Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1863-09-17
NEwPoRT.--LETTER FROM REV. It. M
MERRIMAN, a


The arrivals at the Memphremagog House,
a fine new Hotel, kept by Buck s. Pendar
in the best style, during several weeks
have averaged nearly 800 per week. The
principal attractions are made up of rides
on the lake. and visiting Owls Head, an
isolated mountain on the shore, in Can
ada, from which very extensive view of
the surrounding country. reaching as far
as Montreal, can be had. The village of
Newport is growing very rapidly. not on,
ly on account of its present facilities for
doing business, but from the fact of the
probability of the Passumpsic Railroad
soon being extended to that place. This
will make it the trading point for quite
an extensive section of country, and gives
promise of building up village as large
as any in the northern part of the State.
A paper has recently been started there
which, judging from its appearance thus
far, will be one of the best local papers
in the State. Rev. 7. NJ Norman. see.
ing a copy of it, is reminded of old times
and writes to it from Lansingburgh N. Y,
on the 2lst ult:
Mr. Editor Il was really surprised
and delighted, short time since, upon
receiving from some unknown hand, a
copy of your paper. While | stood in
the post-office dilating to a friend upon
the wonder, DR.. Gushing, formerly of
Burke, Vt came along, and for few min
utes he thought that we had " found an
egg" Surely meao newspaper printed
at Newport. called the Newport Ne,oS, is
something ae,O, even the sceptical must ad-
nit Sir: you may be little curious to
know who in New York is so elated at
what is transpiring in your beautiful lit
tie village. am, as your readers will
say, a genuine Memphremagogist. On no
waters have my eyes rested 50 often and
with so much pleasure as upon the beau
tiful Magog. All around its shores my
friends and kindred dwell; in it's grave
yards the revered, esteemed and loved
ones whom know are sleeping.
Could some of the fathers and mothers Of
Magog valley awake from their long sleep,
and see what has been done since they
penetrated its forests sixty years ago, they
could tell the change. Look, for instance,
at the single item of public travel The
spotted tree wos the first chart and
compass Next came the "opep road,
made by the big trees" being cut out Of
the path leading from house to house
Across swampy places was laid the =" LOG
turnpike" "Afoot' was the popular
style of travel, except in the case of the
boy who said his mother had gone tt
mill on her back" Next came the :" cad,
x-team," with which all business wal
safely done, :" to visiting to mill and t
meeting" Next came the " side-saddle,
as the march Of improvement went on
My own grandmother once made a jour
from Georgeville to Connecticut on horse
back, and carried baby in her lap. Blu
! now how changed! the beautiful road
in every direction; elegant carriages ant
, splendid horses all betoken the march 0
! progress What would the old settlers sa
could they see, instead of horseback roa
to Connecticut, an actual railroad fror
: Newport to New Haven, uniting Mage
and the Sound +?
In navigation, also, improvement
I very manifest. When one of the compa
mics of early settlers came on their wind
ing way" they touched the lake in New
e port, cut down a tree, hewed out cane
I TO paddle over to Stanstead, touching fri
Y at point on the farm now occupied b
r L. I. Merriman, and there camped for tn
night They named the point " Bed-rool
Point" and it bears the same name still
: The canoe has yielded to the skiff, an
e in due season some of the more DARN
6 navigators launched forth great scow
e with which to do business and run fe
6 ries. h9 '"a
i, But no occurrence of business cha
IS acter ever produced so overwhelming
5, sensation about the Lake up to that tin