New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-24
we're 10 iAe center Of Vermont. The Troy Df
Rutland Railway runs north ~srdiy between two
ridges Of the Green Mountains, Of constantly Va
wing form. In summer, when the hills and val
L.. 80 ..an. Aha lido unat ha reru he An q full.


but, as it was the earth looked desolate enough
The country, contrary to my expectation, did not
even bear the evidence Of that thrift when mas
made Vermont and New Hampshire rich ana
prosperous Commonwealth.
We reached Burlington just al highuail -
we drove to the inn, the snow creaked musica'Iy
heneatb the sleigh and myriads OF stars looked
dow upon US from out the frosty SKY. Ihc 'icr
mometer was az zero, and the day before II mad
becn TWENTY-FIVE degrees lower. Yet those OF our
readers who live in the cities along the sea5osrd
need lot imagine that such weather is hard to be
horne. II is quite otherwise. The east winds OF
Boston and the south winds OF New-GOrs when
the mercury is only at the freezing point are
much more chilly and penetrating. Wtie the
cold lasts, of which | speak, there is no WING
stirring. and, when this is the case, there IS no
difficulty in keeping warm. Moreover, there is
no weather in ali the year so exhilaratlng Inc
,ky is cloudless-the air frosty and healthiul aud
ones cheek CLOVIS and pulse beats with unwonted
Dfe.
How can I adequately express the feeling OF
comfort which came over me as sat down AFTER
supper before the great fire which burnt upon the
hearth Of tie readlng-room lhe fireplace was
nearly FIVE feet broad and high IN proportion, ana
mon two sturdy andirons, blazing logs of wood,
each as large az a mans body, were piled. The
heat was steady and genial; and AS watched the
flame playing around the wood, l might have
asked myself, if Lad only happened to think OF
il. as almost every Traveller has done SINCE Shak-
spcrf's time. Shall not take mine ease IN mine
INN For was at ease; my Journeyns ior the
day was over; NcnlsOn STEAK anu cup vi
coiIee had satisfied my bodily wants, and no one
inan inn. at night, under such circumstances, ever
takes any thought for the morrow.
While ] sat musing by the fire, captain
Of one of the steamboats, which ply upon Lake
CLamplain came IN and took his seat near me.
He was the man of whom il was said in the news
papers little while ago, that he had carried upon
his boat more than twenty thousand passengers,
and had never lost but one OF them. lie was
bluff hearty, but very nervous person, with sin
puar trick, when talking earnestly, of rising from
his seat buttonDg up his coat and putting on his
gloves as # he were about going away, and then
sitting down again and rcadjusting himself, as IL
he had had no thought of leaving. lie brought
down 20 Burlington from Rouses Point part OF
the crew of the Arctic. They were. hc~ald,
the most drunken, reckless, aud abandoned
"vretches ever saw-the very 0fiscourng OF
the worst foreign population of New-York; and
a conductor upon the Rutland aud burlington
" Railway who took them IL Rutland, told me he
heard one of their number Boosting how he had
4" trampled down two or three women Wnch GET
- tinr from the steamer into the boat. Ii was
natural to ask his opinion concerning the conduct
of CAPTAIN Luce during the four hours which
pl
tbe Arctic. The Champlain captain went into Il
minnie account of all that transpired that day and
in every particular justified Luce. " lie did all
" any man could have done in his position. he
said. but he was the victim OF circumstances
which never happened before and may never hap
open again. lie was justified in my opinion IN
/" considering his own vessel unln)ured when he
looked over her bows and saw no mark OF the col
lison, and in sending Gourlay 10 the rescue OF
Al. I, tain trttl aIt n
officers, could have Kept so awless crew from
"taking possession of the boats, and officers and
crew being gone, there was nothing left but to
meet his fate" Was there not time" l
asked left for the passengers 10 make raft un-
der Luce's guidance ?" =" No; it would not
have been possible for men, ignorant as these
were Of the use of tools to have built in twice
:. four hours raft that would have held together
against the first wave that struck it, In storms
upon the Lake. l have SEEN toOoften how awk-
"wardly and slowly passengers work-eyen when
"tLey have not lost their selipOssesslon This
Testimony. in favor OF Captain Luce. seemed to
me all tie more impressive, because the tendency
in the Lake captains mind would naturally be
10 think of the catastrophe as one which ne coud
have prevented. il he had been present.
The Natchiu care the captain spoke OF exer-
cisipe over the steamer he commands. interested
me- So soon as it is dark, he said. "a trusty
"man who has no other employment, begins to
walk oy er the boat. lie PAGES slowly, all night
" long through the saloon Of the promenade deck,
- down along the main deck, from stem 10 stern.
- down again into the oreeaste anu me CABINS
with ewes and nose on the alert to detect the
- slightest sign Of fire. More than twenty times
"hss this guard saved my vessel from burning up
The evening after ny arrival being Christmas
Eve. went to hear Bishop Hopkins preach in his
own church. Ii was singular theme he chose
for his discourse. His design in II was 10 prove
that the world was growing worse Instead OF bet
ter and he argued that the degenerating process
would 20 On until the second coming of Christ.
when he would Ienoyate mankind by an almost
miraculous interposition. whose precise nature he
did not describe His Illustrations in support Of
his doctrine were drawn almost entirely from our
own country. la politics he affirmed, our states
men and people alike are less honest and patriotic
than our fathers were; and in domestic life, chill
dren are less Obedcnt to their fathers, ana the
fathers less worthy of respect; and III every house
hold there is every day less aud less honesty,
kindness and unselhshncss. Drunkenness. licen-
tiousuess AMI in6delity, he declared were on the
increase and this decentralization would increase
until the son of God should appear again upon the
earth.
A sorry doctrine 20 preach on ChrstmaSEye,
when OF all nights IN the year, our hearts SHOULD
be filed with JOYOUS and hopeful spirit Thank
Heaven that no youth is forced. by his love OF
truth. to subdue his energy aud faith to the level
If despair
Oh nc, a thousand chesi ~ cr-ns
Hope Of yet happier asys whose dawn Is a,sh
During my stay in Burlington, | strolled INTO
the Court.H House where the judges OF the Su-
preme Court of Vermont were sitting en- bdncc
They were three in number, arranged in row
behind long pine desk--mea ordinary in dress
in speech snd in ccuntensnce. The estimate put
apon them BY the bar did not contradict my first
impressions. The salary OF the Justices 81 the