The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-12-25
How | Discovered Belfast by
Chance Installments.

Such happened to be the case of this
writer. In that other place across the
sea they accent the second part, and with
slightly lingering sound of r.
Though l did not know our Belfast
across e-bay | often met congenial
wanderers from there in distant ports,
and sometimes as shipmates. When
before the mast in the bark Lorena, the
mate, named Patterson, was a native of
the place; and also the mate of the Mary
Mankin, named Doak
In the south of Cuba met Mr.. Edward
Sibley, who was there buying cargoes,
and the late Mr.. Ansel White was one of
the most congenial friends ever had in
New York, or elsewhere.
On one occasion in Liverpool l was
closely associating with master whose
ship was owned in Belfast One day,
just before noon, he cabled to his owner
for some instructions and within the hour
received reply. 1t led me to think that
the little Maine city gets up early and
attends to business. By the difference
in time, it could have been no more than
winter-morning daylight in Maine when
the communications were exchanged
A good citizen of Belfast once took
pains, and caused the government con-
siderable expense, to make short call
a. my home. He first went to Rockland,
chartered tug there for Stonington,
and thence by team reached our house at
eleven o'clock on dark and foggy winter
night. ! opened the door and he politely
enquired if were Mr.. and as he had
guessed right l invited him to enter.
In an ulster. he looked to be the size
of whale on end, and proved to be u S.
Deputy Marshal, Norton. He had called
to read Of what the government would
do to me if should fail to appear at the
Federal Court to be held in Boston with
in few days lin murder triaD. If the
feminine side of the room mad not had
some reasons for guessing correctly what
it all meant, and readily saw that none
of US would be taken away that night,
in the fog and in irons, there might have
been some disturbance in the household
My first landing in Belfast was by
chance: One winter the Richmond, on
her Machias- Portland route, was deviat-
ing from the usual course by going to
Bucksport and thence down the west bav
| was d passenger and when we reached
Belfast it was becoming dark and the
! fog was very thick. The captain kindly
gave notice that the stop there would
continue till daylight. In the evening
wandered ashore, and by enquiry, called
upon the family of an old friend-a cap
/ tain whom had Just lately seen in port
across the sea-
Some years later, by chance, | made
another dark night-call to the same city,
by land. | had been marooned at home
by an ice embargo, while the islands were
all frozen to the main land, and had a
vessel IN Rockport. Mr.. George A. Gil
chrest, then living in Rockland, was
also gripped by the ice and desired to
reach his home. On an early morning
we drove over the Eggmoggin ice-bridge
and thence by relays via Bluehill to
Bucksport ferry, where we crossed and
steered southwark, striking Belfast for
late supper, and there secured dere-
lct horse and sleigh belonging to Rock
land stable. Up to that hour we had en-
joyed the long drive. and all the changes
of motors and drivers along the way.
But when starting out on that last reach
it had turned bitterly cold, with west
erly gale CLOSE hauled on bowline" all
the way down the bay road. The previous
joviality of the day soon gave way to
silence-it was no longer joy-ride! |
wished | was at sea where could move
around the quarter deck and kick at
something for circulation. At Rockport
was about "lost," and George himself,
needing exercise, kicked me out into the
snow while he cheerfullydrove onward to-
wards his home. Sixteen hours on deck!
and have never longed for sleigh-riding
since.
So my two first visits to Belfast had
neither been in sunshine nor with unmix-
ed pleasures, and would not again have
known the streets of the place from the
colonades of Antioch or the mounds of
/ Ninevah.
There is something in the stubborn
nature of man that often leads him to
desire and to attack anything that has
previously resisted him. Hence, in idle
days, only few months ago, was glad
to accept an invitation to make cruise
on the fast power-yacht Linnie Belle,
with Belfast as the main objective.
1t was a delightful day; the city was
dressed in green and garnished with a
wealth of summer blossom
Our party was mixed: Two business
men from Massachusetts, members of
the "Ancient & Honorable Artillery"
who have cottages on the island and
motors on the bay. There was also a
local merchant, past master of the home
~