The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-08-27
A PICNIC on MOUNT PERCIyAL.


One of the most delightful picnics of the
season was enjoyed by eleven young ladies
last Friday Afternoon. The party left town
about $50 in one Of the Belfast Livery
Company's comfortable buck boards, and
the drive to Mt. Percival via the back road
was very pleasant one. A brief stop was
made at Brookside, and the view from the
top of the hill gave hint of what was in
store for the party later on. The timid and
the energetic took the latter part of the
climb up the Bluff on foot, first getting re-
freshing drink at a wayside well, where
the photographer of the party took several
snapshots. At the gate the pleasant pro-
daughter, greeted us, and after picking out
our picnicing spot, and depositing our
wraps and precious packages we were
guided to the top of the observatory, where
the big telescope revealed things that
brought forth chorus of obs! and abs !!
The Boston boat on her way into Searsport
was transformed from IA midget size to her
normal proportions, and it was easy TO see
that few OF her passengers were enjoying
the down-rver trip on her decks. The
Dome of the Rock, Dice's Head Light and
the Pol cottage at Castine came IN for
their share OF attention, as did lsola Bella,
Searsport, Stockton, and our starting point
The college girls in the party soon found,
in conversation with Prof. Winkler, who Is
at the head of the music department at
Wells, that they had several mutual friends,
but even pleasant chat and the magnificent
view, which included hills, valleys, islands
and bay, were not proof against the allur-
menu of the lunch boxes, and at the sug-
gestion of supper there was hurried flight
down the stairs and onto the rock, where
shawls were spread, and a circle completed
in miraculously short time.
The boxes were rapidly emptled OF their
appetizing contents and then the party re-
turned to the veranda of the observatory to
watch the sunset. Prof. WiDkler kindly
put his bowling alley at the disposal OF the
party, who divided their attention between
bowling and the sunset. The prizes and
awards were agreed upon, ana the contest
for the seat with the driver ON the return
trip became quite exciting. The sun sank
out of sight i'll the west like ball of fire, as
all we'll behaved suns are supposed to do on
like occasions, and the pink and golden ra-
dance made a complete circle around the
horizon. Green mountain, away IN the
distance, grew a bit more shadoWy, ana the
white farmhouses and summer homes on
the islands came out in bolder relief for a
few seconds until the glow grew fainter,
and we reluctantly realized that 1t was time
to be thinking of home going.
Bidding an adieu to our most hospltable
host and his charming wife and little daugh-
ter, and paying brief visit to our picnic
spot to gather in wraps and packages-the
latter remarkably few and correSpondingly
lght.-wa matter of but a few minutes,
and we we're soon ensconced on the DUCK
board, with the comfortable robes well tuck
ed in, The drive home, via Temple Heights,
where campmeeting was in session, was
full of interest, and it was just light enough
to give delightful impression to the guests
of honor of the beauties of the drive
between the Campgrounds. At Bayslde
the stores were open, the hotel was CHEEKY
with its cluster of lights, and the open
doors and windows of the lamp-lighted cot
tages gave charming hints of cozness and
comfort within. For some time an arch OF
light had been noticed, spreading across the
western sky and dimming the light of the
stars, which were shining with winter-ilke
brilliancy Not until fingers of light streamed
across the arch and up into the heavens did
the party realize that they were witnessing
most beautiful and unusual display Of
aurora borealis, and the remainder OF the
homeward drive was illuminated by its
fascinating, ever-changing radiance. In
the party were number to whom the trip
was new, and it was agreed by all that
more ideal plcnicing place could not be
found the length OF the coast. In point OF
distance, in the supelb view, which fully
equals or excels that obtained from the
tops of either Mt. Battle in Camden or the
far famed Green Mountain, Mt. Desert, and
in many other features, it was agreed by all
that it could not be improved upon. The out
of-town people who enjoyed the trip were
Miss Isabel Rice and Miss Mary Smeizer OF
Geneva, n. T., Miss Charlotte Perkins OF
Melrose, Mass, and Miss Alice G. Fessen-
den of Stamford, Conn.