Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-06-30

parry slowed lSell away III tlllet oltuANH
ut ea>v-riding carriage. each one drawn
by two pan Of safe and spirited horses,
and were whirled away toward Mount
Mansfield We uoht to rope fright here
that the convevancinS to the mountain Is
under the management of Messrs. Bruce
and Ladd. They have probably seventy
five to a hundred horses in their stables at
Waterbury and Stowe and can furnish an
outfit for the mountain, or for pleasure
driving to any resort, in better shape and
more promptly than can be found else
where in Vermont Their drivers are re-
liable, safe men, and all of them experts
with the ribbons" We have unfortu-
nately forgotten the names of the three
drivers who 50 safely and satisfactorily
!rovc our editorial party to the very
pazza of the Summit House, that sweter-
inr afternoon, and returned us to the
Mansfield House the next day; but
their open, selfreliant countenanccs are
cngravcn on our hearts, and their courteous
tlltulIDllS stl1it stVIoll III VI
their teams were recognized by all, and
are worthy of much praise.
We will pass over the few incidents of
our upward Journey to the mansion in the
skies rs rapidly and casil Y rs we made the
ascent We hatel and all drank at the
famous icy spring near the " halfway
house. and began to realize that the sui
lrines~ Of the valley below was giving WAY
to n cooler temperature. 1t grew still
colder IL We went onward and upward,
and before reaching the Summit House.
we drove past Il huge bank Of snow, which
had been, probably, purposelv saved to re-
mind us that - the gods of the hills were
At the summit we again encountered
the ubiquitous Bingham, who it seemed
had preceded Us to prepare place for Us
and whose kind and thoughtful attention
to all our wants and comforts and pleas
urcs won for him 4 place in our inner
hearts. and who, if lac ever comes up for
vote of the female members Of our party
Albeit, men do not change 50 quickly
and politician, are still welded to theil
old idols and doubtless will be while the
world standeth.
The party Immediately made for the
high old Roman nose of Mt. Mansfield tG
yet 4 view of Lake Chlmplain and thu
surrounding country; but the clouds set
tied down. the f,tes We're unpropitious
and we lost the sunset scene we had anti
ripatcd-
We found the - Summit House" under
/ the efficient management of ID. e.. Holmes
who with his " better half are almirabl,
fitted for host and hostess Of the " Ii
topicSt" house in Vermont. The mic
T warm tu>cuit served ut the table wcr
never excclIrd and I'LL the food WAS wei
cookrd and duly appreciated by the hunsr
tourists then and during their stay upon
;hc mountain.
- In the evening unm>taka5le tokens {
. the coming conflict of the element becam
| apparent. The Vermont Press A~Socia
. ton was in the midst of Il business mcetin
t held in the pirlnr of the hotel. when III
! iivclir~t thunder storm OF the season bur-
- upon IL in all It's m,gniliccncr and terrbl
d ~ublimitv 1t WAS L night To- be r,'nen
i bered by al who watched tn" storm ;
= ii beloved its way from the wcSt up thu
i rock of ayes, shook it, thunder bolts an
;, nceSsantlv flashed It's lightning in OF
: faces and about oar feet on tie mountain
V ~ulenl, rotIt' and flashed and tic kcre,
+ with supernatural darts down the easter
y slope, and finally lit up with lambrn
: flames the very summit of Mount Wa~i
; ington. some eighty miles distant. W
G shall here attempt no description Of the
; scenes; for when that last dcton1ton
: the thund"r- crm", shaking the soil
e formation Of old Mansfield from summit I
t foundation rock like rs the reed is shake
/, by the wind. we thought We realized til:
Il God had spoken, and il lccame pun
: man to keep silence.
: Friday morning came with rain and 70
t and Clouds We wee on the mountain
bat couldn't see out. All the valleys bclo,
' Us rr>embled huge seas of water. We in
> :iyincd We knew something how the worl
must have looked to the dcnzcnS Of Ncah
; nrk At about the period that venerable w,
, cr-craft first Touched bot ON on the TOP
Mount Arartt. We waited and watchc
until nearly noon for an uplifting of II
J. clouds which >houll let in f. our e,
II pcct ut, vision the beauties of the valley
' md lake low is and on all sides. Bat W
} waited almost in vain There WIS a
occasional momcntary uplifting. tanta,i
i inglv revealing to Us b;icf visions
/ rare grace and bcauy-but we con
catch no real satisfying view of that lal
below where every prospect plcaScs,
> Embarking once more in carriages We
T. secured and safely managed we startt
y down the mountain. Reaching the TO-
i the party proceeded up Smugglcrs Nott
' and interviewed Binghtm> Falls, a love
i cascade. only a short distance from II
main road.
a few Of the party interviewed Il
y famous Mother Harris, in her tumbl
y Town shanty near where the notch roa
deboUches from the mOuntln hiyhwa,
II Her unique sign of "KakeS AMI bier f
sail hear" conspicuously greeted the ey
II of the first pilgrims to Old Mansfield, III
for m my Years was the last sign
-" civilization to leave behind as the a
II vcnturous explorer struck into the i
lei minab'e forest. and began the sturt
y climb up the mountain side. The O
Lt,lv,-who>e intellect is hardly as lof
!" rs the mountain by which it has grow
and perh.ps been dwarfed by its sublin
= surrounding does a small bu>ine
IT, in the bier" line; but the ''kakcs,' Ia,
apparently al played ont.
she WAS not entirely happy when V
! in erviewed her. and solrmnly averred tn