The Somerset reporter., 1898-07-28
Editors Abroad.

Maine Press excursion this year stipu-
lated that members who TOOK in the
trip, to Halifax. Nova Scotia, were ex-
pected to furnish the papers they repre-.
sent with write ups" because of
favors received by them. To one who
has more or less writing to do under
stress every day in the year when at
home, it is not agreeable to feel that when
he goes away for a brief rest he must
continue that employment, and this
stipulation detracted somewhat from
the enjoyment of the otherwise delight
full excursion But we drew the line on
making notes by the way. We record
briefly our recollections of few of the
many pleasant features as they are re-
membered by busy newspaper worker
with an Indifferent memory. upon his
return to every day life and occupation.
Dinner at Skowhegan, supper at Nc
Adam, all night at ST. John, early
dinner at Annapolis, Nova Scotia, after
"doing the town., is fairly good "a
hours progress to the eastward, when
one is travelling for pleasure. In going
this distance we have crossed the Ken
nebec, the PenObscot, the Mattawamkeag
the St. Croix, the st. John rivers, the
the Bay of Fundy and the Annapolis
Basin, to say nothing of tributary
streams and arms of lakes.
More than twenty-four hours were
required to make the balance of the
journey to Halifax from Annapolis,
although the distance is but about 13C
miles, because of long and happy tarry
at Kentyille, one of the lively Nova
Scotia towns, that has much of the
hustle and hustle of "Yankeedom'
Here the Kentville board of trade took
the editors in charge, gave them re-
ceptiou, an entertainment and glorious
ride, Wednesday morning, among the
hills and valleys of the beautiful country
overlooking the celebrated Minas Basin
to the grand look out, Blomidon, that
guards the southern shores of the waters
whose tides lave the fair land of the i'm
mortal "Evangeline''. The people of
Kentville know how to entertain stran-
gers and they carry their knowledge
into delightful practice.
The Annapolis Valley and Basin
Minas are the great fruit growing regions
of Nova Scotia. Orchards, mostly apple
orchards, abound on all sides, extensive
and thrifty. Unfortunately this year
they give promise of scanty harvest.
1t is the ION" year and as in Maine, the
trees blossomed profusely but the fruit
is minus quantity. The failure of the
apple crop to these people means much
more than in most other sections, be-
cause of the extent of apple culture here.
1t constitutes large fraction of the
profitable and salabe product of farms
in this region. 1t is so important an
item that some Is years ago wharf was
built at great expense to accommodate
from Annapolis to Liverpool. But this
did not prove paying investment. The
extension of the Dominion Atlantic
railroad from Yarmouth to Halifax had
the tendency to make these places the
principal shipping points to the detri-
ment of Annapolis.
The city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, was
our objective point and of course inter-
est conferred more particularly in that
capital city, the important British mill
tary and naval post of the lower provin-
ces. 1t is larger and finer city than
we expected to see, and compares we'll
with American cities of its size while
differing greatly in many particulars.
There is not that hustle and haste ex-
hibted in the business streets and
offices. Great deliberation is manifest.
Importuning of customers by statesmen
and extraordinary efforts to sell wares
are not apparent, much to the relief of
shoppers who like to decide for them
selves what they want to purchase.
The harbor is splendid one, deep, ca
pacious and amply sheltered, having a
dry dock of sufficient size to dock the
largest war ship afloat. 1t will be re-
membered that the American war ship
Indiana was locked here few months
ago. The citadel, the mecca of all tour
lists, occupies commanding hight in
the center of the city and is an impos-
ing structure, but we were disappointed
in the armament and in the fact that ii
is not kept in fighting trim. The alb
sence of modern guns, large and small,
on the parapets, and evidences of the
effect of the elements upon earth works
were conditions not in accord with our
expectations of citadel occupied and gar
risoned by first class military and
naval power. 1t was one of the many
instances where we did not know the
fact.
Our party spent one full day and a
part of another in Halifax, and by the
use of electric lines and an excursion
steamer, kindly placed at our disposal
by the tourists association of Halifax,
we had excellent facilities for viewing
the city and harbor and availed our.
selves of them. The object of the
greatest interest to all, judging from
manifestations apparent, was Her Maj
esty's ship, Renown. She is first class
war ship of about II, 900 tons carrying Al
guns and having on board 700 men.
She is the sixth vessel that has borne
that name, the first being a vessel of but
200 tons burden before the days of
steam navigation. Another object OF
interest was the Chromartyshire, the
ship that collided with and sunk the
French steamer Bourgogne. She showed
by her smashed bow the terrible force
of the collision of these two large ships
in the fog.
The transportation facilities from
Central Maine to Halifax, are excellent.
4 . IA a.