The Portland daily press., 1877-10-13
PORTLAND AND BURLINGTON.
The 0gJensburg Excursion.
BURLINGTON, THURSDAY EVENING,
October IL, 1877.

the charge of the people of Burlington, and en-
joying their lavish hospitality, without thinking
it lovely place. so much does courtesy help
the fair fame of city, even were it not favor
ed by fortune in being placed in one of the
most beautiful spots on the continent Hardly
had the excursionists got through with their
breakfasts when procession of carriages was
found at the door, not only those provided by
the attentive committee, but citizens with their
private teams, and ladies with their own car
riages ready to take the lady guests, and eyery
place of interest was visited, now driving
through gentleman's private grounds ele.
ganty laid out as park and garden, then through
streets with fine houses ard gardens, coming
out at every turn upon magnificent views of the
Green Mountains, with the charming river
Winooski at their feet, or on the other side.
within sight of the noble lake and the far
stretching range of the Adirondacks, reaching
right and left to the horizon, and rising range
beyond range in the misty background.
Burlington lies on a hill sloping towards the
west. hill that looks as if it might once have
been au island, with huge lake filling the ba-
sin around it from the Green Mountains to the
Adirondacks, and these ranges seem to shut
out the world beyond. The Green Mountains
look close at hand, and Mount Mansfield and
the Cancels Hump are, in truth, the destina-
ton of frequent drives for pleasure loving pee
pie, the former having Summer Hotel upon
| it. The river Winooski comes dancing down
| from the mountains to meet the lake, lesping
pretty fall in the valley at the foot of the hill,
and turning wheels for all sorts of useful Indus.
| try. On the front Lake Champain is but ten
miles broad, and the foot hills of the Adrop
| dack chain come close down to the waters edge
| so that they seem close at hand. A few little
| islands are scattered about to break the dis
| tances, and close to the hitber shore is long
breakwater, with bug light at either end, and
| house in the middle, a gift from our gentle
| Uncle Samuel to remind the. Burlingtonans
| that they belong to the family and also to keep
| their harbor safe when the stormy winds do
blow. Their immense lumber business, and
| other heavy trade is located along the lake
shore, where also the railroads come in. Above
in the middle distance, is small, shaded park
around which gather the public buildings, the
hotels, and light traffic of all kinds, and back
up the hill stretch fine streets filled with resi-
dences, all neat and many very elegant, quite a
number being fine old places which have come
down from the early days Here come wealthy
gentlemen from New York and build summer
homes unexcelled in beauty, adding attractive
ness both to the landscape and to society On
the summit of the hill are situated the build.
ings of the State University. The Agriculture
College forms part of this institution. There
are not many students, perhaps an av erage of
seventy, but there is prosperous Medical Col
lege, with one hundred pupils, which attracts
the best surgeons Of New York as lecturers.
On this same hill is building, in fine situation
new hospital, on which Miss Fletcher has be.
slowed $150,000. (How happy we should be
if some munifcent LADY would take our
hospital SO in charge.) Near this is
the Green Mount Cemetery, where lie the re-
mains of Mr.. E. Allen, and over them tall
shaft surmeunted with fine life-sized figure OF
the gentleman, pointing with his sword to the
skies, and exclsiming, as will be observed by
the inscription below. "Ticonderoga" Mr..
Aliens character beirg familiar to the country,
Burlington people, with that fine consideration
which marked their every action, refrained
from commenting upon him. This monument
is built of Barry Granite. the product of Yer
mont and the fence surrounding it is con-
structed from design, both unique and appro-
pirate, by Mr. Phelps, distinguished lawyer
of Burlington. The corner posts represent
cannon, and the body of the fence muskets. At
the northern end overlooking the lake, is the
battery, with the original breastworks OF 1872
still standing. This was the scene of a fight in
that war. 1t is an admirable place for public
group and must be favorite resort in sum-
mer with those fond of sunset views. Still far
Their on is a new and charming burial'place, re-
Gently laid out, called the Lake View Cemetery
This is well shaded with great oaks, birches,
cedars and rowars with their scarlet berries
glistening in the sunshine. The monuments
are cut from the native marbles, and many
fine ones from Scotch granite, all showing taste
and elegance in design. Burlington is fortu-
nate in having near at hand limestone of
several bright hues, so that many of their
churches and public buildings show elegant
combinations, apparently red and cream color
ed sandstone Then they have gray marble
for trimmings which resemble the Halowell
gneiss. Among these beautiful structures may
be mentioned the Roman Catholic Cathedral
on Cherry street, a Congregational and
Methodist church, and the new court house.
Many of the buildings also have multi-colored
states, also of native production. Space will
not allow of description of all the interesting
sight, the residences of prominent people and
the fine buildings pointed out by the attentive
hosts, but it is notable that everybody was kept
in motion from point to point, until dinner
time, the streams of carriages continually en-
countering each other and drawing up to gaze
where views were finest Those Portland la
6iaru bo have rn;1a
would have torn their hair in envy, if they
could have seen the fortunate ones who did
come, each and all taken by the ladies of Bur-
lington in their elegant private carriages, and
ca red for all the morning, regardless of time
and trouble. Such attentions are seldom be-
slowed anywhere, and coming from such peo-
pie as are found among the fine
old families of this CITY, They speak
volumes for the good will Of this people
towards their distant neighbors of the Forest
City. But this was only the beginning Of &C.
quaintances. Dinner was hurried in order to
go on board the splendid steamer Vermont for
sail upon Lake Champlain. This is mag
nifcent boat, fitted up like the elegant steamers
which run up the Hudson, and all Burlington
seemed assembled in the spacious saloons to
troduced and acquainted with as many as they
could find time to talk with, ard the groups
were continually changing and reuuiting like
| kaleidoscope views The boat steamed rapidly
| along the shore into and around the beautiful
Shelburne Bay, giving the reverse of the morn
| ing picture, showing the tree-embowered city
stretching along the hillside, rising in five ter
aces to the summit. Two or three miles away
| to the right the Children's Home, building
| erected and sustained by charity from the state
at large, showed to fine advantage Follow
| ing the curves of the shore, the boat reached
| the Adirondack side, where the bills were
| plainly seen, covered with their rich autumn
foliage, and. skrting the shore closely, leaping
from cliff to cliff on high trestles, the new
railroad, built at great xpense and with costly
| engineering to carry coal and brlrg back iron
| from St. John to the Hudson. 1t was re-
| marked that some Of the blasts CT nitro-gly-
| cerine which blew these cliffs apart, shook the
| windows in Burlington, ten miles away and
across the water On went the boat making a