Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1875 — Junketing by the Seashore. [ARTICLE]

Junketing by the Seashore.

That wasn't very mueh of a victory the Democracy had down in Ketttoafcy last .week —only 40,000 majority wag all. Indianapolis lies within the water belt, —hujua napotu Herald. And some o 1 the newspaper men are not so particular where they lie. Mr, George Crocker, of LaPortc, has been appointed by the United States government to survey a route for a ship canal from Lake Michigan to the W abash river. t In the State of Indiana are 3,881.40 mile 8 of railroad, and 490.58 miles of side track. The total assessment on railways by the State Board of Equalisation amounts to $38,436,295, Life insurance agents arc busy circulating the report that Andy Johnson was insured in several companies an aggregate of $350,000. This may be an interesting item to his sons-in-law, but of what -■ use is it to Andy? A “shortage” of not less than SBO,OOO is admitted to have been discovered by the recent counting of money in the national treasury. How much more is lacking only a select few have the felicity of knowing. Who took it? Certainly no Democrat did, for not one has had access to the national vaults since they were robbed by Howell Cobb fifteen years ago. One of those inventive German, or rather Bohemian, towns has discovered that a bucket of good strong coffee generously toned with sugar and urcflm, is au excellent stimulant for hard worked horses. It regulates the digestion, makes the hair sleek, and smoothes the their skin, improves their complex- ‘ ion and increases their capacity for labor. Coffee for two —horses, and toa for wet-nursing mares. ! For the past eight years the reduction of taxation has been going on at the rate of one dollar a second, besides applying two dollars a second to paying the public debt The foregoing paragraph italicised has been going the rounds of our Republican cotemporaries for the purpose of persuading people of the wonderful financial success of “our great party.” There is also another aspect of the question which it may be well to consider. The American peoplo are to-day paying taxes at the rate of $2,093 a of tim€T According to the statement of their advocates, our economical public servants set apart $2 of this in payment of the public debt; and magnanimously retain only $33 per second to remunerate them for their arduous labors! We knew it; we felt confident of it all the time; it is just history repeating itself; fanatics always overdo everything when they get the bulge. Now last year there was not a county or village of respectable size in the State that was not visited by those temperance speakers whose theme aud the burden .of whose conversation was water, water, water! Just see what they have done! They couldn’t be moderate in thc-ir desires and satisfied with a gentle shower or two, but must persist in their cry until Old Probabilities and Professor Tice Veally thought the whole State of Indiana was a vast dessicated region, as moistureless as the Sahara of their own epigastric regions. See the result. Rains and floods everywhere. Rivers seething, boiling and overflowing their banks; cities inundated and the inhabitants driven from their dwellings; crops swept away by the rush of mighty waters; fhrfiis and plantations desolated; bridges moved from their foundations and broken down; railroads torn out by the roots and the embankments stirred into pancake batter; commerce impeded, the mails obstructed and 'mischief made generally. Temperance wl (rood" virtue and water 'an excellent article; but intemperate temperance and too moch water /re destructive to property and human life. Let the advocates of / temperance' be more |emperale in • their speeches unti! the floods have a chaficc to diy tip from the face of the earth and dry lifcd oncie more 3 ppe«r», - '

A Rensselaer gentleman writes from Pine Point House, near Old Orohard, Maine, August 3d, as follows: Friend Horace: Have just returned from a bath in the breakers, and feel like making good my promise to write you oonoerning the trip here. A ride in Duvall’s hack from Rensselaer to Francesville is such a rarity that 'll , will say nothing about it for fear the citizens of Renssc-laer will all be wanting to try it andsooverload the “old hack” as to obstruct the mails. Dinner at the old Rishling House and wo were ready for the 3 o’clock p. ni. train north. Close connection at Wanatah landed us in Chicago at 6:10 p. in. of July 28th. Met on this train Prof. John Park, of Ada, Ohio, Normal School, a former pupil of mine in the old days of pedagoguism. lie was just married the day before, and with his pretty little wife was going to lowaThe Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago is a smoothish, pleasant road to travel, and passes through some fine prairie country, and some pine barrens that aronotso pleasing to look upon. At Payne Station a bevytff rosychcekefl maidens joined us. They said they lived in South Cpicago, and had been having a little picnic, and although they had been out in the Calumet swamps fishing for pond lillies, which they had wreathed into beautiful, fragrant bouquets, I should scarcely judge them—the maidens, not the lillies—to be webfooted, At Sofith Chicago we bade farewell to these fair damsels with a pitting injunction lodare well for the bouquets and for themselves. With them vanished the sunshine their presence brought. Three hours in Chicago gave the impression that it was extremely dull fpr so large and important a city. Supper at the Adams House and 9 o’clock found us in a Pullman palace car on the Michigan Central & Grand Trunk railroad, ticketed for Portland, Maine, distance 1,145 miles, fare sl9 and $5 extra for sleeping berth. Heard the brakeman call “Calumet,” “Lake,” “Michigan City,” and, dreamily, “New Buffalo,” when the forgetfulness of sleep came. A dreamless sleep from which was awakened by the voice of the brakeman asheshouted “Jackson,” which place was reached just at daylight. Was up in a jiffy, and ready to gaze at what was to be seen. Passed through a thickly settled country, dotted with many fields of golden wheat which was being harvested. From what could be judged as the tram sped swiftly along, should pronounce the wheat crop a good one in that portion of Michigan. Oats, barley, rye, potatoes and corn also look well there, and meadows promise a fine yield of hay. They seem to have had less rain than in Indiana. Passed through the towns of Ann Arboi, Yysilanti, Wayne and Dearborn, all thriving looking plaoes, and at Grand Junotion, three miles from Detroit, switched off upon the Grand Trunk railroad. Passed through New Baltimore and Ridgeway to Port Huron, were ferried across the St. Clair to Sarnia on the Canada side, where we breakfasted at 10 a. ra., 29th July. • On coming out of the breakfast room was met by a military looking gentleman who greeted us with "Cab, sir, to Sarnia?” “Why, is not this Sarnia?” we asked. “Well this is Sarnia Station, but Sarnia proper is three miles down the river,” was the reply. “Nary a buss to Sarnia.” It seems to be a peculiarity of the Grand Trunk railroad that from Detroit to Torontoiit does not pass nearer than three miles to any important town.

From Sarnia in Canada some twenty miles the country very much resembles thesand ridgesof Jasper county; thence come forests of elm, sugar maple and beech, much the same as in Eastern Indiana and W estern Ohio. The chief growing crops in the region we passed through were wheat, oats, barley, timothy and peas, all looking well. Saw very little corn after leaving Michigan. Canadians are neat farmers, on a small scale of course as compared with those who cultivate our Western prairies. To each farm house is attached a large barn in which, the farmer stores all his grain, tfay and peas. Xo hay or grain is seen stacked in the fields. At Stratford, 143 miles from Detroit, the tram stops twenty minutes for dinner. Through beautiful farming regions, forests of maple, elm Slid beech and pine barrens alternately, passing the cities of Cuelpli, Toronto, Port Coburg and many smaller towns, till the shades of night tell upon us at Brighton, where twenty minutes are giyeh for supper. Brother Alfred is not hungry, so I go alone to the dining hall. On returning found brother turned >n for the night! Went forward into the passenger coach and tried to pick up items

tVom the passengers,, but found them generally too sleepy to be interesting, and was.compelled to relapse into silence and listen to the heavy breathing and snoridg of the sleepers, and wondered if the great difference in the snoring of individuals might not be a good index to their several characters ! Breakfasted at 7 o’clock a. m. July 30th, at Cornwall, and at 9 o’clock reached Montreal, the great Canadian metropolis. Was compelled to wait here until 3 o’clock p. m. for tram to Portland. Leaving our baggage at a hotel near the depot, we started out on an exploring tour. Looked at Notre Dame cathedral said to be the largest on the American continent. It is open at all hours of the day for the benefit of transient and local worshippers, and for the inspection of sightseers. It is a grand structure, profusely decorated with little angels, big angels, crosses, Mary Magdalens and Jesuses of all sizes to suit the necessities of worshippers according as their sins may have been small, great or enormous. Worshippers and the curious were alike coming and going all the time we remained. From thence went to Victoria Square, a beautiful little enclosure with a life-size bronze statue of Queen Victoria, and a fountain where the thirsty may drink and be refreshed. Saw many beautiful dwellings and business blocks in the city. Montreal may be said to be a beautiful city, but it has What McCoy would call its 32,7. All beautiful places probably have to a greater or less degree their homely spots, their 32, 7s, as levelers or equalizers as it were. After dinner, was amused with an Italian organ grinder with a monkey to collect pennies. As a collector this monkey was a success. No city is entirely complete without organ gi inders and monkeys. At 3 o’clock p. in. boarded the train again and were whirled onward towards the sea. Crossed the St. Lawrence river and were in the Roman Catholic portion of Canada. The towns all along this part ol the road seem to have been named for some saint or other—St. Lambert, St. Hubert, St. Bruno, St. Ilillaire, St. Souxunte, St. Hya einthe, St. Frances—and many other little towns, all saints, we passed. The farmers in this saintly portion of country all build their houses in close proximity on either side of a road or street; their farms being narrow and running back about a mile, where they join the next row of farms. These streets are about two miles apart. The farms are very neat and orderly in condition. Hogs are permitted to run at large in this country, and farmers rather than make their fences hog-tight, prefer to make theii swine fence tight by enclosing them in yokes. Geese and sheep, ditto. At Richmond had twenty minutes for supper and time to look about a little. This town is situated at the foot of the rapids of the St. Frances river. From here the railroad winds along up the sinuous banks of the St. Frances, which i£ a beautiful stream that goes leaping over rocks and rippling over shoals. It is lined on either side with beautiful forests and overhanging rocks. Was told that it abounded in salmon, trout, pickerel bass aud other game fish, which made me long to be out on its waters with rod, reel and basket; but must speed on. Passed Windsor, Sherbrooke, Lennoxville, to Brompton at the head of the St. Frances rapids. This is a great lumber mart of Canada. The t rees, • mostly pine, of which vastquantities grow along thi9 stream, from the rapids to its source, are cut and floated down the river to Brompton, where they are sawed into lumber and shipped by rail to various parts of the country. Saw enough lumber stacked up. here to build a dozen towns the size of Rensselaer.

At Island Pond we passed over into Vermont and into the darkness of night. Daylight, Saturday morning 31st found us at Oxford, Maine. Breakfasted at Danville Junction. At Portland 9 o'clock, a. Hi., stepped into the Boston <fc Maine car, and in a few minutes more were on terra firma at Blue Point from whence could see Pine Point House and Florence and Ora running to meet us. Found all the folks well except Lossie, and he slowly improving. To take a bath was the first thing in ordet almost before one could have time to breathe, and as Flo and Ora would take no excuse was inside a bathing suit in a jiffy and out in the wild waves. Did not stop ik> listen to what the wild wavesiakl, except that it was ‘ splish, splash, splurge.” Spent half an houjr or more in the water, and came out feeling as freslyand new as a morning sunbeam. After noou, ran races, swung in a hammock, and wandered in the groves picking berries. ~ Sunday morning August Ist. was up bright and early as usual, and as np ope was stirring to whoip I' might bid the top o’ the morning, picked np a book, climbed into a hammock, and lay and reading and looking out upon the

restless sea, trying to shape together the thoughts that were in me, and coaid bat exclaim Break, blank, break, Oa thy cold grey stones, Oh Sea ! And I would that my tongue con!d utter The thonghta that urine in me. Spent the day bathing, rowing and riding, and enjoyed everything to the tallest extent. Monday morning Mr. Millikan, Alfred, Florence, Ora. and I took a dory and rowed across to Prout’s Neck, some three miles, to fish for cunners. Took lanch with as, and had a jolly good time. Caught something over a hundred fish—cunners, pollocks and tom cods; the latter sometimes called Thomas Coddingtons, for short—all fine varieties for eating. Flo and Ora got np quite a strife about which should come out best in numbers. First one and then the other would be ahead, till, finally, they were even at twenty-three when all hauled in lines apd started home. Florence came out best in variety, having caught one calico fish with alpaca wings known as a sculpin. This is a famous place for fishing. Along the beach are numerous fishing huts, and large quantities of mackerel, hake and lobsters are taken and sold. Cod-fish, also, and at times striped bass, are caught in large numbers. Saw some parties draw in a large seintei They had taken something like twenty barrels of porgiea, which they gave back to the sea. Porgies here rank about the same as dog-fish in the Iroquois. Tell Col. Healey if be was here we would have some of the jolliest fishing sprees he ever heard of. We are almost living on fish. Have clam chowder whenever we desire; and it is good. Since arriving have had clams, lobsters, hake, mackerel, cunners, pollock, haddock, eels, and several other varieties of fish the namea of which Ido not recoUect—all excellent eating. Mr. and Mrs. Millikanjand family, are “well and hearty.” They keep the PiDe Point House, and feed a great many excursionists, picnic parties and tourists. Mr. Millikan and I went clam digging this morning and got a bushel of clams in a few minutes. The weather has been delightful since we started from home until to-day; it is raining now, but I think it will be fair again soon. We are enjoying ourselves the best kind, and if Lossie was well enough to go with us would be happy as birds. He improves slowly, and we hope will soon be well. I will quit now and leave for another letter tbe notes of Old Orchard,Fern, Park, Camp Ground

and The Pool.

JAY.