The Republican journal., 1898-06-02
Over the DixmOnt Hills.

Probably everybody in Waldo and Pc
nobscot counties, seventy-three per cent.
of the people of Maine and twenty four
and three eighths per cent. OF the people of
New England have heard of the Dixmont
Hills. But whether or not they ever
heard of them before, trip over those
same hills is worth ones while. The
nearest point of attack is from Unity sta
ton on the Belfast branch of the Maine
Central railroad. For Belfaster, how
ever, OF one who prefers to to via Bel
fast, Brooks station should be the starting
point. This route also possesses the ad-
vantage of giving more solid hill climbing
to the mile than any other, with fine views
all along the way We should never adj
wise any one to try thisitrip on a bicycle,
unless he be an expert at hill climbing and
Goasting and has good, reliable brake.
We will suppose, for starting point,
that the party to make the trip is in Bel
fast. 1t was once common saying: "All
roads lead to Rome Now, to a person
in Belfast, there are lots of roads that
lead to Brooks. The quickest way to get
there is by train, which leaves Belfast at
!. - a. m. and arrives in Brooks 20 min
ntes later. There are good livery stables
in Brooks, where teams, and pilots if de-
sired, can be procured. Should the party
prefer to make the whole distance by team,
go to one of the Belfast livery stables and
tell them where you want to 60. They
will provide you with good strong team,
with or without driver as you prefer.
When you are "all aboard" take any one
of the roads leading north and you will
land in Brooks sooner or later. A very
good road is no High street to Citypoint,
then by the Gentner farm to point near
Waldo station, thence over the Littletield
hill and parallel with the railroad into
Brooks village This road enters the vii
A. E. Chase, at right angles with the ''Bel-
fast road So called. Another way is to
go out Waldo avenue, cross the high
bridge at the Head of the Tide, from there
take the road northward by the ''Hollis
place, " and connect with the first named
road at the Gentner farm. There are
numerous ''forks'' in these roads after
passing the Gentner place, but unless one
goes too far to the eastward he will event
ually find himself in Brooks Follow the
| guide boards or, when in doubt, the direc-
tons of the farmers along the way and
you will 90 by the most direct route
There are but few hills on this route ex-
cept the Littlefeld Hill, just beyond Wal
do station.
/ The shortest route from Belfast to
| Brooks is via Evans Corner in Waldo,
! but it is billy as compared with the others.
The hills are, however, but mole hills as
compared with what lies beyond. To 60
by this route, drive out Waldo avenue to
the Head of the Tide, take the road past
the church to Evans Corner, in Waldo,
thence straight on up the hill and on to
Brooks, coming into the village down the
hill past the water works. This has been
early settlers hauled their goods to and
from the coast on OK teams, with spotted
trees as guides. 1t goes directly from
Belfast, up hill and down northward to
the interior. The farm buildings were
then built on the tops of the hills and
roads were built to accommodate them.
The next best way is via Gurneys Mills,
WhiJcomb's Hall, Freeman's Corner and
near South Brooks village to Brooks. To
GO by this route, take the left hand road
at ''Harper's Ferry in Belfast, pass
straight through Gurney's Mills and take
the first right hand road beyond Whit
combs. By following your nose and the
guide boards you will apparently double
on your track two or three times but will
come into Brooks village by Wall street,
in direction directly opposite to the
first named route.
Brooks is busy little village, but If
one has the Dixmont Hills before him
he doesn' want to tarry Take the road
out by the clothing factories and Gordon $
greenhouse, up HILL of course, and then
keep straight on, and you soon come
to the home of County Commissioner
Mark S. Stiles. He lives a few rods oft
on a cross road, on the farm cleared by
his father, the late Mark S. Stiles, who
was also once County Commissioner.
| The next point of interest is the ''Great
| FARM of Jackson, which in early years
was famous in many respects. The farm
originally contained twelve hundred acres
and was bought by the original settlers of
Thorndike & Sears, who were known as
the ''original proprietors," and who own
ed the greater part of this section of the
State under grant from the King of Eng
land. The late Major Timothy Thorndike