The weekly Minnesotian., 1855-08-04
-.st y Correspondence Of the Minnesotiau.
From the shores Of Lake Champlain.
MoRIAH, New York, July 18th, g

DEAR MINNEsoTIAN :-Our youthful Territory
is now no doubt arrayed in glorious beauty
aud the bright day of promise has given place
to rich fruitiou. Tupper has very truthfully
said that "Absence strengtheneth friendship
when the last recollections are kindly" So
tn longer am away, the more ardent are the
yearnings to behold my adopted home-the
land Of pleasing dreams. Of sparkling hopes
of thwarted plans, and golden experience! Do
not suppose that all the beauty of earth is con-
centrated in Minnesota. No spot of God 8 vast
creation is devoid of interest-of beauty. The
darkest nook has some object to elicit admira.
ton; and the same glorious sun which enlivens
our rich praries, bestows gladcning influence
upon these mountain recesses, and makes all
smile in beauty.
Our pleasant little village has donned its
richest robes, aud the dark. green foliage which
lines the streets and qua -ds the dwellings from
the "Sun's most piercing ray" gives it quite q
grove-like appearance; and the blooming shrub.
berry in every yard, (of which t. e rose predom
inates,) imparts sweet perfume to the atmos-
phere; and, by the way, the fragrance Of the
rose always makes me feel that am nearer a
celestial sphere than earth!
The days of "strawberries and cream" have
just departed, and We now revel in the summer
garden-fruits. while the abundant supply Of
raspberry and blue-berry gives fine variety
AID the delicious blackberry brings up the
rear. For six years had not tasted cherries
;,I, ho1-
variety and in wasteful abundance. How
have wished that some of the burdened shrubs
might lie transplanted to the fertile soil Gf Min
ncsota; for fruit is about all in which you are
deficient there. The apple-trees are full of prom
Use, and really, it requires only contented
mind to render any spot of earth Paradise
though it is not expected that the same beau
ties would smile in every view. -.t.
But my object in resumng my pen this early
Monday morning, was to tell you of visit tu
one Of the many ore beds with which this town
abounds. All the SENSIBLE young men have
either married or gone West. So host Of
young ladies find themselves without gallants
and have in the main adopted the stay-at-home
system. But when this becomes no longer en-
durable, they grid on the spirit of independ.
ence and break loose from the chain of conven-
tionalism So some Of US last Saturday start
ed out in pursuit of pleasure, or its opposite
anything to break the monotony-independen
OF driver or tootman." We enjoyed the ride
but more when we tied our norses and became
the pedestrian. We soon stood upon the noun
tain shore of Champlain, looking down into
the dark, deep pits of the ore-bcd, many OIL
which were two or three hundred feet deep
and now for the first time see that We needed
an escort, and actually admitted that there
were circumstances when gentlemen were nec-
essary cncumbrances! for how could We de-
scend into those pits without one we could
not trust ourselves with these coarse workmen
(and foreigners, tooD in these Know Nothing
times-inasmuch the descent is made in a
small car moved by steam, which will admit Of
but two or three persons at a time. The same
'ar brings out the vast quantities Ct rich ore
which employs hundreds of workmen in haul
ing to the furnace. There is also Railroad on
an inclined plane for half mile, on which i,
is conveyed to the dock, and then shipped uI
or down the Lake. A separating machine re-
moves all dross, reducing the pure Gre to the
irmncss of common shot-a great saving in the
expense of hauling. There is quite little vii
lage of Irish cabins and the beautiful mansion
of the proprietor about half a mile Distant
Turning from these, we clambered up the side
and stood upon the summit of a wild, rocky
precipicc. and there beheld what in the ecsta-
cy of enjoyment We declared view of richest
beauty we had ever sccn--in the East. AT eur
feet and far to the right and left, reposed the
bright, unrippled, sky-tinted waters of Cham
plain, with all boats dotting its surface here
and there. A mile below at our right peered
amid the green foliage, the pleasant village OF
Port Henry; and two miles further with the sill
very vision looming up beyond, stretched in
the expanse of waters, was Grown Point, with
the old Fort build 'ngs, grounds and picturesque
environs in full view. Back of us was SEEM
ingly the widest habitable region of the earth,
yet region of immense wealth. In front lay
the level, richly cultivated fields of Vermont,
the eye spanning at least fifty miles in extent.
The varied landscape, from the western shore
of the Lake to the summit of Green Mountains,
is altogether the most beautifully piCt lresque
have ever soen. Fields of waving grain, vel
dant meadows, interspersed with dark wood
lands meet the waters OF the eastern shore; fine
farm houses in neighborly proximity occasion
ally country village loomed up in the dis
tance, and here and there country church
sprc WED with the tall pines. From the east
ern shore of the Lake, which is here three miles
wide, and ranging from one to fourteen, the
country is level and fertile, with gradual as
cent for twenty or thirty miles. Snake Noun
tain, however, is an exception; standing sepa-
rate and apart from all others surrounded on
all sides by some of the finest farms in Ver-
mont. Beneath its evening shadows my grand
father dwclt, and here loved to frolic away
the days Il f childhood a.d climb up the rugged
sleeps. Now it is so near we can distinguish
the trees on its summit and beyond another
rises, less sdistinct-ranging on as far as the eye
can reach and overlapping all, are ,he Green
Mountains, in a long line of irregular blue;
bounding the horizon, Camefs Runp and Mans
field Mountain, the two highest in the range,
from whence observation is frequently taken,
are far to the northeast, and they seem to wear
the same calm. benignant smile--to possess the
same exalted dignity as in my childhood days.
N-ndf ft,r,,, ,,.:sl 4. n