Litchfield enquirer., 1835-09-10


 Ieghanies from the Atlantic but the ex- tent and height are far greater than those of the Alleghanies. The area of their base is immense. They have not been 1 thoroughly explored; but they are said to be of primitive formation. It is supposed that some of the peaks are volcanic but it has not been ascertained that this is the fact. The distance from St. Louis, at the junction ofthe Missouri with the Mississip- pi, to the Rocky mountains, is two lhou- sand and five hundred miles, and from the western settlements of Missouri, eight or nine hundred. There is belt of wood- land for two hundred and fifty or three hundred miles from the Mississippi, and then begins extensive plains reaching to the foot of those mountains. These plains are mostly barren desert, like some parts of Arabia and are visited or possessed by bufaloes and other wild animals.
 Some branches of the Missouri river run a great distance among the mountains :; and the gates of the river, so called, seem to have been formed by the rushing of the water from the higher parts of the nnoun- tains to the plains below. The banks of the river, in the mountains, are twice the height of the mountains on North river, near West Point. The chasm is one hundred and fifty yards wide.
 The range is frequently called the Ore- gon mountains. It is nearer to the Pacif- ic ocean than to the Mississippi river; and the Oregon has its rise on the western slope. Their black and precipitous appearance has given them the name by which they are generally known in the United States. The sources of rivers running into the Mis- sissippi east, and the Oregon west, are not very distant and in some parts there are low places or valleys which had led to the belief that canal will be made to con- meet the eastern and western rivers, within half century.-AmericGn Mag.
 Eccentricities of Madman.-Mr.--, a lawyer in Vermont, doing good busi- ness, at once became insane, and took 1t into his head to abandon the practice of law and engage in basket-making. He was at first very awkward hand at this new employment, but, by dint of persever- ance, he soon became very skilful, and could weave basket as we'll as he had for- merly woven an argument at the bar. He followed this business for about six months, when taking a, new notion into his head, he abandoned it for chair-bottoming.
 The material used in this new occupa- ton was elm bark, which he stripped from the trees in early summer, when it peals most easily. Having come home one day covered from head to foot with mud, he was asked where he had been, that l'e had got so thoroughly bedaubed? He answer ed that he had been into neighboring swamp after elm bark: ofwhich he exhib- ited strip about forty feet long.
 Do you remark this said he trium- phantly.
 Yes; but how does that account for your being so muddyl It isn't usual to find mud on the top of tree.'
 No; but you may sometimes find it at the bottom though. I'll tell you how I found it. cut the bark near the root of the tree, and then stripped it upwards, ex- pecting it would come to an end X break off, and run itself after while. But it hung on like suit in chancery>; and ! stripped, , and stripped, until it run up forty feet high, and as broad and strong as ever. Thinks to myself, there's no use in pursuing the thing any further, and so I'll enter nOllt Prosequi. But not to lose the benefit ot what 1 had already done-that was the point to be decided. wisfied at least to save costs, but pshaw! forget I'm not a lawyer now. Well, as l was saying, l looked at the subject to see how ! should secure the bark. It was too strong for me to break of. At any rate thought l, there's s more than one way to skin cat, as a botch- CT would say. If cannot break off the bark, I can climb up byit. No sooner said than done. seized hold of the strip, and placing my feet against the trunk of the tree. ran up, hand over hand. By this method of climbing, you will perceive my back must have been downwards, and near- ly in horizontal position-my feet being against the trunk of the tree, and my head standing out from it, at an angie of nearly ninety degrees. Having arrived to the proper height, was then in quandary how to get my knife out of my pocket, and how to open it after it was out. If let go with one hand, was fearful that the other would not hold me. However, said I, it's neck or nothing. I'll try the experiment at any rate. So griped powerfully with my left hand, while took out my knife with my right, and opening it with my teeth, whipped of the bark, as clean as the law would dock an entail.
 And what do you think was the result? sWhy, yom came down fiat upon your