The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-09-22

the lane before the church, shaking hands
with the people over the top Of a stone
wall As We rode past the camp on leav.
ing he was break fasting in the open air,
and replied TO our salutations with q
piece Of bread and meat in one hand.
We left our friend Magnusson aud sew.
oral provision.chests at Thingvalla, and
sct cfi early for the Gcyscrs, in order to
keep out OF the way Of the greater and
more important caravan The wonderful
plovcr stew which an Arctic explorer and
a Cincinnati editor bad employed two
Jealous hours in producing, had recruited
our strength VIC were not yet so damp
as to ne dsagreeablc, and so commenced
the ride of i5 miles in cheerful spirits.
A mile up the valley, after passing lit.
tie farm called Skyrcot, We struck to the
eastward into hraun or ava.ield torn
and convulsed beyond anything VIC had
previously seen. In tho holes and gaps
where soil had gradually accumulated,
there grew stuntcd willows and birches,
rarely more than three or four feet in
height This is called the Thipgvalla
Forest - IT apparently covers eight
or ten square miles, and. miserable as it
seems, is able to supply the few farms in
the neighborhood with sufficient fuel.
1t is a question whether Iceland was
ever wooded, as some Of the sGgas indi.
cate. No large tree trunks have been
found in the peat.beds and there are no
local traditions Of woodland | am con.
vinccd that the harder trees, such as
birch, Scotch fir, mountain ash, mud alder
might be raised in sheltered places, with
a little care Yet almost tho only tree
in Iceland is mountain ash, about 25
feet high at Akurcyri,on tho north coast.
Neither temperature nor the prevailing
winds are sufficient to prevent the growth
OF timber; it is more probable that the
people never seriously thought of trying
the experiment
The lava.ficld was at least five miles
IN breadth, sloping southwark from a
group Of dark ,scorchcd mountains whence
the eruption had evidently flowed. The
regularly curved mountain II Breithi-
Skiold BROAD Shield, streaked with
snow. closed the northern vista of the
valley. The first Gssurc we reached is
called the HrqJnaUa or Ravens Cleft ;
it is about 100 feet deep, and astonish-
ingly jagged and distorted. a natural
bridge, formed by the falling together Of
the edges. leads across it, after which q
further climb of n quarter Of mile
brought us to the level of a upper hraan,
wilder and more dcsolate than that OF
Thingvalla.
An UNsucCEssruL LIFE j ohm w,
Fitch, who committed suicide in New
York, was man OF vast experience, and
was well known in all the principal cities
Of the Union. He was an intimate friend
Of the Hon. Simon Cameron, Col Thomas
A. Scott }. Edgar Thomson. and many
Of the political magnatcs Of Pennsylvania
and New York lie was born in Victor,
Ontario county. y. Y, in 1917, and when
thirteen years of age was apprcnticed to q
book binder. After learning his trade ho
went to Harrisburg. and there became the
state bcokbinder He purchased n livery
stable in that city, and was noted for hav
ing the hest horses in Pennsylvania. lie
he had a superior knowledge Of horsenesh
and gained national reputation as a
horscman He purchased horses for Van
Amburgh, Lent, and other showmen, and
it is said had no equal in the selection oi
iirst.class animals. lie made fortune
in the livery stable business, and in lS4s
went to Philadelphia. There his fortune
began to dwndle away. He purchased
Il line of stages which he managed 70,
two years but lost money rapidly. Ii
1852 at the Portage bridge celebration
he and Messrs. Lanman and Waters wcrt
given the contract to construct RAILROAD
, from Niagara Falls to Lewiston. They
completed the road, but in the enterpriz,
Fitch became bankrupt Alter the con
: tract was taken the Buffalo and Niagar,
Falls Railroad was consolidated with tn
New York Central aud there was SOM
| difficulty abou. the payment for the con
struction OF the road which Fitch and hi
, partners contracted to build lie brough
l suit against the company and waste,
thousands oi dollars IN useless litigation
, In 1859 he and Seymour and Gafine
! constructed the " aShing'on water works
lG'u al the m"''S, aud Du'lf the d'Stribu
I ting reservoir AT Georgetown. and Fitc
+. again '"Hn" himself out OF pocket frof
1850 ur 10 the past year he was not i
4 business. ohrr 10 while he engaged /
| Si"a'i 'r''n'''ionS' nnd was invariably un
4 sl'r'Ns'"i lie had numerous claims
(; sa'nSl 'o'lV'niions and individuals, an
h"!'A to r"aIi2e something from then
l'''' "'ar many who thought ior'nn
o "ouid 'nrn Ior him. bnt at length the
began {" 'hnn hut lie lost his friend
|. one 10y one and lI'' became II burden t
4 him. lie had " wi'r hut no children, an
:. lived IN sean'''> furnished apartments i
;, fiity'third street. nnhlc TO borrow an
] m lp ~ .i,. N Ia N