Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-07-13
The Mountains that are 'rOund
about Pittsford.

land or the hills to which Wordsworth
has devoted his powers of description.
The following brief and very prosaic
notice of a few of them, may possibly
lead some lover of fine acenery to visit
these places which deserve to be classic.
These hills may be divided into two
classes; those to look fr0nli and those to
be looked at.
OF the first class we will notice three.
Biddy's Knobb is near the western line of
the town, about midway between Rutland
and Brandon. 1t rises slightly above the
points north and south of it, in a long, mar
row range of hills, into which the-Taconic
Mountains taper, and which, between
Hubbardton and Pittsford, becomes al
most a knife-blade. A few miles north
the range wholly ceases. On the Knob
we are raised into the air and barely no.
tice the grounds Immediately beneath
you. One feels himself looking down
from balloon, rather than off from hill.
The Pittsford valley is so thoroughly
commanded by the position, that it seems
as if one might toss a stone qnite out to
the center, if not across it. The Rutland
Valley stretches away beyond Pine Hill,
(of which we shall speak soon,) reaching
through Clarendon and Walliugford. The
narrower valley of West Rutland, stretch,
ing southwark to Clarendon Springs,
seems even more naked to the view than
Pittsford valley.
A little distance to the west is visible
the monument which commentaries the
only battle ever fought on Vermont soil,
where Seth Warner attempted to make a
stand against a detachment of Burgoyne's
army. But the glory of the view from
the Knob, is the sweep of landscape to
the northwest. The first sensation is that
nothing ia the Champlain Valley is hid
den from view; the AdiIondacs alone
obstruct the vision. Snake Mountain,
in Bridport, and the high lands about
Ferrisburgh and Charlotte are rather
landmarks than obstacles to the outlook
in that direction. 1t is only that con-
slant foe of Observation-Disclosures
binders you from looking into the farm
yards of Addison County, and holding
converse with Whiteface and Marcy. 1t
must be confessed, however, that nature
is little jealous in her displays from
this point, and hardly admits man to
share in them. Brandon and Middle
woody hill, about equal in height to the
crown of Biddy, but by no means so &C.
cessible; while Rutland is lost behind
Pine Hill.
Cox Mountain, which should be called
Terrace Hill, lies about mile east OF
north from the village of Pittsford, and
is in the northwest angle of the town.
The hill of itself is one to be looked Gt
1t has deep, broad furrow through the
top, running north and south, and two
very distinct terraces on the western
slope. 1t is as readily distinguished by
these marks at Rutland village as at any
point in Pittsford. 1t may also be re-
cognized by little careful observation
from Middlebury. Its summit, of about
the same altitude from the river as Bid
dy's Knob, is reached by a much more
gradual ascent There should be a oar
rage road to the top. From this hill the
Pittsferd and Rutland vsllies are COM
bined as one; Pine Hill, which separates
them, seeming of no account before its
overlapping neighbor. The entire valley
of Otter Creek is brought under the eye
from this hill, and there is probably nc
position from which the upper valley
from Wallingford to Brandon is so vel
seen. The lower valley from Brandon
northward falls wholly within the range
of vision, yet not with such a sense o.
proximity, as when seen from Biddy''
Knob. But the villages come into view
as they do not from that place. Brandon
is almost under your feet, Middlebury
clearly seen, and probably Cornwall ant
| Bridport. The important landmark north
west is Snake Mountain, which can b
seen from many OF the high points il
Rutland County From Snake Mountsi,
we easily find Chipman's Hill, and ther
Addison County can easily be mapped
out.
The third view point to be noticed i
Burr Hill, or, to include little more ter
ritory, Spruce Hill. This hill is in tn
southeast corner of the towp, and is crossed
at nearly the highest point by good road
Burr Hill is not so high by many feet a
Cox Mountain, and Cox divides tn,
northwest view, the only one of note, in
to two parts. The easterly one takes il
Lake Dunmore and the region along th'
Green Mountains, expanding III the dis
lance so as to embrace Middlebury ant
the towns north of it. But tn western
view is the one to be noticed. This EN-
braces the town of Pittsford as the fore
ground, from no point more lovely in ap
pearance, and in the distance the Adiron
daok Mountains. The Chsmplain vale,
is indeed before the eye, but it present
nothing which can attract the attention
The chaotic waste of mountains. hill
linked with hills. in the distance, be
comes an irresistible fascination to tn
eye. 1t is difficult to tell why one pre-
fers this view of the Adirondacks to tina
from Biddy's Knob, but every one consid
ers it the better. From Biddy's Kno'
everything seems sharp, clear, in mathe
cal proportions, from Burr's Hill tn
landscape, especially the distant land
scspe, presents itself in a pictureequ
form. You cannot avoid the feeling tina
you are looking at work of art, and tn
4 aesthetic emotions are awakened in ia
higher degree than by either of the othe
views which have been described.
The second class of mountains, thos
to be looked at, would present fine view
to any one one who should climb then
and find some rocky prominence tina
could afford q clear outlook. But it nigh
be pretty conclusively argued that Goo
did not intend that the great, receding
sssud covered mountains should be climb
ed, from the that fact the eye has not ca
pacity to take advantage of the elevation
1t can exert all it's power from lower ant
easily accessible eminenoes.
Among the mountains about Pittsford
worth more to lock at than to climb, tn
first place must be given to Nickwackett
(aive a the sound of short, aud accen
the first syllsble) This mountain is
little beyond the Town line in Chittenden
but is the boundary of valley mainl,
in Pittsford. The popularity of its form
is that it rises from the river level will
one unbroken slope to it's steep edge-lik
summit. The slope is rather that of
wave rolling mp the beach, hollow will
an overhanging crest, than that OF an or
binary mountain.
Mature and man have now for two O.
three generations keen contending fo
Nickwackett. The pasture grounds eros
the hill at good distance up the hight
and wheat fields crowd themselves up to
wards the top, bnt there is still unbrokel