seen by John Lathrop Matthews in . aoo.
Mile Tramp.

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would devote portion nf NV +i,r &,
soilis over the trail of the expedition
against Quebec. led by Benedict Arnold
IN l'l5. My objects in this were thvo-
ioiu: FIRST to become, for literary
purposes thoroughly acquainted with
the ground covered by athe exnat,itio,
ana, second. to settle to nv own sat;s-
FACTION by exactly what route Arnold
got from Dead river to the Chandiara
The present summer found me in Ros-
ton with the spare time on my hands
and accordingly i packed up nv camp
ing outilt, slung it on my shoulders
! and started alone to walk to Ouehec
| and back
the tenth of August found me. there
fore, at Gardiner. where / had snant
the previous night rolled up in INV
blankets and stretched out in the grass
beside the river dreaming WAS
polar expedition. BY daylight | was
thoroughly thawed out, and started on
my travels, via the trolley line 10 Au-
gusta. The notice / excited along the
| line of march was trifle embarrass-
ing at first. and so thoroughly were my
CATERS and pack stared at that / began
| to believe myself that | was an odditv.
long conversation with Mr.. Charles
Nash, l stopped to sketch the old Fort
Western. on the east side of the river.
and in SO doing excited the luminosity
of chickens, dogs and tenants. who
urged me to ''be off, in no uncertain
tones. Undaunted, however, I sketched
| ahead. and in good time closed my
| book and wandered down through the
| lumber yard and jumped the fence,
landing on the Maine Central tracks.
| Then l began to work. Any one who
thinks a ,tie-counting tramp has an
easy time of it, doesn't know l do 1
counted ties till | grew dizzy. 1
stubbed my toes, and got my shoes full
| of gravel. And. worst of all, I swell
tered under a broiling sun and IA
pounds of baggage. / wandered long
and YEARLY all that day, relieved only
| by lift of six miles on a handcar-
where my back got a chance ITO work
and by a monday swim in the Ken
nebec. The scenery up the river. as
every Augustan knows. is magnificent:
so l enjoyed even while l suffered. By
the middle of the afternoon / was at
| the mouth of the Sebasticook. taking
in the old block house. There I fell
from grace for the first time that day,
and went by train to Skowhegan. The
city of the beautiful name received me
in the same look while he passes
way as Augusta had done, and after
a view of the falls and the rock below
them-from which, says Judge Henry,
the Norridgewock Indians obtained
their arrowheads-I was glad ITO go by
trolley to Norridgewock and stroll up
the east bank till found good camp
ing place.
Seen in the light of later experience
l am free to confess it was not good
camping place. In fact, it was sheep
pasture into which l had strayed. So
when l was we'll asleep 1 was awakened
by the sound of stealthy footsteps and
heavy breathing. My heart fairly
stood still, and my hair must have
risen on end. 1 felt for my knife and
lay quaking among my blankets. The
footsteps approached-were almost
upon me- l half raised myself ana
was about to spring upon the intruder
ny over a fence, as the case might be-
when there was a terrified "Baa- "a,
and my visitor fled away, leaving me
still living, and owner of the held
Somehow / slept the rest of that night
and in the morning, after breakfaseihs
at a farm house and visiting Bonoa
zine rip, | caught the mixed frelgN al
q water tank and rode up to Bingham
OF course ! had ample time to Visit the
falls at Madison bridge and those al
so,on. beth beautiful and worth jour-
neving far to see. My mail was due al
bingham on the evening train, ano
after it had arrived ! went on up ahe
!. road nine miles, to the carrying
J MACE" and camped near Rollins house
Again / was unfortunate in my cainp
ing place. No sheep this time ou'
midges. They swamned over me D.
millions. | kicked. scratched, roileo
over. and lay awake nearly all hisill
100 tired and sleepy to cnahse NY
canning place. Needless to say was
a stir ait dawn, and ferried over tn'
river to Briggs tote road at O'CLOCK
The walk up the tote road was paeas'
apt one. and three and half miles II
found a good breakfast at Lane
! enorting camps on East Carry poiiu
Right there the legends began 10 pou
i, an me. No less than three sePara''
rool,s were shown me. each one o
which was the one on whlcn +AIlol,
landed when he went across the poi,u
When had viewed them all TO I'M
satisfactjon of the expositors | was a.
frai