Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-08-13
VOL XII.
For the Delaware Gazette
A VISIT TO ASCUTNEY NOUN
TAIN.

4 i
| There are some men with minds 50 pene-
irating and comprehensive. with genius SO
brilliant, with philanthropy 50 boundless,
that their regulations span the globe. There
are others with capabilities slightly inferior,
| with moral and Intellectual worth, far above
the medriocrity, who are only known Ihro'-
out The vicinity in which they dwell. A
lthorough acquaintance with critical sxamin-
alton of the character of the latter may be
quite as profitable to the generality of man
| kind as of the former, since they are nearer
the sphere OF imitation.
/ Likewise there are s0me mountains with
| huge dimensions aud peaks stretching far in
To The snowy reg.on, whose lights have bat-
| fed the severesI attempts OF man TO scale,
Or If gliding to his aspiring nature, only, that
| be might gaze from their towering submits
| and be overpowered by the magnitude and
gran deur Of the sight, which enjoy a world
wide reputation; every newspaper and pam
phlef IN the land have chronicied their tame.
There are others whose Nights are more
accessible, with q greater uaiiormity of cli-
mate, and production and descriptions OF which
| are not 50 strsiniag upon language, that are
not SO often spoken of beyond the territory
which they overlook.
Being more accessible, however, their
sbmmi,s are oftener Irodden aud the sur
rounding scenery more frequently admired
Though they do not aw ard the Climber with
SO extended and magnificent u view as the
furmer class. they do not exact from him 50
severe toll in the ascent.
To the latter class of mountains belongs
the one had the pleasure OF visiting. As
Quincy is an isolated mountain and stands
! near Widsor, in the eastern part OF Vermont,
| some four or five miles from the Connecticut
river. The inhabitants OF the surrounding
country, with the characteristic Familiarity
of the age, have given it the so5riqust OF
Quincy.
On the ninth of July last in the morning
| left Claremont, N. H., in company with "a
friend with the purpose OF visiting 1t. We
| had about ten miles TO 90 before reaching the
base on the Northe ast-the point from @nlcn
to commence our ascent. The morning
was u bea ui:tut one. aud nothing seemed tt,
interfere with one having fine mountain
prospect, save its being littIe hizy. Ia
ou ride TO The mountain we enj lyed the usu-
al yariegated character OF New Engi land
scenery The. farms not fertile as in
the West had decidedly harder appearance.
Tue rail lences OF the West were MT very
abundant; stone walls mostly TOOK the place
of fences, but here aud there large pine
stunps arranged in single file, were dignii-
ed with the important trust OF conhnng cat
tie, sheep or swine. Some fields in the dis
tance had the appearance OF being newly
mown meadows, with the hay still remaining
in the cock, but nearer approach discovered
| them to be closely grazed pastures with heaps
| of stone neatly piied up about a. thick As
haycocks in good meadow. However a.
long the wiley of the Connecticut liver,
| there are in the estimation OF the owners some
very fine farms. | did not doubt their hou-
esty, knowing them TO be unacqualnted with
the rich valleys of our western rivers.
Having enjoyed the luxury of a nerse and
/ carriage upon good road. we arrived at the
base and prepafsd ourselves as pedestrians
for the ascent. We were told it was three
miles from the base to the summit, and meas
urinF the distarce with the eye, We were in
clined to double the assertion. But ere we
had reached the top our unbeief had depart
ed and our wearied limbs testified in good
earnest to the truthfulness OF our iuforaier
The facilities OF ascending were better
than we had expected; heretofore, there flat
been nothing but rugged hidden pathway
passabe only To footmen; now there is quite
a good road over which horsemen may pass
though with some tficulty, aud think mos
would prefer walking toriding in consequence
OF the steepness OF the ascent. Tins roat
has been made by the people OF Windsor AM
farmers of the adjacent country at an ex
pease of between six and seven hundred dol
lars. Tney expect it will attract travel:er
and induce many TO visit their mountain WA
were unwilling to endure the former hard
ships. The road follows the capricious me
anderings of ravine extending 10 the sum
init dividing it into two peaks worthy rival
OF each other. We pursued this path whic
| thought differed from the lives OF most me
in that it's course was constantly upward, nc
even once relaxing into level. The sulnes
of the mountain was now and then broken b
u the sudden starting of partrige bidding he
young hle into concealnent, the running {
a ground squirrel or the chrpingof al un
Z seen bird.
" The sides of the mountain were densel
covered with timber, the principle kiuds wer
> birch, pine, spruce, hemlock aud balsam.-
Many OF these trees stood with naked FOOT
hugging immense rocks aud NO soil vislh
whence to derive support. Are rocks fertile
Ie II SO New England ought to be great ayr
h cultural country. Like the house OF Ii
,e wise man IN Scripture, theJ are too sure foo
!. ed to be tripped by the storm king as he d
i. scends the mount ain. About two thirds
ar the way up, we came TO fountain OF pu
ftpf,.A II
ire OF a large rock, TO the hight OF SIX
" eight feet. This was grateful sight as q
r.. day was exceeding warm and perspiratie
;s had been free The jet gave re.reshit
"a cooness to tie place, and here we hnger
n TO satisfy the demands o: our appetite re
n. dered keen by exercise. trom the varied co
tents oil tin pail, the cover of which serv
or the purpose ol water cup. As We cont
- ued to ascend, the timber became small
!, and scantier, and the caol breezes ventur
-; | down from the summit far enongh to give
II. inyigorating touches. A walk of a little eV
;, two hours, including all our stops. (and |
:, s:eepness of the ascent required Us to ma
,,s frequent use of the period) bruug hi Us 10 t
inn summit. Having been Graded in the PlaI
- of the West, aud my muscles never befc
% set to such task, ielt inclined to rest.
=, We crawled into rude structure OF sto
-. covered with the bark and boughs OF a spru
,.. tree, and composed ourselves upon mattr'
lin of partially withered spruce foliage. Havi
no slept or rather slumbere3 Tor about an hc
we went forth to enjoy the reward of our
Dor in the magnificent prospect afforded
We found "the winds were on parade'' pr
ticing, | suppose, for some attack on
country below in twisting of trees and su
-. moniDg huge stones from their earthly b
..,,, bidding them violate the law OF gravitati
bv taking aerial flights The view on evt