The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-07-21
4 VISIT TO THE MINES.

want to tell you OF my recent excur-
sion to the iron mines near Port Henry,
thinking perhaps it may not be wholly
uninteresting to the readers of the
REGISTER as well as yourself whether you
have visited them or not
Leaving home one week ago to-day at
S a. III. we arrived at Moriah Center Just
in time for dinner to which ne did ample
justice, and which after having ridden
some fifteen miles, we found our vigorous
apretites quite ready to attack and doubt
less il our friends with whom we diaed
had been INTERCEPTED in references to the
matter, they would have given their un.
anmous decision that There must
be famine in Vermont" After
dinner our friend Il. B. Titus
with whom We diued, proposed
that we should accompany him to tho
mines, which proposition we very willing.
ly accepted and adopted, and after n
pleasant ride of nearly two miles through
smiling fields richly laden with natures
products, we found ourselves in the thriv.
ing village Of Minoville A few moments
more and VIC halt in front Of the Barn :;
the hostler sautes us aud bids US drive 10:
we obey, and after hitching our horse and
ascertaining who the foreman is or Boss
miner as he is called, we proceeded at
once to try and ATTAIN guide. and car
in which to descend into the pit. We fud
that all operations are suspended for the
present owing to the dull times in the
iron trade, and We find only a few of the
principal hands and oveiseers. The boss
miner kindly offers to accompany us to
the mines and orders the brakeman to
hoist car which had been left about halt
way down nearly full Of ore The brake.
man attempts to hoist the car but finds
that there is not sufficient steam. the
foreman then informs us that it will be
two hours at least before we can descend
We look down into the yawnipg gulf
beneath and it leems to be about one
hundred feet in depth. We can hardly
believe it when we are told that it is
276 feet deep. But two hours seems a
great while 10 wait, especially where ones
curiosity is wrought up to a high pitch,
ard We finally concluded that it will not
pay TO wait, 20 We are determined to
make the best of the situation, aud in the
meantime visit the other beds while the
men get up steam. As We approach the
Miller first and look in. VIC sec man
pushing u car loaded with orc. We find,
alas, that the sides Of the rit slant SO that
we can make tho descent with compare.
tive ease, SO We begin TO descend and
are soon at the bottom Of the pit without
Car or steam, and we conclude that feet
are later Improvement than either.
We follow the torch to the mouth Of the
tunnel. The foreman, who happens to
be at the mouth as we enter. pleasantly
bids US follow on, We do so, but first take
lamp that We may see our way better.
As We enter the tunnel we noticed that
the air is several degrees cooler, and We
find cur coats, though rather heavy for
the atmosphere at the surface. nocc to
much for the mines We follow on
through the winding cavern until at last
We halt at the shaft, and the guide in-
forms Us that We are three hundred feet
from where we started, aud ninety feet
from the surface. Oh, wonderful grand ,
incomprehensible We looked around
and soon discovered that the wonders of
creation arc not all on the surface Here
we are in the very bowels Of the earth
surrounded by wealth unestimable
Wealth greater than miners ever dreamed
Of or dared to hope for 1t seemed as
though we might, with Il few blows ofthe
pick make passage through which to
hold Intercourse with Chinese and ex.
change ore for tea, saving the duties
income tax, &c, as well as the uDavoid.
abs necessity Of crossing the wide ocean
encountering storms and dangers Of all
kinds to procure this cordial for wo.
mans woes, tea. After securing Some
rich specimens of ore TO bring away with
US as mementos, we returned to the
surface and found that we had forgotten
all about the men that were to take US
down in The car, which was no disappoint.
ment | presume to them. AS we were
about leaving we were forcibly reminded
of the uncertainty of life and the certain
ty of death, by the intelligence that tive
men had been fatally injured 10y the fall
ing at u tree which stood beside the road
and US they came in range with it, il sud
denly fell without axe or wind or any
other known cause, crushing the wager
beneath them, and injuring one SO that
he died in two hours. aud the other il
it was thought, was past hope. Thu.
reterating in our ears the words of oui
Savior "Be ye also ready, for in such al
hour as yo think not the Son of mar
cometh."
We became somewhat curious to see
the tree aud the men and started to 20 tC
them. but time forbade, and we turned
our steps homeward and passed by tht
farm Of Mr.. Sherman, Of the firm Of
Welherbec. Sherman a. Co. who are &
part of the Port Peury Iron Ore Conpa
ny. We arrived at the house of Mr.
Titus in time for tea, during tho cours,
at which We managed TO spoil the look,
aud size OF good plump strawberry
shorlcake, in way that eyinced to ever,
candid mind that We were no novices II
the epicurean art.
After passing the night with our friend
Titus and his inestimable lady we return
ed home feeling richly paid for cur time
aud pains spent in visiting the minei
Of Mineyile. TINS.
Shoreham, July Is.
We should like to know what aspirn
ant to seat in Congress would williugl,
yield his owe personal preference to al
outsider, even though he may have III,
ability and the accomplishments Of Georg,
William Curtis When the republicans
fail to fad suitable represeptatiye ai