Litchfield enquirer., 1878-10-24

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 got through finally. Upon emerging from this
 belt, we found ourselves so high, that all kinds
 of vegetation, except the mountain cranberry,
 ceased to exist. We were about exhausted,
 and sat doYn to rest. Our ''tree top road had so monopolized our attention that we had
 not realized that we were so high up the noun tain.
 The whole surrounding country, to the south
 and east, lay at our feet, in one grand pano-
 ramic view. Mountains that from our camp
 we looked up to, now lay far beneath us, in-
 significant mole hills. Every lake, no matter
 how small (and it is said there are one hundred
 and fifty in sight from the peak), and the
 course of every stream, could be traced as
 plainly as the lines of painting. Smokes
 could be seen away of in the distant settle
 ments, and occasionally smoke from some hunters camp fire, struggling up through the trees. The foliage in the hard wood forests is
 now turning and turned, and great variety of shades and colors present themselves to the eye. .Thepeak of the mountain, during the last hour of our ascent, had been 'enveloped in clouds While we sat looking at the marvel ous scene below us, the clouds had gently drifted away and upon looking upward, there, horrors, was the peak, fully twelve hundred feet above us We could scarce believe our eyes. The scene was so grand from where we had been sitting, that we supposed we must be near the top. The bare thought of climb ing that distance above our present position was sickening, but we came tossee the top, and see it we must, so we pushed ahead We went up directly in front of the highest peak (Most people go up from the mouth of Abol, which is easier of access. but too far to the west to be reached easily from our camp). The side of the mountain is covered with loose rocks and boulders (some of them weighing hun dreds of tons) seemingly on a poise, and only waiting breath of wind to send them crash
 ing down the mountain side. We could see where, in the spring. great slides of earth and rock had started up near the top, and as they reached the forests at the foot of the mountain, they had swept those great forest trees and the earth beneath them to depth of thirty or forty feet. We could see where avalanches of snow had been hurled down, and acres of the forest below, seemed fairly crushed into the earth. When within about three hundred feet of the top we reached the first snow. The wind be- gan to whistle here, and it seemed like winter. We unconsciously buttoned up our coats, and drew on our woolen mittens.
 At just quarter past twelve, we drew our selves up on the little fifteen foot square platteau, which forms the peak. We had been about six hours in reaching it. Upon the opposite side of this little plateau the northern walls of the mountain, suddenly plunge off in an almost perpendicular line fully two thou sand feet, at the foot of which is a little lake, said to contain trout with four legs. This lake is right in the centre of the mountain, and has the highest elevation of any lake in the state of Maine. The view, from our position on the peak-well it would be simply absurd for any one to attempt any thing like a description of it, and more than absurd for me. There are times when deep and solemn si- lence seems fitting and when our feelings can
 find no expression in words. This was 8 scene to be viewed with ones own eyes to be appreciated. When we reached that little plateau, we sank to the ground in mute aston ishment. We hardly spoke, but sat there, and drank in the grandest scence it was ever our lot to witness. It seemed then, and does now, more like dream than reality. Of course, this may be nothing in comparison to mountain scenes in the Old World, but it was grand enough for us.
 We left our names corked up in bottle, ate some lunch, and slowly and carefully com menced our descent. The foot of the noun tain was reached in safety, and we struck out for camp. We tried our compass again with the usual result, and were obliged to take our bearings from the sun. The magnetic needle evidently thinks, as we do, that Mt Katahdin is 'big thing," and whenever we consult the needle,i it loses all allegiance to the North Pole, and sits pointing in silent admiration at Ka- tahdin. After what we have seen to-day we cannot help but admire (although we deplore) it's judgment.
 We were chatting along through the woods, Harry and Hub slightly in advance, when George came rushing up, exclaining, "a moose, a moose" We turned, and there, bounding up behind us, not six rods distant, was an old bull caribou, followed by two others. They were coming on so fast, that they had not ob- served us. We were not out on hunting ex- petition, and Hub had the only rife in the par ty. He fired ball through the old bulls neck, just at the instant they discovered us. They were off in twinkling, but not before Hubhad laid out one fine young bull. It was so near night, and we were three miles from camp, that we dare not follow up the wounded one. He had magnificent pair of antlers that we should have enjoyed capturing. We went to work and dressed off the dead caribou, and started for camp with the hind quarters, which was all we could carry. We arrived at camp little after dark, a pretty tired set of mortals. Tuesday morning we had, in addition to our usual breakfast, some choice cuts of caribou sirloin steak. The caribou is much larger animal than the deer, and we think the meat preferable. We have twice the quantity of of meat and fish on hand now, that we can possibly dispose of. Now that we have seen Katahdin, we shall doubtless not remain many days here. At this late season of the year, there is danger of the high winds making it difficult crossing the large lakes with our little canoes, and we are little anxious to get down nearer the settlements. Hub set an otter trap yesterday, but caught a muskrat instead. George shot loon to-day that measured over four feet from tip to tip. W.
 Editorial courtesy has been defined as al- luding to the capture of a brother editor in his neighbor's hen-roost on dark night as Ia discovery of the remarkable doings of 8 son. nambulist.' y .f.,s.ss ..s.ass-,tf qa .4.
 MT. Beecherdi says he wont lecture any more and we suppose that now we--that is that there will be a call upon-that in fact