Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-09-02
Mansfield Mountain.

mont, are many spots of beauty, where the
I foot prints of nature can still be seen, un-
marred by the improvements of man. The
grand old woods still linger about the Green
Mountains, and monarchs Of the forest still
I hold rule in many shady dell, and on many
a mountain side. The sparkling springs are
not all vet forced into iron pipes, from their
/ fountain heads, nor do all the busy, gladstone
brooks. vet toll at the groaning wheel. Ma
ture still remains natural in the immediate
vicinity of our mountains, and Il day ram
bic in the woods is possibility, without
cncountcring aught to remind one OF the
presence of man on earth
| In no spot in Vermont are there moro at
fractions for one who loves the be uty and
grandeur of nature and natural scancr than
can be inun3 around Mansfield Noun ain.
Leaving the Vermont Central X Dad at
! Waterbury, good plank road lcao 10 the
centre of Stowe, some six or seven m.l rom
the summit of 'Old Mansfcld.' 4. ,nc
centre are two good public houses, contain
! ing all things nccdful for the sojourn. Then
for the mountain,
You take the west branch road and fol-
! low the stream. branch Of the Waterbury
! River, over level road some four miles to
! the foot of the mountain. You can ride a
mile further if YOU wish-but you had better
walk. The path commonly used in ascend
ing the mountain is cleared Of undcr-brush. y.
/ logs. and all obstacles to the pedestrian. and
proves to be comfortable bride path to
! within IL quarter of mile of the summit of
! the Nose But, as ramble is proposed,
we will start on foot from the last clearing
and follow the circuitous path. \ mile
brings US to the cold spring,-a beautiful
/ spot-whcrc the coolest and sweetest water
| lies in IL little oval basin fringcd with leaves
] ,,l l,,
! lower side of the little basin, you see quietly
/ stealing away down the gentle slope, a stream
that would fill three inch pipe.
\ sweet refreshing draught from the dippcr
hanging on the tree near at hand, n few mo-
mcnts rest and on we 90. The trees soon
show an elevation affecting very pcrceptibly
their growth, and another mile brings Us
among the stunted spruce, with their sturdy
cones of thick foliage. Now we are scram-
/ bling over rocks, with only here and there a
/ little bush at the side of our path-and now,
carefully picking our way over a bed OF rich.
green moss, stepping lightly for fear of dis
turbing the patches of Niolets carclesSly
spread over the gray rocks. The prccipicc ON
the north of the Nose now lies under Your
feet, and with trcmor you approach it's
edge on hands and knees, and peep down the
perpendicular wall some four hundred feet
on its ragged base. and woody waste just
passed throush sh.-Thc broad valley of LAX"
/ Champlain lies before you, with all its Won
dcriul and beautiful variety of scenery. But
the Chin the highest point of the noun
tain, is Il mile or near to the north, and some
three hundred feet higher, and there you
must 90. The summit Of the chin is Il largH,
rough, solid rock, very nearly deprived of We
getation. \ hundred feet below YOU, ON
every side, are seen piles ON piles of loose
| broken rocks, from the lower edges of which
start vegetation. extending down to the rich
ly yarigated farms below. You seem to stand
ON the very throne of Chaos old, and all
you see, save the small rocky circle about
your feet, is wrcsted from his dominion, and
naught is left to the old monarch but his
! throne.
You are not there, however, to look at the
rocks on which You stand, but to take in at
Il single glance the most beautiful. varied.
/ and 10y far the most extensive view to hc
seen from any mountain top in New England,
The face of the country westward is rolling.
and is thickly dotted with farms, suitably
divided into tillage, pasture, and woodland.
Here and there u village is seen where live
:" The doctor, the lawyer,
Tnc clerk and the wood-sawyer,"
&c, with many church stecplc rising from
the valley and the hill. Then Lake Cham
plain lies still farther west, in full sight
from near ricondero.a on the south to st.
Johns on the north--its sparkling bosom
dottod with islands, its uneven prompnitorird
shore, and many white sail and smoking
steamboat on its waters. Beyond lie the
Adirondac Mountains, in ragged, massive
piles, bounding the snuth-wcStcrly horizon,
Northerly the valley of the Champlain is lost
in the valley of the st. Lawrence. Montreal
li,S fllI ,.in,y and nn tbn t.ru N
miles this side, in Canada West. New York
and Vermont are to he seen. Rouse's Point
is in full sight, and you can follow with your
eye, the line of all the railroads connecting
there, for miles and miles.
I The mountain range ON the north gradually
sinks to the level bottom lands Q. tFnada,
and ON thl ~lnth its peaks risc ou" after
another in picturesque succession--.iltHrd to
their very tops, except Camcls Hun. - the
richest green.
On the east the valley Of the Come =. :
Just hidden from the eye by the high hills
! skrting its western border. and the inter-
vening space shows all the beauty that lilly
country can show, If YOU have good glass
IL quick eye and patience TO look with care
you can count three hundred and twenty
seven church stceplcs and spires from the TOP
/ of Old Mansfield 1t has been done and
can be accomplished again. The fact that So
many churches can he seen from Mansfield
| furnishes better evidence of tho extent of
prospect, than any description that can be
gwen.
But the sun is fast descending, and prcla-
rations for passing the night must be made.
if you wish to see the most splendid of all
sights, the sunrise the next morning. If,
however You would prefer "A warm supper
and IA good bed, a generous scampcr of an
hour brings you to where the horses were
left and the Centre is soon reached where
you will find the hospitabc doors of the old
Raymond Stand wide open to be kindly
welcomed by tho best of fare by the gallant
Maj Churchill of the Mansfield House, -
Correspondent ofthe Counhy Gentleman.
--TuE farmers M>N,-Nault-Moth
Earth,
Exchanges The transplanting Of the nur-
sery and garden.
Dcposits.-liappiness. sobricty, and manly
independence.
Assets,-Shining fields, waving with
golden harvest.