Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-08-08
Letter From Bailey Island.


searched my vocabulary in vain for a
word that will fill the bill. am re-
minded of what man said who was just
little "boozy." He with others had
been invited to take tea at neighbours.
When all were seated around the festal
board, loaded with good things, and he
had been bountifully served, he looked
up with q puzzled expression of coun-
tenance, and exclaimed, GLOW shall l
begin?"
Oh, these bright, beautiful days!
When the atmosphere is so clear one can
see the far distant islands on the very
verge of the horizon. Oh, these dreamy
days! When one is filled with delicious
languor. Here is sure cure for in
somnia. believe one could sleep here
the twenty-four hours, waking only long
enough for meals. We are sitting on the
veranda listening to the splash of the
waves on the beach. My breast is filled
with calm and peaceful thoughts that
lull all cares to rest, and l..
81 feel DER me stealth
That noddy, sleepy, snoopy feelin'."
There is only one abiding care, and
that is to be sure and get your name in
the dinner kettle. For, to tell the truth,
my appetite has attained enormous pro-
portions, and 1 have frequently felt the
necessity of reminding my fellow-cot-
tagers of the need of temperance in all
things, when the Holsters and CLANS were
disappearing too rapidly. We have
flung all bitters and tonics to the winds.
Fish is on the menu daily. We find the
sea breeze one of the best of tonics, and
an occasional bath in cold sea water i'm
parts vigor and vim.
Bailey Island is about two and one
half miles long, varying from one-half to
one mile wide. 1t boasts of three hotels
and forty or fifty cottages. There are
very few trees, and these are mostly
small spruce and fir, Wood is very
dear, and the large quantities of drift
wood that come ashore are boon to the
citizens. On arriving here l looked in
vain for what might call barn. The
barns were 80 small and so far from
the dwelling houses thought they were
fish houses. The only barn in sight
from our cottage is of such dimensions
that man standing on the ground car
pitch hay from the ground into the
second story window. Large barns are
not needed, as they have very small crop:
to harvest. The owner of this barn evi
IDENTIFY is not burdened with modern i'm.
provements. He poles in his hay, draw.
water from his well with a rope ant
pail, and tethers his COWS, which save:
the trouble and expense of building ;
pasture fence.
The cottages are clustered here ant
there upon the barren lodges like barna
cles on a rock. Though somewha
barren, the island is not altogether lack
ing in natural beauties. There is grand
eur in the rough and rugged rocks tina
bound the southern coast, and one il
filled with awe and admiration as hi
gazes on Thunder Cave or the Clan
Stairway. One cannot help wonderin,
what great upheaval of nature, wha
cosmic disturbance, nodded these might,
rocks and moved them into their prope
places so as to bring about such magni
ficent effects. Thunder Cave derives it
name from the sound made by the bill
lows. AS they come dashing on TIN
rocks below the sound reverberates
d uOloc llhc
There is beach on the eastern shor
called Pebbly Beach, where one nigh
pick up tons of paving stones, and luck.
stones without number, to say nothin,
of the pretty pebbles, carloads of whicl
are carried away by visitors every season
These are the chief points of interest
Then there is Mackerel Cove where Their
is steamboat landing, and Pirate Cove
both of which afford fine views for snap
shots. There is small beach close b.
our cottage where those of our compan,
who wish 60 in bathing. We were in
formed by an old salt that the best tim
to go into the water is at high tide. A
ebb tide the rocks and lodges are ex
posed to the sun and become s.
thoroughly heated that at flood tide tn
rocks warm the water. Some of TIL
visitors are expert swimmers. canno
understand how boy could be born Oh
an island and grow to manhood ant
never learn to swim. Yet such is tn
case, and some have lost their lives as q
result of the neglect of their early train
ing.
There is one church on the island. /
is due to the efforts of the gentler sex
as is set forth by the following legent
which appears on its front: "Built b,
the Ladies' Sewing Society, 1885," w,
find the women in advance of the mel
as elsewhere. The women of this her,
island seem to be very self-reliant class
Many of the men are away sword fish
ing, and the women are left to care for tn,
family aloLe. There is one minera
spring here, the waters of which are sale
to contain medicinal properties.
From our cottage the twin lights OF
Cape Elizabeth are plainly visible, alst
Portland Head light. Sometimes wher
the moon is shining take stroll to the
adjacent hill top, and then l can SCI
Seguin light and the light on Half Way
Rock, also the light on Ram Island
There is young man camping neal
us who is student at Bates College
During his vacation he is engaged il
lobster fishing, thereby strengthening
his nerves and also his pocket book.
The shores are bordered by profusior
of wild roses intertwined with the
tangled vines of the morning glory of the
seashore; here and there green hedges OF
bayberry intervene, the whole combn.
ing natural beauty which far exceeds
that of studied art. Longfellow ex
presses similar thought beautifully,
"There Is more beauty ripe and real
Than all the nonsense OF the stone ideal"
AS am writing, sniff of the salt
salt sea, and the sea-weed- covered rocks
comes in at the open window, mingled
with the perfume of wild roses and bay.
berry. 1t is pleasure to roam on the
sea shore and gather pretty shells and
pebbles. Quantities of sea moss that is
used in cookery may be had for the
gathering.
Bailey Island is in close proximity to
Orr's Island. We often hire boatman
to row us across to Orr's. called at the
house where lives one of the characters
in "The Pearl of Orr's Island" but Aunt
Roxie, who is 80 years old, was indis-
posed that morning, so had to forego
the pleasure of an interview.
One morning when the tide was low
we armed ourselves with hoes, clam
diggers and breadspoons, and went
claiming. There were fourteen of us
all told. The youngest was scarcely
four and the eldest seventy-six. We dug