Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-10-16
zalisceIlanp.
A Trip to ,Magog Lake.
by. F. W. SHELTON

DeI. 3D. FhhEMAN'J
tsAt Me,head Of Lake Memphramagog, July.
started at six o'clock on bright Monday
morning in the carly part of July, to ride fifty
miles up the country to the northern part OF
Vermont, on a visit of exploration to Lake
!aemphramagog, associated with moose, deer
fish, canoes, Indians, and primcval wilderness,
lake whose sounding title, like some of those
great names invoked by Miton' used 70 suggest Il
romantic ideas in the carly study of geogra-
ply. Mamphramagog and Wnnipisiogee =
There is IN element of poetry in lndian names
hnt.where practical life begins, poetry stops
l.,5 and minus, l,2, 8, w,mills, cotton fac
tories common schools, dollars, and other
things, ejusdem generis, fatten out the dialect
of peoples, and breathe no poetry except what
comes through the nose. But what was once
fiction sill soon be fact, and then fact may be-
come the basis of Il grander fctiQn We real
ize what we first dream Of, ard then go to
dreaming again, learns no longer falls away
from his waxen fastenings, the winged horse of
Arabian story flies through the air, Prometheus
has really stolen flames from heaven and the
race of fire breathing monsters is not extinct.
If the spirit of poetry has departed with race
who spoke in hypcrboles, they have at least left
US some great and high-soundng names which
can never be erased from the geography Of our
land.
All day we were on the ascent, passing
through the widest and the toughest parts OF
Green Mountain scenery. branch OF the
Winooski was on the right Or the left for its
sinuosities were many and now and then,
where the pools looked trouty we dropped in II
line for the speckled creatures with indifferent
success. We had brought no worms Tor any
way-side fishing, meaning to stop short OF no
thing else than big muscalonge from the lake
Worms are not to be had at II venture, especial,
ly among the dry earth of mountain sides IRON
which the moisture has run off. In vain We
turned over large stones, tore the bark from de
cayed trunks, and deved with stick in richer
places few wriggers were all which coult
be obtained. Grasshoppers, which are admired
by the spcckled had not yet made their ap
pearance. Wherever you see saw-dust floating
in the tide, you may be well assured that there
s..~are no trout. have wandered on the banks
streams in these mountain solitudcs and felt al
most scaly, SO trouty did they appear. had {
full basket in Imagination, a noble string
but soon the white particles denoted the exist
encc of some saw-mill perhaps two or thre
miles off, and no fish were to be had. There i
too much civilization in the toughest part O
this country for the sport of angling, too man
saw-mils, too many district-schools, too man
smiling villages (Villages are the best hu
mored places in the world, and according to GU
orators must always be on the broad grin.)
Toward evening we descended into the smoot
and extensive meadows Of Orleans county
which presented grateful contrast to the roug
hills, and arrived at lrasburgh, the county seat
which was then full Of lawyers, as the Cour
was in session, This county is celebrated fo
its horses. Wherever you go you hear th
squeang of blood, colts. They are super
creatures, solid, wel-formod, well compactcd
strong .winded, with flashing eyes and archie
nccks, and hides as sleek as horse shestnu
just out of the she'll. Every farmers boy Dc
lights to own one. With what pride he lead
him away to water how he likes to show o
his antics at the end Of long halter! He
the theme Of all his conversation; and bein
thus we'll equipped, there is nothing whic
makes his eyes light SO much as the anticipate
Of a nice little trot.' Halo Billy, VIII
you got there next the wheel = why, don
you remembers That's Charley, : | wan
know thought you'd swopt him fora gray
Ne-o.' The race of Centours is found now
days, and nothing is new which has not be-
once od. This occurred to me from SEER
many little group at way, side tavcrns curiou
ly inspecting and walking round clean-limb
nag and from finding horse-aesh in the p
pOurri of many social conlabulatiou on
way to L>ko M1mphramagog.
The farther you go from the centre of civi
zaion, you expect to find the features Of t
country more savage. But we were now
preaching other centres, for there is u brc
sweep of arabic lands about the cities of Cal
da, and the smoothing hand even stretches o
the borders. Jonathan casts wistful
across the hedge, ard thinks that he could b
John-in ploughing. The worst of it is, Il
you can find no wilderness which ho,ols.
doubt, If the ear was acute enough, you CO.
hear the faint echoes of the woye-pa cks VIII
barkcd around the first settlers, mixed up W
the blows of the axe and the crash of prime
trees Their unduMtons and their uluati
keep OIL still, and will never die away.
the-ear is d5ll, and can catch nothing bnt
chatter Of saw-mills, while the more anti,
ani delicate sounds are fairly drowned by
blafting Of dinner horns, and fresh and clar
yoiees of Shanghai cocks Within few IN
Of the lake, however, we entered a wilderr
viii h might be called ho'oling, a non howlen
There must be yet in it the vocal organs of
humorous grizzly and the lank- -awed "
which could get up respectable chorus q
hungry wintcr-day. 1t wus as wild spot
have ever seen except among the classic X
skils. just before you reach the Kaat
Mountain House there is u place, on the
hand an ocean Of white rolling clouds,
which an eeronaut might drop plumb
two miles before it would reach the chu
s;eepes and corazing processes of civilza