Litchfield enquirer., 1871-12-28
DOWN THE slsEPAgc.

- ssa4ss-as !
 DOWN THE sHEPAuc. -1sa
 Friday having been appointed for the examination of the Shepaug Valley Rail- road by the Railroad Commissioners, sew eral of our citizens were offered the chance of taking first trip over the road in the new passenger car. Although the tler- mometer did not register suchintensecold weather. as that of the day before, it was, nevertheless, very severe. Ateight, punctu- ally, the train started from our depot. Among the passengers the, bar was duly represented by Messrs c. B. Andrews and Geo. M Woodruff; the judiciary in the Hon. Charles Adams; the army in Col. Vessels, and the press in the editor of the Enquirer. Superintendent Northrop had general charge of the expedition. MT. R. W. Ford improved the opportuni- ty for ride down to his home in Davis Hollow, and few other passengers got a lift" on their way to towns south of us.
 THE BANTAM.
 z a. .Est ~ HFa
 The speed was of course slow and from Litchfeld to Washington, or rather to point mile or two above that station, there were many rough places and very noticeable uneveness of track. We stuck to the rear platform, as far, as the cold would permit, for a view of the scenery down the line, One is much surprised and little annoyed at first with the en- tire 'aea0ness of his surroundings. Al though familiar with all the travelled roads between Litch6eld and Washington, the whole look of the country from a Shepaue car is unfamiliar, for the most part, in deed, absolutely unrecognizable. Even where the general outlines can be identi- fed the point of view is so different from the usual one that the feeling of strange ness always remains It is on this. part of the line that the egreatest deviation from the direct route occurs. The. Bantam makes bad crook northwestwardly be- fore joining the "West Branch" and con sequently the distance by rail between Washington and Litchfeld is nearly two miles greater than by common road. -.af
 THE sHEpAUG. 3& s 6's
 After reaching the Shepaug the scenery is much finer than on the Bantam section of the road. Below Washington, too, the the country grows more familiar to one who hoe %r,ox,aI1ad &I, ,,,, <, which, like the railroad, follow the valley in most cases. The grandest scenery of the line is to be found in the mile below the tunnel and near the Falls as they are called, though really nothing more than rapids Passing through the tunnel we find ourselves at considerable height above the river, thus gaining the great advantage of an elevated point of view for the only time on the whole route. Al though this advantage is wanting at the Falls, the scenery is itself so fine as to make it, we judge, the most striking point on the road. s.1sss @ .a The scenery at the junction of the She-l paug with the Housatonic is also very fine; but for the rest of the way down the Pond Brook there is nothing very remark able although there are often rather pretty. views. .s,s s;,s9s a.s.s.< tos s,I.g7, as,s,
 arf ass HAwLEYyILnE.8A 8As oi @hSta1sxl
 The condition of the track from g mile or. two above the Washington Station to Hawleyville is excellent and trains might run at considerable speed without danger.
 At the Washington Station the party had been reinforced by Chief Engineer Stevenson and the Hon. s. S.. Logan and soon after our arrival at Hawleyville, . two of the Railroad Commissioners, Messrs.. Simeon Gallup of Grotoln, al and John J,. Hutchinson, of Essex, arrived yon the Housatonic train from Bridgeport, While waiting at Barn1rn's for dinner sornebody discovered that we had unwiittiinaaly aaly 1e,ot together quite s'reunionY of the. celebra- ted Third House. Over half the assembled company figured in Bromley's lists; ana they didn't seem bit cast down Ss9n isE by H that fact' but strepuously if mot aolennly ad, Vlsed the ex-Comptroller to callat. the ofhce@of the Post and ftexplaif. F We thought the landlord turnedi little pale. however; he slipped oat. in a few fss 4n mo oments, and we heard some thing like the click of adoek m the next, room; and we certainly nad steel forks at dinner. faae sda bessEiTss
 Nov whether hhe ;tle le had .bssn reading ing the M haftford Post and got aaqneeraa notion. of the gentlemen who ssassiis5, lots o4egisia. lures or whether he takes the 1.iitchfeid Sentinel and imistrpsted the editor of the EsQuTREE, isa question we donota asi1ldera take to settle. .bs1stAeas q 9nOur way back we freauently stapped foF $ ekAhilaation fabfidges? which alare eonsttpss pA 2 new new iiaosIei siahnaa iahnaa though less timber than 1,1us usual ld ,are arree
 :s ees sne very stronga z The' h,;;7e .,e vser she HodsA At6hie is a ssrss \ ast;; - tuse have $ pretty sv;ssy ., ,,,,, ,,s the ears as they approAeb from tls soutb
 Eheapeed on,tAe Ietnrn trip gass -m,,cl grs6ter8 than tlgat Aasaahades eolnel doeS ana we ar14Ted as tlfe atshfeld statio1 \ httle before I've: Far our part we ie1 Yssl V veEy ag7eehbl sil1prieed at the aexcellen, condition pf the elseat6r psarslofe 4lIs traiel and tht tEeen Bsht6th gand FasI1inetor; is beng aaii ,. |. spd s I.l soon bss in satisfactory eenditioRn l4hata theseen-
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