Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-11-26

were taken at the Bahamas or the
Norway coast or any point in the
seven seas; any point, that is, save
where they were really taken-the
far-fung, ruggedly beautiful old
State of Maine.
Why?
We do not know. 1t is a major
mystery. We de- know that Maine is
thus robbed every summer of some
rather enviable free advertising
Specifically, there are now three
Maine Central steamers-the Range
ley, 400 tons; Pemaquid, 335 tons;
Norumbega, 304. Those who ride
in them for the first time are more
than a little surprised by the grace
and beauty of their outlines, the COM
fort and even luxury of their ap-
pointments. 1t may perhaps have
been printed-but we do not recall
seeing-what Capt. Haynes, federal
supervisor of steamboats,, said of
them at the close Of an inspection
two years ago. "The cleanest, best
equipped and most carefully kept of
any steamers of their class on the At
lantic coast" was the way he ex-
pressed himself-which means
great deal when you stop to think
of it.
In summer, the Rangeley and Nor
umbega ply between Mt. Desert Fer
ry and Bar Harbor, Seal, Northeast
and Southwest Harbors; the Pema-
quid between Rockland and Castine,
touching at Dark Harbor and Isles
boro- In winter the Pemaquid alone
is in service-making three daily
trips between the Ferry and Bar
Harbor, weekly trip to Southwest
Harbor, and additional trips to Seal
and Northeast Harbors when war
ranted by freight in carload lots.
This freight neutrality-suspicious.
we are not, at this time, going into
figures or technical details is far
from the least interesting of the
Maine CentraTs coastal activities.
Between the fall of '23 and winter of
"a, for one brief example, the Pema-
guild made eighty-fve special trips
with freight-from one to three car
loads on each of them, all in addi-
ton to it's regular business. Summer
residents, you see, usually build or
rebuild their cottages and bungalows
| in the winter-time. Fifteen car
loads of potatoes and twenty car
! loads of cans were taken to one big
plant, which makes a speciality of
canning sardines in summer and fish
hash in winter 1t really is a Won
! derful place, this plant-all white
enamel, just as some restaurants
are; and no human hand touches any
part of the hash, once the eyes are
cut from the potatoes. But all this
! opens the door to a broad, broad sub
iect. One might write Indefinitely
of the Maine coast, in winter or sum-
mer. 81 * At present we will
stick to the Maine Central end of it.
In summer, Joseph Norton is cap
| tain of the Rangeley, Rodney Sadler
of the Norumbega and l.. E. Foss of
| the Pemaquid-th first named hav-
| ing a crew of twenty-four, the sec
ond of nineteen, and the third of
sixteen. In winter, as has been said,
only the Pemaquid is in service;
and, just as some plays are pre-
scented with "all-star casts,' so the
| Pemaquid in winter has an imposing
array of navigating talent-Norton
being captain, Foss the mate, Sadler
| the pilot, and seniors in service from
all three steamers making up the
crew.
Nor do we speak lightly. They are
born sailors, every one of them-men
who cheerfully face hardships, and
sometimes actual dangers, as just
part of the days work; men who
have given the best years of their
lives to the service they love. Capt.
Norton came to the Frenchman's
Bay steamers in May, 1899; Capt.
Sadler in June of the same year;
Capt Foss in 1902-and they have
been in it continuously ever since.
We hope soon to print little bio
graphical sketch of each-and we
predict that it will make exception
ally interesting reading. They are
known, literally, to thousands of
summer tourists and Maine residents
all up and down the coast. They can
tell of those picturesque days, now
gone, when Bangor was one of the
the coast of Maine followed the call
of the sea. The love of clear waters
and salt air is in their blood-will
be in it until the end. And they are
men who have done things.
What was your most thrilling ex-
perience?" the reporter asked Capt.
Norton.
Well" said he, there is one date
well not forget in a hurry-and that
date is April 10, 1920.
1--WE had been around the hills to
Southwest Harbor, with load of
freight When we started back the
wind was blowing siXty-five miles an
hour and the sea was very rough.
Something happened half way from
the lighted buoy off Seal Harbor to
the bell buoy off Otter Greek; big
sea struck our rudder and carried it
away.