Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-10-18
Written for the Age.]
w est FairIcc and Mines at Ely.

FRIEND MoMAsTER-My call at your
office was very much enjoyed, although
necessarily very brief. ! had the good
fortune. however, to listen to some music
by your excellent Cornet Band, and the
praise and compliments which | have
heard in its favor are justly due.
West Fairlcc is beautiful little coun-
try village, situated about seven miles
from Ely Station on the Passumpsic II. r.
The first impression Of the traveller is
that the houses and grounds are remark
ably clean, and kept in good repair
There are several fine residences here,
prominent among them is tn residence
of Mr.. G. W. ComstOck. At the invita-
ton of Mr.. Comstock ] visited his resi-
dencc and was shown over the house and
grounds which are beautifully situated
and arranged The house has all modern
improvements generally seen in country
residences of the present day. L he in
terror is profuscly decorated with fine oil
paintings. and crayon drawings executed
by his daughter, who is now attending
the Seminary at West Lebanon, n. H.
Two of the paintings interested me very
much. One was an autumn scene. The
subject being forest glen, with stream
running through ovcrhupg with forest
trees and shrubbery, clothed in their
autumnal glory The other, Marine
view, the waves dashing against head
land of rocky clif'-both very finely cxecu-
ted The Eagle Hotel, +. w. Farnum,
proprietor, is model country hotel
The house is scruplously clean the &C
commodatioms good, and the prices re-
I sonable. Mr.. Farnum and his family are
at present absent on Il visit, but his place
is ably filed by Mr.. Comstock, who is
himself an old hotel-keeper,
The attractions are the mines at Ely
and Faree lake. The lake IS 4 beautiful
body of water, four miles long and one
mile Wild. 1t abounds in Black Bass,
Pickerel and Perch, atlording anus ement
for those piscatorially inclined, This
town went Democratic at the last election
and suspended across the street in front
of the hotel is fine large Tilden 4 Hend
ricks flag, while just above on the street
: hands an insignificant little Hayes ant
Wheeler flag. Henry and Kimball Bates
} old friends from Windsor-are promin'
ent merchants here and ale apparently
doing fine business. The first house
south of the hotel was formerly the resi-
dence of Gen. Stephen Thomas, and tho
second house is the residence Of Judge
= Bean. Stages run daily from this place
{ to Ely, Thetford, Lyme and Chelsea. "
tray cling tinker, Mr.. "Jack Of all Trades
is at present sojourning here, and among
y his various accomplishing lts-(nOt critic
| Using his beauty and fine linen)-may b.
e enumerated the following He has becI
:, end man in minstrel show, Qike HAM
!. White, } fixes (?) clocks, repairs umbrellas
. cuts hair, shaves (?(, dances doub
shuttle. initiates the sound Of the jacl
plane and wood saw, tells funny stories
= and drinks--(cold water when he cam
s get anything else and is as ornaments
{ rs one of Jobs comforters.
= The village of Ely and the copper mine
are one and one half miles north west o
! West Fairlce. The village takes its nam
from Mr. Ely the principal owner of tn
mines. 1t is a stock company and MI
/ Ely owns nine-tcnths Of the shares, an
e controls the whole thing. The villag
3 contains about one hundred and twenty
five buildings. The dweling-houses ar
all occupied by those engaged in an
about the mines. There is no other bus
ness carried on except that done by til
company. The road to Ely follows up
small stream, the rocky bed Of which is {
a dark red color caused by the "copper"
+, AS you enter the village, the first indct
tions of the works, are the huge clouds {
smoke ascending from the roasting bed
and smelling works, which floats over til
village, changing its direction with til
, shifting winds, and with its sulphurou
h fumes destroying all vegetation wit
-, which 1t comes in contact. There
q scarcely leaf or spear of grass within
% quarter of Il mile Of the works, and I'll
d hills present simply Il mass of soil, rock
!, and bou!ders. By the side of the roat
| just before you come to the smeltin
Is works, is an immense mas Of Stag, {
refuse, which comes from tie furnaces.
There are hundreds of thousands of tol
of it, and Capt. Long. the superintendel
of the mine, informed M that it cOntla
, ed over fifty Ger cent of iron, but no W.
w. had as yet been found to separate 1t. III
Up works are enclosed on three sides by hill
=, the west side being open. The vale
from north to south is about / of mi
VI wide. About half way up the hill on Il
east side is Il group of buildings, one
l0 which is over the entrance to the min
~ The 'lcad" from the open air to the
trance of the shaft is nine hundred tc
10 long. 1t is cut through u solid ledge, Il
or average height is about seven feet, al
), the width about six feet. The rocks a
continually dripping water, and the trav(
III ing inside is wet and muddy. The gene
a al superintendent, Capt. Long, kind
gave letter to Capt. Thomas Pascoe, Il
superintendent of the mining departmer
wa who furnished me with guide and ga
mn oon infnrmotiOn The mi,