The Republican journal., 1914-12-03
THE CAMDEN HILLS.
portland Evening Express. ]

1t is very likely that when the nations
now warning in Europe have finished
shooting to pieces the scenery, our Am
erican tourists will of necessity be com
PEELED to do little Seeing America First.
And they will find much to open their
ewes, to fill them with amazement. Those
who feel that earth has no joys to equal
those which follow scramble over the
Highlands of Scotland, or a tramp
through the English Lake district, have
distinct surprise coming to them. 10 be
sure, those captivating foreign regions
do afford adorable combinations of noun
tains and lakes, Bens and lochs, but we
are prepared to say that our own State
of Maine offers charms equally as ador-
able, as wonderful.
And just now we are not blowing our
horn for our own Casco Bay, although it
is subject we never tire of, subject
prolific of adjective material. Mention
of the Highlands of Scotland naturally
invites comparison and at once we think
of the beautiful Camden Hills. And
when the hills rear themselves in the
minds eye once more there stands out,
overtopplng them all, Mount Meguntl-
cook. Of all the Camden Hills it is the
highest. And Camden folks are just
awakening to the asset they have IN
Mount Megunticook and the res of the
hills. But particularly Megunticook.
When it comes to altitude, ,457 feet does
not seem so impressive. But it must be
remembered that Megunticook is all
mountain. Shooting back and up from
the very tide line there is not an inch OF
Megunticook that does not count.
We have long known the rest of the
Camden Hills; Beech Hill Summit, with
it's carriage road; Ragged Mountain,
with its rough but accessible path; Mount
Battle, Megunticook' next door neigh
boor with it's little hostelry at the sum-
nit and a good road leading to it. But
until the Camden Board of Trade, or DO
they call themselves Chamber of Com
merce? began mailing little red arrows on
the trees and painting little red arrows
across the faces of fiat rocks, thus blaz-
ing trail from the village to the very
tip top, Megunticook was as sealed
book to the average tourist. Any ex-
pressed wish to surmount 1t met with
shake of the head from the local guides
and recounting of the tragedy OF nearly
half century ago at Maiden Cliff, when
14-year-old Lenora French plunged to her
death, her tragic end leaving an equally
tragic memorial in the name which was
then and there given the spot. and Tor
all time-Maiden' Leap.
Camden's object in marking the arrow
trail was to attract tourists, Camden peo-
pie having a theory, like the people of
other beautiful coast sections, that the
more tourists, the greater Camden's
prosperity. Ands Mount Megunticook
will bring Camden tourists. Is it not
perfectly evident that the man or woman
who once takes that memorable trip will
tell his friends by word of mouth, by
letter, and in divers other ways give this
near-home mountain climb the fame it so
richly deserves? And we are confident
that the Americans who know only the
large cities of America, although they
are perfectly familiar with the Alps OF
Switzerland, the marvels of Scotland,
England and France, will agree when once
they turn their faces toward the Maine
coast, that America need take backs
seat from no other country. Its wonders
have been neglected only because they
are unknown, undiscovered by those who
have the means and the time to discover
them. Can the Highlands of Scotland offer
ANYTHING more beautiful than the piano.
rama of blue sea as one looks Oft from
Megunticook upon that shimmerlng ar
chipelago-Vinalhaven, North Haven,
Dix, Hurricane, Deer Isle, Isle au- Haul,
Matinicus, Mt. Desert, Monhegan and
the rest? On particularly clear day
one may look way across the State OF
Maine into New Hampshire and there in
the hazy distances glimpse the blush
outlines of the Presidential Range and
Mount Washington. The Camden Hills
are indeed a wonderful scenic asset OF
Maine. They compare favorably with.
yes even surpass many OF the mountain
beauties of the old world. Next Sum-
mer they, together with many other
Maine beauty spots, will doubtless re-
ceiye the attention from American tour
lists in America, which long since should
have been theirs.