Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-06-11
Editorial Excursion.
4 rrfp THROUGH LAKE GEORGE

bdltors ana Publishers Association TOOK
place last week, and included a trip through
Lake George, with various intermediate
stopping places.
The ball opened on Wednesday evening
with meeting Of the Association 10 the
parlors of the American Hotel at Burling-
ton, at which some routine business was
transacted, and an excellent essay was read
by Mr.. G. NJ. Chase, of the Lyndon Union,
on the Local Paper" and poem by Hon.
John Cain, formerly Of the Rutland Courier,
in which he gracefully alluded to his retire
mcnt from the press Of Vermont After
the meeting, the Association, by invitation,
attended the Csntata Of The liaymakeis,"
which was being performed at the City
Hall, aud which from the frequent applause
it elected from the audience, we judge to
have been rendered with exceptional merit,
although the lateness of the hour at which
the Association meeting closed rendered it
impossible for Us to get a very clear idea
Of its beauties.
At eight o'clock Thursday morning the
entire party, consisting Of about City. we're
taken in charge by the good people of Bur
lington, and were driven about the city
thus aifordiug them an excellent oppor-
tuniiy to view the place and its attractions
We ourselves are under especial obiga-
tions to Hon. Nathaniel Parker, after whose
excellent team, and under whose intelligent
supervision, we inspected the city. We
confess to a genuine surprise at the man
ner in which Burlington, which, in the days
when we knew it more intimately, was
noted chiefly for the beauty Of its location
has, by the sagacity and enterprise Of her
business men, fairly earned the title of the
leading business mart of that entire section
Of country. We well remember the time
when building lots in almost any part Of
the city could be bought for merely nominal
prices, and its buildings scarcely COM
monded the price Of the materials which
entered into their composition. But cer-
tain enterprsing gentlemen conceived the
idea Of making here an extensive market
for lumber They entered upon their work
with zeal and energy. The profits of the
first few years were jealousy laid aside for
the purpose of extending their business f;
and now Burlington is the third lumber
market 10 the entire country. The business
proved profitable, and, Of course, brought
other business enterprises with it, aud now
from nearly every advantageous site, Of
which the city has such an abundance, may
be seen the new and elegant residences Of
those who, but few years before, were
struggling hard to keep their financial
heads above water; while the entire north
part of the city is literally crowded with
the dwellings of those industrious and happy
artizans, whom the business enterprise of
these pioneers of Burlingtons success has
furnished with an abundance of remunera.
tive labor
We were much pleased also to observe
that the College, about which so many
pleasant recolections cluster, had shared in
the general brushing up. A new and well
furnished laboratory has been fitted up
about sixty students are in regular attend
ance, with prospect Of considerable in.
crease in numbers next year, and the grounds
about the institution, both in front and il
rear, are being laid out with some little re-
gard to beauty. Nature has done so much
to render this location lovely that ant has
but little to do; but we are glad to see
that this little is 10 the process Of being
accomplished.
At eleven o'clock the party wcnded it,
way to the wharf, where the new, large anC
maeniicently equipped steamer Vermont,
of the Champlain Transportation Company
was in waiting to furnish them with {
charming ride of about forty miles to the
historic site of Fort Tconderoga. Captain
Flagg in his usual courteous manner, gave
tho excursionists the full liberty of tn,
boat, and every one felt as much at HON,
as if he or she had been translated into al
elegant dwelling of their own, and wer'
now for the first time receiving the con
gratulatory visits Of their friends and neigh
bors in honor Of that event The ride wa
exceedingly pleasant, the dinner aboard tn,
boat fully sustained the reputation whicl
this favorite line has always had for th
excellence of its cuisine and in good sea
son we arrived at Old Ii.
Now from the landing here to the land
ing on Lake George is four and one.hal
miles Of what Fastaff would call exceed
ingly uneven ground" To overcome thi
negotiations had been previously entere,
into with "mine whip" Baldwin, the pro
prietor of the coach line which connect
these two points, and four coaches, eacI
with an indefinite seating capacity, ba'
been provided, which were speedily filled
1t was at this point that we observed tn
only exhibition Of wicked and pervers
human nature which we have to recor,
upon the entire trip, for such a scramble
for the best seats we never before saw
equalled. Speaking from the standpoint o
one whose confidence in human nature wa
here greatly misplaced, and whose accom-
modations for sitting were sadly inferior Il
the absolute space required, we feel it to b.
our duty TO enter our solemn protest agains
such selfshness; and to show how danger
Gus it is to indulge it, we have simply Il
add that on our return trip over this route
we were excelleutly provided for, aud W
just thought that we observed some of thos
sinners who had been the means of our dis
comfort on the up trip, in similarly uncom
Portable quarters on the return.
+ 1t is not very smart nor very origina
description of Lake George to call it 81
perfect gem Of lake" and yet this tern