Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-09-06
C01YeSb0ndence.
wnirrEv ron THE vrnwoHr PHd.uIz.
ERTTBHs FRO.W CO.v.TECTECUy.

wnirTEv ron THE VERMONT PHdsvTz.
ERTTBR FsO.U CO.r.TBCTECUz.
Mr.. Editor While taking a few weeks
of rest in this quiet town of Woodstock,
Ct, perhaps some notes by the way, and
few facts relating to the "laud Of steady
habits" may not be uninteresting to your
readers. On the morning train from Brat
| tleboro, last Thursday, there were several
| pale young men from your village going to
the coast of Maine in search of health and
recreation. We shall hope TO see them
| with more color in their cheeks when their
vacation Is over. 1t was not specially agree
able to find ourselves brought to a halt
about midway between the stations in Vor-
non, in consequence of freight train hlv-
ing been thrown off the track. A rotten
old car, overloaded with lumber, broke
down and caused the mishap. Some of
the passengers walked over to the scene of
the disaster and waited moro than an hour
in the hot sun for the workmen to remove
the broken track and get the train out of
the way. Yet the faithful old steam horse
did nobly in endeavorng to make up for
Worcester, powerful shower burst upon
us with great suddenness, and little far
ther south the wind blew a furious gale
which prostrated the crops, scattered the
fruit in piles upon the ground, and tore up
many trees by the roots.
The appearance of the country in this
part of Con necticut is so different from that
of Vermont, that one who has been away
for several years cannot fail to be at once
impressed with the contrast. The hills
here are so low and rolling that the vilag-
es placed on their tops are not at all diff
cult of access. / have heard the remark
that in coming from Vermont to this local
ty it seems as if in former age some
great giant had seated himself on the tops
of these hills and flattened them all down.
Connecticut seems to be keeping up its
reputation for good schools. The academy
building here, where the writer when a
boy attended school taught by Hon. J. w.
Patterson of N. H., and where Prof. Ed
ward Conant of our State Normal school
at Randolph was once successful teacher,
has of late proved wholly inadequate to the
demand. A new building going up, one
hundred feet by sixty, which when COM
pleted will cost upwards of $4,000. OF
this sum, Henry C. Bowen, editor of the
New York Independent, gave $4,000. Mr..
Bowen has summer residence here, and
a walk about his premises is something to
be remembered as a rich and rare treat.
Among the attractions of the place are the
academy, with an able corps of teachers,
and its large gathering of scholars each
year, and-what is needed in connection
with every good school-its large and COM
modious boarding house. Elmwood Hal,
which for the last five years has been un-
dor the management of Doa. Amasa Chand-
Ter, 2 brother of Rev. J. Chandler of your
town, is opened in the summer months for
the accommodation of boarders from the
cities. They have now about thirty board
ers from New York, Brooklyn, Providence
and other places. With their abundant IA
cilities for riding, rowing on the small
lake near by, playing croquet, and resting
quietly in the ample rooms Of The house
or under the shade of one of the numerous
trees on the common, it would seem as if
they could enjoy themselves here if any
where. The other evening, few young
people boarding at other places in the viii
lage having been invited in, we had a very
pleasant social gathering. The tables were
removed from the long dining room, ard
part of the evening was spent in having a
quiet little dance, accompanied with some
very fine music, all of which was enjoyed
perhaps as much by those who looked on
as by those who had more active part in
the performances. The spectators who did
not know how to dance could have a show in
one part of the exercises, viz, that which
was connected with the ico.cream and
cake.
This town is greatly indebted TO Mr..
Bowen for his many deeds of benevolence.
The long rows of shade trees on the COM
mon are of his own providing, and thus is
also a beautiful park completely covered
with trees of various kinds, all enclosed
with n nice fence. He builds fences and
concrete walks, costing thousands of dol
lars, not merely in connection with his own
buildings, but in other parts of the village,
and his benefactions are all dispensed with
a liberal hand. Mr.. Bowen is a man of
great force of character and executive abil-
ity, as the success of his paper would indi-
cate. lie tells me that the cash receipts for
the Independent the last year were $780,
900. We had the pleasure, Sabbath evo-
ming, of listening to most interesting adj
dress from Prof. Fisk of Chicago, describ-
ing his recent tour in Arabia and Pales-
tine.
But my letter is getting too long. I may
have something to write about at another
time. ASA.