The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-10-06
Penobscot Bay Resorts.
Cottages of Banker Drexel, Miss Rose A.
Cleveland and Artist Gibson.

Cottages of Banker Drexel, Miss Rose A.
Cleveland and Artist Gibson.
Boston Sunday Globe.
Penobscot bay. its islands and its
mainland shores and hills are growing
more popular with each succeeding
year, and promises to speedily rival all
the exception of Bar Harbor.
Dark. Harbor, which sprang into prom
inence four years ago last June, with the
enterprise of the Islesboro Land Com
pany, composed of Philadelphia capt
talists, has already become the summer
home of an exclusive set from the
Quaker city, New York and Boston,
and is filled with scores of cottages
costing from $4,000 to $4,000, which
are occupied by owners and friends
from June until October, and even
later.
Nature has done wonders to make the
place beautiful, and the civil engineer,
the landscape gardener and the archl-
tect have wrought changes which serve
to bring out the ruggedneSS OF shore
and the WildnesS of the woods.
Members Of society can there unbend
all they please and still observe all the
conventionalities i'll every sort OF func-
ton whenever they choose, for there is
always something doing.
Within year or two, however, some
of the wealthy residents have sought
out spots of greater retirement and
more quiet, where they have no per-
emptory call to obey the behests of So
ciety to enter its whirl and gayety.
Banker DreNel.
One of these is George w. Childs
Drexel, the Philadelphia banker. Two
wears ago he selected a large farm on
the highest elevation in North Isles
boro, from the cleared summit of which
view can be had to every point OF
vision. Camden mountains lie to the
southwest, Belfast, Northport, Sears
port and the mouth of the river sweep
to the west and north, while Castine,
Cape Rozier, Deer Isle and the little
dots which make up the Penobscot ar
chipelago are seen at the east and south,
with North Haven y miles away.
There last year, Mr.. Drexel built his
cottage, and progressed so near to com
pletion that he and his friend, l.. l..
Diddle, with their families, occupied it
for six or seven weeks late last fall.
They were early on hand again in the
spring and went to work with an army
of men to put on the finishing touches
and to rebuild the landing pier with its
float, which had been damaged by ice.
From this landing there are two ap-
proaches. The first is a comfortable
and somewhat winding driveway, which
is reached from the abrupt shore by
climbing stairs and terraces. The other
is nearly direct through dense forest
of second growth spruce, which is
shorn of underbrush and trimmed away
ascends the precipitous hill over rustic
bridges, over impossible gullies down
which the water ruSheS during spring
rains
Approaching by this path neither the
cottage, the bay nor the harbor is seen
until one comes to the opening which
crowns the summit when the beautiful
residence comes to view.
Its color is as near that of the spruce
forest at rear and below as can be. The
verandas are broad, and at the eaSterly
end is a cosy shelter with WalSt-hlgh
wall, where lunch, games or tete-a-tete
can be INDUCED i'll, with a good tele-
scope poised so as to look in all dlrec-
tons except northwest.
The rooms are large and airy, finished
i'll cypress and other choice woods, and
connected by broad sliding doors, Open
tileplaces are everywhere but with
plenty Of auxiliary heat if wanted.
Antique furniture of ebony and other
dark woods suggests comfort instead of
show, While the floors are covered with
oriental rugs.
The central walk down the hill from
tie main entrance is OF broken, finished
stone, laid in cement, and leads to a
small flower garden, and beyond to a
cleared plain of several acres.
At the rear are the stables, at d dis
taHer. and nearer to the house are the
servants quarters.
Water for the whole establishment
flows from Il tower, which is filled by a
power pump from three artesian wells.
The large garden, with profusion of
flowers, shrubs and vines, is also at the
rear.
The Drexels and Biddles are much
given to boating, and are we'll equipped
for that pleasure. They own two racing
naphtha launches, each - feet long and
3 wide, and driven by 3}5-horse power
automobiles engines at the rate of 20 to
% miles al hour. Another launch, IS
feet long, and we'll housed and provided
with every convenience, is for large
parties and family excursions. Two
others, alike, are 81 feet long, and run
by 20-horse power engines.
The Drexels and Biddles are isolated,
Yet easily accessible to friends. 1t is
but all hours run to Dark Harbor in
the large launch, and less than 30 min
utes to there or to Belfast in the racers.
Messrs. Drexel and Biddle have bought
lots in a locality still more isolated, on
the shores of Pitchers pond, North
port. Mr.. Biddle has just completed a
fishing camp and boathouse, and early
in the spring will put up comfortable
cottage.
Artist Gibson.
OF the many beautiful spots in Pen
obscot bay, none is more picturesque
fhan hot