The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-08-31
ADDISON.

Chimney Point, in tho south west
part Of Addison is one of the loveliest
spots on the face of the earth. Its natu.
raj advantages are unsurpassed and the
improvements by way Of cultivation Of
the soil and the addition Of the character
istics oil civilization have rendered it
very enchanting place 1t was here the
earliest settlement was made by tho
whites in the Champlain valley. The
French came down from Quebec aud had
quite settlement before tho war of In.
dependence When they left, and for q
long timo afterwards, their great stacks Of
chimneys remained as waymarks for tray.
eers up and down the lake; hence the
name Chimney Point. The ruins Of the
old Crownpoint fort, built by the French
before this valley was settled are direct.
ly opposite and less than mile distant
from the residence Of the IIon Asahel
Barnes, which is made the base line Of
operations for pleasure parties from Port
Henry, Vergennes, Middlebury and 9TH
er places in the vicinity, for tour among
the ruins and along shore. This place is
much frequcnted by these pleasure seek
ers during the season. Last Thursday
three different parties made this their OBJ.
ective point, one for a picnic and the
others for rambles among the places Of
interest in and about the fort. The Yer
gennes and Middlebury parties enjoyed
farm dinner" as Mrs. Barnes called it,
and never did hungry excursionists devour
the most dainty viands with keener relish.
Why doesn't some enterprising young
an secure this lovely location now only
used for o farm house. as hall of justice,
and to limited extent for the accommo.
daton of pleasure seeking public, and
fit it up fol summer boarding and for the
especial delectation Of exeursionists. 1t
would undoubtedly be a profitable enter.
prise. Geoogically considered, this is
one Of the most interesting regions of the
country. The prevailing rock is lime.
stone, though the calciferous sandrock
and Utica slate are in intimate relations.
In the limestone, which is only slightly
metamorphosed, are all the characteristic
fossils Of the Trenton period, from the
trilobrite to the brachiopoda, gastropoda,
corals and the less characteristic encrin.
ties. This section, and in fact the whole
town. is almost garden, lying to perfec.
tion for cultivation. The farmers are
nearly all well.to.do, and many are rich
in the country sense Of that term. They
have] added farm to farm until some
of them cultivate, or fail to cultivate, sew.
en- and eight hundred acres Long
stretches of road running through cult.
waited fields are passed over where there
is not dwelling house. The old settlers
talk with sadness of the old times when
there was society, well filed churches,
frequent school houses overlooking with
children and near neighbors in plenty. 1t
seems more like the western prairics than
any other place in New England, and to
make the illusion more complete, here
and there we find regular Kansas barn
that is, few rails laid up and hay
cock put on top of them. with a space I'M
derneath large enough for Durham bull
to get his head and foreshouldors under it.
The dwellings and barns generally are
nice and comfortable. Many of the
houses are stone, some are brick and near.
ly all the rest are handsomely painted
white cottages. Occasionally is a velita-
BILE farm mansion, as the residence Of the
Hon. Jonas n. Smith, which has few gu.
periors for architecture, style and finish
in this state.
This region is very paradise for fish.
ermen and trappers. Pike, pickorel bull.
pouts and other species of valuable fish
are taken out of the lake and from Dead
Creek in great abundance, though it is
said the fishing in the lake has been some.
what injured, this season, by the blasting
along the shore on the New York side
for the new railroad. 1t is on Dead
Greek, which is just no creek at all, but
an estuary of the lake, that the famous
Bridport trappers make their annual en-.
campment in early spring, to which we
have made frequent allusion. When oh.
serving these things one can hardly fail
to think what opportunities for sporting
must have passed away since one hundred
years ago, when this Champlain valley
was "vast bowling wilderness"