Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-08-18
! VassalborO Boy Among the
CQtRkill0.

Many of the present day think that they
must speud their summer vacation in tour.
Some 60 to Europe and then suppose that
they have seen all that there is to be seen in
this world, little realizing that the American
continent furnishes scenes far surprising
those of Europe. Those who have travelled
in both continents corroborate this statement.
California, the Yosemite Valley, Niagara
Falls, the Adirondacks. Catskills and White
Mountains, and the many lakes in Maine are
unsurpassed for their beauty. l have some
hopes, confess, of travelling in Europe At
some future time. yet wishing to see some OF
nv own country I recently accepted an invi-
tation to accompany friend (lady Of course.
hence the name is not given. on drive with
horse and carriage among the Catskills. One
bright morning we started out and at nine
o'clock we were climbing one of the highest
peaks. The scenery was among the finest
have ever seen The buckwheat fields, just
in bloom, appeared like patches of newly
fallen snow; the hop yards like young forests.
One night we found ourselves at Mr.. Jervls
Confines, ia the town of Prattsville, Green
Co Mr. Conine has dairy farm on noun
tain which 10 over 1000 feet above sea level.
This season be has 81 mich cows. We ar
rived there At about o'clock in the after
noon, and the cows from one of the pastures
were coming down to be MIXED. After this
is done they are turned away again for the
night After tea Mr.. Coaine asked his little
daughter Nora if she was going after the
other cows. She did not care much about it,
but when offered to go with her she seemed
quite willing. We found them quite near at
hand, but after they reached the barn one was
81 hn No
opposite side of the valley getting in hay said
that she was ION huck.eberry hill" Think
ing that the fault was mine l started for
huckleberry hill, q thought 1t q mouDtain,)
to find 'the lost cow" OF course che was
on the very top. In the milk room are four
large pans into which the milk is poured.
Around these a stream of water runs contin-
ualy. After the cream is taken of the sOured
milk runs by q trough to the barn for the
pigs.
The next morning we started on our jour
ney and passed through the village of Pratts-
vile. This pretty little hamlet owes its
existence to Col. J. Pratt. As you ride along
with the Schohari creek on your right, on
your left high up on cliff $500 feet is the
bust of Col. Pratt, also of one of his sons,
cut in the solid rock. There are several
inscriptions. Some are worthy of mention ::
II 900. 900 hides tanned by Z Pratt for which
he received a diploma at the N. Y. State
fair and the Prince Albert medal at the
Worlds fair in London; 224 pounds of but
ter made in one season from each of 100 cows
kept by Z. Pratt on the farm opposite" (across
the creek Near the road is monument to
some of his favorite horses and dogs. OF the
former over 1000 were owned and worn out
in his service This was one of the prettiest
drives we had. At the farm houses we saw
dop, sheep, or a horse doing the morn
ing's churning.
AT Lexington we were the guests of Mr.. j.
w. Schernerham, an energetic young farmer
From thence we made excursions to West
kill, where is the fam us ''notch," and to
Hunter. All of these places seemed overrun
with summer boarders.
On our return home we passed through
Windham, 'the gem of the Catskills, and by
Mount Pisgah (2900 feeO on which is an
observatory. and with the aid of the telescope
Mount Washington NAV be seen. Thousands
of tourists visit this place during the summer
season.
Although one cannot completely "do" the
Catsklls with horse and carriage in ten
DAYS, yet it is surprising how far away from
home one can get, and how much one can
see in that time. 1 feel amply repaid for my
trip, for as sat by the numerous falls | had
a splendid chance to study geology in which
am somewhat interested Often did think
of the lines written by Cowper:
"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform"
Greenville, N. Y. E.Ec.