The Press., 1884-08-28
CONNECTICUT HILLS.

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 The whole state lies on the southern slops of the New England hill region, and is hilly, though with no very high sum- mits. the greatest elevations being in the northern and northwestern parts of the state.
 Between the valleys of the Connecticut and Pennington rivers is long range of hills, presumably continuation of the Hol- yoke range of Massachusetts, of consider able elevation, its most noticeable peak ly- ing about ten miles north east from Hart ford city, and known as Talcott mountain. Passing out from Bloomfield, westerly, is the Simsbury road and branching off from this is tolerable carriage road lead ing mp over the mountain. The ascent, for the first half mile, is quite steep, but presently the road comes out on an almost level ledge. where for forty or fifty rods 1t winds along often but 8 few feet from the western face of the mountain, which is an abrupt descent of several hundred feet. Along the whole length of this cliff the view of the valley of the Pennington is very fine.
 Another and better view is obtained farther up from the veranda of the moun- tain house, which is in charge of its genial owner, W. H. Bartlett. These views are to the westward but just beyond the mountain house is 8 great square tower, from the top of which you can look from Middletown and the Blue Hills of South ington away up the Connecticut valley to Springfield and Mts. Tom and Holyoke 1; and from Somersville eastward to the Litchfield hills -and "Round Top" of the Catskills in the west, while, almost at your feet, lie the villages of Avon, Wea- togue, Simsbury and Bloomfield-with Hartford so near that, with a glass, the signs of the stores on Main-st. can be easi- ly read. ~-----
 The southern descent to the Albany Turnpike is comparatively easily.
 A short distance down from the tower the road skirts the edge of beautiful lit tie mountain lake, nearly 700 feet above being about half mile; neat boat house is on the further shore, and all along the margin of the water dance and nod the gayest little naiads of water lilies, with leaves not an inch across, and tiny, white star-ike blossoms. 1- !. A little northeast of Talcott Mountain are the Granby Hills. Among these are Manatic Mountain, famous for rattlesnakes, red adders, and other interesting serpents i; and Copper Hill, remembered for the old mine on its western side, over which the old, new Newgate prison was erected, its chambers serving as cells for refractory culprits.
 | Work at the mine had pretty much ceased when the prison was built, and the prison was vacated, and prisoners moved to Wethersfeld some fifty years ago, but portions of the old prison walls still re- main, and the house of the warden is yet standing in the prison yard, and is occu- pied by jovial old gentleman, who acts as guide to the regions of blaokness and darkness below. He assures you that he has just put new and perfectly safe lad der into the shaft of the mine; that every body goes down, ,-'tsix young ladies here being shown through the entire excava- ton, and so charmed with the beauties of the place as to regret that they ever need ascend to the strata above."
 Of course such Embellishments are not to resisted, and the jocund individual arms himself with lantern, each of the party with candle. and shows them around the old dungeon, which is quite large enough to get lost in, and damp and black and gruesome. but you can get some fairly good specimens of ore, also specimens of malachite with the gratuitous information i that it is. alnaest pure copper" And you can have the further satisfaction of drink ing out of half the wells in the neighbor- hood without kfng leave of their owners. l Beyond the valley of the Pennington begin the Litchfield hills, laying parallel 1 for while like gigantic corn rows, only their tops are more angled and their sides often covered with masses of dead wood | and bits of trappean rocks.
 l There are many fine views from the ! summits of these ridges, one of the best being from point overlooking Southwick pond, or Long Lake. ...
 After time the hills assume a more rounded appearance, like backs of mon- strous turtles that had moved down so slowly as to become fossilized and grown over. This part of the state is an excel lent farm and dairying locality, and mo- where in Connecticut are found finer trout streams than those winding down from Berkshire, among the Litchfield hills One look at the fine hills of the Housatonic and the traveller has seen the best of the hills of the nutmeg state, and turns re- gretfully away, with an an echo of the song of the exiled Highlander ringing down to him from their sun-lit tops:
 Wherever I wander, wherever rove, The hills and the highlands forever love-"
 JENNY L. ENo.