The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-16
NEWS on THE PENOBSCOT.
Hurricane Deck and shore Gossip f.N'
changed From ROckland 10 Bangor

4 People who live in the towns aIonG the
picturesque Penobscot River from kocK-
land to Bangor read the newspapers JUST
as people in other towns do, but they get
a good deal of gossip from the hurricane
decks OF the steamers that pass by daily
That is the way people along the Mississippi
and the Missouri rivers got their news
! before the days Of railroads.
When Penobscot River st Gamer SOUNDS
her siren for a landing the whole town
| 0ocks to the pier and when the steamer
is made fast and the captain stands al
his post, communications begin, some
! BODY ashore leading on ~hlie 'he Popui"ee
| looks -lsyward and listens.
| H. was IRON the pier at Searsport that the
following question was waited up:
See ANYTHING of Squire '---'''- UP 70
Bangor this trip ,.,,
The old captain replied that he hadn
seen the person mentioned TOT se'erai
!He sen, word that he'd be deown to
Searspor and kind o been lookin' FUR
him. Hope nothin happened, When you
90 up again. if you see him. just tell him
l'm expecting him deown.
When the steamer lay at the wharf az
Belfast a man on shore called to the capt ain;
Hear ANYTHING deown n Boston 'beout
report that senator Frye's going to marry
SOON"
The captain, no, often communicative.
except bv monosYl Tables. became slightly
interested at this inquiry.
Hadn't heard that Night be 30, though
Where did you hear that?
"Purser of the sister ship come ashore
minute on his way up on last trip and said
he heard it deown in Boston. Seems mighty
strange We have to go away from home TO
hear the news. =,
Then the captain got the signal that all
were aboard He changed the bell at the
foremost and the big steamer churned
ND the waters and sailed maJesticaliy for
Camden, while the old captain paced the
floor of the pilot house and strOked his
PeIerian whiskers until the steamer was
made fast at the Camden pier. While the
freight was being hustled out, Camden
man shouted up;
Who was that chap you brought down
from Bucksport last trip, cap?"
The captain did not recall the person,
We'll, he made things lively in Camden
until we made him leave town. He had a
Jag the like of which Camden haint seen in
many a day, and Just how he ever got any
thing in Bucksport amazes us. Haint
heard of such a thing in Bucksport since
last Presidential election Guess he don't
belong in these parts. Hope you don't land
any more like him in Camden"
"Never heard of it," said the captain as
he motioned to the pilot to go ahead.
And it was a man on the pier at Bucks
port on the up trip who shouted:
Hear anything in Boston abeout big
panic in Wall Street New York"
Nothing special" was the reply Of the
captain .,
Man was deown from Bangor yesterday
who said he heard it up there. Didn't
seem to know much abeout 1t, though. But
hope it's So"
What makes you say that?" shouted a
passenger who, being New Yorker, con-
cluded to take hand
Well" said the man ashore; panic in
Wall Street means that somebody's got
hurt deown there, and we're glad to hear
Of it up here. Some of our folks in Bucks
port were deown in Wall Street abeout a
year ago and they haven't been much use
10 this community since.
This seemed to please the crowd ashore.
They laughed, and some Of the passengers
on the hurricane deck asked back II old
lied ProutY was at home. Then the captain
What's the name Of that fort across the
river? asked a passenger of an officer OF the
steamer,
The officer replied that it was Fort Point,
Any soldiers there?'
"No; haven't seen any around there since
the Spanish war, s,~
"Oh. nothing, except il helps the Gov
eminent spend some of it's money, And it
makes people in Bucksport fee safe. A
foreign fleet at Searsport could drop shells
onto that fort and blow it up by the roots.
But YOU can't make BuckspQCt man zee
it that way. and as long as Bucksport feels
safe it makes no difference abeout the bal
! ance Of the country"
The officer swerved from his military
criticism long enough to hail man ashore
| to whom he shouted: "'rhe skipper Of the
July Fourth will be deown next week with
that load of shingles. Told me so to-day
up at Hampton"
Then the officer told the passengers that
the July Fourth was a schooner that ploughs
the waters Of the Penobscot picking up
freight anywhere between Rockland and
| Bangor