Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-02-25
NEAR THE MouTn oF
WHITE RIVER, February IL, 1874

by big teams and stages-nearly all OF which
are supposed to be under the supervision and
control Of the Vanderbilt Of White River val
ley, who, learn, is located near tue frontier
Of civilization, viz, at the small town Of lsoch-
ester. find " Ike's" estimate Of the size Of
the freight house essentially correct, as should
judge it was about the size ola Saratoga trunk,
or a Freedmans Bureau: but as the earnings
Of the railroad are wholly needed to keep the
RING in good running order, presume that
neither the freight house, or grounds around
it, will be materially enlarged OF extended
during the next fifty years. Starting on my
winding way for Gaysyille, ria. Nanderbilt's 5
fast train, | was at once impressed with the
idea that was approachinga large place. On
arriving at that Golden Burgh | was satisfied
that lke's" was no fancy sketch, his only
fault being that he spent too little time at this
point to learn of all its commercial, Hldnufdc-
turing, mining and other industrial interests.
Messrs Editors-Gaysyille yes, Sirs, Il IS,
q BIG place II occupies full as much space on
the map as New York or Sandusky, illumin-
ated wholly with gas, and has been for so long
a time that the common people are made to be-
leve by the pictorial advertisements Of the
Bodrdqf Trade that gas IN GaysrMs is cheaper
than day light. Ike discovered the slight shock
to business occasioned by "Old Toms " NOV
ing the machinery from his factory to more
congenial point but he failed to mention the
greater catastrophe to the place, viz the obit-
uary OF the Sled club Manufacturing Com
pany, organized in le72, on the Wind Mil
principle, by the Honorable Mr.. p, Of
Hartford expressly for the manufacture Of
Government machmery-One Of the BR00E-
having slop'd over into the GAY canal, and
with the good will and influence Of the legal
profession Of Bethel, and an occasional glass Of
MEAD from Randolph so that with wind and
water, the machinery, under the direct super
vision Of the rightaud left Boirers in Hartford
moved on harmonously, and for time the en-
terprise, when viewed by gas light, seemed to
be a success and various fabrics Of different
textiles were produced their yarns being spun
30 fine, however, that their good, when pre-
sented in market, were found wanting in
strength, and more particularly in finish-an
essential element in all manufactures, espe-
cially in goods for gorerHR,aHf use, and obtained
only by the use Of Poland starch, left their
whole production on their hands as useless as
Ike's Grist Mill and Tub Factory without q
dam. ! also find that Gaysyille has for severa
years been the El-Dorado Of the East, produc
ing, beside fighty golden dreams and visions
/ Of Il, sgva-.1 Il
and an nnumerable number of wicked dams
out Of which neither golden harrow teeth OIL
horse shoes could be forged by the most skill
| full - SNIIH.
But, Messrs. Editors, a detailed history o
the late manufacturing and mining enterprises
Of Gaysylle would be a work too extensive ioi
the present occasion, and in order to DO jusuc,
to the upper part of the Valley, ! proceed t,
| Stockbrdge, where find Ike confined his re
searches wholly to the old Mectigg House, an,
the Tub Factory, on the stream that bad jus
been dam d, forgetting to make mention Of th,
immense Cheese Factory about to be put it
operation there, and also the fact that johnny
Cake Flat contained the only Prince ---- OIL
White River, and one who can boast Of BIZ
herds and l)cks on thousand hills, especially
in Ripton.
And now ! embark for Rochester ria th
Montpelier 4 Rutland railroad, narrow gauge
which has already been surveyed from th
Coffee House in Sherburnc, to Goldfish Corner
in Granville, by buggy wagons, quadrants
opera glasses and clothes line, to the entir
1 Of Ea Il
lists on the line On arriving at Rocheste
depot, alias Ike 5 bath-house, and refreshment
over, the ratio Of fluids to solids proving t
be very equally balanced, took a stroll to Sc
If lke's was a true picture of that place, o
merely the imagination Of an excited tourist
incident to sojourners at the fashionable water
ing places In Vermont, where their diet IS M
all irdter. After few minutes walk | wa
/ constrained to the adoption of the last proposi
tion as being correct However, Ike discoyere
some Of the beauties Of this great town. Ila
he made mention Of the school-house bcin
turned inside out Especially the scholars out
side), and located full as near the centre Of tn
road as the tannery, /. might have been {
some service in determining his condition Will
here. | soon found there were many things I
be learned of this town only through history
and in searching the archives my eye fell upo
a yoluminous work--The History of Rochestt
Ia copy of which was kindly presented II
by the town authority contained in which al
the church records for many ages, and wherei
discovered the history of the reformation
the middle church Zone of the three spoken
by Iko), it having been for several years pa
used as theatre, the plays being about equal
divided between farce and comedy, viz SeeJ
! ing Lucy and Spritualistic performances in ii
upper room, with the Dramatic Club occup,
ing the lower room. On the whole, this plat
seems to have been growing rapidly since II
survey of the aforesaid railroad, and it is col
fidently expected there will be an unprecedente
intlux of wealth and fashion, from the Tori
Zone, during the coming summer, to viii
away their time where they can get pure sprin
water, full strength, or reduced, as their habi
and appetites crave.
Having got fairly on the Montpelier & Ru
land railroad, | propose visiting lidncocl
, Here will be found four miles OF very lev,
grade, with local trains every thirty minute
This being my first visit at Hancock, my fir
inquiries were in relation 10 the chief produce
of the town. All conceded that woodchucl
were the great staple of this section. Here
find quiet little village, the people, in cons
quence OF their honest, sanitary, and religion
habits, need neither lawyer, doctor, or clerg,
man, and their only merchant was warn
\ ing his Back over the embers and ashes ownt
S by the Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance Con
}. pany. The principal attractions here Al
IS Church's mills, whose motive power is said
be a substitute for water, and the bowling ale
> although they have good Town Hall al
Il church combined, In size and architectu
le worthy Of the largest places mentioned in th
> epis,le. The people, having rubbed of Il
e rust, and broken of the sharp corners of r
ligious superstition, allow that fine ediice
!, be used and run on the principle of no odd
which gives the Spiritualists, foreign and d
Is mestic, under the pronunciamentos and edic
1 Of Dan lsrbel, the great high priest Of Man
> rights and woman's suffrage, great adyantaI
over all others OF different faith.
,ol Lack OF time prevents my visiting Ora
% vile, but as expect soon to be called there
% business connected with their grange, W
~ avail myself of the ODportunity to learn of n