The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-07-27

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| pondence Of the Burlington Free Press
relating to the meeting Of the State Med
ical Society.
y
Agreeably to the invitation Of Col.
Harlowe, the society upon adjournng
" edncsday afternoon, proceeded, en-
masse, to the State Prison, which is now
undergoing thorough revision and repair.
The number of prisoners is seventy-eight,
their services being hired by company,
which employs them exclusively for the
manufacture of Scythe Snaths about
serc,ty dozen being finished daily. In
the first shop we visited our attention was
directed to the noted Bristol Bill, who is
certainly the last man that one only
acquainted with his his history would
select as the noted burglar, counterfeiter
and prison breaker. His appearance is
that of broken down feeble old man,
emaciated and gray haired his coun-
tenance expresses a hopeless misery, and
his whole appearance is calculated to ex-
cite the pity Of those who see him. He
looks neither to the right or left, not even
giving the visitor a single glance Of his
cold gray eye. His work is smoothing
off the snaths | visited his cell, and
found a number of books in it, and on his
pillow lay copy of the Bible, open at
the story of the Prodigal Son.
A few seats from Bristol Bill, and
engaged in the same employment, sits
our old Burlington acquaintance, Nick
Brunell he was hard at work, and the
overseer informed me, gave them no
trouble whatever. The reminiscence Of
Nick in the cistern, where during former
term he was put to compel him to work,
and where he outwitted the officers by
taking off his only Garments, and stopping
up the hole that admitted the water, while
he lay down and slept, is familiar to your
readers. But his constitutional antipath7
to bodily exercise appears to have been
overcome, and it is to be hoped that if
he ever gets out, he will use his newly
discovered abilities in getting an honest
living,
The discipline of the prison appears to
be admirable, and it was generally re.
marked that the prisoners worked with
steadiness and will, rarely witnessed in
establishments where no compulsion was
used. Col Harove, the efficient Suuer.
intendent, is winning and has won golden
opinions, for curtesy to visitors, and the
thorough and systematic manner, in which
everything under his control is conducted.
In the evening, the members of the
Society were Hospitality entertained at the
residence Of Prof Phelps, to whose kind
ness and lberality the Association is much
indebted for the pleasure and success of
thc Convention. Judge Redfeld contri.
buted to the pleasure of the evening, by
his presence. The principal subject pro-
fcsSionahy discussed was the magnificent
collection which Prof P had provided
for his guests, about which the Doctors
did not disagree; the physiological effect
of the same upon the system being salts
factory to all concerned.
Thursday morning a party of the
younger members of the society started
bright and early to ascent Ascutney
Mountain. The details of the excursion
had been arranged the previous evening,
and everything put in readiness by DR..
Stiles, of Windsor.
We reached the foot of the mountain,
and commenced the ascent at A. NJ
There were three horses in the company,
and the old custom of ride and tie" was
revived for our benefit. The distance to
the summit is said to be two miles, but
before reaching it, the pedestrian is easily
persuaded that it is ten. And the dia-
phoretic effect of ascending exceeds that
of any known agent of the materia lnedica.
We reached the summit at A. NJ,
and the exceeding beauty and extent of
the prospect exceeds anything I had inn
agined; it is beyond description, and must
be seen to be appreciated. The eastern
view embraces Windsor, Claremont, the
two Charlestons, Bellows Falls, and all
the beautiful country between the mag.
niGcent Connecticut. the Sunapee Lake.
Mount Mouadnock, and the Mountains Of
New Hampshire To the West the pros
pect is bounded by the Green Mountains ;
Mansfield and Camels Hump being dis
tinctly visible. North and South the view
is equally extended.
The Summit House is a stone building