SEPTEMBER YA N KE E . 1974 60 CENTS from is Baymeath The following passages are taken from a thin volume privately printed in 1945 by Louise de Koven Bowen. It was written in her 85th year, and entitled Baymeath, the name of her estate at Bar Harbor. The introduction is ad- dressed to a grandson: "Capt. Wm McCormick Blair, Jr. Somewhere in Burma." She writes, "This is being put down, knowing that in all probability the type of living in the Eighties and Nineties is a thing of the past and will never come again." Daughter of a Chicago millionaire, Mrs. Bowen died in Chicago in 1953 at age 94. A noted social worker, she was best known for her 60 years' associa- tion with Jane Addams and Hull House for the underprivileged, which she helped found. Mrs. Bowen left nine grandchildren and 16 great-grand- children. WHEN I WAS ABOUT TWENTY-THREE YEARS OLD, MY FATHER RETIRED from business and we decided to spend the summer in the country. My mother chose a place called Bar Harbor in Maine. The journey con- sisted of a long, slow train to Boston and an all-day ride to Rockland, Maine. At five o'clock the next morning we found ourselves on a rickety wharf waiting for one of the boats of the Eastern Steamship Line due to pick up passengers for Bar Harbor. It was very foggy and freezing cold. Because of stopping for repairs on the boat, we had to spend the night on board. It was a terrible night. The water washed across the floor of my stateroom, until I really felt as though I were at the bottom of the ocean. BAYMEATH "This is being put down, knowing that in all probability the type of living (at Bar Harbor) in the Eighties and Nineties is a thing of the past and will never come again " by Louise de Koven Bowen (courtesy of William T. Adams) 102 The sun came out with the morning, and we were in smoother water. Toward noon we came in sight of Mt. Desert Island with its beautiful mountains, sixteen peaks in all, one of them the highest mountain on the Atlantic Coast. It was then known as Green Mountain, but its name has since been changed to Cadillac and it is now part of Lafayette National Park. When we arrived in the town, we found it only a small village with one main street. The natives divided the summer people into three classes. They were all called "rusticators." There were the "mealers," who lived near enough to the hotels to walk to their meals, and the "hauled mealers," who had to be hauled to their meals, and the group who lived in their own houses. There was one general store, called Bees, where the rusticators gathered during the week to exchange comments, and on Saturday nights it was filled with natives, who discussed the rus- ticators. * My first child, your Uncle de Koven, was born in Chicago a little more than a year after I was married. It was tremendously hot, and I felt I could not wait until we reached Bar Harbor. Fifteen months later my second child, your Uncle Joe, was born at Bar Harbor. We had then moved into a stone cottage. My doctor came down from Chicago to take care of me. In the following three years my two girls were born at Lake Forest, 103 Illinois. They were with us when we and SO forth. She was shown out on moved into a house of my cousins at the porch where I was watching the Hull's Cove about four miles from children, who were having a game of Bar Harbor. We had several happy ball on the lawn. They were bare- summers in this house. It had only footed, screaming with laughter, and one bathroom and that was a source having a grand time. They never of much amusement, for it had to looked dirtier. She could not see very serve the two of us, a guest, four chil- well, SO carried a lorgnette. Putting dren, Miss Hemple and one other this to her eyes, she said to me, nurse, a cook and a waitress. I would "What is that on their feet?" - to find signs made by the children stuck which I replied, "Aunt Fanny, you on the door, such as, "Only One Mo- don't see anything on their feet. They ment Allowed for Tooth Brushing," are barefooted." She looked at me "Wash the Basin Yourself," "Don't askance, saying, "Barefooted! My Linger Here We All Want to dear, how strange! I must send for Wash." the footman to come see them." I * * sent my maid to get the footman, who was much embarrassed and When we went to Bar Harbor, and climbed down from the box with dif- when the children were young, there ficulty. When he appeared, Aunt were a great many Indians there. I Fanny said to him, "John, Mrs. Bow- think the tribe was the Potawatomis. en's children have no shoes or stock- They lived in an Indian village near ings on and they are romping on the the lower end of the town. They had grass. Look at them." So John looked a great many little stores where they until he was told he could return to sold canoes and sailboats made from his place on the box. birch bark and beautiful Indian * * * baskets. They also made leather moc- casins, and it was a great treat for the Your grandfather and I used to children to be taken there to spend walk around the shore of Frenchman their pennies and to buy little things Bay and look at various pieces of which they liked. land. Finally one day we came to a beautiful meadowland which ran straight down to the sea. Here we de- One day an aunt of mine, really a cided to build our home. We had grande dame, made her appearance some trouble with the water. The with two men in full livery on the water company at Bar Harbor said box. In those days full livery meant we were too far away and they would white knee breeches, boots, tall hats, not run pipes out there. We remem- "My doctor came down from Chicago to take care of me. " Centerspread (previous two pages): "Summer Hotel - Maine" by Charles Prendergast 106 bered a lovely little lake inland from it made harder plaster. When the our property. I went to see the man house was finished all the wallpaper who owned it and he sold me an op- fell off. We had the walls hung with tion for a hundred dollars. I again white cloth and papered over the visited the head of the Bar Harbor cloth. We lived in the house fifty Water Company. I asked him if he years without papering a room. were still quite firm about not sup- The part of the house which plying us with water. He was. In my pleased the children most was the grandest manner, and with a great huge attic, with great beamed ceil- deal of pleasure, I then said to him, ings and a fine hardwood floor. It "Very well, I will buy Woods Lake was not plastered. Up in these rafters and start a water company of my and on the beams were two houses own." In less than a day he sent word made by the boys, with rope ladders the company would supply us with leading up to them. Surreptitiously, water. I gave up the option on the I occasionally placed mattresses on lake, though I really do not think the floor underneath, SO if the chil- running a water company would dren fell they would not be hurt. have been too difficult. In fact, I Also there were at least twenty or rather regretted that I had not tried. thirty little doll houses belonging to * * * the girls, built between the rafters. It took us some time to choose a * * name for the place, but we finally For several years we sent our horses decided on "Baymeath." It was on down from Chicago. A young Swede, the bay, and meath being the Scotch Peter Larson, was in charge of all word for meadow, the name seemed the horses. Like all Swedes, he never not only simple but appropriate. used the word "you," but always, The house was beautifully "What trap will Mrs. Bowen have?" planned, with large white pillars in He lived with us fifty years. front. To the right of the entrance Eventually we decided to keep our was the large living room, and the horses on a farm at Bar Harbor dur- left two dining rooms which, when ing the winter. We used to call our opened into each other, would stable our Greek temple, because it seat fifty people. The second floor looked exactly like a Greek temple had six bedrooms and eight maid's from the outside. It had accommoda- rooms, and the third floor five bed- tions for about twenty vehicles and rooms and a sitting room. The house stalls for twenty-two horses. The had ten baths. walls of the carriage house were filled It grew to be a very large house with fine prints of horses and car- with a straight rooftree which went riages. The harness room had easy across it. In later years, when the chil- chairs for the men. I cannot remem- dren did not want to meet someone ber all the different kinds of vehicles, or when they wished to vanish from but there was a runabout for two or sight, they climbed to this rooftree three people, a small buckboard with and sat astride it. One day a group of rumble behind for a groom, a gov- horseback riders came to look at the erness cart, cutunders, a beach place. The children heard one of wagon, a huge buckboard that held them exclaim, "My God, this must be twelve people, an express wagon with an insane asylum. Some of the in- a crate in it for bicycles, which fol- mates are sitting on the roof." I don't lowed us on rides SO that if we got wonder they thought SO with perhaps tired we could get in. There were twenty children straddling the roof. two Bailey runabouts with pneu- The only mistake made in the matic tires, excellent for young boys house was that the man who built it in their teens to take their girl was accustomed to building light- friends riding. houses, and used sea water because (continued on next page) 107 Baymeath (continued) Then there was the opera omni- because the roads were narrow, and bus which held eight people. We most of the vehicles took to the ditch used this when we went to dinner as we sailed by. We had four bays, parties and wanted to look very styl- four chestnuts and four strawberry ish. The first time we took it out was roans for this tally-ho, and an extra to drive to a musicale. Jane Addams one which matched perfectly. was visiting us then. Whenever she * * came near a horse, she got hay fever. I always said she could hardly look After our color-blind gardener had at a photograph of one without be- suddenly left town with the wife of ginning to sneeze, let alone sit on a one of his neighbors, we had to get horsehair sofa. On this occasion she another man. Although his name told me that she thought if she was Rose, he proved to be as incom- smelled plenty of peppermint before petent as the first one. He would not she went in, she would be free from stay unless we built a greenhouse, the hay fever, SO I bought a quart which we proceeded to do. It was a bottle of oil of peppermint. We had very large greenhouse, but did not about five miles to drive. Your grand- seem to produce enough to warrant father was holding the bottle, and keeping it open. One of the children somehow the cork came out and was said to me, "Mother, why don't you lost, and the peppermint spilled all turn it into a swimming pool?" I over us. I am certain everyone at the thought it a good idea, SO the next musicale thought we had been drink- day I sent for a contractor and ing heavily and had taken pepper- though we heard he said to some of mint to disguise the odor. And the his friends that we must be queer omnibus never fully recovered from to make a swimming pool out of a the dose of peppermint and always greenhouse, he undertook the work. smelled of it. The glass roof served to warm the fresh water in the pool, SO that the As there were a number of people children just loved it and swam there in the village who drove four-in- nearly every day. I don't think there hands, I thought I would also like was anyone to look after them ex- one. We bought what was called a cept their nurse who could not swim. tally-ho, a kind of trap that had Later we decided to build a large room for one person beside the pool on the beach which was filled coachman in front, two long seats with salt water when the tide came across behind that held four people each, and a seat behind which held in each day. The grandchildren were very fond of entertaining there. I two grooms who managed the brakes. The first time it came around I said suppose two or three days a week we would have some kind of party. to Larson, "I will drive myself." I After their swim they would eat mounted the seat and your grand- lunch around a large table. They father, looking very anxious, got up always had the same thing - chops, beside me. The two grooms, one of them Larson, were at the leaders' potatoes, a vegetable, coffee and ice cream cones. The fire outside was heads. I called out, "Let go!" The made of wood and charcoal and the men touched their hats even in the boys did the cooking themselves. moment of excitement when they Your grandfather was a great cook, knew I was starting off fast, and and I have seen him do more than a then rushed, one to each side, for hundred chops there often. the last step. It was like getting on a fast-moving train, but they never once failed me. It was the duty of One time when your grandfather one of the grooms to blow the tally- and I were driving, our collie ran ho horn. He blew it almost constantly ahead of us and killed a chicken on 108 YANKEE September '74 a farm. We stopped and a woman came out and accosted us with, A Classic European "Your dog has killed my spring by chicken!" I said, "I know. I am Montblanc sorry. Here is fifty cents for the (available in America) chicken." She started to take the This is the fountain pen money, and then turned and looked proclaimed by writing purists at the chicken and said, "Wait a everywhere. It is traditionally minute until I look at it." She elegant in design and pleasant- glanced at it and then continued, ly smooth in writing. It has a "I made a mistake. It was a young precision filling system and a hen and laid me an egg a day. I will large capacity visible ink have to have seventy-five cents for chamber. The ink flow is it." She took another look at it and controlled and unfailing then said, "In this light (it was dusk) through the 12 kt. gold point. I did not see. It is a rooster and A fine pen made by European worth a dollar." Then your grand- craftsmen. Colored black. father got out, picked up the spring Available in medium or fine chicken-hen-rooster combination and nib (specify) $9.95. Add $.50 threw it into the back of the trap. for postage and handling. "What are you doing that for?" she Also, 2 bottles of fine writing asked. He replied, "We will have it ink, $2.50 ppd. in blue, cooked for supper." She exclaimed, blue-black and black. "What! You can't do that. I was go- Money back ing to cook it for supper myself." if not fully delighted But we just laughed and drove off, MORRISON'S leaving fifty cents by the road. * * * * * 215 Thayer St., Prov., R.I. 02906 A great many memorial paths had been given to Bar Harbor by people who loved the Island, with funds From ROYAL DOULTON - LIMITED EDITION for keeping them up. They were 1974 Christmas Around The World Plate really trails over the mountains made This year ROYAL DOUL- TON has chosen as its easy by having the rocks removed, theme "Christmas in Bul- the nettles cut down, the paths well garia." An itinerant min- strel with his dancing marked, etc. They were used only bear approaches a re- mote Balkan Village on by those who loved climbing, and Christmas Eve to enter- tain in traditional Bul- in some of these places we found garian fashion. Deeply many of the shyer flowers - the lady's sculptured - vibrantly handcolored. Gift-boxed. tresses, the twin-flower. We had a tin Each plate numbered. box for gathering specimens, and SO Back years available. $37.50 ppd. Write for FREE color always brought them back fresh, and brochure. Also.available 1974 CHRISTMAS CAROL TANKARD, $37.50 ppd. they kept for a long time. We used BLUE ANCHOR OF NEW ENGLAND to lay the mushrooms or fungi on 800 Main Rd., Dept. YR, Westport, Mass. 02790 pieces of white paper, covering them Retail Store Open Daily Including Sunday with glass. The spores dropped on the paper, leaving on it a beautiful imprint of the mushroom. SOLID CHERRY KNIFE BOX * * * * Early American Reproduc- tion-Handcrafted and fin- I went to the nursery at Bar Har- ished. 33/4" X 8" X 12". bor and asked if they had anyone $9.95 plus $1.50 postage they could recommend for head 5654 Route 26 RD 1 gardener. They sent us an English- HONEY HOLLOW Rome, N.Y. 13440 YANKEE September '74 109 Baymeath (continued) man named Arthur Chilman. He wanted clams they were dug before was always known as "Mr." Chil- your eyes. man to the household, and I never * * * ventured to call him by his first name. He lived with us for forty I decided to have one day to ask years and usually had eight to ten people to call, SO I sent out pretty in- assistants. vitations to everyone in Bar Harbor. One of his surprises for me was a The invitations showed a picture of yellow garden. The flowers ran from the garden and read, "Mrs. Bowen at the very light yellow and white roses, home in her garden on pleasant Sun- Mexican and Iceland poppies, day afternoons in July and August through every shade of yellow and from three until six o'clock." On the orange up to the yellow-red roses first Sunday we had from one to two and darkest yellow flowers. We ex- hundred people. I received in the perimented a great deal and every large garden under a birch tree. After now and then we would put in great going through the gardens - about patches of light lavender which went three quarters of a mile - they beautifully with the yellow. would come back to the porch and The flowers from the gardens were have tea. We had tea with lemon or picked every night and put in great cream, delicious thin white bread vases which stood in the refrigerator open sandwiches with some of our room all night. They were brought famous raspberries on top, and then to the house to the flower room the other sandwiches of cheese, and one next morning, and every guest in the they called the Baymeath sandwich house was expected to do her share of thin toast with marmalade be- of arrangement. We had something tween. like 150 to 200 vases in this room. Your grandfather used to be very There was one suitable for every sort popular at these affairs. When I of flower. Chilman brought the flow- asked him how he remembered the ers to the room in low baskets, all ar- names of the flowers, he said he ranged according to color, the most didn't remember any of them. He had beautiful thing I have ever seen. learned the Latin names of two or three, and these he used indiscrim- * * * * inately, and very few people knew Many lobster pounds, as they were the difference, SO he always enjoyed called, were built on inlets of the sea himself. around Bar Harbor. There would * usually be a little house built of rocks on the beach. The lobsters were I look back with the greatest pleas- caught in April, because the summer ure in the world to our life at Bay- months was a closed season. They meath, and I think every child feels were put in this pound, which was the same about it. The children did often quite a little body of water, and not want me to sell the house, but a net would be put up to prevent there were signs of our going to war them getting out. You arrived at the (World War II), it needed many re- pound and told the number of peo- pairs, and I felt I could not afford to ple you wanted to seat, went down to keep up such a terrifically expensive the pound, had your lobsters picked household, and for that reason I sold out in a big net, choosing those of the it for a very small sum to some refu- size you liked. These were put in a gees from Holland and Belgium. bag made of string and dropped into They love the place and have kept a huge boiler on the beach. They it up beautifully. And SO I thank were boiled for twenty minutes and God for giving us this lovely place served to you at your table exactly in which to spend SO many of our as they were, except that their claws years and, like Tiny Tim, I say, "God were cracked with a hammer. If you bless us, every one." 110 YANKEE September '74