New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-08-19
THE TRIBUNE.
RurIin gton. vt.-Iron Mines-Bnnks of the
Ausable-Battle of Plat
ON the Lake-Rouse's Point, sc.
Corresponaence Of The Trlbune
hNCHAN" IN Ioi3
MONTREAL, August H. 1919. ,

EXCHANGE HOTEL,
MONTREAL, August ~ 1919.
NV last letter was dated at Burlington VT,
and was entirely and fully occupied with an ac-
count of the late Commencement Of the onlVer-
s;ty at that place. spent several days IN Ina,
vicinity. and found much to engage and reward
attention. The village is delightfully."- Situated Oh
tho side Of the hill which for some miles along
the Lake rises gradually from the shore for about
mile. when it attains hight of some three hun
bred feet, and expands into rolling and fertile
Main. Its principal streets are three, extending
from the water to the College Green at the sum-
NIT of the hill. The chief business Of the town,
which is very considerable, is transacted in its
louer part-thc upper being mainly filled with
finely situated dwelling houses. On approaching
the village from the South, the appearance 1t pre-
SCENTS is very fine. Its several Characteristic
Unitarian, Congregational, Episcopal, Catholic,
Methodist and Baptist-are in full view, large
number Of splendid residences and public build
ngs adorn the place, and at the very summit,
overlooking the whole town, and commanding
one of the most extensive and beautiful prospects
in the country, are the buildings of the Univcr-
s,y. The splendid buildings erected in the
southern part Of the town by Bishop HorKlNs,
and now occupied by a very excellent and -four
ishing Female Seminary, under the charge of
Mrs PAINE, sister of the present Governor of
Vermont, are among the most elegant and beau
tiful in the place. Prominent by their command
inc situations are also the recent residence Of
Hon. c.. P. VAN Ness, and the splendid mansions
| ~
PECK, ESQ.,, Capt. TUCKER and H. LOOMS and
out of the villngc, farther TO the left, those of
Bishop HOPKINS and III. B. STACY, Esq. For
residence in summer there are few places in the
world more delightful than this The University
buildings though plain, are commodious, and the
institution, understand, is highly hourishing-
1t has an excellent Library, an accomplished
Faculty, and thorough course Of study. 1t is
also very well endowed though its chief embar-
easements arise from the difficulty of converting
into money The lands and other extensive property
Of which it is possessed.
devoted one day of my stay in Burlington to
picnic excursion to the banks of the Ausable
River in New Y ork; and they are certainly wor-
thy the attention of every leisurely traveller In this
direction. Our small and most excellent COM
pany left Burlington in the morning for Port Kent,
which is Just opposite and ten miles distant; it
was, you recollect, the residence of the late Ell
XANAH WATSON one Of the earliest settlers of this
part of Newly ork and one Of the ablcst and most
devoted friends of Internal Improvements within
her borders when these were yet In their infancy.
Procuring carriages here we drove to The little
non-manufacturing village of Birmingham, some
FIVE miles distant There are here several fur
naces for the manufacture of iron, though of IN
itrior extent to those at keescvillc within three
miles, which in their turn arc far surpassed by
those Of CIintonve, ten miles beyond. Atthese
places we have the manufacture in all It's stages.
There arc several excellent mines in this vicinity.
where the ore is dug and conveyed in carts to the
mills, where it is roasted, powdered and washed.
Thence il is taken TO the furnaces and melted,
coming out in huge blazing globes, some eighteen
inches in diameter. 1t is then placed under a
heavy trp.hammcr and beaten into rough cylin-
dcrs foot long or Whereabouts, and from three to
six inches through. In this state it is taken to
the rolling mill, where after being thoroughly
heated it is passed between heavy cylinders, their
distance asunder being gradually diminished un-
til it finally energies in the shape of large flat,
wide sheets, which are taken 20 the Sitting mill
and thence emerge in the form OF bar-iron, such
as ls sold in the market. Some of it is made IN
to rods. Parts arc still farther divided into bars
Of about two feet long and of different widths and
thlcknesses and taken to the nail factory. Here,
BY neat and switiy-working machine, nails are
bitten of q know no better way to describe the
opcratlon) from the end of the bar-thc width OF
which is the length Of the NALL the heads are
formed before the nail reaches the floor, where 1t
Is received in key which is forthwith headed,
marked taken to the lake shore, shipped, and in
due time is offered for sale in some Of the city
markets.
But am forgetting pleasure party. AT
Birm!no ham the Ausabie, making slight bend,
tails first over three four successive shelves OF
rock and then down precipicc some sixty feet
IN height From projecting point little DIS
lance below the fall is very beautiful, and by a
little ventugous climbing down the rocks you may
pass to the very foot of the falling sheet-wherc,
II the day be warm as it was with us, the drench-
ing spray will be far from disagrecable. From
tins point the banks of the river continue precipi-
'ous, increase in hight and gradually approach
each other; the river makes several bends and at
distance of about mile and a quarter IS seen
rolling along in "a swift, dark current not more
than twenty feet in width and at the base CT per
pendicular banks and stratifed rocks not less than
one hundred and fifty feet in height. There are
several projecting points of rock from which
fine view may DC obtained of the river as II PUSHES
along between these strange ovcrhanginr walls !;
and near their lower extremity deep cleft in the
solid rock, down which has been built a rourh
staircase, conducts you to large, fat table rock
which has evidently fallen and made itself a bed
IN the very midst of the clement. Whether this
singular and most striking river.bed has been
gradually cut through the rock by the action of
the water, or was originally forced by some great
CONFUSION of naiure-of which there are both in
this vicinity and on the opposite shore of the lake
a, Burlington ample and evident indications,
must leave to biologists to determine or conjec-
turc. Asnatural curiositics, these Walled Rocks