Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-04-06
OLD BLUEHILL
DAYS AND WAYS.

..rs,oaS. The following paper by Mrs.
s.,ol,ne Hinckley Stone, was read. Until
~ II has been impossible for THE AMERICAN
~ ,ulall its promise that the paper should
.nnear sat an early date.-ED.l
And 80 the Bluehill reunion is ton"
.oo,n. and to- night we greet the dear old
,s;soas. the faces so familiar to us-those
who are lett
These two functions Of eastern Maine
=, pluehiIl and Ellsworth-have become
an established and settled institution each
w;nter in the city OF our adoption. We
ot Bluehill make up in quality what we
lack in quantity. Ellsworth always did
o,trank US in size and numbers, but never
in any other desirable quality.
wonder do the descendants OF the Ellis
worth folk whom knew so well in the
DAVIS that are gone, come to Paul Revere
hall TO assist in their merry makingf II
40. / should be tempted to avail myself OF
the invitation extended to all natives OF
Hancock county, and make one OF the
company that will soon assemble there.
ellsworth has always been closely allied
to Bluehill.
How many Of Us remember the Ameri-
can house under the able management Of
Mine Host Tinker ''Court week" was
something worth while in those palmy
davs. 1t was my good fortune to be in the
charmed circle OF the law then. Many q
time have I driven over with my father
when he went to make one Of the COM
many OF solons who gathered in the court
house on the hill.
Well do remember the enthusiastic re-
ception we always received a. we drove up
TO the broad piazza Of the hospitable hos
telry. At once the doors flew open, and
out rushed Ben every body knew Benz
all bows and smiles. We were landed with
as much empressment and ceremony as il
we were OF the blood royal, and escorted
to the parlor at the right OF the entrance.
In the winter there was always glowing
fire in the open CRATE, SO comfortable after
our long ride.
Getting warmed and rested, the next
thing was to find Mrs. Tinker. We had to
seek her in the domestic regions, for she
slooked well to the ways OF her house,
holdn, and great doings were going on in
the hotel kitchen during this, the great
week OF the year. Never, however, was
she too busy to be prevented from giving
CHEEKY welcome to me whom she had
known from child as esquire Hinckley's
little grip"
Then there were the four daughters OF
the house, celebrated for their beauty even
in that locality where pretty girls were
the rule rather than the exception. Never,
in later years, have I seen occasion to
change my then childish opinion that they
were the handsomest girls had ever seen
or ever expected to see.
Then came dinner, and such dinner!
No French chef OF the present degenerate
times could hope to attain such perfec-
ton. Soup, before whose appetizing
favor Julien and Campbell would hide
their diminished heads. And the turkey!
Roasted to the exact approved shade OF
crisp brown, and fragrant with delicious
stufing; gravies, vegetables and all acces.
series unparalleled!
Then mince pie, squash pie, apple pie,
pumpkin pie, custard pie and plum pud-
dingl Oh, did the unlucky wight who
took the whole business suffer the agonies
of dyspepsia in those days? l can answer
for myself-no, and again no; for nothing
could have tempted me to forego the de-
light OF sampling every one Of Mrs.
Tinker's pies and the pudding as well.
And now, just here let me bear witness
to the perfection Of the four best-known
hotels OF Hancock county as they were in
their palmy days-the Robinson house in
Bucksport, under the lengthy stewardship
OF Mr.. Moses; the American house in
Ellsworth, managed as / have so imper-
fectly described; the BluehiIl house, with
the late Mrs. Hinckley of beloved memory
in efficient charge, ard the Travellers
Home in Sedgwick, when the Doritys,
father and son, and their wives, made it a
home indeed to all who entered it's hos
pitable doors.
What il there were not SO much of style
and show as obtains nowadays? The es-
sential requirements were all there-a
warm welcome, q comfortable room, a
hrst-class meal. The travelling public will
go far before they will now find such a
quartet.
remember some OF the "knights Of the
green bag" who used to gather around
Mine Host Tinker's festive board. There
was the dignified Charles Abbott and
Hezekiah Williams, of Castine; Judge
Tuck, OF Bucksport, probate judge in Han
cock county for forty years, gentleman in
every sense of the word; Mr.. Robinson, Of
Ellsworth, of whom it was said, ''he was
good lawyer and an excellent citizen;
Mr.. Wiswell, father of the late lamented
chief-tustice; George s. Peters and George
herbert, also residents of Ellsworth;
Arthur F. Drinkwater, judge Of the
municipal court and editor OF THE AMERI-
CAN from 1872 to 1878; Charles Lowell,
Eiisworth's editor, merchant, character;
the stately Theodore Woodman, who, my
informant says, ssettled in Bucksport as q