The Republican journal., 1912-11-28
Profane Geography.

Some weeks ago Golfers Weekly call
ed public attention to the geographical
fact that there was located far in the
wilds of Maine beautiful ard simmer
ing lake or pond, which bore the preten-
tious title Of "Penobscot Bay" AS the
real Penobscot Bay is some 60 miles
across-reaching from White Head to
Isle au Haul, while the inland Penobscot
Bay is mere pond, no more than three
miles in diameter; as the genuine Penob-
scot Bay is entirely composed of salt
water, and the mock Penobscot Bay is
wholly of fresh or drinking water, there
should be no great difficulty in distin-
gushing the one from the other.
Fantastic, anomalous and entirely ir-
relevant geographical names are not un-
known to Maine. According to an Of
fetal report prepared and published un-
der the authority of former Land Agent
Ring, there are more than dozen
"Green islands" belonging to Maine,
scattered along the Maine coast. These
islands belong wholly and exclusively to
Maine, and are not for sale to any con-
templative summer resident. who yearns
to purchase cottage site of his own for
the exclusive use and occupancy of him.
self, his family and his friends. There
are also score or more OF Birch is
lands,'' Spruce islands, and Fir is
lands, a" to say nothing of Spruce Heads
and ''Yellow-birch inlets,' and other
needful repetitions and distortions in
name.
Down in an easterly direction from
Bangor, there are chain of beautiful
lakes, known as the "Dobsy" lakes.
Within the middle lake, officially known
as Sysladobsis- lake, there is gravel
ly cove, which has borne the very wick
ed name of "Hell before breakfast
cove for more than 30 years.
The origin of the name is most obvl-
Gus, when the circumstances are explain
ed. One morning years ago. when some
hunters were taking breakfast on the
shore of Sysladobsis-sis, scow laden
with hemlock bark from upstream, came
along en- route for the Princeton tanner
les. One of the scowmen leaped ashore
to converse with the hunters. While he
scow was drifting away from shore and
toward cove on the further side.
AS the hunters asked the scowman to
stay to breakfast, the hardy amphlbian
plunged into the lake. and began to swim
| toward the scow, sending back reply as
| follows:
"Ill either be on board that scow or
in-before breakfast.
| As the scowman was drowned while
| trying to swim, thus originated the i'm
pious name of "Hell-before- breakfast
cove.
! The late Woodland Pierce. who lived
and died at Prospect Ferry, Maine, used
to tell the following about the origin of
that most wicked name Pull-and- be-
d-point."
About the time the war of 1912
broke out, and before the British war
mine, who lived in Bucksport, dropped
dory to catch mess of founders from
Gundalow Cove. The founders bit well
/ that day, and before my uncle knew it.,
his dory was rails down with great fish.
In pulling back against the ebb tide he
had hard job of it. Just off Pierce S
Point, as we then called it,-where the
river narrows in to make final dive for
Fort Point, my I'm lie met his match. He
called at the store above where Fort
Knox now stands and told Of his adven-
ture as follows:
For nigh half an hour, said he, I
did not gain an inch, and me a-pulling
for all there was in me. By the time l
| bad rounded that point, my wind was
just gone. 1t was then l swore that l
would change the name of that point
which was called after my own grand
father, to the more proper name of
"Pull-and- be-darned point" which name
that there darned point has held ever
SINCE"
1t is needless to say that "Uncle"
Pierce was not deeply religious citizen,
although he may be basking in the bright
light Of Glory at the present date. Ban
gor News.