Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-10-27
PORTAGE.
The New Railroad adison--Park
Lake Scenery, State University.

1t was very dark when we got to Port
age and as that deinoralized steam engine,
with its painting. putting and hooling, pas
es to me distaEce, we ascend tn steps III
q we.i.hght-d uInn'bG>. AID endeav"r to
c1ndenS7 ourselves 10 the Ii, It's o! "a very
narrow space Between gentleman of nn>t
gigantic Vrfi extra 'agaot proportion, anu
al opposite Il such rtmarkable angularity
as to defy calculation " the present sys
tenn of trigonometly. And now the awx-
ward iunllIrg of the hinge omnibus JoSties
Us forward with rapidicy not very agree-
able to our obese friend, who has turned
from the dim, dusty pane in evident de-
spair at beholding the transient character
of earthly objects, and after many ceremo-
NOUS unio!dmgs he finds his reserved Ha-
vana, and is comforted. And so are the
rest of us, as We enter the luxuriant par
lors of the Embder House Ever there !?
No? Well, stop the next time you go to
Portage, and see if the cozy surround
ings and genial faces that will greet you
there WON'T at the very last minute even,
bring it forcibly to your mind that, after
all, you did intend to stay few days lon'
ger.
The scenery along the new Madison and
Portage Railroad is varied and defies en-
nui.
ITO him who, in the Low. Of Nature, holds
Communion with her visible forms"
We pass through excavations and over ell
evations; we see broad, rolling prairics.
and rugged, uncouth hills, whose mon
strous impending boulders seem spell
bound and held in their place only by the
the gentle coaxing and caressing of the
beautiful woodbine and ivy that cluster so
devotedly over their begrimed surfaces.
We pursued our winding way through
| bosky fields, where tall enameled grasses
swayed silently in the autumn breeze, and
an endless variety Of the once beautiful
and graceful ferns, now sailow. manned
and dying, lay on the thick, spongy car
pet of nosses. Ever and anon we pass
clusters Of evergreens, pines and lamar
acks, crafty habitantS of winter. they
spread forth their bare arms to- combat the
storms, but with humility bend low their
slender branches, and seemingly welcome
! tho chilling blasts and FROST and snow
showered upon them by he wild. impetu-
Gus winter winds. well knowing when the
! fierce gales are over it will be but a small
matter to shake off their shaggy covering
| and shine more Respondent than ever by
! tn snowy contrast, gaining victory by
eemhlance of defeat, But now the sur
rounding ruin and decay inspires them
with q spirit Of resistance they wax more
! intensely green and the cold wind whist
| II,
! stridul0uS music. On On. we 90; by
VIDE spreading trees, proud Of their gor-
yeous Coiors. bronze, russell, amber ar!
| gold W.. see scores Of cattle sauntcrrG
! l;slirsSly through the fields, hastily de-
v0ur!nk choice tufts Of second growth
cereals, or hanQuctInc on the >uccuicn'
| brown r0rn>tailiH Bot Sec--we are Tear
ing Madison The roads grow wider and
more dusty; the little brooks spuftrr
themselves into wide, shallow puddles
but they can't deceive us, for now we SEE
the broad, si'yery brow of Monona, and
we enter the CITY of Lakes"
w eli might we inger among its many
seems of beauty and interest, hut we vii
pass silently along, and only deign to look
At the new PAX Hotel, situated upon the
his hest point between lakes Mendoza ant
Monona; constructed Of the best qual.t,
Of cream colord Milwaukee brick. four sto
ries high, surrounded with an imposin.
Mansard roof, which seems to look dowr
with sort of polite tolerance on the pro
ceedings Of this world. We must not for
get to note that it has frontage Of III
! by 80 feet upon Carroll street, with spa
cious and elegantly finished piazza exten
ding the whole length, along which Their
are scattered, in the most polite manner
an indefinite number of the Lords of Gre
ation," indulging in q species of somno
lence, common to the class, (not sure o
the name the notifications of which ar
thusly Chair, inclined backward; feet
. we'll mounted Newspaper, falling; eyes
half closed cigar smoke arising Slowl,
and gracefully. according TO the most mod
ern and approved style, while sentimen
of profound abstraction is said to be dim
y diScernible on the countenance of tn
subject, as he Thus deliberately passes in
TO state of probable beatitude, or quietly
watches the development of his own ge
MUS. But our driver, who is more addic
ted to flights real, stops not for fantasies
and the struggling vehicle is hurried down
State Street In very practical manner -
And now we alight and enter the Univer
sit, grounds. Passing first the young la
dies building, an elegant structure of buf
sandstone, nearly completed, well bull
and substantial, then on past the soutf
dormitory to the summit rf the mli ii
front of University Hall We pause 4
more beautiful landscape than is here pre-
scented is scarcely i'm ginable just mill
due east stands the State House with it
magnificent Grecian p0rticos and graceful
ness. Around it clusters the spires anC
chimneys Of the capitol city. On eithe
side are the lakes frirged with the brllliaE
gilded October vegetation; while in sha
ded hooks we yet can see the pale droop
ing ciemantis, and peering sadly to til,
southwark we look almost in vain through
the thick foliage for the glimmeIing Of tht
uellucid waters of Lake Wingra; ior, alas
Lake Wingra is disappearing. Every year
the land gains upon her, According TO j.;
beautiful legend narrated ~ q poet Of The
vjcinagt, she Is under the curse Of an In
dian Cntaitajn, who, dying upon ber banks
foretold that The fate of his people snoulc
DE hers, aud as they disappeared before
advancing civilizations, SO should bsT cTys
tai waters before the advancing shores
Our reverils are interrupted by Tho
stern accents % tbs norlh doIin.t0ry bell