Smyrna times., 1880-08-25
Now Hampshire Hills.
For the Smyrna TH;cS.


Mr.. EDITOR In my last letter spoke !
of some of the beauties of this hilly country
Immediately around Bristol but failed to |
mention the lovely cascades that greet the |
eye in mountain gorges, and rush and foam |
through rocky defiles. | visited Smith |
river the other evening, and although there |
are many beautiful cascades through which |
this river passes. yet one in particular
struck my eye. 1t is u rocky chasm from
twelve to fifteen feet wide, and deeper than
wide with the widest rocky sides, with
birch and hemlock trees peeping out up
the sides, making in some places an arch
at the top while the water, with rush and
roar, foams and boils over and through
these rocks, challenging in wild grandeur
and majestic beauty any picture of Switzer.
land | have ever seen. We spent Friday
at lake Winneipiseogee, which is en- route
to the mountains. 1t is beautiful sheet
of water, divided into seven BAYS and is
twenty five miles long at the extreme
points. 1t is mountain lake and con.
tains fish of great variety. 1t lacks the
wlldness of mountain scenery, but the
prospect is very pleasing. There are splen
did hotels and beautiful cottages at the
different towns along its shore and crowds
from the cities and elsewhere find health
and pleasure along its banks. We took
two hours sail on the lake in the beautiful
steamer Lady Of the lake. At Weirs we
visited the camp ground of our church
ard heard fine discourse by an able min
lster A more lovely place for camp
meeting can not be conceived off. A
beautiful grove sloping down to the water,
and shade so dense that no canvass is
needed to protect the large assembly from
the sun. Our sail was from Wier's to Cen
tire Harbor, of which Edward Everett said,
have travelled in Europe and America,
but my eye has yet to rest on q lovelier
scene than that which smiles around YOU
as you sail from Weirs Landing to Contre
Harbor." This lake has 365 islands or one
fer each day in the year. Upon one Of
| these lonely islands reside an aged spinster
| known as "Aunt Dolly" she takes care
of her farm and lives in hermit indie
| pendonce, occasionally visiting the main
land in her skiff, rowed by her own hands.
Upon this lake trip we were Joined By our
| friends r. S. Culbreth and T. Snowden, of
| Baltimore, who arc summering in this
| mountain region.
On Tuesday Mrs. G.. and myself started
for the White Mountains. Arriving at
Plymouth by carriage, we took one of the
four horse mountain coaches for the Fran.
A NOhld WHCTci EHuCOuld NOlCil,
we had the fortune of meeting Mr.. and
Mrs. II. NJ. Chase and son, and Miss Z.
Taylor, of New York City, who joined us,
and whom we found to be very congenial
spirits. The Franconia Hills are range
of mountains twenty five miles from Mount
Washington; for beauty of scenery they are
really the gem of the mountains. There
is not that overpowering grandeur that
belongs alone to the White Mountains, but
the quiet repose and beauty of nature is q
fitting introduction to the sublime gran
deur beyond here the weary find compo
sure and the sick health. Tho Pool j:
reached by long walk through dense
mass of woods and rocks, and is hollow
basin with high rocks on either side, and j!
filed with pure water from a lovely cas-
cads. An old man with n boat takes you
short ride for 8 cents, and another walk
down a very steep hill brings you to th'
Fume, q cascade which has q continuous fal
of six hundred feet, which in some places i
very abrupt The view is of the wildes
and most striking character at the Flrme
the walls rising on either side about l0C
feet in perpendicular height, and has al
average width Of only fifteen feet. A hug
rock has fallen from the top and caugh
between the sides and as you wind you
4 WdJ bhlo IOCAJ pass AEQ Whlh un0c
this immense boulder, you involuntar,
shudder and utter prayer that it may no
fall upon you. As you pass through Fran
coma Notch you get fine view of the sur
rounding mountains, upon one of which
n the "Protile Mountain" is the "Grea
Stone Face,"-a crest of rock that hang
out from the mountain and resembles tn
face of man. Some former writer ha
said it is an advertisement of the Almight
that in New England he makes men. 1t
o no delusion but symmetrical profile tina
nature has carved out. Hawthorne ha
embalmed it in literature in his story Of tn
"Great Stone Face Beneath this profil
is n beautiful lake callod the "Old Man
q Mirror" or Profile Lake." its clear wats
rejecting the overhanging trees, and out {
it is caught the finest trout. Eagle Cliff
is huge crag separated from the moul
tain and looks ready to topple and fall {
any moment. This place was chosen by
pair of eagles few years ago for an eyr.
g Echo Lake" is clear transparent she'
Of water, the very type of rest. The ech
is truly wonderful: it returns the sound I
blast in oft repeated notes like swe'
music. We heard cannon discharge
three times, the echo being like two thu
der clouds meeting with peal upon pc
following in quick succession. Some
our party visited the "Devil's Den," bl
the occupant was not in. Being presss
for time we hastened on by Narrow Gaul
railway to the White Mountains"
I" Presidential Group" The distinctly
j title of white has alway been applied
them on account of their peaks being co
cred with snow for ten months in the yea
10 even the bare rocks having grayish ca
which looks white froms distance. II
d range and their height above the sea are
! follows Mount Webster 1000 feet JAG
son 4,100; Clinton 1900; Mt. Pleasant
Il 800; franklin 1000; Monroe 8, 400; Was
AVS ington 6,293;, Clay 5,400;, Jefferson $40
Adams $500; Madison 5,400. These hi
- were first visited by Mr.. Daily Field
y 1882. You will see that Mount Wsshin
Z, ton is the eliminating point. This Indi
:" names for these mountains is Agioooche.
.~- or, the place of the Great Spirit of Il
Ix Forest, and Waumbsk kketmathna or I
j whiteness Of the mountains. All the
il mountains are accessible to the touSist'
.s bride paths and carriage roads, Mou
= Washington alone having o railway, 10
], summit. The assent is by we'll bu
a. road with an average grade of twelve n
"a. in the hundred. Beside the usuAbsr
d there is central rail Of peculiar CONSTR
30 ton, q cog wheel on the locomotive pl