The Republican journal., 1905-05-18
A DAY AT THE U. OF NJ.


Scenes and Incidents of Trip up-river.
1t was delightful day for trip up-river
bright sunshine, but with brisk north
wind that made an OvercOat essential to the
comfort of those who sought the forward
deck of the steamer City of Bangor to view
the beauties of the PenObscot river. The
writer had as companion gentleman
| whose boyhood and early manhood were
| spent in StOcktOn-it was not Stockton
| Springs then-and Belfast, but who for
some time past has been engaged in busi-
ness in the west. A few days before he
had made the trip up the Kennebec river,
and while he found the scenery attractive
there he awarded the palm to the pictur-
esque Penobscot. A stranger tourist hear
ing our conversation remarked that he
found it difficult to decide between the two
rivers, but while some parts OF the Kenne-
bee were very beautiful, he thought that as
whole the PenObscOt Out-rivaled it. 1t is
indeed a beautiful river, and some day, when
the electricS shall have made the many
charming sites readily accessible, it will be
built up with summer residences. AT this
time the light green of the fresh foliage in
contrast with the dark color Of the ever
greens adds attractveness to the wooded
places. Here the river flows between i'm
perishable walls of rock, and now and then
sandy beaches, as clean looking as the
kitchen floor of New England housewife,
come into view. Nowhere is seen drift
stuff Or unsightly rubbish, and to the
fhn kan tha
grounds of a milliOnaire.
The new railroad was naturally an OBJ
ject of interest, but in passing Stockton
harbor we were unable to get a glimpse of
the operations on Cape Jellison and near
the village. In Prospect, however, the
roadbed was plainly visible in places and
men could be seen at work upon it. At
Bucksport were great masses of steel to be
used in the construction of bridges for the
road. and alongside the steamboat wharf
the lighter Reliance was taking on deck
load of ties and other material. Two tracks
are run on the wharf, which has been greatly
enlarged since it became the property of the
Maine Central, and one track runs down on
the upper side, where freight can be trans
ferred directly to the deck of the lighter.
When the Maine Central completes its i'm
provements here and the Eastern Steamship
Company builds its new wharf the water
front of Bucksport will be busy place and
resume something Of its old-time activity.
There is one point on the river where
man has materially marred the beauties of
nature. The point just above the tannery
at BuckSpOrt was, when the writer was a
student at the seminary fifty odd years
ago, finely wooded and included among its
other attractions a "Lover's Leap" 1t was
a favorite spot with the students, who
often went there On their before-breakfast
walks. Now it is bare of trees and foliage,
a rock-pimpled excrescence in the other
wise charming landscape. From here opens
the famous Polar sea, at the head of which
is the pretty and enterprising village of
Winterport.
Nearing Bangor we met afew little schoon-
ers lumber laden and bound out. and then
come the ice houses, mills and lumber piles.
The port is Singularly bare of shipping. On
the Brewer side was the new four -masted
schooner Augusta w. Snow, with sails bent
and nearly ready for sea. She is painted
white and is a very pretty vessel, although
her beauty is marred by the way her bow
spirit is set. 1t stands up in the air almost
like fifth mast, and we should think they
would need ratlines on the footropes On
the Bangor side is the big schooner Paul
Palmer vi the well-known Palmer fleet
h1 bo 10, hI1i1f
er Governor Powers, painted dark green,
an able and business-lke looking craft.
Mr.. Blake's steam yacht Aria was still in
her winter quarters but crew were get.
ting her in readiness to go into commission.
and alongside the steamboat wharf was the
Helena, another Bangor steam yacht, her
paint glistening and brass work shining
Although the Bangor Brewer bridge is now
free the little steam ferry boat Bon Ton
continues to ply brskly from shore to shore
carrying passengers each way for one cent.
A few bay coasters, some power launches
and the Bangor and Brooksville steamer
fremont complete the list of navigation
in port.
A pleasant ride of three-quarters of an
hour on an electric car brought the writer
to the campus of the University of Maine
| for a first visit, to be welcomed at the Phi
Kappa Sigma House by Mr.. Frank W
Twombly of Belfast, installed in the guest
room, and made free of the whole establish
ment. The boys were somewhat concerned
as they were in the midst of houSe-cleaning
time of horror to every man, and intensi
fed in this case by the presence of paper
hangers. After seeing them at work-the
paper hangers, not the boys-l wished
could send Matt Welch up to do the job fo1
them. After dinner and watching the ten
mis- players for time-each fraternity
house has its court, and tennis is evidently
| all the rage-the writer called at the Mt
| Vernon House and with coed made a
tour of the grounds, visiting the various
halls, gymnasium, athletic field, etc. An
| object of great interest to the writer was
the old locomotive Lion, which with its
mate the Tiger used to haul lumber from
Whitneyville to Machiasport half century
and more ago. This was one Of the earliest
railroads in the country. The rails were OF
bar iron, spiked o4to wood, and naturally
became broken quite often and required
frequent repairs. The boys of those days
| uSad tn pathar I'm tho hrnlxan nioooS +o nv,