Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-09-08
CIImpses from Car window ON tho
Grand Trunk Railroad.

The New Euglanders who expects to find
the rugged beauties of his native land, re.
pealed in Canada will be disappointed. He
who expects to behold the valley of the no.
BILE st. Lawrence as counterpart of the
lovely Connecticut upon grander scale is
doomed to disappointment. The moment
you enter the Sorel River valley, and
strike north from Lake Champlain aud tho
state line, you feel that you have left your
native hills, you feel that you are in
foreign country, you see every indication
of a different people, although you still hear
the mother tongue. AS far as the eye can
see, north, east and west, it is one broad
stretch of low level country, fenced off into
thousands of lots by the zigzag rail fence.
The fields are all plowed in narrow bands
of perhaps two rods in width, leaving ditch
es between each band. The farm houses
are mostly implanted, with small, misera-
BILE tumble down barns, and nothing indi-
Gates thrift, energy or enterprise. The log
cabin and matched howell of 1776 may well
he called the rule rather than the exception,
throughout the entire st. Lawrence valley.
Indeed, Rip Van Wrinkle still sleepeth here.
the majestic River aud give it bold bluffs,
and beautiful elevated, well drained mead
ow lands. Instead thereof the lands seem
low and marshy, coming out of the river
with gradual rise that extends on, and on,
until earth meets the sky in the far off hori-
zon. The staple crop is oats, the extent
and number of the fields being continual
source of surprise. But even this staple
did not in all cases look like a promising
crop. In a word we are justified in saying
that the eastern portion of the Grand Trunk
Railroad traverses the most desolate, un-
inviting section Of country over which it has
been our fortune to travel for many a day.
An accident by which an engine and ten
freight cars were smashed and piled in one
grand ruin across the track near Lyn, de-
layed our train several hours, so that the
entire trip in the region of the lake was
necessarily night ride. While stopping
for refre shmenls at Kingston, our Yankee
ears were very much amused at the criti-
cisms Americans and the States generally
were undergoing from what seemed to be
group of well bred loyal subjects of HeI
Majesty's Dominion. Not only was oul
manner OF nominating and electing pres
ident sharply commented upon, but even
our physical stature and native endurance
were lightly compared with that of the no
BILE old country stock from which they
sprang and which they seemed 10 imagine
they had kept good, while the Yankee was
fast passing down TO a Liliputian race. One
of these, a brave lake Captain soon called the
party to some more inviting field of con
quest and was left TO muse over the de
generacy of my race. From the head of thu
lake west TO Port Huron, the land is high
er, better drained and seems 10 be peopleC
with a better class of farmers. In addition
TO oats, you here see immense fields o
wheat and flax, with some fine looking cat
tie, and very respectable looking sets o
farm buildings. At Port Huron you arr
carried over the st. Clair River upon al
immense steam ferry boat, that carries nine
cars at a time. You are now at Sarnia
from which point you start direct for De
trot, going at first for several miles
through section of country made desolat'
by fire, aud certainly nothing looks NOR
desola te than a forest region of miles in ex
tent stretching out the dead bare arms of it
thousand limbs over an under growth o
shiubbery a few feet in height. q.