Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-09-05
rHoREAu in MAINE.
Trips OF the Poet Naturalist seventy
Years Ago.

Maine woods. No one has looked with
more intelligent eyes nor recorded with
more facile pen the facts about this vast
summer vacation land than the man who
was the intimate Of Emerson, Hawthorne.
Longfeliow. and Lowell, the companion
OF Agassiz, and the close friend OF Horace
Greeley.
Ralph Waldo Emerson had made = trip
into the Maine woods - early ~ lSd6;
james Russell Lowell, Nathaniel Hsw-
thorne and Henry W. LongfeIlow had also
was Thoreau, the poet naturalist, who
seemed to absorb them into hi. very be-
ing. Therefore his story OF them has an
added interest both to thoAe who have
traversed these marvellous waterways and
those who can contemplate doing 90.
His first trip, which was to Mount
Katshdin, vas made in September, 1885.
He started from Bangor, where be had
relatives, and then went to Old Town,
whore he stopped to visit the Indian
island, which even then was, ~ IL 10 to-
day, . government reservation. He
passed Psssadumkeag stream and Cold
strsam pond, and made his way to thu
tiny settlement OF Lincoln. From this
point he Get out BY team to Mattawam-
keag river. In those early days there was
scarcely any semblance OF civilization In
this region. With the exception OF iew
settlers houses there stretched before
rhoreah = vast wilderness Of forest and
waterways reaching to Canada.
Al one OF the settlers places he met an
woodsman named McCausiin,
whom he psrsuaded TO accompany him.
The latter becomes quite - much the OBJ
ject OF Thoreau's observation - the woods
and streams. -, indeed, these native
guides are to the traveller even to-day.
Strong. sturdy, faithful, intelligent, k,nd-
hearted, with unerring instinct in wood
craft, these man often win the unending
Friendship Of thoss wAQm thsy take sum-
mer after summer over the famous routes.
Thoreau and his companion followed .
trail along the northern hank OF the Pc
nobscot and came 70 Salmon river. Re-
Stunning their Journey. they crossed 10 the
south hank OF the West Branch OF the
Penobsco<, and after two days travel
came 10 what IL known - shad pond, the
real name Of which 10 Nalasesmangamo-
kesis pond.
From Shad pond they made their way
up Millinocket river to . settler named
Fowler. Il was then . famous stopping
point, and has remained 20 until now.
Thorcau relinquished his idcs Of going
10 Millinocket lake, which has since be-
come great centre Of industry, and made
his guide carry across to Quakish lake,
while be walked, thus avoiding Grand
Falls, one OF the stsepest pitches In the
West Branch. They crossed this lake and
went up tho Thoroughia fare into NorthTwin
lake, and passed on south Trim lake.
At the southern extremity OF South Twin
10 the little town OF Norcross on the BAN
most people who take the West Brunch
trip lend their journey to-day, having
come from the other direction, which II
down stream. 7horcau took the dinacuit
way, . mistake be avoided In later Jour
neys, for he started both the Of hers from
Moose head lake, which has been the STAN
dard route for many years.
Next they came to Ambsgigis lake,
known to all those who to-day take the
West Branch trip. Thorsau tells OF the
next fifteen rough miles thus:
'sFirst. after leaving Ambegigis lake,
We had quarter OF mile OF rapids to
the portage OF carry Of ninety rods around
Ambsgigis falls; then . mile and half
Passamagamet lake, which 10
narrow and riverlike, to the balls OF the
same name-AmbsSigis stream coming in
on the right, then two miles through Ka-'
tepskonegan lake TO the portage OF ninety
rods around Katepskonegan falls, which
name signines carrying p,ace-Passa-
magamet stream coming In ON the left;
then three miIes through Pockwockomus
lake, slight expansion OF the river, to
the portage Of forty rods around the fails
OF the same nsme-Katepskonegsn stream
coming In on the left; then three-quar-
tiers OF . mile through AboljacarmeKus
lake, similar to the last, to the portage Of
name; then half mile OF rapid water to
the Sowadnehunk dead water, and the
Aboljacknagesic stream"
They camped at the junction OF AboI-
jacknagesic stream and Murch brook,
twelve miles from Katahdin, from which
to-day there ID trail leading to the
south side" Of Names highest noun
tain, and returned over tbs same course
BY which they came, but coming down
stream permitted them many exciting sx-
periences running tbs rapids ct various
points.
At the conclusion Of this Katahdin trip
Thoreau said many years ago: 'sThs
country 10 virtually unmapped and uu-
explored, and there still waves the virgin
forest Of the New World" While this 10
not - applicable to-day - then, It ID still
true that there are spots in this great
Maine wilderness that have never felt the
touch Of white mans foot nor heard the
sound OF his voice. Even on the we'll