A LIFE gift Miss Caleman. The Jesup Memorial Library OF BAR HARBOR RULES 1-Summer visitors by depositing $1.00 (which is returned at the end of the season) and paying three cents a day for new books and two cents for old ones, may take at one time three books- one new and two old publications. 2-Summer visitors on payment of $5.00 as a donation to the Library, may take at one time three books-one new and two old publications. 3-Summer visitors on payment of $10.00 as a donation to the Library, may take at one time two new and four old publications. 4-The Library books are free to all permanent residents of Bar Harbor, with the exception of the new books for which three cents a day is charged from May 15th to October 15th. 5-Persons holding books beyond the date stamped on the slip inside of the cover must pay a fine of two cents a day. 6-Books which are defaced must be replaced at the expense of the person defacing them. 7-Children under fourteen shall be allowed ac- cess only to the book-shelves assigned them, except by special permission of the librarian. 8-No book can be taken to a house where there is contagious illness. 9-All books in a house where contagious illness has broken out, must be returned after the house has been fumigated, stating that contagious illness has existed in that house. 10-Books must be returned directly to the Library and in no case pass from one house to another. 11-Dogs are not allowed in this building. 12-Smoking, except when expressly authorized by the librarian, is forbidden. ROBERT ABBE BY WILLIAM LAWRENCE The Lafayette National Park Museum of the Stone Age Period BULLETIN NO. IV ROBERT ABBE In the window of an office on Cot- tage Street, Bar Harbor, in the au- tumn of 1922 lay a dozen rough stones. Men, women and children walked by; some glanced at them and passed on: one man stopped, looked intently at the stones, went into the office and asked about them; his imagination was kindled. These very stones that he was handling had been in the hands of men who lived and fished along these shores, climbed these mountains, and brought up families on this Island before history began. These stones were their tools, their weapons and their cooking utensils. "Were there other similar [2] stones?" the man asked himself. "Could he learn more about these people? Where did they come from? Were there signs of their living in other parts of the world?" He whose imagination was thus kindled was a New York surgeon, Dr. Robert Abbe. Who was Dr. Abbe? He was born in New York City, April 13, 1851; was educated in her public schools and the College of the City of New York. He was an at- tractive boy, alert, full of enthusiasm, a keen student; with a vision ever forward. "What next?" was his per- sistent question. Upon his graduation the question was answered, - "the profession of medicine." He entered and graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons and became an interne in St. Luke's Hospital. As he felt his way into the several departments of medical science and practice he became conscious of cer- [3] tain definite talents: his friends rec- ognized them also and pressed him into surgery. His exactness of thought, his precision of action, his deftness of hand, the elasticity of every muscle in response to a perfect nerve sys- tem, his sympathetic spirit, his cour- age and imagination drove him into the great and vital calling of a sur- geon. Surgery was then entering upon its wonderful new career of research, discovery and practice: and Robert Abbe was essentially a pioneer. On entering upon his work in hos- pitals and private practice he be- came an attending surgeon to St. Luke's Hospital, the Babies' Hospital, the Roosevelt, and the Cancer Hos- pital. He was a lecturer and a fellow of the College of Physicians and Sur- geons, a Vice-President of the Acad- emy of Medicine. He was a scientist who based his practice upon the soundest principles, who at the same time eagerly caught the latest results [4] of research and was unflinching in his loyalty to the truth. He was also endowed with the ten- derest qualities of mind and heart; to his patients he was more than a skilful surgeon, he was a comforter and inspirer. Of French Huguenot stock, he was deeply religious, and the confidence born of faith in God was as much a part of his healing talent as was his skill. Upon entering the ward of a hospital, his face radi- ant with cheer and hope, and with a voice quiet and clear, his presence was felt by every patient: and his intimate knowledge of each one gave confidence, and each one claimed him as their friend. Dr. Abbe's alert mind and pioneer spirit carried him far beyond the routine of a surgeon's practice. He led the way in various cranial, spinal and intestinal operations which have now taken their place among the usual. [5] He had an artistic sense, a talent for illustration in plastic form and color, which led his mind out into one avocation after another. Years ago, before I had ever heard of a colored photograph, Dr. Abbe ap- peared on my piazza with a camera and said, "I have long wanted to take your beautiful vista of the Bay and Gouldsboro Hills and here I am." The transparent plate in nature's colors of my summer view is now with me through the winter. Courageous as he was in his oper- ations, sometimes even at the cost of sharp criticism, he worked in the hope that much that he was doing with surgery might be better and painlessly done through future dis- coveries - when, lo! the reports of the wonderful work of radium reached him. Early in 1904 he again became a pioneer and again met criticism, sharp criticism for his prompt use of that wonderful salt substance; he [6] corresponded with Professor and Madame Curie, visited them in their laboratories, and by his marvellous cures became a missionary for radium in this country. Years passed. The pressure of work in New York together with his love of nature brought him to Mt. Desert for a few weeks and later for a few months each year. He settled in his lovely nook of "Brook End" where Duck Brook meets the Bay, and where with his artistic feeling he adapted Japanese art to American conditions and created a Japanese Garden in whose pool floated his two graceful swans, - Pierre and Marie Curie. In 1924, after he had passed the peak of his great surgical career, he wrote, "Welcome to this Divine Spot, - all nature holds out her glories to you over again, as the warm sunshine kisses the fragrant pines this lovely morning." Alas! a new note enters his [7] life, for he adds, "It has been a health restoring, wonder working air for me the past fortnight, the Alpine fresh- ness of this Maine air." To his friends Robert Abbe's work seemed to be finished; his health was failing and invalidism to his life's end was certain. The tragedy of it was that his subtle illness may have been partly or largely due to the very radium by whose use he had saved the lives of others. For in the early days after the discovery of radium there were as yet unknown dangers to the surgeon in its use. Those same stones which he had seen in the window were now in his cottage at Brook End. Friends, stu- dents of prehistoric man, investi- gators and searchers in the vicinity of Mr. Desert, learning of Dr. Abbe's enthusiasm, brought their treasures to him. His vision was now taking shape: that of a museum; a collection of the [8] handiwork of prehistoric man gath- ered in this locality which as years passed would with the aid of other collections build up a story of peoples long gone. He had already brought his plastic talents into play and had made relief and profile maps of Mt. Desert and of the surrounding Bay and Lands which were to be part of the Museum. His life was slowly ebbing out. Would he be able to go on in his work of collection? Would he ever see his museum? Then one of the miracles of modern surgery came to the aid of this great surgeon, this brave and loved man, when the transfusion of blood from man to man was in its experimental stage. Beginning in March 1924 he quietly, systematically undertook to carry through his work and fulfil his vision by the aid of transfused blood. Thus strengthened, month after month he continued the making of [9] his collections; he invited in his neigh- bors on Mt. Desert and aroused their enthusiasm; he gained the support of archeologists. The thought of the museum was with him through days and nights of suffering. He wrote a friend, "The last few days and nights have been merciless, - yet the world is cheerful and my friends steadfast." He received children and talked to them about the stones; he called old friends to him; he wrote to other friends and to strangers; gifts of money came pouring in. He himself, with the aid of an architect, drew the plans. He wrote, "The collection of Stone Age Implements, Lafayette National Park, will stand for the epitome of the beauty and wonder of nature on the Eastern Continental Coast; but the complete drama of its history will be lacking in interest after its geology and consummate beauty of living things have been studied, if we do not gather together [ 10 ] and consecrate in a museum these Stone Age Implements of Agriculture and war which have been the inde- structible evidence of a vanished race. "I have consistently set a goal, - never to enlarge this Collection into a general museum but fix indelibly a fact of incontrovertible history on the minds of the large and rapidly growing travelling public. My aim has been to create a permanent classic 'one show' historic incident in the path of the 'Madding Crowd' and to make it as perfect as possible." "I plan a fireproof and appropri- ate structure to properly house my maps and Stone Age Implements which will be for all time both fasci- nating and educative for thousands who are not accustomed to visit museums of this sort; but who will linger and dream over this small and unique collection. In no place any- where will there be so graphic and educative a group of maps that add [11] an appropriate charm. I hope to live several years to perfect this little gem." As months passed an endowment was built up by his friends and his own large contribution. After much thought the plans for the museum were complete and the construction of the building begun. Set in the midst of the forest and approached from the Spring by an upward slope of lawn above which the cliffs and deep woods hang, it was and is "a little gem." As the spring of 1928 ap- proached and his hopes were high that he would himself enter the build- ing and place the cases and collection he suddenly lapsed in strength, and died on the eleventh of March. On the fourteenth of August a great company of people from all parts of the Island gathered in the Glen of Sieur de Monts Spring to dedicate the Museum. It was a per- fect afternoon, quiet and serene, the [ 12 ] cliffs deepened in the shade while the green lawn gained in brilliancy. The door of the Museum quietly opened; friends standing on the slope spoke loving words; then the air was melo- dious with the chords of Handel's Largo sounding from harp and cello at the Spring. The sentence of Dedi- cation was read: - "To the Glory of God, in behalf of the Truth, in gratitude for the Story of Man's Creation through the ages and in mem- ory of ROBERT ABBE we dedicate this Museum. May the spirit of God rest upon those who enter its doors and go forth from generation to genera- tion." From cliff to cliff echoed and re- echoed the bugle strains of Taps; and the people dispersed. [ 13 ] "These trumpeters saluted Chris- tian with ten thousand welcomes from the world; and this they did with the sound of the Trumpet."