The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-10
AMATEUR PEDEsTRIANIsM
CAMBRIDGE TO VERMONT.
The start---A Night in Barn---A Sensation
in Churoh---Camping Out---Through the Tun-
mel Afoot.- Mount Equinox Quarries


well to note some OF the adventures OF five
amateur tramps who set out from Harvard
the day following the late brilliant class
day. The festivities kept them up late,
but the preparations. they had to make,
later still. No one retired before midnight,
and all were up with the sun on Saturday.
Four of them marched up North avenue
with packs on their backs, like pilgrims
for shrine. At Porter's station, Cam
bridge, they took the 1880 train from Bos-
ton, in which was the fifth amateur tramp.
Five fellows IN such rig attracted some
attention in the car A schoolmaster from
the Sucker state first became interested in
them and told them how to carry their
blankets the way they did in the army.
Then fine-lookipg old gentlemen took
fatherly interest In them, told them about
the Hoosac tunnel, the country and many
points on their route. He took the tallest
and handsomest OF the party, which IS not
saying much, and introduced him to his
daughter and niece, much to the envy of
the rest. This envy did not last very long,
for the whole party received an invitation
to take dinner with the family at Shelburne
Falls. At first the invitation was declined
on the ground of our appearance; but
when the invitation was repeated in such a
pleasant way by the daughter, it could not
be declined.
The tramps left the cars at Greenfield,
bidding good by to the friends they had
made. The first thing they did was to get
weighed and have their baggage weighed.
The average weight of the baggage was be-
tween seventeen and eighteen pounds. They
then went to the barber shop and were
shorn of their superfluous locks and were
made 10 look like fighting cocks. They
were escorted out of the village by troop
Of young boys. They imagined themselves
pilgrims in Vanity Fair. There is quite
steep hill mile out of Greenfield, but it
pays any one TO climb this hill to get the
view, first to the eastward, then by going a
little farther to the westward. Wei
might as well confess 1t first as last, we are
the hard looking tramps-we had to stop
many times and make EXPLANATIONS worthy
of school miss examining her new dresses
We use her words, but with deeper feel
ing, "Charming! Delightful !" "Beauti-
full :" and the like. The stoutest heart
would have been affected in the same way.
We had gone some seven miles when it
began to sprinkle. 1t was time to pitch
our tents. AS the road approaches Shell
burne Falls it descends into the Dcerfeld
Valley, and hills enclose 1t on either side.
We went straight up the side of one OF
these hills, in the hope of finding suitable
camping ground. Up, up we went like
Excelsior" but unlike him we stopped
half way, where the slope was only As o :
Here four of US attempted TO set up the
tents, while the fifth went to the foot of
the hill to hunt for milk and water, not
mixed. The four hungry and shivering at
| the prospect awaited his return. He hailed
them with the news that they had an in
vitation to sleep in a barn. This they ca
gerly accepted after satisfying their hun
ger with the sandwiches that had been pre-
pared for them in Cambridge.
The proprietor of the barn returned at
midnight and put his horse in the stall.
| We thought him a thief, and were screw
ing up our courage to stop him when he
called out
"Who's there 2"
A few words explained matters.
The next morning we started for the
house of our beneticent friend. The
mother and daughter we had not seen re-
ceived us with open hands. They said
they had heard of us, and told us to come
in and make ourselves perfectly at home.
We went to church with our friend and
we're ushered into one of the front seats.
| AS we passed up the isle litter could be
family heard At the house we were
treated handsomely. Such friends are not
met with every day. 1t was with mingled
feeling of sorrow and gladness, and much
against the wishes of our entertainers, that
towards evening we took our departure.
We pitched our tent some three miles
beyond Shelburne Falls. Before we stop
ped we asked for water at q house, and
were led by young lady to well of the
coolest water on the site of an old Indian
fort.
The road from Shelburne Falls to the
tunnel runs along the Deertield river, and
winds most Economically in and out the
hills. At times it cannot be seen how the
load is going around them.
We reached the tunnel about z o'clock
The SCENERY here is particularly fine. We
intended to 60 over the mountain, but two
engineers advised us to go through the
mountain, instead, and furnished us will
lamps. They walked part of the way will
us, when one ''stumped" the other to go thu
whole distance. They both went with III
and made the walk much pleasanter aDC
more interesting than it would otherws,
have been. Four and ceighths miles
seemed long distance under ground. w,
were an hour and half in going through
Until we had reached the other end W,
had no idea of the greatness of this work
Now and then white marks are seen over
head. They are to indicate that the rock
are in danger of falling. Wherever there
is such danger, thick brick arches are to b.
built. In many places arches are alread,
built. Perhaps in time the whole TUNE
will be vaulted. 1t was novel sight t.
see the men working and when far off t
notice the circle Of light from the lamps II
their hats. There is a blacksmiths forge
, and in all quite little world under ground
! They work night and day. Every few
steps stream trickles through the rocks
1t seemed to be raining overhead and tn
covering that protected us seemed to b.
leaking. The ties are all the same distance
: apart, twenty-eight inches, pacing distance
, SO that after while one gets used to tn
step. There is only one track laid yet, bu
| there is ample room for two. At the west
ern end Of the tunnel we left our freuds
the engineers, who rode back on a freigh
train.
That night we lodged in hotel at Mort
Adams, and experienced delightful sleep ii
!, a comfortable bed. We had walked tina
! day twenty miles. The next morning W