The Portland daily press., 1874-07-22
press Correspondence.)
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North Conway is prelude-an overture. To
one who has only passed through the place it is
wonder how the tourist can con sent to pass
weeks on its hot sands. To one who has spent
two days there i is wonder how the tourist
can ever persuade himself to leave. The town
is the gateway to the mountains. To take in
its attractions at glance the visitor should
ride to Merrill's Hill, two miles south of the
railway station, face about and look.
To the north Mt. Washington rises up against
the sky,a huge heap dwarfing all the hills about
it. By its side Jefferson's sharp peak lifts it,
self into the air, and on its right like giant
stepping stones, are the lesser hills of the
range In its front jackson and Bartlett
sprawl out. on the mountain sides. On the
right of the scene the Middle Mountains close
in the view until they touch Kiarsage (properly
Pequaket) one of the. noblest peaks of the
whole mountain region. On the immediate
left Chocorua shows its fantastic tops. In con-
tinuation of it are the barren and ragged peaks
OF the Conway range ending in the double
beaded Mote Mountain. At your feet lie the
beautiful Conway meadows with their ivied
elnls, the like of which are not to be seen in
New England. The valley sweeps away to the
very feet of the mountains.
The view of the mountain region is the best
because the most comprehensive that can be
obtained, and its beauties are greatly enhanced
by the cloud and atmospheric effects in endless
variety, which every clear day draws out The
place is the paradise of the artists, and no less
| than six are sketchng there at present. As
| we go further into the mountains the view be-
comes circumscribed, aud we see ouly what is
| Immediately about us. Conway gives the thou
sand peaks at glance. If one wishes wider
| prospect he has only to CLIMB kiarsage, and the
whole country, from the sea to the Vermont
| line stretches out before him. In many par
ticulars the sight is finer than that from the
Summit House. The prospect is scarcely as ex-
tensive, but is decidedly more satisfactory.
| The Mt. Washington range, of necessity absent
| as awhoe from the other view. looms up
| graudly against the sky land toward the sea the
| prospect is unsurpassed.
| In the singuarly clear air of Conway dis
| lance is almost annihilated. The Tip-TopHouse,
days ride away, seems scarcely an hours
walk. Kiarsage looks within touching dis
| lance. Except on days when the clouds close
completely in, something worth remembering,
some new cloud effect. some novel contrast of
light and shade some fresh point of view, pre-
sents itself.
Conway has sights of its own to show, and is
not merely Mount Nebo from which the
promised land is seen. Besides the green elm
1otted meadows, the beautiful Echo Lake,
Harris Lodges, upon which is bazoned the
great white horse which scarcely one tourist ia
ten can see, the misnamed Cathedral Rocks :,
Daha's Baths and other objects of interest de-
light the visitor. Another attractive feature of
the place is its short distance FROM all the Gel
ebrated mountain resorts. Tue walks and
drives are very Gne For these last the first
tlass livery stable just opened by Alfred East
man, offers unusually good facilities. Nice
teams and excellent saddle and carriage horses
are always at the call of the visitor. But the
most fortunate of tourists is he who possesses
the acquaintance of Mr.. II. W. Ripley. This
gentleman is passing his thirty-sxth summer
IN the mountains and knows every nook aud
corner of the region. His knowledge of Con-
way and its surroundings is uurivalled He is
a capital cicerone, and his unfaIling courtesy
aud wide range of information make him a de-
lightfu companion. Lately he has pur-
chased blood colt of rare PROMISE which has
the reputation of being the best mare in ten
Vermont counties. Already she has shown
wonderful time, and is destined to make her
mark on the turf. Mr. Ripley is justly proud
OF the wonderful little mare, and drive be-
hind her is one of the pleasures of Conway.
At the south end of the long struggling vii
lage under great branching elms on the edge of
the va1Iav I'D INV f,,1 10
stands the Mcmillan House, cosy, homellke,
well appointed hotel which the wise tourist i'm
mediately seeks on his arrival in the village.
The table IA a luxury, and the-Nas they
up trout at McMillan's is delight to the
epicure. From the long, shady piazza Mt.
Washington peers at you above the clouds, and
Kearsage looms up to the right. A little to the
rear the long valley stretches out, and Hart
Lodges and Mote Mountain are clearly in view.
Mr.. Mcmillan is one of those men born to keep
hotel, and the courteous clerk, Mr. Daniel
Steward, does the honors in the most approved
style. A little north, the pleasant Washington
House, kept by James NJ Gibson, keeps open
doors, and above that Is the lowered Kafsage
Farther up the valley are many other hotels.
The influx of visitors this season has been
large, and every hotel and boarding house is
filling up. Monday morning there were seven
hundred letters mailed at the post office. The
village is growing rapidly, and twenty houses
bave been put up this summer The presence
of tourists with a fancy for romantic names
has caused quite change of nomenclature.
Some of these changes are for the better;
Louise Hill for example has become Tom
Mountain, and Hardscrabbeis metamorphosed
into Kiarsage. Others are for the worse; as
the change OF Rattlesnake Pond into the
senseess Arcade Lake M