Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-28

| against the jewellers in a secluded Swiss hamlet
| by importing ball and bats, playing practice
| game and then fleeing across the mountains,
leaving the poison to do its baleiul work. IL
some such unworthy artiice has been attempt
ed here it was only half successful; the ball and
bats are here; but the game does not take root in
this soil. For the rest, Bath is pleasant little
town, in the valley of the Great Ammonoosuc--
so-callcd, whose greatness is only comparative
somewhat shut in on three sides by the surround
inc hills, but more open TO the south, with a
pretty village street on which are some hand
some houses and Others that look comfortable
and spacious, as if their owners had once been
busy and prosperous enough to live now in dig
nifed retirement.
But the great charm of the village for us is
the hotel-I would rather give it the old FASH
toned and less pretentious name of tavern
where we live in comfort such as had not
thought could be found in any New England
hostelry. Well kept, large hotels in the cities
and in places of much resort are not very rare.
In them You have the fare the company, the
dress, the style and the prices Of city living.
They are very pleasant, too, in their way, for
can afford it. But have often heard the ques-
ton, "Why cannot country taverns be neat, the
beds comfortable, the rooms airy and moder-
ately large the food well cooked and in reasona-
BILE variety, though plain~ l have always sup
posed that some inscrutable reason prevented
the realization of such hopes, but now know
that all this is possible, for | have seen it, l
| could ask for no better accommodations than
we have here. The house is a marvel of neat
ness throughout, the meals are abundant, adj
mirably prepared, and present an ample variety
of fare, and we are in every way
most Kindly and attentively served. One
cannot go amiss in this neghborhood
for pleasant drives, sometimes through
cool, dark and fragrant forest avenues, some
times on breezy hill tops, or along the brink of
a noisy stream, from whose farther bank stretch
smooth meadows, dotted with trees or varie-
| gated with growing crops, No better place
could be found for short holiday, ifIone wishes
not so much to see special sights as to rest and
| give his whole attention to doing nothing pleas
anty One may idle here without losing his
self respect, as he has the whole community to
keep him in countenance.
This is also a good place from which, as head
| quarters, to make excursions into the White
mountain region. Bath is only eighteen miles
from Franconia notch, and in an expedition of
two days, either by public or private convey
ance, one can easily see all the sights of that
neighborhood. Mount Washington and the
other nOtabihties of the mountains would re-
quire longer trip. OF course the drives here
about are generally billy, and the travel is con-
Sequently slow, but it is not tedious, as the
changing views are always full Of interest and
beauty. This season the lack of water in the
streams detracts something from the charm of
the scenery. The people say they never saw
the rivers so low, and the brooks have hardly
any water. The "Wild Ammonoosuc," tribu-
tary of the "Great Ammonoosuc," beautiful
stream when it has an ordinary volume of
water, is tame enough now; its bed full of boul-
ders and cobble stones, reminds one of badly
paved street in which water is standing from a
recent shower, and the numerous cascades in
that and other streams show only a wretched
driblet of water trickling feebly among the
rocks.
have been interested in learning from the
town clerk-himself an antique who has held
that Office more than forty years-somethng Of
the early history of Bath. 1t was first incor.
porated by royal charter in 1860; but that first
charter was forfeited by failure to comply
with its conditions, and another was issued III
1863, from which year dates the actual history
of the town. The original book of the earlies
town records now lies before me, in which is in
scribed the patent, dated March 49, 1869. Thu
conditions of the grant, similar to those of 9th
ers of that time, were, list, that the grantees
should settle twelve families who should be nc
tualy cultivating the land and resident thereon
by the first day of May, ITO, and continue
making further settlements so that there SHOULD
l be sixty families by the first day of May, 1774
ID, that all white and other pine trees "suitabl
for masting our royal navy" be carefully pre-
f served for that use, and none be cut withou
, special license therefor; Sd, that before any d
vision of the land be made, a tract as near tn
| centre Of the township as may be shall be re
served for town lots, one of which of the size 0
| one acre shall be allotted to each grantee; 4tl
''yielding and paying therefor, on or before tn
, first day of May, ITO, the rent of one ear @
Indian corn only, if lawfully demanded; 5tl
that every proprietor, settler, or inhabtant, sha
yield and pay unto us, our heirs, successors
yearly, zone shilling, proclamation money, 10
every hundred acres, and that good wago
road, not less than two rods wide, be laid on
and cut through the said township"
The first town meeting under this patent wa
held in 1884, and some of the proceedings as rC
corded in this old book are curious For year
it was regularly voted not to raise any money 70
the support of schools. AT the second meetn
it was voted that four bushels of wheat per da
be allowed the Reverend Mr.. Ebenezer CleavC
land for his past services from the first of las
March, and three dollars or three bushels o
wheat per day to him or any other minister 70
the future. This arrangement does not seem Il
have been satisfactory to MIR. cleveland, for a
the next meeting it was voted to give him tw,
hundred and twenty bushels of wheat per yea
as long as he shall continue in the ministry. A
a town meeting held in 1886 it was voted TO ere
gect the plan for emitting paper money laid be
fore committee Of both branches of the legisla
ture by subcommittee on the 10th of Septem
Der, 1876, and that "paper currency be emitted
sufficient to pay off all state Cecurities to rur
twenty years to sink one shilling in the pount
yearly to recon sixpence sinkedge every siz
months, and to be a tender in all cases. Number
of votes seventeen. Number of votes to be (
tender only for what debts may be contracted
after it is emitted One" What came of this
financial project does not appear from tn,
record.
There must have been plenty of work for thost
early settlers of Bath, though their descendant.
seem to have outgrown the necessity The tow
is said to have been place of considerable 10
cal Importance in its early day, and even as late
as thirty years ago. Its inhabitants speak witt
melancholy pride of the time when there wert
seven stores here all doing good business.
heard too, what was new to me, and perhaps t.
some others, that between thirty and forty years
ago company was organized for making thu
Connecticut river navigable, and the work wal
carried so far that steamboats, were actually
running on all the reaches of the river from it.
mouth to Wells river. But the scheme did moi
meet the expectations of its sanguine projectors
n a Al