The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-04-28
OUR EASTERNMoST CITY.
Region of Summer Resorts and Home of
Passamaquoddy Indians Described.

A report on the Eastport quadrangle,
Maine, recently issued by the United
States Geological Survey, deals with a
region of more than usual interest.
Eastport, from which the quadrangle
receives its name, has the double dis
| tinction of being the eastern most city
of the United States and the center of
the sardine packing industry of the At
lantic coast. The actual easternmost
point of land in the United States is
| West Quoddy Head, marked by light
house few miles south of PASSPORT,
but still within the quadrangle. The
natural beauties of the region and the
large stretches of protected water along
the irregular coast, attract to this part
of Maine many summer visitors, al
though it has not yet become so popu-
lous resort as the coast of Maine far
Their west or the Canadian coast farther
east. Some conception of the extreme
Iirregularity of the coast may be gained
from the statement that Eastport may
be reached from its sister town Lubec
by three mile ferry, whereas the trav-
eler following the shore would have to
walk 100 rocky miles to get from one
of these towns to the other
The Eastport region is one of the few
places in the Atlantic states that still
counts among its inha bitants the direct
descendants of the native owners of the
soil. These are the Passamaquoddy In
dians. who form a small village at Pleas
ant Point, where they live as temporal
wards of the state and as spiritual wards
of the Catholic church. Because they
have adopted so freely the ways of the
white man these Indians have ceased
TO be picturesque, but tourists are in
terested in them because of the really
artistic baskets of sweet grass and dyed
wood woven by the women. Only once
a year, on Corpus Christi day, do they
deck themselves out in ceremonial robes
and with songs and dances recall the
savage glories of long ago. This feast
day of course attracts spectators from
all the neighboring towns. Though now
very up to date. the village of these In
dams as late as 1888 consisted mainly
of tepees, and it was then common to
see them clad in their native costumes.
Their school. conducted by sisters of
charity, and their church play an i'm
portant part in their lives and have been
source of great improvement to the
tribe.
Ancient Lava Flows
To the geologist the Eastport region
is of remarkable interest. It's rocks.
which belong to the periods known as
Silurian and Devonian, include thous
ands of feet Of alternating lava flows,
beds of consolidated volcanic ash, and
consolidated muds, which show that in
these ancient times the Eastport region
was veritable American bay of Naples,
bordered by volcanoes that poured lavas
upon the floor of the ocean and showered
ashes into its waters. On many of the
weather beaten surfaces OF the rocks
the lavalike structure appears as per-
feet as on a piece OF, modern lava. The
outward contour of these Silurian vol
canoes has been completely destroyed in
the wearing down OF the land and dur
ing millions of succeeding years, and
even their exact location can be but
roughly surmised. Only the lava flows
and ash beds remain, like scattered ruins
of fallen temples.
In spite of frequent catastrophes in
the form of volcanic eruptions the sea