Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-10-08
Sketches for the Children.
LETTER 6Tn.

III A. NJ. Making short tarry here, we tool
the Connecticut River r. R. for Greenfield Mass
situated some 36 miles from here Our ride a
long the Connecticut was very romantic, the hill
in many places rise into mountains, and just up
on the banks of the river, then again sweep a
way to either the right or left leaving the valley
bordering the stream dotted with villages o
farm houses. We passed through Holyoke vii
lage and farther to the north on the opposite sid
of the river, Mount Holyoke with its school bull
dings doomed, up before us. They told me tht
school for several years past had not sustained
SO good reputation as it used to- but seemed
to be dying out. 1t was (using the Language o
my informant) nothing strange for pupils to
leave thejschool with their Diploma, nearly az
big Ounce as when they entered. There are
many beautiful towns which we passed; the
largest Northampton, was beautifully shaded
with elms. At p. NJ. we arrived in Greenfel Id
a town of 5000 inhabitants which takes its name
from the GIeen-Riyer on which it is situated. -
| We found our friends well and expecting us
therefore there was no drawback to our enjoy
| ment.
| The house is one of the Oldest in Greenfield
should judge, as my aunt said herself as well as
her mother (who is now an old LADY, were born
here, the house must have been very aristo-
cratic onein its day and is still in excellent re-
pair. The grounds are extensive and Mr.. Ing
ersoll showed us large apple tree more than
| 100 years old, and said he remembered one
year when it bore l25 ushels of apples, it
| ooks like some of our oak trees and the few ap-
Piles it now bears re as large as our Siberian
crab apples; so you see the tree is in its second
childhood. Here we saw some very ancient pain.
tings portraits, landscapes, &c. One piece exc.
cuted by one of Mrs Ingersolls great aunts aMiss
Senett was truly wonderful not only for its exc.
cution but also its representation. 1t was pain
ed on white satin, the edges richly embroidered
with goldIthread. The scene was Cupid tied to at
tree for some misdemeanor, one of of his arrows
sticking through his heel and his mother kneel
ing on the ground breaking his bow and arrow,
apparently in great wrath and Flora the goddess
of flowers with Hygiena the GODDESS of health
stand side by side peitingihm with flowers, while
the gods IL goddesses have gathered in circle
on an adjacent hill consul ting what shall be done
with this arch rogue cupid in order to prevent
farther mischief and restore peace in their COM
munity. We visited the Poets Seat, very 70.
mantle place in the mountain which you have to
scramble down from the summit in order to reach
when you have made tie perlous descent you
find seat cut in the rocks, which looks like a
chair and to your right is a table with an ink
stand in it, Now this is natural strange freak OF
nature too. The name consider very appropriate
yet feel confident that all who enter are not in
spired with much poetical fire. True | engraved
my name among the hundreds already there
but the most of my ideas were but giddy dreams
of how l could most safely crawl back from my
perilous situation, and must say felt more ms
piration or rather respiration when found my
self safely on the summit gazing upon the ma
jestic Connecticut as it rolled laziI along or
egaed myself on whortleberres with which
the mountain is covered. Towards evening we
rode down to old Deerfield which is noted in
history for the attack Of the Indians upon the
eighty young men sent with grain to Deerfeld,
were surprised at muddy Creek while gathering
grapes and 20 of them were killed by the savages
and buried by their friends in one grave. We al
so saw the site of the block house in which sever
ell men for two days defended themselves from the
Indians who endeavored to set fire to it with long
poles lighted with fire and other combustibe
material They next loaded cart with, hay fax,
* tow, pushed it against the house and then set
fire to it, standing ready to fall upon any poor
victim who NIGH emerge therefrom but torrent
OF rain suddenly falling extinguished the flames
and party soon came to their relief. A very
similar occurrence transpired near Brookfeid
which you will find in history. The houses in
Deerfeld are all on one street and present very
fine appearance. The next evening we visited
the bears den "a large cave in the mountain with
an aperture in the rocks above which they i'm
agne the bears are in the habit of entering the
cave by. Some of the gentlemen of our party
crawled up through the rocks thus initiating
bruin, but as for the ladies we preferred going
around and crawling up the mountain in more
inviting manner. We attended tn Presbyterian
Church on the Sabbath and listened to p. G..
Headley author Of women of the Bible, Jose
phine, and several other valuable works. He is
also brother u. T. Headley Secretary of S tate
of \. \. His enthusiasm and eloquence emin.
ded me of John B. Cough He seemed to be the,
instrument in the hands of God, for much good
as his labors seem peculiarly blessed. Monday
morning we left our friends in Greenfield for a
visit in Westfed near Springfield, after short
visit here we returned to Springfield to see our
relatives here,and also to visit the US. Armory
The grounds enclosed are very spacious and
contain quite a town. In the arsenal we saw
what Longfellow calls 'Uncle Sans Organ''-
This organ is composed of muskets standing on
| racks some feet broad and extending the whole
length of the room some so feet. There are II of
these divisions, the guns in each closely piled, yet
so evenly that you can stand at the opposite side
of the room and look through them to the other
side, The gentleman told us there were on the
ground 1877 600 muskets all ready for use. We
went through the work shops and were aston
ished at the cleanliness as well as skill display
ed; indeed the entire grounds are noted for
neatness and 1 should judge that many
females might go there and take lessons in that
| department We saw them manufacturing Min.
ME rifles, and they took much pains to explain
every portion of it. They showed us the ball
which is in shape of a cone, and has a socket
which has a cartridge fitted in it containing the
powder which causes the ball to expand in such
manner that it fits the barrel so completely that
none of the powder is lost. This is the secret
of these rifles exceeding in range any other small
arms heretofore manufactured. They also showed
and explained to US one of the self printing car
bine pistols. 1t is surprising to me, the great
number of hands every portion of fire arms have
to go through. The simple hammeriof gun goes
i through thirty hands before it is complete. One
gives it cut here in his machinery and then il
passes to the next and so on.