Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-11-28

w hCACo JOuE Oily OAdA -DO AACC
now ?" asked Uncle David the day of the
wedding but Aunt HepseY was looking
in the air Just then for that answer that
somehow never came and did not reply.
JOTTINGs BY THE WAY.
Ifmemory serves me right, I had in
my former letter, brought you on in my
route TO Vergennes, VT, of which I made
mention.
Wednesday morning left for Middle
bury, Vt, 13 miles south. on c. VI. R. R.,
situated on Otter Greek, and is place of
considerable manufacturing. A portion
of the town ON the bluff is quite pretty.
On the west side of the town, at good
elevation, stands Middlebury College.
There are three good sized stone build
ings standing in the centre Of huge
campus" which is, in front, abundantly
provided with shrubbery and forest trees.
But the grounds are in all respects, sadly
neglected. This, however, is only nat
ural sequence of the attempt to keep up
so nany poorly endowed colleges-poor
starvlings, struggling for existencei and
the Professors-if good men are secured
must make up their minds TO deny them
selves much. In short, this is a sickly,
one-horse affair-graduating from twelve
to eighteen annually. The sooner all such
institutions are closed up or consolidated
with some other, the better for the coun-
try, and especially for the students and
Professors of them. Far better, few
fiIst-class colleges than scores like this
may it see. better days.
Seventeen miles sou;hward, is the ex-
ceedingly beautiful town of Brandon. In
one sense, it is peculiarly laid out-re-
minding one of Boston-One a small scale.
Many of the streets radiate from the bus
iness centre like spokes from the hub;
they are wide and almost arched over by
wide-spreading branches Of the maple and
elm. As a whole, the residences are
tasteful, and the grounds abound in
choice flowers and shrubbery.
Here, as at Middlebury, they have pro-
videdvery large and fine public school
buildings. Everywhere Igo 1 am led
to pity poor, "benighted Ashtabula, in
this one particular. May she soon have a
better building than any have seen-"so
mote it BET"
Brandon is also on Otter Creek, and
has much manufactuTing-ch OF these
is the "Home Scale Works." which Wis
tied for an hour, and saw the whole pro-
cess OF manufacture. was especially in
terested in the putting together and final
adjustment of all the various parts-a
work requiring great skill and patience,
and much time 1t was most profitable
hour to me.
Sixteen miles south is Rutland, the Sec
ond city, believe, in the State in popu-
Iation. 1t is.a great railroad center, and
consequently town of large trade and
business facilities. The old town was
built on the'hill and its Business parts APP
pear rather dilapidated whea compared
with the new business portion, &ich is
built at the foot of the terrace, and very
near the railroads. There are many very
fine blocks of stores, aud good hotels The
U. S. Court House and Post Office is a |
very fine structure, ofsandstone. aud fire. |
proof 1t stands on the hill, far away
from the business centre, and TO one not |
acquainted with the fact, that most of the
population live on the hill, it would seem
indeed strange. It's locaiionIwas a matter
of long and bitter Observation-Disclosures
men wishing it nearer their stores.
On this terrace, are most of the beauu-
ful residences of the city just west o.
the Post Office, stands the Cong'l church,
a very large one, with a spire 200 H. As
It was the day for the convening OF the
fifteen hundred delegates to the A. B. G.
F. NJ. meeting, which was to commence
It's session in the afternoon, 1 found the
building open and stepping in, found a
most beautifully frescoed interior, large
md richly cased organ, and the whole
most elaborately decorated with rare
lowers and festooned with evergreen 5,
erus and interviewer with vari' colored
utumn leaves. regretted l could not
De present at the opening service in the
,vening. 1t was gathering ofthe most
noted men in mission work, from every
part of the country, presided over by that
most venerable and scholarly Of New En-.
,land divines-peerless in his intellectual
Hopkins-a man also more