National Republican., 1883-09-27
The Green Mountain State--lS Scenery, Towns,
and People.
A Washington Girl to Make an operatic
Debut in Boston,
Gossip About Persons and Events at tho Hub-The
Two E1pOsitions and Their Displays.
A Talk with Stuart Robson, and Some
Stories lie Told.
.Sneninl Lcncr

BosToN, Sept 23.--In going from Boston to
Bellows Falls the scenery We passed is that
peculiar to New England. The farms are
small, yet the well kept grounds the neat
stone fences, and the trim and comfortable
houses show the thrift of the inhabitants.
The land is filed with rocks, and, Indeed,
one would almost think that stone was the
principal product. Yet the fact that these
sturdy dwellers in tho mountains wrcst not
only a good living, but in many instances
secure competence, out of tho sterile ground
shows the vigor of their system of farming,
and proves the stern determination of tho
Now England character.
Billows Falls is town of some importance,
and is made lively by the presence of several
paper mills, which furnish market for tho
poplar wood which grows in considerable
abundance in tho surrounding country. In
driving from there to Athens, which was my
first stopping place, met with largo num-
ber of heavy wagons loaded with big logs of
poplar, all vending their way to tho Falls to
furnish the paper mills with material for
pulp.
Athens, while covering considerable terri.
tory, is but sparsely settled, and tho neigh
bors arc quito distance apart. Yet the
people enjoy themselves and are shrewd,
hard working, honest class. They do u good
deal of thinking, too, as is tho case
with the rural population of New
England generally, and from their in
telligence and honesty form the balance to
the Ignorance of the working masses of tho
cities. i drove from Athens to Jamaica pass
ing over one Of the spurs of the Green noun
tains, and enjoyed view of mountain scenery
that have not witnessed since my last visit
seventeen years ago. Sometimes the road
wound around tho base of mountains whose
tops seemed to kiss the clouds, and then
fpgpap1nH int haa c,,l
either side by lofty peaks, and made fertile
by babbllng brooks and larger rivers. This
water power was utilized ut every available
point, and grist mills, wooden mills, shoe
factories, and manufactures of every descrip-
tion proved the enterprise and the energy of
the people.
Since my last visit narrow ga uge railway
has been built from Brattleboro to Jamaica,
and the business of the towns between those
points has greatly increased. The road was
built as an experiment about three years ago,
and has already proved profitable venture,
paying good dividends on the investment
My visit to Jamaica was pilgrimage to the
spot where rest tho remains of my parents,
and as l stood in tho little village church
yard memories of my childhood came back to
me- and thought of the time when used to
believe that the sweetest blackberries grow
beside some of the ancient tombstones.
There were in this cemetery graves
:, century old marking the resting places of
the pioneers of the Green Mountain state.
Many of the mounds were marked by little
hags showing where laid those who had left
their northern homes to do battle in defense
of their country and who had yielded up their
lives to preserve the union. These emblems
of patriotism are to be found in all the village
church yards, and they keep alive the
memories of the struggle for national exist
ence and of those who perished in that long
and bloody contest.
Cold weather comes early among the noun
tains and as we drove back after dark an
overcoat was decidedly comfortable.
:" How long is your winter?' I asked Mr..
Durham, of Athens.
Sometimes we have about four months of
sleighing" was the reply. Last winter was
very severe, and after one snow storm the
drifts were SO deep that it was ten days be-
fore we could get out of our house"
How do you amuse yourselves during
these long months 2" inquired
"Oh, we don't want for enjoyment. We
have dances at each others houses, and think
nothing of hitching up and driving three and
four miles to one of these entertainments.
With good horse, good girl, and plenty of
buffalo robes we can defy the cold and spin
over the snow at u most enjoyable gait"
On my return to Boston l met Madame
Josephine Logan, who taught so successfully
in Washington last winter, at White, Smith
u Co.'s music store. She had with her Miss
Bertie Crawford, of the capital city, who has
been studying hard here all the summer, and
has made rapid progress. At recent mu-
sicale at the residence of Earl Marble, the
editor of the Folio, Miss Crawford's singing
was highly praised by some of the best mu-
Sical critics of tho Hub. Another Washington
pupil of Madame Logan, Miss Virginia Evans,
is here, and has secured profitable operatc
engagement. She will make her debut week
from next Monday in Solomon's opera of "Vir-
ginia," and her success is confidently expected.
Nine. Logan will remain in Boston until after
Miss Evans's debut, and then return to Wash
lngton for tho winter.
Herndon Morsell and his bride are here, re-
dearsing with the Ideals, both being members
OF that company. His father and mother who
came on to witness the marriage, spent several
days here, but have returned to Washington.
Ihere are two expositions running here,
and both are well patronized. One is called
the American and the other the Foreign OK
hibition. The display in each covers every
variety OF manufacture and every specimen
OF art The arrangements of the American
exhibition are moro complete and tho display
OF the results of inventive genius more
varied. In tho foreign building there is n
greater variety of curios and works of art.
Among tho relics are crosior 1iOO yeaIs old:
Chinese porcelain seals, found in bog, sup
posed to have been lost there in prehistoric !
times and indicating that the ancient mari
time traders of the world had crossed tho |
Atlantic and Pacific centuries before the dis |
covory Of this continent by Columbus, and |
mum berless other curious things.
spent several hours in both expositions |
and found much to admire and instruct !
That which mostly pleased my wife was tho |
extensive display OF needle work, which in |
cluded every variety Of embroidery, from the |
plainest to the most elaborate aud intricate |
design. There were landscapes aud portraits ,
so carefully executed aud so delicately |
shaded that little distance one would |
almost swear that they woro tho result of the |
brush instead of the needle, whilo tho novel; |
ties in the way Of Ornamentations wero
almost innumerable, My wiio SAYS that not
even at the centennial was then such COM
plete and elaborate exhibition of woman's
skill with the needle and as she knows bot. +
ter than her statement is given. The num-
ber of paintings shown in each exposition is /
quite large although the work of the foreign |
IS superior 70 that of our own artists. The art |
galleries arc thronged with visitors nearly |
the entire day, and tho illustrated catalogues
are carried away in scores by those who dc.
sire to preserve these handsome souvenirs
since we have been hero we have been tho
recipients Of many courtesios and lunches,
dinners and evening entertainment, have
been showered upon MS in the greatest pro-
fusion. On Tuesday evening wo were enter
tained by Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. y. Wiggiu of
Cambridge, whose handsome residence is Just
far enough from the city to bo pleasant The
company was an exceedingly pleasant one,
and the evening was most enjoyable. The
widow OF Gcn. Robert Cowdin, who gained
fame as tho colonel Of the Massachusetts,
lst regiment of voluntoprg olgp in !