Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-10-10

NNlupdtHSllC lISdIlS are MGlllD0 up
and overfowing with love and "kind
words that never die? ?" All! pre-
cious to me will ever be that happy,
christian home of culture and refine
ment.
Nineteen years had wrought won
derful changes in the village. But
for the Williston factories and the
seminary l should not have recog-
nized the place. The spirit of thrift
and enterprise is found here as well
as at the West. 1t now has 1000
inhabitants and boasts the largest
suspender and button factories IN the
United States. Also several cotton,
and rubber goods mills, steam pump
works, DC. There are two Congre-
gatlonal churches, one Methodist,
and one of the finest town halls IN
the State. But best of all it is the
seat OF the best seminary-claSsical
and sclentifc-and the most literally
endowed and fourishing of any in
the land. There are $40 students,
young men only, formerly both sexes.
Hon Samuel Williston, its founder
and foster parent, has given it over
S5OO,O0O, if l mistake not, and he
has left upon the whole village
the impress of his muniticent gifts.
de died in July last, and greatly
Will the Seminary, Amherst College,
and Holyoke Seminary miss him
Their most liberal patron.
On Tuesday, taking the Westfeld
d Northampton train, l soon reach
ed Northampton, four miles north,
city of $4,000. This is one of the
Oldest and wealthiest towns in New
England. Round Hill is famous for
Its beauty, and the pride and glory
OF the whole city are the grand state
ly old elms. On commanding en-
lnence just south of the city, stands
the hne new State Hospital for the
Insane. 1t is built of brick. with
stone trimmings, and has accomoda-
tons for 400 patients-erected four
years ago. Here the peerless divine
the great Edwards-lived and
preached. The old church was burn
ed four years since. The Old North
Church still Sandstone of the old
est and most prominent land marks.
The city abounds in elegant dwell
ings and villas dot the suburbs. The
largest and finest hotel is the Fitch
House. Here 1 spent the evening
with my dear venerated teacher, prin-
cipal of Williston Seminary for ma
ny years, more recently elected Pro
fessor of Languages, in Smiths Col
lege for young ladies. 1t is new
institution. Tho years have silvered
over his head and slightly bent his
form; yet / found the same genial,
warm-hearted christian gentleman
only intensified by the years gone
by. "None know Lin but to love
him, )" is the highest commendation
any man can desire, and of him it
may most truthfully be said. Aye,
how l wish l could now, for four
years be his pupil!
But l was ticketed from East
Hampton to Williamsburg. So ]
passed on and returned to NOrthamp-
ton in the afternoon. As the rail
road runs close beside Mill River,
saw the awful track of ruin and des.
olation at Florence, Leeds, Hayden
vile, Skinnerville and Williamsburg.
At this late day it is terrible and
awe-inspiring, as one sees everywhere
the evidences of its resistless power.
The half has ne0er been told, for Ian,
guage is weak and can convey no ad-
equate idea to another of the fearful
ruin. After accomplishing my bust.
ness purpose, l had one and one-half
hours before train, and l went up
the river bed to within one and
three-fouths miles of the reservoir.
But l saw its worst features. | stood
upon the great stone, I8 feet long, 9
feet wide and feet thick, which
was carried three quarters of mile,
and landed high and dry on a bank
eight feet above the river bed, one
end resting on chestnut stump, and
the other on a stone, and the ferns
and grass growing between. Ex-
perts estimate the weight at 48 tons!
And near by are many more half as
large. Think of the power that could
sweep them along like so many toys,
or could carry away a whole grove
of hemlock and spruce trees from II
to "a inches in diameter, plowing
them out by the roots, and leaving
nothing but the bald rock! But l
will not trouble you further. 1 only
hope l may never see another such a
sight
Next morning I went to Amherst
"a city of 1000. 1t is truly "a city
set upon hill, surrounded by wide,
deep valley with mountains, or rather
high range of hills in the back
ground. 1t is picture neatly franz
ed-a gem richly set. The view is
extensive and very beautiful. Well,
Amherst does let her light shine ev-
erywhere-one of her stars having
shot off to Ashtabula, not one of
your flashing meteors, but a .tfred
star!
Here, too l found myself with two
and one-half hours on hand ere the
train left; so Imade the best possible
use of it. First I called on my hon.
ored classmate, Prof. Mather, spend
ing few minutes rapidly recounting
the incidents and experiences of the
last % years. spent a half hour
with Prof. Hitchcock, formerly
teacher at Williston Seminary. He
is ever the faithful students friend.
We visited the new gymnasium and
the "Walker building"-both are of
granite--called the Philosophical
Hall. In it also is Shepard's Cabin
ct of rare excellence. Then Woods
Cabinet in the Lawrence Observatory
is very fine. Here is a room the sides
of which are filled with stone slabs
covered with Assyrian hieroglyphics,
from Nineveh, presented by Henry
Lobdell, D. D., of Mosul; eag1e-headed
div1nities; brick with bituminous ce-
ment from the palace of Sennacha-
rib; half brick from Minroud, Nine
veh; bricks from Alexandria, Egypt,