Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1875 — At the Seaside. [ARTICLE]

At the Seaside.

B. M. Butler, secretary of the Remington Agricultural Society, will please accept thanks for complimentary tickets to their fair to be held the 7 th, Bth> 9th and 10th days of next month. , Hon. Jos. Buchanan, favored the citizens of Lebanon Vith an address on the finances, last Saturday night. The people of that section are thoroughly aroused on the financial situation, a majority of them believing that an increase of the currency is necessary. The weather for the past few days has been -more favorable for farmers to get their rrrnin and hay put up. Corn is earing better than ' was anticipated and with a few weeks of fair weather it will yield an average crop. With plenty of corn and oats and an unusually large crop of potatoes there need be no fears of a famine. The Governor of Tennessee has appointed D. M. Key, of Chattanooga, to succeed the late Andrew Johnson in the United States Senate. Key was not much of a Northern sympathiser during the war, neither did he shoot very much to hurt anybody either with his gun or his mouth. In a normal condition he votes democratic. The Routh Bend Tribune nominates Major W. H. Calkins for Congress, and the Laporte Herald says it understands that he will not work for the nomination, but if the candidacy Is tendered him he will make the race and do. his best to be elected.—Plymouth Democrat. No nomination the republicans can make would please the opposition better. It will be just as easy to beat him another time as it was the first By all means nominate him again.

The company that went from here to the state conference <»f the Church of God at Rensselaer, last week, returned Monday even in g, and report having had a very good time. One hundred visitors were entertained by the Rensselaer people in the most hospitable manner. The first quarterly meeting of the stale conference will be held in this city the latter part of December next.—Democrat Somehow we had received the impression that Bro. Platt McDonald of the Democrat would be in attendance at that conference, and were much disappointed in not seeing his genial face and grasping his honest hand. On the morning of the 22d the Indianapolis Sentiuel announced that M* O’Connor, its late editor, would retire, and with that issue a new policy in the conduct ot the paper would begin. An entire new editorial force is to be employed and the paper will take a decidedly greenback stand. Mr. R. J. L. Matthews, formerly of the New Albany Ledger, is the new editor. From every quarter the report prevails that work will be resumed on the Chicago & South Atlantic railroad before the 15th of September. The impression is strong that the track will be laid from Chicago to Monticello this fall, and the road in running order. The Chicago Tribune of recent date says astrong effort is being made to have the Common Council grant the right of way into that city, and if this can be secured track laying will be commenced at once.

Financiers and newspapers which advocate an increase of paper currency, are in the habit of calling coin money a relic of barbarism, by way of derision. Possibly it is, nevertheleas for all of that there are very few .even of the most highly civilized people who would object to having a plentiful supply of) it Relics of this nature are sometimes quite convenient to possess, Especially while carrying on commerce with barbarous nations who still prefer them as a mediuhi ofexchange and recognize no other. Perhaps it ought to cause a biash, but we mast confess that we have not •advanced in the scale of civilizajtinn so far above the framers the Constitution of the United States as not to prefer barbaric coin relics, worth one hundred cents per dollar, even though they had been minted in Central Africa five thousand years ago, to the civilized paper currency, worth eighty-five or ninety cents, which our hightoned friends so strenuously advocate. ,

JL’ink Point Beach, Maine, August 13, 1875. FkiknD Horace: —A sojourn at the seaside should be participated in, in order to fully understand all its benefits, beauties and delights. Since writing you on the" 3rd, I have been variously occupied, rowing, fishing, bathing, driving on the beach, etc. Bathing in the salt sea water is delightful. To go out m the breakers and be tossed and lifted about for an hour or more, makes one feel as new and happy as a young convert. You should just try it once. Youcan’timagine how good it does make one feel. Pine Point Beach is one of the finest bathing places for many miles along this part of the coast. It is situated on a small bay, at the mouth of Little Scarboro’ River, a part or arm of the Casco Bay, and is about three miles up the beach, northeast from “Old Orchard,” and is becoming quite a summer resort. Many cottages are being built by persons who wish to spend a few weeks on the seashore, which, when not occupied by the owners, are frequently let to picnic and fishing parties, temporarily. Frequently parties from Boston, Portland, Biddeford, and various other places, come here, rent a cottage, stay a few days or weeks, and have a jolly good time. Blue Point Station, on the Boston <fc Maine railroad, is within a half mile of the Beach, and there are several trains daily each way, so that the place is very convenient of access. Old Orchard, three miles from Pine Point, has become quite a village, containing some dozen or more hotels, a dancing pavillion and a group of Indian wigwams. During the summer months it is a lively place, crowds of people continually coming and going, some days the hotels being thronged to overflowing; but in winter, I am told, all the hotels are closed and the town almost deserted.

“The Pool” is another bathing and pleasure-seeking station sometwelve miles further down the coast at the mouth of the Saco river. It is rather a bleak looking place, being situated on the sandy beach, not a tree in sight to cheer the' heart or break the dreary monotony. Parties stopping there, however, say it is a delightful place for bathing, fishing, rowing, and getting full benefit of the sea breeze. Near Old Orchard is the great Nation al Camp Mee ti ng Ground, where, during the months of August and September, of each year, sinners congregate to have their “souls washed, saved and fitted for tb.e skies.” It is a beautiful place, situated in a forest of pine and sugar maple, and seems peculiarly adapted to the purpose for which it is used. The Methodist denomination are holding their camp meeting now, and arc in the midst of their hallelujah season. They are to be followed by the National Camp Meeting, after which the temperance folks will put on the finishing touch and wind up the season. The place was originally purchased for a song by the Methodists and is now being rapidly laid out in lots and sold by them at almost fabulous prices, by which means they are making the concern a great financial success. Hundreds of people are purchasing lots and erecting cottages thereon for their own convenience while attending the camp meetings. At the close of the meetings they lock up and leave the cottages until the next season. The place now presents the appearance of a lively little rural village. Especially is it lively in the evening and until away into the “wee ana’ hours.” It is a great soul saving institution no doubt. The prettiest place of all in this vicinity is Fern Park. It comprises about forty acres of original pine aud maple forest. It was owned by u kind hearted, sentimental old bachelor, a native of some foreign country, a Frenchman, I think, or Russian, or Norwegian, I didn’t learn which, but it matters hot as to that. The place is beautifully located; consisting of hills and dales, aud deep dark glens, and is nicely laidout with walks and winding paths, and everylittle nook

and corner romantically named. You enter the park under a rustic arch over which, in large letters, is an appeal to all who enter to be careful of the flowers, ferns, trees, and all the beautiful plants growing there, and to be kind to the rabbits, squirrels and all the feathered songsters that dwell* therein. All through the place are these notices, mottoes and devices, appealing to visitors to be good, gentle and kind. In here the student can find his retreat, the parson his sanctum, the artist his studio, and the poet his bright little nook, where he can sit and dream, and let the rhymes run unbidden from his pen. I spent several hours with Florence and Ora in this delightful place. But it would take days to see it enough to give a faithful description thereof. The owner at his death donated the park to the citizens of Old Orchard with the positive injunction that they should take good care of it. Am sorry to say they are not carrying out this injunction. But must leave this pleasant place and hurry on. Monday, the 9th, Mr. M. and I started for a row around Prout’s neck; took along mackerel bait and tackel. When out in the bay we

hailed a boat and were answeied that mackerel were biting nicely. Accordingly we anchored, scattered our bait and threw out our lines. My line ha.d hardly struck the water when I felt a jerk and commenced hauling in, and soon landed a fine mackerel in the boat, and on looking around to see what friend M. was doing was just in time to see him lift in two nice ones. Out went my line again, another jerx and another mackerel. And bo we kept on casting our lines and hauling in the fish, sometimes two at a haul, until at the end of two hours your humble servant had caught one hundred and one fine mackerel and M. about, the same number. I tell you it was fine sportr i thought of Col. Healey and wished him there to enjoy it with me. It would have been fine fun for -him. We didn’t go around Prout’s Neck that day. The next day Flo., Ora, Alfred and I went in the dory over to the Neck and fished for dinners, pollocks, tom cods,, etc., and came m at noon with a goodly number. Ora rowed the dory out to the Neck, some three miles, and Flo. managed the oars returning, and both did admirably well; and now, since they have learned to row, their uncle can seldom get a chance at the oars. So goes the time, rowing, fishing, and having a general good time, not forgetting our daily bath in the “salt, salt say.” Saturday, the 7th, the Biddeford diook and ladder company came down to the Point and picniccd, clam .chowder ad and danced. Of course we joined them in the dance and had a good time. In the evening Flo.. Ora and I went to Old Orchard and danced at the pavilion till 10 o’clock, then home by night through the dark greenwoods. The beach here is skirted by a belt of timber, mostly pine, among which grow abundant quantities of blue berries, huckleberries, dew berries, and other small fruits, which are picked by the natives and sold in market. This week the weather has been rainy and foggy until to-day it has cleared off and is bright and beautiful, and as Lossie’s health has improved so we think him able to stand the trip, we have concluded to start home this evening, going by cars to Portland, thence by steamer, to Boston, which place will reach about six o’clock to-morrow morning, thence by railroad to Francesville, and home on the Duvall line. There are many more things I might wiite of, but this letter 'is already too long, so will wait till I see you and tell you the rest.

JAY.