The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-14
correspondence of the Boston lIeraldl


When in possession of sufficient funds and
time | visit this locality, and on several oc-
casons have ventilated my ideas OF it to
your readers As the years roll by | find
it more and more attractive. The scenery
appears to me grander than il did in my
boyhood days, and the mountain brooks
seem to pour forth purer and more spark
ling water than ever before. The trout in
the crystal streams even are spotted with
brighter and more attractive colors, and the
old farm houses near them are seemingly
ia better condition than they were great
many years ago, when it was Il pleasure to
me to sit on their stone steps and partakc
of hominy and milk, and that without
price, after Il trudge over the hills and
through the meadows in my nearly always
successful search for big and little trout.
The winding, shallow, swift and treach-
erous Saxton's river in the carly days of
Vermont must have been the paradise of
trout. With the hundreds il not thous-
ands, of little brooks which pour their
cooling streams to make it what it is, the
rivers course is dotted with deep cddies,
shaded by overhanging branches, aifordng
cover and an attractive home for the pref
test of fish. Here and there are to he
found sudden falls where the water has for
centuries been drilling deep holes in solid
rocks, and through the current which is
constantly pouring over them 1t seems I'M
possible for fish to ascend Within the
memory OF men ana women WHO llved Ill
my boyhood days, the valley of the SaXton
was dense forest and huge pines graced
its banks, while the lofty hills on either
side were covered by magnificent naples
which are today the pride OF every Yer
monter. Now ana then stately memento
OF the past rises up before me eyes OF inc
traveller to remind nm OF the forest glorles
winch vermont once possessed. Inc pines
are nearly gone, but naples are abundant,
ana as 1 pess them along the ROAD from
bellows rails 10 ms place, ana recognize
Ola, lamlllar trunks that are cong their
level pest 10 shleid inc passcr-py from the
summer sun, anu even III thls pretty iiltie
village so handsomely ana tastc1uliy shaded
Dy their loliage, my neart warns WIN a
loving regard Tor thc times tnat are gone
ana ior NOSE VINO win me enjoyed ana ap
pIeclaicu inc Joily DAYS OF youngsler
lie. To-Day the river IS not PAD 10 look
NJ, ana the Dr0oKs by Which II IL 1ed, al
'hough not 1ull OF iish, ailofd 10 the am
ateur angler quahllty OF sport mat IS en-
loycd IN put lew locailtles. FROM bellows
rails 10 Camprldgeporl, less 'hah seven
mics, there elhp,ies ih'o the river no less
.haii eieveh proohs' All natural waters ior
trout: mat otners may ENJOY inc sport
"hich was my chlet pleasure IN Doyhood
ana mas Dcen every year since during me
irouting season, nave resolved To tell
ol rne locality ana the brooks;
Inc Lane ABOUT thtee iniies east OF
Saxton's village, rises IN Westminster.
Its source Is very higf II not the very high
est the vicinity. Its wafer
ana It's course very rapid, consequently the
hsh are small, but they are extremely nu-
merous, more so than IN any other brook
in the town. The Clones" which finds the
river at short distance from the "Lane,
Is lannon's brook tor little fellows and, al
though of no great length is well stocked.
me banks are easily Travelled anu per-
sistent fisherman Will be well repaid for
summing himself along its borders. Next
come another Jones, which, in my smaller
teens, was the brook OF the sweet little vii
lage IN winch 1t was my privilege to shook
jack ana play possum. Then 1t mean
dered through forest, meadow and pasture
Tor couple of miles, while at frequent in
terYals shady nook or Il high turiy bank
was seen, beneath which small but plump
lean eager brook trout was always to be
found. Now. alas for the civlllzatian of
That quiet and yet enterprising little village.
the brook has lost its prestige, for its citi-
zens use the purest of its water for laundry
ana drinking purposes. The trees along its
borders have been cut down and the sultry
days OF August find mere apology for the
rushing waters OF fifty years ago in trick
ling drops which have escaped the absorp-
ton of the aqueduct, Half mile above
the outlet of the Jones No. 2, on the same
side of the river, is tn, "Smith brook, two
miles in length OF all the wonderful small
streams, so far as capital in trout is con-
cerned, tins surely is unsurpassed. am
not seeking to tell a large fish story, for !
never heard OF larger trout being taken
from me smith brook than half pound
IN weight, but so FAR as numbers concerned
40 not know OF more prolihc stream,
ana nave tired my luck on great many
waters IN each OF the New England states
for more IMAM thirty-hve years ! nave
gwen inc smith brook trial several times