Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-02-14
ISLE AU HAUT.
NAMES MOST EXCLUSIVE SUM
MER RESORT.
THE POINT LOOKOUT COLONY OF Bos-
TONS BLUEsT BLooD-NATtIRE IN
DIsTURBED-'THE SIMPLE LIFE.
From The Lewiston journal. /

Isle au Haut, which was discovered by
Champlain and later visited by De Monts,
about the time Mount Desert island was
sighted 800 years ago, lies about five miles
south of Deer Isle, OF which until its
separation in 1874, it formed an integral
part. 1t really consists of group of
islands, namely; Two Spoon, York's,
lands ard all other islands in what is
termed Merchants Row.
For centuries it has been untouched by
the wave of progress, and Bar Harbor rose
| to its present eminence while none thought
| to give Isle au Haut, one of the most beau
| tiful of Maine islands, even a passing
notice. Over dozen years ago, Boston
party of prominent men who were look
| ing for spot where nature had been un-
disturbed by the art of man.
Prof. Bowditch, the moving spirit,
whose fame as landscape gardener is
international, decided to found a colony
there, whose summers, at least, should be
the .simple life'' to the letter, and so it
Lookout club colony, situated pictur-
esquely at the northern end OF the island.
The colony, a little over year ago, came
into public notice on account of the death
at the club house of Mrs. Paul Revere, the
aged descendant of the illustrious Revolu-
tionary hero. Until that event few knew
of the distinguished colony living at Isle
Il an az hal hr ba led
Bostonese blue blood, for it is more diff
cult to obtain seasons club membership
there than pass from the Jap frontier to
| Port Arthur.
POINT LOOKOUT CLUB.
1t is decidedly English in all appoint
ments and rules. The club has a mem
| bership of about fifteen, including the
| Olneys, of Boston and New York, the
| Bowditches, of Boston, Shortridges, Of
Philadelphia, Buffers and Longs, of Bos-
ton, and a few others, who are well
known il railroad history. The club
group of cottages picturesquely situated
| nearby. All occupants of the club cot
tages, which are pretentious villas, are
subject to the rules emanating from the
club. For instance, it costs 1914 cents for
trunk from the wharf to the villa, 12h
cents more to carry it to the designated
room; water is IL cents gallon; it costs
80 cents day to have ones flag hauled up
and down; $50 a month for chamber
maid; so much for candles, ice, boating,
ETC., until when the bill is presented at
the months end, it ranges from yard to
two yards in length.
On the warmest day the club house is
cool with decidedly Bostonese frigidity.
Consequently young girls and young
men pass the Isle au Haut by and the men
of finance seeking rest 'far from the wolff
of Wall and State streets, are glad of this.
A stringent rule is that no one, even
though he build cottage, shall in the
| least disturb nature except in so much as
| is requisite to build walk to the house.
A private yacht plies between the is
land and Stonington in summer, and next
season regular line will be established
between Rockland and the island. Since
| the coming of the club there have been
| built splendid roads - one fifteen-mile
drive encircling the island having been
but recently completed, the town appro-
priating 1850 to build the connecting
link. There is no other drive like this in
this country. 1t skirts the ocean, pene-
trating through primeval forests present.
ing on the eastern side the grandest and
widest view of the Atlantic, overlooking
a half hundred little islands = the most
important lobster centres on the Maine
coast.
All the club cottages and the big club
house were built by Clarence d. Turner,
who is a self-taught architect, civil engi-
neer, ship builder, blacksmith and land
scape gardener. Mr.. Turner is town treas
urer and postmaster. To him is due the
building of the circle drive. He laid it
out and built it, and there is no finer road
surface anywhere.
1.-THE SIMPLE LIFE"
Even to-day the mode of rapid transit
on the island is primitive. In summer a
trained OK hitched to small cart carry
ing an extremely pretty Isle au Haut girl
was the sensation of the day to the blase
financiers lounging at the Point Lookout
club upon its arrival with mail or pack
ages from the postoffice. There are but
few horses on the island, shank's mare
being the popular motive power. Men
who wouldn't think of walking from their
office to a restaurant in New York, shoot
it" blithely on Isle au Haut.
Across the s'Thoroughfare'' is Kimball 8
island presided over by ''Gov." Smith,
who is opposed to the tangled notions
of Isle au Haut in road building. A long,
low house on the brow of a hill with the
stars and stripes floating every day in the
year is the governors home. In the sum-
mer he has a score of literary ''felIers'i
and art-loving feminines as guests. His
most interesting visitor each year is
George Fred Williams, of political fame
One day last August when called on the
governor, / was ushered into the presence
of bridge whist at 10 a. n. in which Henry
Haynie, for twenty years Paris CORE