Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-08-25
VA.HINaroN NEWS AND eOssrP.

CIREIKss, UNCOMFORTABLE. AND IMPROPER DE-
/ Por ARRANsKMBNrs-THE CANADIAN COUNTRY
. SoUrH OF THE ST. LAwRKNCE-ST. JOHNS
RorsE's PoINT-LAkE CHAMFLAIN--VKRMoNT |
. BORDERING THE LAkE-Sr. ALBANs-SwANroN |
j Tine LAMoILK RIvER-THE GREEN MorS- |
{ TATNs-TuE WHITE MOUNTAINS 81 /
Editorial Correspondence Of The Star.
On THE GRAND Trunk r ABROAD, 4
BstresH Montreal and Rowse's Point,
mo. 81. August 8. 1859. }
, Finding that il will be impossible to finish the
entire tour had determined on ere leaving Wash
ington in the time allowed myself to be absent
from business, am compelled to forego the pro-
posed sojourn for a day or two at the Franconia
Hotel Of the W hite Mountains, thereby passing
within few miles of that celebrated spot at rail-
road speed and possibly also to leave the visit to
Boston perhaps until next summer, greatly to my
regret. s... .... ..--.. ..-...-
left Montreal at an early hour this morning,
crossing over by steamer to the ill-arranged and
worse provided depot Of the railroad on the other
side Of the river. where everything in the matter
Of the assignment Of seats in the cars is left to the
arbitration Of the longest legs in getting from the
ferry boat, the sharpest elbows in mounting the
steps, and the largest barefaced impudence In
claiming pretended rights in the cars The con-
sequence is, that men without ladies usurp every
thing desirable-coolly leaving the fair sex to
kick their shins In standing discomfort. 1t would
do a b'hoy-ish class of countrymen who travel
in this region infinite good to Civ them over for
year or so to the instruction of the good Canadian
brothers. who teach the children Of the hahitant
villages civiity as explained in one OF Tue i-tsors
| written from Quebec
l find that back from the st. Lawrence on the
| south side, the division fences show that the
farms are much larger than immediately on its
bank. The soil continues productive, highly so,
over the extent of an extensive plateau very little
elevated above the rivers bank have seen very
| little better grain than Is grown on it in the
| course Of this trip. Oats particularly fine
here, the average yield being perhaps thirty five
| bushels at least, per acre. The Canadian reel
procty treaty has put up the value Of Canadian
oats from twenty to fifty cents per bushels-a good
| thing the habitants have made out Of it.
| Villages by means we'll built along
| the railroad to Rouse's Point from Montreal, as
| on the rivers bank. Nevertheless, the farmers
for the most part live in villages from which their
| individual possessions radiate az /. were.
/ st. Johns, 20 miles from Montreal. is the French
village nearest our lines. Its proximity to yankee
| land, has induced an abandonment in the con-
| structon Of its modern buildings, Of the French
| style Of construction. Two-story houses take the
place of the Canadian habitant house so often de-
| scrioed in my previous letters. BY way of COM
/ promising with Jonathan, however, lean Crapeau
here adopts his two stories but rejecting his paint
and putty, builds solidly of good red brick. The
| territory over which | am now travelling, 10 as
level, quite as an Illinois prairie. Much Of it is
yet IN virgin forest; doubtless owing to the d III
Guilty of draining it thoroughly.
AS we near Rouse's Point, the farms are more
| thriftily cultivated. The Canadians here. though
| owning large farms. do not seem to improve them
as sedulously as their brethren upon the great St
| Lawrence natural thoroughfare. Rouse's Point
| is in New York, which We enter some miles be-
| Tore reaching 1T. Hence the evident greater care
| manifested here in agricultural matters wecourse
| for some miles down the side If Lake Cham
| plain ere reaching the Point. As far as have
seen it, no feature to attract attention has presented
| ITSELF its banks being low, and it IS apparently
here about mile wide only
Rouse's Point has become place of importance
to the travelling public as there various railroads
&c, converging nominallv at Montreal branch
oh-the road to Portland. Me, the road to Boston
Mass, the Vermont Central, the Saratoga and
Lake Champlain railroad. and the Lake Cham
plain steam boat line Accordingly, considerable
town Is sPringing up here. quarter of an hour
was spent at Rouse's Point changing baggage and
| cars. The baggage was there checked at the
US on the road TO this point; dangerous expert
nent SO far as the safety of the passengers bag
gage is concerned
| Immediately OH leaving Rouse's Point by the
| Vermont Central railroad we cross Lake Cham
| plain on substantial nessle work bridge with an
u >. tincation (now nearly hnished) in 81 rht
half mile TO the left, and l.. 8 lighthouse of
considerable height rs near by on the right hand
| side.
We are now on the Vermont side of the lake.
coursing down it, beautiful sheet of water II is
here; having widened much, and bel ny as smooth
as glass. We soon left the lake shore diving into
Hat territory for the most part in virgin forest
much of it being swamp connected vs. it'll the lake,
mead Suddenly-and in very few miles-we
come TO higher ground, in farms, productive and
carefully cultivated: where the railroad again ap
proaches very near to the lake shore here called
Baclsco bay We next cross Bacsco bay, the ex-
treme lead Of Lake ChamPlain, upon a trestle
WORK III is beautiful sheet Vt water the banks
OF which, however, appear little improved
Thence our course lies east through sv.arnpv Hat
until reaching reclaimed land. which though re-
Gently put into cultivation. is evidently produc-
tive. Our course to St. Alban's here laws along
the Bacsco rlyer, on the bank Of which percei We
little farm that tells Of the agricultural capabli
Ties OF the region where properly drained never
saw heavier crops Of grass, oats, and barley than
are now being harvested from it, or more thrift
looking Indian corn
Swanton modest village, is now on our left
evidently supported by the neghboriny agricul.
turiss. The territory the banks of the Bacixco
continues to be entirely new, and in the hand. Of
settlers OF the smallest conceivable means. ap
parently.
a few miles from Swanton we leave the Io,v
grounds of Lake Champlain and it's tributaries
and through heavy rock cut of considcrall,
length, enter region evidently much louper
settled, and from the rail can enjoy a finer view
OF the highly cultivated plateau between the rail
road and the lake st. Adams is soon reached
one Of the agricultural villages or towns of Yer
mont, judging from the manner of its improve-
ment. :
shortly after leaving st. Albans we obtain an
other fine view of Lake Champaign interspersed
with numerous beautiful islands The Green
Mountain chain, seen I'm the distance form. =,
appropriate background to this picture
Much Of the distance from St Adams to Georoi,
ten miles, is through PERCEPTIONS country skirt.
ing the railroad the Left hand