Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-07-27
On The Road.
The Diary Of the journals Tramp on
A Hike Up the kennebec and
Across Central Maine.

In the morning the beautiful Ken
neDec above Augusta is yelled In July
mist and filled with miles of logs. On
the RATS some of the river drivers are
getting breakfast, while others are
jumping from log to log getting them
under subsection.
From Riverside to Fassalboro the
river is clear of logs. and the veil OF
mist burning away shows the azure
sky of a perfect July dag. 1t sug-
gests the burning away OF the mist put
forth nv Democratic Daniel J. at the
State Convention to fool the people,
burned away by the sunshine OF truth,
(see Governor Fernalds speech) ana
disclosing the bright sky OF nope OF
grand Republican victory.
Historic and interesting on point
of land projecting into the river at
Winslow is the old block fort Halifax,
suggestive of Indians and the deights
hardships and terrors of pioneer DAYS
but the neighbors do not have TO ny
now days for protection TO the Iort'
the early procession of WinsloW work
ers moving instead in the direction OF
the humming mills and the new prick
structures now building.
A little farther on miles of pleasant
homes, of handsome architecture,
enormous big mills, their red brick
walls boldly outlined against the west
ern sky and the huge undertaking OF
the Maine Central Railroad in extend
ing the new large junction railroad
wards. announce without the aid of
sign, the city of Waterville. A
humming, busting, hustlng, beautiful
city indeed is Waterville, with live
people, a big business and great
future ahead. Not far from the car
line the Tramp notices very pic
turesuue wall of woodbine that sug-
gests the front of fort which one
citizen with good taste had caused to
grow in front of his house.
The third time crossing the river
discloses more logs, more mills, more
brick structures rising. A prosperous
place surely, thinks the Tramp, and
he wonders how even a Democratic
paper ir such a town would think of
such a thing as hard times in Maine.
In the river are beautiful islands
among which the Kennebec peacefully
flows until it becomes wall OF shin
ing silver sparkling in the sunshine
and flowing over the enormous dam.
Here is West Benton with more
big mills and vine-clad cottage homes,
and roses around the porches and flow
er gardens and lawns, and, beyond.
the forests and cultured fields. Pros
perity in Maine is as visible to the
eye as though marked by a large bill
board in letters of great size. Enor-
NOUS hay fields beyond West Benton
from which the hay has been carried
to the mows. Marshes here with acres
of CATO nine tails, herds of cows and
here and there coQuettish dairymaid
watching us go by Big fields of po-
tatoes lie side by side with grain, and
a farmer tells the Tramp that the
grain is planted purposely beside po-
tatoes to pump up the moisture from
the ground.
Nearing Pittsfield the earth is dark
green with fields of wheat and more
potatoes, wide stretches of both framed
In evergreen woods broken occasionally
by pastures full of fat, sleek, hand
some cattle.
No hard times as yet, apparently,
in Central Maine.
Over the fields of waving wheat
and over the tops of the white bloom
ing Murphies the bobolinks and swal-
lows are skimming and in one field the
Journals Tramp doth aver that in
flock of a dozen crows three of the
crows are white. In Pittsfield they
are thrifty with fields of potatoes and
corn right up to the railroad station
and Pittsfield is fiourishing and it's
second crop of architecture is more
beautiful than it's first. Surely no
hard times so far into Central Maine.
Again through forests We journey
into misty dreamland covering the
. cleared lands of the lowlandS, pas
lures and prosperous farms with beau
tiful elms like huge green ostrich
plumes rising here and there. Past
the farms of Detroit and it's second
growth of forest land with scattered
homes we reach Newport Junction,
where again is heard the merry sound
of the hammer and the saw. 1t GER
ta;nly is thrifty at Newport Junction
here have formed company and are
transforming the shores of the lake
into park where cottage homes are
for sale. The lake is beautiful and
broad and long and out upon, its sur
face even thus early in the morning
are boats of fishermen fishing for white
perch and bass while cunning floats
moored to the shore suggest the COM
ing Of thousands of black ducks when
the nights grow longer still and the
first frosts cause the southern fight.
At Damascus, Maine blades come
aboard with pearl ties and purple
handkerchiefs projecting from their
pockets. but these blades of Damas-
Gus, Maine. are robust. rugged, intel
ligent, companionable sort of looking
men and their appearance proves that
at Damascus there are no hard times.
Down the line from Damascus the
Tramp is told that along this section