Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-08-14
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
SKETCHES OF SUMNER TRAvEL.-
Editorial CorygypouJsurs Of Ths Sf4y


RoUNDINes FROM TIE BACK BAY-OFF EoR
NAHAST.
We are now at Westfeld, a large and thriving
village. The railroad runs upon its north bound
airy. BY a law Of the State where railroads cross
each other the trains of both on approaching the
crossing must come TO a dead halt So our engine
is now taking breath Immediately In front of the
crossing Of the New Haven and Northamp ton
Railroad, ria Westheld. From Westheld east
the valley Of this river becomes a spacious and
beautiful one, exceedingly fertile Thy manuring)
and well cultivated and improved Its farms are
said TO sell for 500 per acre. though on ques-
toning my informant am satisfied that is average
yield of cereals, the grasses and tobacco, all Of
which cultivated successfully there, do not
pay better than such crops raised upon we'll tiled
Maryland and Virginia farms, worth from $40 to
$50 per acre.
Ere entering Springfield; Mount Holyoke. far
famed in the self-bepuring annals Of Massachu-
sets, its head far above those of its fellows
in the dstance-say ten miles of-and is pointed
out to travellers just as we cross the Connecticut
as the curiosity OF the vicinage. On crossing the
river, we at once enter Springfield, which fairly
disputes with New Haven the so6riquet Of the
'Ci.Y Of Elms''-a beautiful rural city truly grace
full yet pquant in its every attribute as seen any,
where from the windows of cars on this road To
US Of the South IL is best known Of all New Eng
land towns as she head uarers at this season Of the
year Of the lions Of Yankee transcendental ltera-
turei tribe who eternally initiate the habit of the
frog in Initiating himself with pride to ridiculous
importance, according to the fable handed down
from 4Esop's tIme) Half a dozen railroads con-
verge in the SPRING. depot; spacious and ad
mrably constr Ected one w here IN though thronged
from morn till night, and then from night until
morn again with passengers arriving and de-
parting by the multitude of trains stopping here
on all the five or six heavily travelled railroads
accidents have never yet occurred that have ever
heard Of.
We are again off for Boston, after a delay Of
twenty minutes TO dine. Mount Hoyoke looms
but little to the north and west of us and as IL
stands so much higher than any other point OF
this territory, can probably be seen from all oca-
tons for twenty or thirty miles around We now
course through a highly cultivated agricultural
country, the soil Of which is naturally very door
evidently, though what we at the south regard as
enormous expenditures for manuring-say $50
per acre on corn-enables them not only 10 pc.
back that money, but fair interest besides, upon
their lands. well-lnformed and intelligen.
gentlemen at my side tells me Of their almost fab
ulous expenditures, and that they are made 10 nav
By the particular application Of the grains, &c
bosom. Corn grown here sells as roasting ears.
as far as such a sale for them can be obtained If
allowed to harden, the grain is fed to forced
young ducks, chickens and geese. sold in early
spring In the markets OF New York Boston. AL
oany, and the hundred other cities and consider
able towns within twenty-four hours by rail
lhls is nuck-farming' with a vengeance If
paying here, how much more would Il nav II fol-
lowed after the same fashion in our latitude with
our much greater advantages of soil, climate &c
Ten miles or so east of Springfield we again
get into comparatively rough country. with
hills covered with scrub timber and fields dotted
with boulder rocks, and we are perpetually cross
ing and recTOssing an inconsderable stream. ND
which we are vending way.
villages are multiplying, each succeeding one
showing, in the manner in which II is built that
we moInentar:ly go nearer and nearer TO New
kngIands EN- porium, which she fondly calls
the modern Athens. After passing BrookfeId, 25
miles west Of Worcester, we enter a beautff
country, a--fOr this region-wide and highly-cul-
tvated savanna with dark, swift-coursp no streams
in all directions and hillbound edges as far off as
the eve can penetrate the distant view
Ere reaching Worcester Junction, where four
railroads come together or branch out, Zone going
to Nashua, y. another 10 Norwich CT and
still another to Providence, X y we were de-
tained some minutes, TO enable passengers to ar
range themselves in the different trains The last
ten miles ere reaching ii was through a desolate
country, overgrown with brush and scrub though
on reaching II we suddenly came directly uuon a
beautiful, hig hly cultivated and denseIy- popula-
ted country, admirably built up With the Wor-
cester Catholic College IA branc of Georgetown
College) and the Worcester Medical College land
female institute cOmbinedl forming the two most
conspicuous pictures of the scene the view Of
Worcester and its surroundings as we enter il
from the west is a strikingly pleasant one indeed
The extensive machine shops, depot sheds turn
outs, &c, Of the various crossing railroads here
form the object of perhaps greatest interest to TIE
travelling stranger. At Spring field and w orcester
one can obtain an idea Of the locomoting habit of
New England generally, every man. woman ard
child here seeming to journey by rail ten times as
much annually as the people at large do in our
own section.
Our stay in Worcester was not more than five
minutes; when we Were off again for Boston. 10
miles east, traversing beautiful manufacturiug
and agricultural region, every mile OF which isf.-
IN liar TO me, insOmUch az when boy was en-
gagged In the construction of this railroad. As
p ssed through its villages and along its stream,
and ponds today, "reminiscences of long forgot
n associations in them, came thick and fast 10
mind.
From Framingham-2O miles out from Wor
cester-down TO Boston, the route of this road
is well-nigh a continued w,ll-built village 40
densely is 1t settled and built up; in many in
stances with highly ornamental Improvements,
not few Of which are residences of persons
engaged daily in business in Boston From AL
oanY all the way east TO Boston, this railroad
proves to be very fine, well provided and we'll
conducted one, sffording the traveller far more
than the usual share of comfort falling to the lot
Of those jOurneying by rail.
The view from the top OF the State House in
Boston is said to be the finest OF the country sur
rounding the city. Yet | will venture to g pit,,
against 1t the view Of much Of the same country
from the cars of the western (Worcester) train for
mile before entering the city. The region thu,
seen has been built up amazingly since, when nv
nose, fingers ends and toes didn't mind a mir
now and then from Jack Frost, when standing for
days, weeks, and months In the winter upon the
Ice covering Of that same = back bay,n superin
tending the work Of the original construction Of
that same railroad