The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-09-21
In Northport Again.

1T was eighteen years "so' ~ H1
Dyer, "that Belfast parties USED TO come to
my place for lobster dinners. his North
port farm bordered on Deep Cove. and in
cottage the shore, occupied later In the
season by Philadelphia family, the Holsters
were served, with such accompanlments rs
the parties chose to bring with them. Mr..
Dyer having been notified beforehand,
party would be made up that comfortably
filled one of the big buckboards of the Belfast
Livery Co.. and of course it included 'Dana,"
who held the ribbons. 1t seems hard to real
ize that automobiles were not then IN evil
dence. l don't think that any OF the party
were specially attracted by the scenery.
Their attention was wholly directed to lob
sters-about two apiece of "counts" was the
average consumption-but one of the party
discovered that there was good Gunner fishing
off the shore in the direction OF Wright's
Point, near by, and where for many years the
Dissells of Philadelphia occupied cottage
and had wharf and boat-landing in the cove
above.
But the scenic aulracIlons of this section
were not to go unrecognized. Some years
ago Mrs. Louise ]. Pratt, having previously
become the owner of Bald Rock, bought the
Dyer farm, giving Mr.. Dyer life lease of
his home and retaining him as caretaker of
the property. The Dyer homestead is in a
comparatively level area little distance from
the shore, with rising ground at the rear and
on the west side, where it attains the highest
elevation just before reaching the highway,
the summit crowned with grove of fir trees.
On this eminence, commanding wide view
of the bay and overlooking Deep Cove and
the islands opposite, pavilion was built,
and visits there were specially enjoyed by
| Mrs. Pratt's father, the late Edward Johnson,
who from earliest boyhood had been interested
in nautical affairs. and loved to watch the
passing shipping. Last year Mrs. Pratt had
cottage built on the site of the pavilion, and
though designed at first as place where the
family might go as formerly to the pavilion.
or entertain friends for the day, it developed
into one of the most attractive cottages, both
as to exterior and interior in this section and
would make a charming summer home. The
builder was J. G. Aborn OF this city and the
workmanship is of the best. A detailed de-
scription of the cottage. its dimensions. plan,
ETC.. was published at the time of its compile
tion, and need not be repeated here.
On approaching the cottage from the city
only the chimneys are visible over the dark
fir trees that shut off the building from the
highway. A driveway through this grove
brings the car to the entrance, which leads di-
rectly into the living room, spacious apart
ment with many windows. which answer the
double purpose of flooding the room with light
and affording most charming views of sea and
shore and hill and vale. The finish of the
room is of cypress and at each end is a fire.
place, and in the larger one, whose dimensions
recalled the old-time fireplaces in which swung
crane and where all the family cooking was
done, there was a cheerful blaze the other
day, heightened from time to time as the host
ess threw upon the fire handful of pine cones,
taken from an old brass kettle that had been
used in the early days dye kettle.
Not far away. on the road to Duck Trap, is
the Pennington place, of which the writer had
heard much and where brief call was greatly
enjoyed. l recall hearing soon after the PEN
ningtons had established their summer home
here that they dated their notes to friends
"Nine Miles from Yeast Cake" and some
were Mortified at this designation. Whether
this is the name adopted for one of the mos,
attractive summer estates on the coast OF
Maine we cannot say, but it is departure
from the many hackneyed titles, and has the
additional merit of truth 1t is nine miles te
Belfast and the same distance to Camden.
knew of Bayview House from which the ba,
was not visible, and the only view was of tn.
interior of livery stable. There may hav,
been bay horse or two in the stable, but a,
to that | cannot say. Then a two story colo
nial residence with the pillars in front wa,
christened "Larch Cottage" though am sur,
there was not a larch tree on the grounds O.
like misnomers there is no end. You find then
everywhere. not only applied to summe
homes. but to hotels and restaurants.
While it may take the Pennington's Mer
cedes car fifteen minutes or SO to go to Belfas
or Camden for a yeast cake they have all the
modern conveniences and the comforts of ,
city home under their own roof. A drive,
we'll. engine sad water tower furnish ar
abundant water supply for the bath rooms
anu iGI oil uOueStSc purposes. Inc Old house
on the place was retained and two story ad
dition was built on the front to accommodate
the family and the many guests they enter
tain during the season, and the interior is
most attractive, especially the living room with
its cheerful open ere. The call was made in
the Pratt car. with Mr.. Alfred johnson
acting as chauffeur, and accompanied by our
host we went dowG to the shore. passing first
through grove of trees and then coming to 2
broad expanse Of cleared land. The view
from a pavilion at..he water front was a sur.
prise. The view it commanded was from
Turtle Head to Owle Head. with the interyen-
ing islands, and landward the Nerthport and
Camden hills. Just above in q little harbor
Mr.. Pennington's cabin cruiser. "Black Rah.
bit" rode at her moorings. and pier extend
ed from the shore to low-water mark. The
Pennington's not only have broad frontage
or the bay but their estate extends back to
Knights Pond, the shore there a nice beach.
and where they have boats. etc., SO that they
can have fresh or salt water bathing at will.
There is a hill quite near the house that might
pass for mountain. there are woods and
clearings, and we believe this estate to be