Connecticut western news., 1876-04-28
Salisbury and its surroundings.

4lCkuOE ~ rIelQS, puDllsueISs An OooSo"' are revising their New England Guide Book, and have sent us the following con- cernlng Salisbury andsits surroundings, and ask us to mark for correction any error which the article may contain. If any of our readers discover any serious error or misstatement, the publishers will be grate- full to them if they will inform us, and it will be properly corrected before the book goes to press.-ED NEWS. ri | -70p., |. .ur-agH SALISBURY. 70, this silence in the air, this silence on the mountains, thls silence on the lakes...... On either side, to the east and to the west, ever varying mountain-forms frame the horizon. There is constant succession of hills swelling into mountains, and of noun tains flowing down into hills: The hues of green in trees, in grasses, and in various harvests are endlessly contrasted. At Sal
 isbury you come under the shadow of the Taconic range. Here you may well spend week, for the sake of the rides and the objects of curiosity. Four miles to the east are the falls of the Housatonic, called Ca naan Falls, very beautiful and worthy of a much longer study than they usually get. Prospect Hill, not far from Falls Village, affords altogether the most beautiful view of any of the many peaks with which this neighborhood abounds." (This and the other quotations under Salisbury are from Beecher's Star Papers,.
 The road to Falls Village leads for two miles down 8 narrow valley rich in grain, and then to the east over bold spurs of Wo- lonanchu Mt. with Prospect Mt. on the left, and rapidly changing views of the Housatonic valley. Or, without crossing Wolonanchu, the road down the valley may be followed to the hamlet of Lime Rock and the borders of the mountains of Sharon.
 A favorite excursion is to the Bald Peak on Mt. Riga. From Salisbury to the noun tain pond on Riga it is four miles of easy ascent, most of the way along the edge of a ravine filled with resounding but invisible cascades. A road leads along the plateau to the base of Bald Peak, whence the as cent must be made by rude path. The
  embracing on the west the Oblong, Buck and Catskill mountains in New York; on the south the wilderness of high hills which form Sharon; on the east Canaan Mt, Bar ackmatif and the lakes of Salisbury. and on the north Race, Alander and Everett mountains in Massachusetts. From the lit tie cluster of houses near the pond on Mt. Riga, one can return to Salisbury, via Lake vile, by road over the brow of the hill, or by slightly longer road 6 miles) leading down the side of water-course with pretty views of the lakes. to Ore Hill A miles,. the centre of the iron mining industries of the town. There are five iron mines in Salisbury employing 240 men, and supplying metals to the forges, anchor works and foundries which abound on the streams of Northwest ern Connecticut In April 1861, the miners of Salisbury sent 100 tons of Iron to the government to be made into cannon balls. From Ore Hill (which is within 1-2 miles of the New York line) the road lies near the railway track and passes to Lakevllle, 1-2 miles from the mines. As the road passes the lakes Wononkapok and Wononscopom- oc, pleasant views are obtained, and the mountains on the south rise clearly above their quiet waters. Between the road and the latter lake is seen the stately old man sion of the Holley family, built by the gov ernor of that name, and the birthplace of Horace Holley, the Unitarian divine. long oroeidonf If TropcvIvon;o TTn;varo;fxy opI of O. l.. Holley, the New York lawyer and journalist. On the shores of the same lake are seen the large white buildings of the state hospital for the imbecile, where, by skillful treatment, the thought-germs ir stricken minds are developed into action
 useful instruction is imparted, and many heretofore useless persons are elevated anG sent forth as self-sustaining members of SO clety. The hospital accommodates abou 50 patients, and IS situated on hill which commands fine views of the lake and of In dian Mt. After leaving these charming lakes, ride of l 1-2 miles brings one tt Salisbury. MT. Beecher suggeets that sfte leaving Bald Peak the road may be takel 10 Brace Mt. and the Dome, thence to tha grand ravine and it's wild water, Bssh-Bsl -s ride, in all, of about IS miles, an, wholly along the mountain-bowl.'
 Bash-Bish Falls are about F miles iron Salisbury village, and near Copake statio
 on the Harlem railroad. This is beautifr little waterfall, which has been well painte
 by Kensett, and was much visited befor the destruction of the hotel by fire.
 Four miles north of Salisbury is Sage
 Rayine, which is the antithesis of Bash Bish. Sage's Ravine, not without grandeur
 has its principal attractions in its beauty Bash-Bish, far from destitute of beauty,
 yet most remarkable for grandeur. Bot are solitary, rugged, full of rocks, cascade grand waterfalls and savage rudene
 tempered to beauty and softness by variol and abundant mosses, lichens, flowers ar vines. would willingly make the jou
 neY once month from New York to s
 either of them. Just beyond Sage's Ravil
 very beautiful falls may be seen after heaN
 rains, which have been named Morton
 Falls. The way to the ravine leads alol
 the under-mountain road (4 miles). Ju
 before reaching blacksmlth's shop at t
 bridge over a Till from the hills, there is
 small hut on the left, and the ield-ro
 turns in alongside by taking down bars.
 Is best to leave horses outside, and enteri
 the field, take the first path to the right 8
 follow the stream up the ravine. The pri
 cipal falls are known as the Lower, TV
 and Upper Falls (well represented in a {
 ries of 12 stereographs). A vague ps
 follows up the left side of the water (ril
 bank), which, if you love solitude, wi