Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-06-18
The Lam0iIle Valley.
Extracts from Correspondent If The Spring
field Union.
Essrx JUNCTION. W. june. 1873.

tfio tnt0n.
Essrx JuNclioN, W., June, 1873.
Let me confess at once that our trip
from St. Johnsbury to this point through
the Lamoille valley. has been a surprise aud
disappointment lest you misundef.
stand me- | hasten to add it was the pleas
ATTEST disappointment | ever experienced.
Expecting to 6nd a rugged, billy, moder-
ately fertile country, only Of interest on
account OF its scenery, | found a valley
which, if not as large as that Of your own
Connecticut, is quite as beautiful and fer
tile; thriving villages fully as frequent as
in any section Of New England equally re-
mote from large cities; an intelligent aud
active population the product of the plen-
tilul district and high schools a country |
rich in all that constitutes agricultural
wealth Gucludiug not a few guv'mcnt
bonds, am tod) richer still in its lum-
Der aud ores and minerals, when they can
be got to market; and last, but hardly
least, as far as our pleasure was concerned,
Astounding in maple sugar and trout.
If you have had courage to master that
long sentence, you will surely be pleased to
hear about the country little more in de-
tail. | will first draw our trip IN outline,
and then return TO the matters OF especial
interest for particulars. We lcft II. Johns
bury about five o'clock, IN the afternoon
taking the last train out on the line Of the
Portland 4 Ogdensburg railroad. Almost
at once the steepesi grade 10 the whoie
Vermont division Is encountered, and the
views from the rear end OF the last car are
surprisingly beautiful At DanyiIle, the
first station, q rise OF several hundred feet
has been accomplished, aud there and be-
yoDd through West Danylile to Walden
Summit the whole White Mountain range
is visible, away TO the east IN New Hamp-
shire, and It IS by tar the hnest general
view Of these mountains | ever had. Mount
Washington was still heavily streaked with
snow, aud 50 was Lafayette, and Washing
ton, as usual, had on cloud cap, which
was kindly lifted few moments Tor our
benefit. At Walden Summit we began to
descend into the valley OF the Lamoille, but
more gradually the grade coming east never
being over sixty feet to the mile, while GO
ing west 1t is, for short distances, eighty
feet to the mile, or about equal to the
heavy mountain grades OF the Boston u
Albany road. At the summit, the little
party OF friends who had accompanied US
from ST. ohusbury, 10 point out the finest
views aud see Us safely started, babe US
goodbye aud took the return train, while
we changed our position from the rear Of
the train to the front, Mr.. W. II. Bryant
the superintendent OF the road who hap
pened to be on board, kindly permitting us
to have seats upon the locomotive, which,
with steam shut of, rushed down the valley.
Fresh ylstas opened consiantly,at one point
Jay Peak on the north, and Mount Mans
field aud Cemei's Hump on tho south, the
three highest mountains IN the State all
being visible at once. Onwe went through
Greensboro, Hardwick, Nolcou' the valley
gradually widening and showing greater
signs of fertility, till at Moulsvlllc,a thirty
lug village where last year eighty new
buildings were erected, long reaches OF
fertile uplands separated the intervale from
the distant mountains. and ut iiydepark,
the present terminus OF the railway, 1t was
NtA'-N'f ~ NN'''FN 't'''N NN'N "'"'NfN SO
the heart of the Green Mountains.
A supper aud breakiastoi fresh brook trout
can house, prepared US to enjoy to the full
one Of the bright June days. Thesun now
, shone brightly, but not too warm, and now
r was obscured by cumulous clouds that cast
fantastic shadows over the landscape; while
the dust had been thoughly laid and the
face OF nature clearly washed by various
showers the day before. First, Col. h. Is
Sawyer proprietor Of the hotel, took us
behind pair Of nimble ponies, to Norris
vile, three miles distant, going by the river
road and returning by the county fan
Q grounds, which are the finest in the State
e comprising 40 acres aud situated directly
on the railroad, about half way between
Morrsyille and Hydepark, making then
very accessible Then larger team wa'
e harnessed for the more serious business Of
t the day, and under the friendly and intel
a igent guidance OF Mr.. Waldo Brigham, &
lawyer at Hydepark, and president Of the
- Lamoille valley railroad, we set off dow
0 the valley. johnson was the first village
g then came Cambridge and Cambridge Dor
ough. All along by the side Of the roa'