Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1862-08-29
From the Brandon Monitor.
Mansfield Mountain.

Mouhtaih' Deier your Trip TO Lake GeOrge Co.
atoga, Newport, Niagara, or even to Eurono 81,
you have spent week among the beau,ifr, W.
sublime scenery of this the proudest of our na,1
Green Mountain range. To reach its loft,
NIT was formerly a Herculean task, and mona b..
men fit for military duty were considered oora,
to the undertaking ; but so well have the ,aos
been worked and such the facilities furnished g.
ascending this Mountain that the most dolio..
lady can leave Rutland or Brandon in the mos,
ing and dine on the summit of Mansfield Mon.
tain, and accomplish the trip with as littls 3,
tigue as a journey to Saratoga. The Mountain !.
accessible both from the eastern and western
sides, but il you wish for an experience of Ascend
ing mountains made easy. be sure and take tho
eastern route. You take the cars of the Vt. Cen.
trail road at Burlington and reach Waterbnrv N
an hour. from whence there is regular route to
the top of the mountain. A fine drive tbuuuh
fertile country for ten miles brings you to Stow
where you leave your superfuous baggage and
proceed some six miles to the half way houssu.
one and half mile from the summit. Thus far
we have fine carriage road. Now we betaks
ourselves to the saddle, and the well trained mao.
bear you up and down the trail that leads to tbo
mountain top with complete safety.
Here many q nervous timid little lady tskes
her first lesson in equestrianism. Ny better
half being wholly inexperienced in horsemanshin
was little ''skeery'' at first, but she had been
SO accustomed to hold the reins ever since our
"bridle tour that as soon as seated in the saddle
she took to it like one to the manor born, and
really pronounced it the pleasantest part of the
route.
The features" of the mountain are familiar
It is fancied to resemble the face of man lyinc
on his back Having fairly developed forehead
o tremendous Roman nose, long and decided
ly stiff upper lip, small mouth and prominent
chin, which is, the highest peak and about five
thousand feet high The features" except the
more prominent parts, are covered with nous
tache, OF gnarled spruces, which grew shorter and
shorter as you near the summit, till the highest
points are only bare rocks. well finished Hotel
with good rooms and accommodations for about
fifty guests, with fare as good as ordinarily found
at first class Hotels down upon the earth, is stu.
atcd upon the summit directly under the nose
what would be its fate should the Old Man
sneeze?) Here we were provided with every
comfort and received every attention and kind
ness from the gentlemanly landlord, Mr.. Spaul.
ding and his estimable lady.
On the afternoon of our arrival theEQld Man
had dOnned his niBhtcap of clouds and did not
see fit to unyeil his beauty to our anxious eyes.
but at dawn the next morning the summit wa.
clear and clouds all beneath, filling the entire
valley on the east for miles, rejecting the morn
ing light presented q scene ofindescribabc beau,
ty We turned out to enjoy this and other views
and to greet the rising sun but no, the Old
Man had only lifted his nightcap to salute the
rising day and quickly replaced it and we could
see nothing. But as the day advanced the cloud
curtain was occasionally drawn for an instant
revealing, as if by magic, scenes of surprising
beauty and loveiness, then instantly closing to
open anew on some widely different view.
TO me these tableau views produce the most
thrilling sensations of any | experienced while
on the mountain. and had we enjoyed cloudless
sky during all our stay we should have lost the
greatest charm of our visit.
The next day was beautifully clear with per.
fectly transparent atmosphere, and we enjoyed
the scene to which we had been so gradually in.
itiated in all of its grandeur and glory. On the
east we had fine clear view of the White Noun
tans one hundred miles away. Far away to the
north and south stretched the Green Mountains,
piled one upon another in endless continuity far
as the eye can reach. Jay peak towering above
the rest on the north and Cames Hump on the
south, and Ascutney far in the distance down
the valley of the Connecticut. But the most va.
ried and extensive view is to the west and north
west charming and fertile landscape, teCm-
ing with well cultivated farms "a score of beau
tiful villages with rivers winding through them
like silver threads, and Lake Champlain stretch
ing in broad luminous belt for one hundred
miles, dotted with beautiful islands, while the
Adirondack Mountains bound the view. Mon.
treal, with its mountains in the back ground can
be seen with the naked eye in clear day.
The point of the nose being most easy of access
is first sought by visitors but the great excursion
is to the chin, about one and half miles. Asa
small party set out on this expedition, we ear
nestly cntreated our fair friends to leave their
hoops behind, but without avail. Their gallant
attendants found constant employment in IN.
hitching them from the brambles and cags, till
ON our return, when passing the lips, wild gust
of wind swept up the mountain side, followed by
terrific scream from some of the ladies which
suggested to me the idea that some of them
must have been blown over the precipice near
by. On glancing around | discovered truly
fearful state of affairs. The hoops had refused
to obey the usual laws Of gravity. and were
towering upward like balloons near by was
newly married pair, the blushing bridegroom
Juggling most Justify at the canvass to spare
the modification of the unfortunate bride:
Suffice it to say that the ''favorite institution
received a more severe blowing up than it ever
did from the most strong minded advocate OF
the bloomer costume. However, general COL,
lapse was soon effected and our ladies returheo
to the summit house wiser II not better women
vi OuT TctuIH llOII thc uouhtdih w
pleasant evening at the Mansfield House.
kept by Mr.. Matthews, which is at present
filled to overlooking with guests, mostly iron'
the cities, who all seemed happy and cheerful
In conclusion, | would say that the opening
of this route to the mountain and providing !!
with its present admirable convenience, ana ~
comforts is due to the enterprise of W. H. II.
Bingham, ESQ.,, of Stowe, proprietor Oh ,ne
Mansfield House, the Halfway House ana alse
the Summit House, and | believe OF the Moun,
tain itself. We would also acknowledge .nc
kind attentions of Mr. Matthews of the Mans.
field House of Mr.. and Mrs. Spauding Oh Ihs
Summit House ; of Jehu, the Stage driver anu
John, the conductor of the route up the noun n.
tain, and shall hold them all in the klnaeaO
remembrance, from Mr.. Bingham down to onm as
lie, the famous nag that bore my vile up a sai
down the mountain. They all seem IN pIlssu'
ignorance of the exertions practiced upon ua n,,
eers and guests at other popular resorts LOU a
feel that you have received far more tnan NV
worth Of your money, and that Mansfield Mgu ar
tain Accommodations are all and even more t,'""
they are cracked up to be. u h' "