The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-08-10
AMONG THE GREEN MOUNTAINS.
WOODSTOCK, Vt. Aug. 5th. 1871

you mlSHI ueAG uS1l ITOu US at q more eIe-
waited point-the summit of Mt. Mansfield,
The ascent was made according to programme
and splendid views in every direction we'll re.
paid US for all our trouble; but soiled and
torn clothes, bleeding hands and scratched
faces, received in the insane attempt to ex
plore craggs and woods hitherto deemed in
accessible, have left an unpleasant impression
upon our memory and we prefer not to think
of it any oftener than is necessary. To make
the regular ascent-that is, take the usual
route to the hotel on The mountain, get the
regular dinner (Which IS good), take look at
the splendid scenery and then descend was
not enough for US, and we have had to suffer
the consequences.
In former letter gave passing notice
Of this beautiful village, and said if it was
situated in any of the western states it would
long since have been a hourishing city, For
years the good people of the place have been
content to carry on their business without
the direct help of the railroads, the nearest
railroad station being some nine miles east,
and reached by line of stages and freight
wagons, but they are beginning to awake to
the Importance ofhaving the iron horse steam
by their doors, and active steps have been
taken toward securing that result. The pro-
jected Portland, Rutland & Chicago Railroad
will pass through this place-in fact the road
has been graded from White River Junction
to this point, and the present prospects are
poor for continued prosperity of the stage
business. These Vermonters are sharp.
shrewd business men and hard to beat in a
speculation. They have taken hold of their
portion of the new road with determine
ton to put it through, and no amount of
tunneling or high grading is going to deter
them. When finished, the road will furnish
a direct line of communication between Chi
cage and Portland, and will make a great
saving in freights on grain shipped from the
great west direct to the old world.
Mr.. Fred. Billings, prominent man in
railroad matters, is a resident Of this place
and the fact the is specially interested in the
proposed route Is sufficient guarantee that
the work will be pushed forward to compile.
ton without delay. His residence, In the
northern part of the town, is built upon ris-
ing ground overlooking the place, and is the
finest building we have seen in the state. He
is man Of great wealth, and Woodstock is
under many obligations to his generosity for
improvements both in q public and private
manner. The late Governor P. T. Washburne
was also a resident of this place, and took a
lively interest in the new route.
Woodstock is pleasantly situated in the
centre of cluster of mountains, in the val
ley of the Ottaguechee, (Quechy for short),
and possesses great attractions for tina class
of people who annually visit the Green
Mountains from New York and Boston. 1t
has fine school-house, and as the citizens
are hard to suit in educational matters they
generally manage to have the best talent in
the state to "teach the young idea" One
newspaper, the Standard, is published here
regularly say "regularly' because two
papers fourished here for years, but the dem
ocratic sheet failed to receive sufficient sup
port and finally died out after appearing
semi occasionally for long time. Let us
hope that it's last "new departure" will be
| its final one. The Standard is q Republican
paper, and is one of the best local newspa-
pers published in Vermont. Woodward's
Factory, large institution in the west part
of the village, converts into fine cloths the
wool of about all the sheep in this part of
the state, giving employment to a large num-
Der of operatives, male and female. The
place has five churches, some of them pass.
ably good, though none very fine, and sub
stantial court house. Some two or three
years since freshet swept through the val
| ley, carrying away the bridges and fences, in
undating the lands nearest the river and
causing an immense amount of damage. Now
new bridges stand in places of the old ones,
with huge stone abuttments that will defy
the elements for ages to come. ..,s ..5 H..
| Nine miles north of Ibis Place is Barnard,
place that contained fifty years ago three
churches, one store and one hotel. To-day it
has one hotel, one store and three churches,
and if the inhabitants exercise the usual
amount of business bltact, and meet
with no heavy loss by fire the
number will probably be the same
fifty years hence. It is a healthy place.
Moses E. Cheney, who has lately become pop
ular throughout the west as humorist and
lecturer, is native Of this place, and once
while representing the town in the State
Legislature at Montpelier, urged the build
ing of the State University at Barnard be-
cause the place was SO healthy-''we have
laid out a cemetery there and have sent out
of town for dead body to start it with"
The legislature considered the place too
healthy, for university, and the building
was erected in Burlington, a fine sheet Of