The Mineral argus. [volume] (Maiden, Mont.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-02
OLD TICONDEROGA.


One should establish himself at the
pretty village Of Ticonderoga, up the
outlet Of Lake George, where one finds
good hotels and all the amenities.
Lake George is three miles away on
the south, and Lake Champlain two
miles on the east, while at the door in
the falls Of the outlet Is almost every
variety Of form that falling water can
assume. This outlet as i leaves Lake
George, is a considerable mill-stream
Of clear, cold water. sparkling and
murmuring among meadows until,
reaching the village. it falls $50 feet
in as many yards. covering almost at
leap the difference in level between
the two lakes. In its natural state
the cataract must have been romantic
picture, but its waters are now SO OBJ
stucted by dams and vexed by mill
wheels that much of their beauty has
vanished.
The great feature of interest, how.
ever, is old Fort TiconderOga. As one
glides from the outlet into the lake he
sees over a marsh on the left gaunt,
craggy prOmontory rising abruptly
out of the water, and stretching back
into the forest well-defined wall or
trap 100 feet above the level Of the
lake. The railway coming up from
Whitehall pierces the barrier by tun-
mel. On the right, in the curve OF the
bay, formed partly by this promOntOry.
/ is the dock where the large steamers
land their passengers for lake George.
This promontOry is TiconderOga, one
of the most historic spots in America.
Clambering up its lodges to the sum-
nit, one finds a green, slightly-rOiling
plateau, with black rocks OutcrOpping
here and there among the grass. and
in the center gaunt and ragged walls
of masonry. In some Of them
enclosures still cape. and beside
them mOat and sally-pOrt. north and
west bastiOns, parade and barracks,
are still traceable. A little further
east, where the cliff projects over
the water, may be defined the outlines
of rcdOubt. Sheep are feeding now
among the grim ruins, and one may
linger all day without being disturbed
by anv chance passer. 1t is a strange,
eventful history that Of this rock.
When the French engineers of Baron
Dieskau first selected it, and raised
here the walls of their Fort Carlton,
they did it to command the great high
way between the English colonies on
, the south and their own dominion OF
Canada, a highway which, making use
of tho Hudson and the two lakes
, George and Champlain-gave almos
UNINTERRUPTED water communication
. between the st. La wrence and the At
: lantic ut New York. And SO it came
about that all the wars between thes,
French and English colonies resolves
!. themselves into struggle for the pc
like manner it became the first pOin
!, aimed at and won by the American
:. colonies in thcir later struggle witt
= England for their independence
!. Strange memories cluster about tn
!; yrav Old ruin, which dreamy Octo
;. Der tlay is apt to revivify. First, on
!. thousand gay Frenchmen in blue coats
: and halfas many Iroquois in war-pain
j. and feathers, march away up the Out
let toward Lake George, bound on tn
y conycnial errand Of n midnight as
a sault on some unguarded fortress g
= sleeuing settlement. But in FEY
q DAYS, come streaming back. broker
Ia defeated. They have met Johnso
4 and the provincials at Fort Williai
~ Henry. Sat the head Of the lake. Mex
=, Vaudreuil comes on the same erran'
y wading through the March SHOWS, bl
\ is broken on the same sturdy barrie
rs But the Frenchmen will persist, an
:. five months later MOnicalm. wit
!, pennpns waving over eight thousan
~ men in aims. comes up the lake, bour
!, to sweep the English from Georg
lie does it, but the year is hardly OF
- ere Ambercrombe, with fifteen thou
n. and Englshmen, sits down before Il
!, fort and demands its surrender. The
~ is heavy fight, but the English
treat only to appear the next ye
under AN ADLER general and overtime
~ the French power in America.
3, Under English rule the old fort 50
* peaceful days. The quiet lakes we
rs no more the field Of contending n
ne tions. Iroquois and Mohawks we
ed no more on the war-path. \ corp'
ia ais guard of forty men loungcd abo
w the crumbling ramparts. watched I
he lizard -ssi,
ID Kin" t;eorge's health. and shuill
as cards on unused drum-hcads. Tn
ne came the morning Of the 10th Of Ma
m. 1913. when in the gray dawn mott
10 band of frontiersmcn in backwoo
he parb, headed by one Ethan Allen.
ph bennington, swarmed over the pa
W. pets and drew up on the parade. \
no should like 70 have seen the cNprcssi
ed of the old red-faced martinez W
IRE commanded when confronted by Z
an of farmers and ordered to surrend
Of "In the name of the great Jchov
nd and the continental congress"
prs