St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-09-10

one else, ana nail lnqulrlngly, c0uld
not help suggesting that the conscious
ness that she had resisted the tempta-
ton to mutilate a monument would be
pleasanter thing to carry back to
Kansas than piece of that stone. l
need hardly say that the execution
of her benevolent intention would not
have been permitted. Since then l
have tried to think whether l have or
could have, a relative so distinguished
that l should be glad of bit of his
monument; and what would be my
feelings toward the person who should
take the trouble to chip off fragment
and bring it a thousand miles to give
me.
=. 1t is pleasant to know that these
premises, destined to become a Mecca
to millions of lovers of liberty and of
man, have become the property of an
association of well known persons, who
will guard them as a sacred trust
We now set our faces eastward, and
| lLC utiy iiuC Oi SlSIj HlIeS tnlS
in the most romantic spot which we fell
upon in our whole jOurney,-at Ed
munds Ponds. They are perhaps two
miles long by ten rods wide, e,-the shape
of an angle worm, though there are
probably other reasons why they are
well stocked with trout. Rocky preci-
pices, covered with forests that must be
holding on by their teeth and nails,
Overhang a fissure more than eight hun
dred feet deep, and waters that have
the charm and something of the color
of the lakes of Switzerland. They re-
mind one by their surroundings of Echo
and Profile lakes in the FrancOnia
Notch. Local history says that many
years ago these ponds were one, and
tain on the south is appropriately call
ed Long Pond Mountain; the other,
no less fitIy, Pitch off Mountain, not
because of the avalanche, for that fell
from the other one. but probably be-
cause of the danger to the traveller from
the narrowness of the road. A small,
comfortable hotel at the place of the
avalanche, the Cascade House, enter
tanned us we'll, furnishing us at supper
the one good dish of trout which we
tasted in our whole journey.
Thursday, six miles still eastward,
down the little outlet of the ponds,
brought us into settled country and
to Keene village. Having turned
squarely south, we were now in the
Keene valley, said to be the most pic
turesque in all the Adirondack region
That reputation made it partly dis
appointment. Still we found it charm
ing for its river, the South Branch of
the Ausable, its broad, cultivated mead
ows, mostly unfenced, its occasional
pleasant hotels and neat cottages and,
most of all, its fine mountain views, for
which the weather was most favorable
Besides several of less Importance, on
this side and that, we had directly in
front, Giant of the Valley, $3.50 feet
high), and at the right, fol few rods, IL
fine view of Marcy, only nine miles dis
tant. Gradually ascending, we at last
climbed steep hill and brought up at
: Beede's Hotel, at the head of the val
ley, six miles from Keene. Here is 4
fine plateau upon which magnificent
mountains look down Hopkins Peak
, | (oIlz fan Iiml,l hn 1rf Ci
l ant of the Valley on the east Mount
Calvin (4l42 feet), on the southwest ;
5 Noon Mark on the south; and Saw
Teeth, on the west. After two long
; walks, in opposite directions, in search
of Roaring Brook cascade, the third
attempt was success but the cascade
| was not. 1t was mostly closed, for
f want of water.
The Ausable ponds, with much fine
5 scenery. now lie directly in our way,
southwark, but the roads are not called
passable for carriages, and we reluct-
antly turn backward for a detour. Fri
, days ride of fifteen miles eastward,
over a lofty ridge, affording fine views,
| brought us to ElizabethtOwn, a pleas
ant village and popular summer resort,
) having several thrOnged hotels. We
, were now out from among the noun
tains, but still in view of several fine
| ones along our western horizon, such as
Saddleback (4536 feet high), Hurricane
Peak (3763 feet) and Giant of the Val
ley.
3 Saturday our route from Elizabeth
town lay southwark, up the valley OF
the BOquet river, to New Russia, an
other seat of the manufacture of iron
blooms. We are now to turn our backs
upon the Wilderness. Almost a noun
tainous road led us out of the Boquet
valley, but the steep climb was re-
warded by some glorious views back
, ward. About noon Lake Champlain,
: with its wide cultivated valley and its
e far off Green Mountain background,
+ suddenly appeared spread out in one
s magnificent vieY below us,-a picture
of surpassingloveliness A long descent
g led us by the mines, and through Mine
e vile, seat of manufacture of the
Crown Point Iron Company. Still down
thriving farms and tasteful residences
grew more and more numerous, till we
reached the lake at the pleasant village
of Port Henry We closed Our davis