Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-02-21

dage, OF Gieasondale, Mass
In the summer of 1865, after fifteen years
OF voyaging about the world, ten of which
my wife had been at sea with me, we took
a vacation and spent most OF it in my ma
tive State of Maine.
! Our first two weeks were spent in Ban
gor, where we explored its sights and
| scenes, and met friends before met ON our
voyages and elsewhere. Among them
were the following sea captains Walter
Emerson, Jabez Snow, Rich, of the steam
ship Katahdin, his father, retired some
| years, Capt. Nickerson, and others. We
rode to Hampden and winterport, inter-
| viewed Capt. Dudley, and old scquaint-
ances; visited Brewer and its shipyards
active in ship cons ruction, Lake Pushaw,
where We fished in its waters and dined
at its hotel.
| In Bangor we visited the theological
seminary, Of which Parson Fisher, of our
native town of Bluehill, was trustee;
| recognized upon the walls a portrait OF
HIM painted by his own hand; attended
| church at the First Unitarian and First
, Congregational, over which DIR. Field was
| pastor, whom we had heard in Boston
when pastor of the Salem Street church.
| We also visited Indian Old Town,
chatted with the monument left of the
once powerful tribe of aborigines in that
section OF New England, made purchases
OF some of their wares, and departed never
again to visit their village and homes
We left Bangor By the Boston steamer
| for Bucksport, and on arrival went to the
Robinson house, where we were met by
Landlord Moses in his blue dress coat with
brass buttons, who graciously welcomed
us, and where we took dinner served with
I politeness, be overseeing the affairs of the
dining room with care, as he did other
I parts of hotel. Boniface- like, he was
entertaining in conversation with his
guests, and before they were aware of his
aim he extracted from them where they
we're from, where going and something of
the history OF their lives. We were no ex-
cepted to his suave manner ia gaining
| what he desired, and we were amused to
see now easily and gracefully he did it.
! With Bucksport in former days l had
( been more or less familiar with its his
/ tory, early settlement, its merchants,
shipbuilders, ship owners and ship cap
tains. Among the latter were Charles En-
erson, Jabez Snow, Stub and others,
all gone on the last voyage OF this life
! '.o'er unknown seas to mystic fsles".
| BUcKsPoRT TO BLUEHTLL.
| We hired carriage with two horses and
driver, and rode over the old stage road
from Bucksport, through Orland village,
North Penobseot, North Bluehill, to Blue
hill, the point aimed at, and my native
place. The road had been familiar to me,
and as we drove along pointed out to my
wife, native OF Massachusetts,, places of
/ interest to me, where such an one lived in
my boyhood, or the cellar ON which the
! house once stood, for time is a great lev
elier, and score or more of years leave
( marks OF his deyastations. And thus we
/ beguiled the time riding over that stretch
I OF eighteen miles OF country road to dear
old Bluehill, my early home and home of
my ancestors from its settlement, down to
my humble self, line of four generations.
/ We gazed with admiration upon the
mountain, the bay, the hills, valleys,
shores, ponds and streams, all familiar
sights in boyhood, since when many
| grauder ones had met my gaze, but never
one which stirred within me like ''this,
my own, my native land". We were well
coined by friends known in childhood,
their families, children and others, and
tine few near relatives of mine left with a
warmth not to be forgotten in life.
Among them we're the stevens, the Oar
lings, Wescotts, Osgoods, Hinckleys,
Cloughs, Parkers, Peters, Morses, Aliens,
Woods, Longs, Johnsons, Hollis, aud
others too numerous to mention; and of
sbipmasters, Captains Chase, Hopkins,
Treworgy, johnson, Norton, Dodge, Par
ker, Candsge, Wood, etc., with several of
whom ! had sailed coasting in my early
sea life.
We climbed the mountain, "a thousand
feet above the strand" enjoyed the fiue
view OF sea and land therefrom, visited
old friends and families according to the
custom of the place, instead OF they cali
ing on us, chatted OF old times and old
/ friends; attended both the Congregational
and Baptist churches, the old academy
once attended, fished, picked berries, at
tended clambakes, had parties in our
honor and greatly enjoyed months stay
in the old town, 'the dearest spot on
earth to me" and "home sweet home"
sURRY AND ELLSWORTH.
We visited Surry, where as boy l spent
three months at school under tuition OF
Master Mscomber, famous Ellsworth
4 in Ar that ri me
1 knew the boys and girls of near my age
and most OF the adults who lived in the
\ central part OF the town. / boarded in
the family OF Capt. Frederick A. Jarvis,
many years commander of the revenue
cutter Veto, of Castine, whose first wife
was Mary Parker, and sister to my moth
err. and her nine children, with whom
dad nv frat cnusina