The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-08-17

ceTneu. IL is balQ mat NUMBER oil
years after his voluntary exile, through
the interposition Of friends, the Governor
Of the state of New York granted him an
unconditional amnestry, and he returned
to bis former home.
Bristol village is situated on high ia.
BILE land nearly one hundred feet above
the river, and is nestled at the base of
"Hogsback" which rears its bold front
up and alongside, and with its near
neighber "South Mountain" appears to
keep watch and ward over the pictur.
esque village. Through the romantic
gorge between the two mountains Lin.
coin river threads its tortuous way. A
continuation of the gorge through which
the road leading to Starksboro lies, has
for many years suggested to my mind the
possibility, yea, the probability, that the
deep valley known as "Chase Hollow"
was once the locality of deep lake, and
that at some former period the lake was
emptied, by bursting the barrier Of rocks
that tied the two mountains together I;
the large and apparently carelessly dis.
posed rocks above Bartlett's mandatory
indicates it, and the confguration Of the
river banks at and near the village,
strongly tends to sustain the hypothesis.
"Bristol Pond" is an old landmark, or
rather watormark. In my earlier life |
occasionally anged in its murky waters
for bullpouts, perch and the bopy pump.
kin seed. Ever and anon, a water snake
would be seen gliding toward the fishing
log. Hook and line, bob and sinker were
Immediately withdrawn, aud safe re.
treat made until the reptile had passed.
That species of satanic utilization has be.
come nearly or quite extinct at the pond.
An otter was captured some years since
by Mr.. Doton, on the western shore, it
being the only specimen caught for q
great number Of years in town
A locality known as the money dggers'
place, is a point of considerable motto, or
rather has been heretofore; occasionally
for the last sixty years raids have been
made on the base of old sturdy and silent
South Mountain, by platoons Of men, with
pick and spade, crowbar and powder, both
night and day. Quito an amount of
money has been spent, and much unpro.
ductive labor expended in disemboweling
the quiet and innocent old mountain.
The late Mr. Richard Brown has often
told me that, to his mind, no doubt exist.
ed but that at an early day the Span
iards worked mines at the base of the
mountain; coined large amounts from
gold and silver ore, and made still larger
quantities into bullion, and that the In.
dians made such incursions against them,
that the Spaniards were obliged to leave
so hurriedly, that their only recourse was
to bury the coin and leave instantly; all
reasoning to the contrary with the dig
gers proved unavaiing, for the simple
tGs they Called a9n 3D. ' %cb
to their minds. in the language of Web.
ster, outweigh the deductions of logic"
The Little Notch"-so called-a de-
preston in the South Mountain, has been
a point of considerable interest to many
both industrially and financially. Con.
siderable money and labor has been OK.
pended in years past, not infrequently
with Indifferent returns in monetary
point of view. The late VIM. II. White
of VcrgenDes once said he invested near.
ly fourteen hundred dollars in the notch
and that the net proceeds consisted of two
bushels Of charcoal less dividend than
North Pacific y but at the present time
there is large steam saw mill, owned
and conducted by Mr.. Alfred Eastman,
which is producing large quantities of
sawed lumber of various kinds, and |
understand it is a success possibly the
poor success heretofore experienced may
be accounted for by the old axiom, that
the right map was not in the right place.
Brooks Lodges" are point of consid.
cradle historic interest, especially to the
Nimrods and those fond of the chase :;
they skirt the western line OF the beauti.
full valley called the Flats. In years gone
by, your correspondent has oitentimes-
after securing comfortable quarters for
the team, at the hospitable mansion of
Amos f. Hasseltine, Esq started with
others at early morn, with his faithful,
true and "strong scented" old hound dog
Boss, with other dogs of lesser note as
soon as on the hunting ground, the foxes
scented the battle afar" aud were on
the. alert. As the deep baying of the
hounds began to echo from crag to crag,
led by the most prominent hound already
alluded to, Reynard would strike out for
a distant point of the lodges as his MIN.
BILE body cut the lower stratum of air, the
discharge of the writer's long fowlipg
piece was often heard reverberating
among the rocks and trees, as he "blazed
away" and not unfrequently with indif.
ferent success whether the nimbe quad.
rupeds lodged the flying shot, or the gun
was lnaccurately sighted, must be left for
an impartial audit by the hunters OF
Bristol.
"Rattlesnake Den" on the side Of South
Mountain facing the fiat, is an ancient
mountain mark, covering an area of not
less than fifty acres, with not ID green
leaf or twig 70 dot its surface, but consists
of stones varying In size, from the Bel.
gan paving stone, 10 huge boulders, that
have from time immemorial been break.
ing off from the massive rocky cliffs
above, and sliding down the surface in
inconceivable numbers ; yet the stones
and rocks are so compaeted, that locomo.
tion is safe, if sure footing is secured
By striking the stones with cane or
heavy stick, loud ringing sound rs pro.
duced, indicating quite a depth of loose
stones and rocks, the former habitation OF
the Kissing and venomous serpent None
have sojourned there for ,he last thirty
years. The species are extinct. | have
heard men Of the former generation de.
scribe the manner Of killing the reptiles,
for the "fun of it," The gods deliver
me from such sport, as | would sooner
fire at Reynard and not disturb his Aeecy
coat than successfullv kill such h;daops