The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-08-28
From New ENGLAND.
Correspondence of the Courier.

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NEwRuRYPoRr, Mass, Aug. 10, 1861.
J.W. NORRIS, ESQ Pear Sir /. Yours
of the goth ult., reached me at this place,
where Mrs. p. and self arc visiting friends
and taking Occasionally" a sea bath at
Plumb Island Beach, enjoying it very much.
Although there is much in New England that
is pleasant, and the people have many com
forts, yet, the West has its places of interest
its comforts and privileges fast multiplying,
and these with the great fertility Of its soil
and the progressive spirit Of its inhabitants,
will soon, trust, under the smiles Of a kind
Providence, make our adopted States, Illinois
and Iowa, especially, great and powerful for
good But did not intend to write a letter
comparing the west with the east, but still
remark that we had a pleasant nights ride
from Peoria to Chicago, during the warm
days Of the first Of August-found the best
Of hotel accommodations at the Sherman
House, as every thing, house, furniture, bed
ding, etc., etc, new, is as well as beautiful and
admirably arranged, and is receiving, as it
deserves. good share of patronage We
spent a Sabbath at Detroit, stopping Mt the
Russell House, a well kept and quiet house.
We attended services at the Congregational
church, and listened to very impressive
and able sermon from the pastor, the Rev.
DR.. Kitchell, who, I should judge, has a
growing and progressive church. worshipng
in nearly new and commodious church ed
ificc. From Detroit, we came by the Grand
Trunk Railway, crossing into Canada at the
out let of Lake Huron, thence on to Toronto,
where we spent the night at the Resin House
and were well entertained. Toronto has
many large public buildings, being formerly
the seat Of Government for Upper Canada.
We had delightful and moderately cool
DAYS ride down the shores or banks of Lake
Ontario and the river ST. Lawrence, by rail
to Montreal, passing through quite mum.
her of pleasant towns. such as Coburg, Kings
ton, ETC., etc. In all this ride Of two days,
through very good farming country, with
its numerous fields Of wheat, oats, peas and
grass, we seldom saw a cornfeld. To an H.
lnoisan, this want of the extensive conields
to look out upon, was great loss.
The fruit crop is almost total failure
through Canada and also in New England.
But we enjoyed the fine raspbcrries of Cana
ia and in the region of the white mountains.
We spent one day at Montreal, and this be.
ing our first visit there, we enjoyed exceed.
ingly "ride around the mountain" just
back Of the city, Of some I or 8 miles over a
fine road, with the cool bracing air from the
north, with many fine residences, beautiful
gardens, where I saw fine large melons, to-
matoes, garden vegetables, and the greatest
show of bearing gooseberries ever saw, and
fully ripe. We passed the residence occu-
pied by Lord Elgin, when Governor of the
Province. We visited the large cathedral,
whore a few Of the 'pious' had come to say
prayers and ask for the blessing Of the virgin
Mary. enqnirea of our coachman how so
many priests got their support. He said
that they owned a large amount Of real es-
tate there, the income of which supported a
great number, fifty or more of them, besides
nuns, etc. said to him, at Peoria, Ills, the
servant girls had to pay about soc per month
for church privileges. He replied promptly,
being catholic, we don't have to pay any
thing here; if we had to pay that much we
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improving, has much wealth and many fine
buildings, and contains about 100, 900 inhab.
itants. We took cars for Portland, Maine,
passing over the celebrated Victoria Bridge,
which cost nearly S6.ooo.oOO and yet it did
: not make half the show as the Suspension
Bridge at Niagara Falls. We were soon over
the level, old and well cultivated farms Of
Canada, and in among the hills and little
lakes of northern Vermont, spending the
night or the last of it at Island Pond House
where we brcakfasted, and were nicely re.
frcshed and went on our way rejoicing. A
few hours by rail brought us to Garham,
n H., and found coaches in waiting to take
pdSSclIScIS w luo olcii IlOuSc, Q ulltS ulS-
tant, and at tie foot Of Mount Washington
where We took rooms, engaged team and
carriage to take us to the top of Mount Wash
ington. Our dinner served, we started up
the eight mile ride, in company with Dowing
: and lady, of Concord, N. H., and such a
wonderful ride up such an ascent of over
5000 feet is not to be enjoyed in any other
land 1t is not worth while to attempt de
scription in this sheet. Near the top we
heard the roar Of cannon, with its reverber
alton rolling down the base of the mountains
on either sidc in a wonderful rumbling noise
Soon the firing for the celebration Of the
openingof the road ceased, and we met a
great cavalcade of coaches, carriages and
buggics filled with gentlemen and ladies',
with others on horseback, and gents and la.
dies on foot, all retreading from the top.
whilst we were nearly up to get grand view
from the top or roof of the tip-top house. or
from some Of the highest of the craggy rocks
which cover the crest of Mount Washington.
Among the visitors was band of some doz-
en- or so of students from Yale College. AS
the mountain had the clouds about it, our
view was not so good as we could have de-
lsired, but the grand view with the ride up
such good road the steep having rise oil