Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-12-27
THE OLD HOME.
Maine Folk In California Like TO
Hear of 1t.

railway at q. m. and as we are to GO to
Hancock, Maine, we have ahead OF us a
journey of about nine hours. II is going
to be a hot day. We feel the muggy,
sticky heat already.
AT about noon we arrive in Portland,
where we dine. / begin on a clam stew
and end with blueberry pie. l haven't
had either of these for long time. / am
very fond of both; and in those other
days / use to dig CLAIMS and pick blue
berries in tho 's0ld Pine Tree State" In
the former case my back would ache as if
broken; in the latter, my lips and teeth
were black for days at time Something
like half of my picking went into the pail
carried; and the other half into my face.
1 well remember it was long, hard pull
and push for one of my brothers and me,
as we hauled in our hand cart bushel or
more of CLANS to our house on the hill
yonder. Sometimes there were no broth
ers st home to help; then sister would
push on the cart behind.
l wei remember how fought fireswhen
father burned the pastures over SO that
blueberries might come in, and then when
they grew and ripened, how a whole fam
lily of us went blueberrying and kept II up
for weeks. We had BURBERRY sauce, blue
berry cake and blueberry pie; we picked
biueberries and we dried them for use in
winter, and we sold few quarts occa-
sionaily and so obtained few dimes
which we made go long way buying
neeessaries of life.
only allow my thoughts to ramble
little while we are taking our incoming
here in Portland. The bell rings. The
| train moves, and we are on it and off
again, rolling along through Names
rocky farms, her little villages and cities.
love to look out of the window upon
New England fields.
| Say what you will of our Californis
/ summers, they do not equal New England
summers in that which is beautiful in
| field and woods; in stream, river and sea-
shore. OF course we do not have as many
mosquitoes, so much thunder and light
ming to scare the life out of us, nor such
sultry, depressing heat as they have in
land in New England; but where can you
find anything here like the bays, lakes,
promontories, points and headlands, to
which to fee from heat, as you viii find
all along the rock bound coast OF Maine.
Our Venice of America, with all its en-
| terprise and sand, cannot give TO the tired
brain and WORKOUT body the sweet rest
| that Old Orchard can. Give me California
| in winter; but in summer let me visit New
England, and Maine especially, the home
of my boyhood. o, but / want to rest
| there; do not want to pick up stone or
drive an ox-tea :. as / did in that other
day.
There is not much there in the way of
business that l would care to engage in,
take it the year round; but like to go
/ there and see the folks, the few who are
left Of those knew so well SO many are
dead, so many have taken Greely's advice
and gone West.
1t is getting along toward evening and
we are in Bangor. About forty-two years
ago saw Bangor for the first time. had
staged it from Hancock to Ellsworth,
changed at Ellsworth and staged it again
to Bangor; but now take the train right
4 through to Hancock. Instead of taking
1
old way, now make it in about an hour.
| / have good reason for remembering
Bangor and my first trip to it. There
were three or four of us, neighbors, going
to Gloucester, Mass, expecting to get on
some mackerel catcher of a feet sailing
out Of that port. We were obliged to stop
over for the night in Bangor, and so we
put up at the Penobscot Exchange.
l was very young ana inexperienced.
How anxious l was as to the outcome OF
this trip. When 1 left my house in Ham
cock, put into NY pocket all my wealth,
so far as greenbacks contributed to wealth
at that time, which was the sum Of s16. i
found by the time / had reached Ban
gor that good deal OF my money had
been used mp IN fares and hotel bills, and
was getting farther away from home all
the time.
At home had been restless and thought
that there were better places outside, and
had heard the story about being tied to
your mothers apron strings good many
times, from my schoolmates, who had
been away from home and seen some OF
the world.
But now was beginning to value home
as never before. / was thinking of how
foolish l was to leave home. The old
rocky farm which had caused me so much
trouble looked SO pleasant to me as
seemed TO see it, and wondered why any
body would want to leave home why not
stay there and be contented and happy.
And then when we failed to accomplish
what we had set ont to do, because the
whole fleet of fishermen were ont on its
chase after schools OF maekerei, and my
friends and parted company, and Ifonnd
myself in the great city of Boston with
only two cents in my pocket, here was the
outcome fully realized. But somehow
found help in this time of my need, and
opportunity to work my passage back
| home m an old coaster