Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1860-09-28

Niitnge-StnSe eoaches-MiHcraIs.
BELLOWS FALLS is the principal viii
lage in the town of Rockingham, and at the
southeast corner of the town, charming
location. Here the Connecticut passe 5
over a succession of granite rocks, mutt err
ing without moments cessation, the same
loud, morotonous minstrelsy that it sung five
thousand years ago Connecticut, in the
Indian tongue, is said TO mean "the long
river !" but modern wisdom has undertaken
to find the origin of the name in common
Wellerisn,-"Yo connect, / CIT, as the wa
ter said to the land" AT the Falls, the
water becomes SO condensed that Bishop
Peters states, on the authority of gentle
man who had tried the experiment, ''that an
iren crow-bar cannot be forced into TT
Strange as this may seem, we have been
told by etiters who have witnessed the trial
that If yes undertake to force an iron bar
into the water at this point, you will find
that it viii float upon the surface as piece
of weed, (fyou hold on at one end OF IT'D
instead of sinking down as yeu wouid nat
urally anticipate.
Where the river now runs, and Just be-
low the present travelled toll-bridge known
as fuckers bridge, on the west side, will be
found two large lodges partly covered with
etchings of Indian workmanship. Those on
the larger ledge are indistinct remains Of
about twenty huaasn taees, represented by
mere grooves and spots ia the stone, and
are calculated Of themselves at this day to
excite our curiosity, not only as to the res-
son Of their existence, but concerning the
tools used in their formation, since we know
they were made by people supposed to be
unacquainted with the use of iron. On one
corner of the ledge, protected by its silua-
ton from the force of the current, is an i'm
perfect face in bas-relief, which was once
much more prominent, but which has be-
come much oblierated by the grinding down
of FACES This whole ledge was once Gov
cred with very prominent relieves of differ
emf human faces; and from remains OF
ornaments about the hair and ears, visible
in some even at this day, it will be readily
seen were made to ornament particular in
dividuals. They were the portraits Of
eminent sayages Of various tribes inhabit-
ing this region of country, who were all
buried on what is Row called the Island.
Persons who are accustomed 10 examin-
ing grounds once the resort of American
Indians, will perceive sufficient indications
of their Judgements here, even at this late
day in single walk over the fields around
the Falls. If careful to do so, the searcher
after curiosities will occasionally find frag-
ments of pots, urhs, mortars, pestles, axes,
chisels, gouges and arrow and spear-heads /;
while large quantities Of the sharp frag-
ments of the materials from which arrow
heads were manufactured, accumulated at
certain points, have TO this day remained to
mark the spots where the Indian work shops
were located Skeletons have been ex
humed in various localities near the falls. and
it is the generally received opinion that
what is now called the Island, was former
iy an Indian burying ground, and that one
cr more considerable villages of the natives
were formerly located at this place.
As the stranger enters Vermont over
fuckers bridge, he first passes a very mar
row strip of alluvian, formed at no very
remote epoch, and ascends, gradually. FORTY
or fifty feet TO the grounds now occupied bv
the Island House. Where this l,ateF now
stands, there formerly stood 4he dwelling
house ef Judge Baxter This was sold to
Roswell Shurtleif, Esq, who made it into n
large and conHnodieus public house, and it
was destroyed by fire in ls49. The Valley
fletel was another large building on the
Island, made partly eff the old Factory board
ing heuse, ana afterwards known as the
John Blake house. This was DESTROYED ty
TIRE IN 1892. Crossing the Bellows Falls ca
nal bridge, the traveller comes upon plain of
moderate area, where is found the busipess
part OF thriving village. Here fire has
done ats work also; and in March last. IN
addition to the Mansion House. preyiousiv