Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-09-05
a Trip to the White Mountains on Foot
FLUME HOUSE, FrancoEia Notch,
Aug. Sth. 1865.


zero emerging from the dense forest whose long
'vening shadows were beginning to darken the
windows Of the mosS-covsrsd cottage where dwelt
he charming Adeline." If the reader can reco
ect and inform me where | left mine shall be
much obliged to him. believe, however, that it
vas somewhere between here and the top Of Mt.
lafayette, which we left with colors flying at half
when we had got well down, al
.hough it had cost US something, we felt as If we
lad been paid for going up.
Next to Mt. Washington, whose altitude is
some six hundred feet greater, Mt. Lafayette is
The highest point in New England. Our range of
vision from the top was not very widely extended,
nor the prospect very clear, for two reasons
FIRST, that we did mt gel to the top, and second,
that some Aeecy clouds which swept rapidly down
the gulf about the time we turned back, entirely
shut out the distant view from the point to which
we had attained. We had, however, during the
and those Immediately west of it, as could be
asked for. Profile Mountain with ito bald pate OF
ragged rocks, is the head and front OF long
range extending north and south just over the
gulf or Notch. The gulf itself seems mighty
yawning chasm beneath your feet, while the huge
mass Of earth and rock over which you are climb.
ing, seems tenfold more huge and more vast than
when contemplated from distance, or even from
the valley Immediately below.
10 me, the immediate view from the top Of
any high mountain is much more interesting than
the distant one. The extent and magnitude Of
the mountain selt can be duly comprehended
only from its side Or its summit. The probable
causes of these great upheavals, the mighty power
which sufiiced to throw high in air such huge
piles OF rock from is once even surface, are sub
ects which can here be contemplated with profit
and with satisfaction.
The FIume House is six miles from the Pro-
file, seven from the summit Of Mt lafayette and
four from the southern terminus OF the Notch, or
the commencement of civilization. We ar
rived here about four O'Clock in the afternoon
exceedingly tired, and hungry as cannibals, but
found to our surprie, that the hotel was not kept
open for the accommodation OF guests, A man
lives in the house and keeps bar from which to
supply travellers, and more particularly the guests
of the Profile House, with brandy and whiskey,
but that is all the nourishment or refrsshment
which the thing affords. We asked for some
thing to eat, but we're told that it could not be
furnished That is the kind of hotel sccommo-
dations which we find in the Notch. AT the
Profile we could get no lodging, at the Flume we
could find no yictuals. viii was here sick, and
had had the privilege Of lying on sofa since
morning. There we're no means Of conveyance
out Of the woods that night except our method,
and Will was too sick, and South and myself too
tired to pursuet that any f.rther so here We we're,
four miles from anywhere, with no way Of
getting out and nothing to eat, and fair pros
pect of being, like Nebuchadnezzlr, turned out to
grass.
the Flume are owned by one man and that he
had concluded-not that he could better accom-
modate the travelling public-but that he could
make more money by shutting up the FIume
House, thus compelling everybody to stop at the
Profile. lie runs carriages every day from the
Profile to the Flume, where he magnanimousy
|
furnishes something to drink, but has given strict
orders to the person in charge, that no food shal
be supplied to the hungry wight who may happier
to stray thither, and who entertains the unpopular
notion that whskey will not assmate to th'
human organization and help support its machiner,
so readily as bread aud butter. SO we were in
formed by the landlord as the reason why ",
could have nothing to eat. suppose he wa
acting in accordance with the instructions OF hi
employer, buthis orders were not binding upon us
and as he could not furnish US, we we're debltin.
in the parlor as to whether we would be justified
in helping ourselves by making torcible raid OF
the kitchen, when the landlord came in, anC
learning little more Of our cass, consented t,
furnish us a lunch, and very generous one it wa
too, to which we did ample justice 1t was kinC
in him, for his orders were positive, and suppose
be was afraid Of losing bis place if he disobsyel
them.
Our amen!ary wants being now supplied, vi
felt as if were located for the present, as we coult
sleep anywhere, and should require no more foo
until morning. viii being sick, he was kind,
furnished with bed, and South and were giyel
the privilege Of making one in an old dilapidatet
nne-pin alley IN tbs rear OF the building, which
afforded US a very comfortable lodging place
My diary Of that date reads, camped on somt
hay in corner Of an old bali alley in rear of Flum
House. Slept well, got up early though, role,
couple of strings, beat South about twenty pins
Perhaps It is ungenerous to record and then pub
lish the fact that hsd beaten South but it woult
not look like Boosting il should tell how man,
points sach of us scored in the game. OF thar
however have nothing to say as being botl
noyices az the game, our balls would run wide o
the mark, and the pins, like Banqua's ghost
would nos down.
Having got little acquainted with the land
lord, he grew more generous, and furnished US
good breakfast, and we began to feel quite a
home. Wills indispositioo continued, however
and he now decided to go home SO that, lik
Paul aud Barnabas, We reluctantly" pnrled com
pauy," though we did Mt quarrel as they did, bu
parted friends. Not, however, till We had visite,
the Pool and FIume, but will defer the descrip
ton Of these for another letter, as this is alread,