Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-09-17
LAKE CHAMPLAIN.
Its Popularity Increasing.
lCor. n. Y. Times. |


at the northern end of a lake which has
more historical associations than any
OF her IN America. The Algonquins called
it the gate of the Iroquois country long
before Champlain became their ally, and
since that time the flags of three ma
tons have hoated over all portions of its |
surface. 1t has been the stage of the |
most romantic events of warfare in the
history of modern times. The actors have
changed and the flags have shifted so
many times that they might form the
strings of bunting OH frigate when 1t is |
decked rainbow fashion" But the stage |
settings are the same that nature furnish
ed from the beginning, and the vast am
phitheatre of Adirondack hills on the one
side and Green Mountains on the other
is as eternal as anything can be which is
earthly. In the cleft between these mag
nilicent peaks, and only 100 feet above tide |
water at Albany and Montreal, lies this |
placid lake of Champlain-the strategic |
key Of a continent and the earliest objective |
point in every new campaign
The paths of scientific investigation
follow close upon the track that has been
outlined by the observer of the beautiful |
That the northern group Of the AdirOn
dacks is so grand is the very reason why
| this point of vision was chosen for the
base lines of the I'm tied States coast sur
vey aud later tor the valuable survey that
| is being made OF the AdirOndacks them
selves.
In the hitter survey the shorter base
! lines OF the preliminary trianGulatiOn-I
! PlattShurgh to Cumberland Head ANA
from the shore to Crab Island-led to the
elght-mile bases between Cumberland
Head La Motto Island and between, Cum
berland Head and station near Pilots
Point. From these bases the triaugIla-
ton to Rand Rand, Lyon, and Norway
were easily ascertaiued In like manner
Il base line measure on the ice between
Juniper Island ami Split Rock Point
served to tell the distance and locality of
POke-d-M ounshlne, hurricane, and Bald
Another base line, stll further to the
south, was measured between Barber
Point and Crown Point. This located
Bald Peak, which, together with tie SUN
nlts already named, gave the data for
finding Whiteface the grand cenIA lUu
which almost all of the trlanlltN alter
ward radiated. With such unusual care
. ii l. not strange that errors were discoV
cred in the old compass surveys To the tN-
tent Of miles in the location of rivers and
mountains, aud of 1000 feet in IN, I,lldns
of longitude upon the lake.
: The carthWOrks IN the village of platts
| burgh are fast disappearing. The Old
- mill and many other buildings connected
! with the naval battle of The war of 1872
have been burned But the old Mouers
r. house remains with is treasure of relics,
- as the most sacred c,ltice in the hearts of
r. the Villagers. v Iai possibilities of his
l tory might not have been II Provost and
! Downie had been successful in carrying
| out the plan Oi Burgovne-4O years be
: fore-to separate New England from the
10 rest of the county, and then to destroy
each section III detail
= Another pioneer-klkanah Watson-re-
4 moved to Port Kent soon after the Revu-
. luton aud built the.quaint stone dwelling
y now occupied BY his descendants. Be.
e ginning his career with the carrying of
: powder from the captured Ticondeloga to
= Cambridge, he ended his military service
e by bearing dispatches To Benjamin
T. FRANKLIN in l1t9. I'm 1888 he had the prlVi-
n ltGe Of resting his foot on the third step of
t the throne while George III. read his
/ speech announcing the independence OF
. the American colonies. To the wide ac
= quautance OF Mr. Watson and to his rare
. powers of observation We are indebted for
the "Men and Times of the Revolutipn.n
\ At the end of the contest Mr. Watson
promoted the navigation Of the Hudson,
; and projected the internal canals of New
J. York, urgin the wisdom OF using stone
u instead OF wood in their construction.
| Champlain l. lake of alternate shoals
e and reefs, 80 that the paiustakluS tourist
; who care, more for the practical things
e of camping and fishing than he does for
, historical mansions must take the small
i sal-boat or canoe III preference to the
Z steamboats, that ply between tine princi-
d pal ports. If We attempt such trp, We
. must use farm houses ON the way Wher-
e ever they are convenient Thlo saves
V bother with the tent and the annUyanceS
OF cooking. a rainy day may come, and
t the sheltering logs Of even "French
\ house may he welcome Don't expect
p11ch IA landlord u IN hu
| "HVed here nigh on to 10 years" Accept
70 with gravity his statemene that he bought
the wheezy organ IN the corner 'becauso
t pianos had gone ont OF STYLE He means
: well when he invites to the feast in some
e thing like this fashion:
r. "Stpper's ready. Come people, sit right
|. We don't stand much on ceremony here;
> Just help YOURSELF my vile has gone to
p But long bout s o'clock guess that she'll
appear.
+ And when you inquire in friendly way
/ about the baudaged head of the boy, if his
f fat her insists ON showing you how mon
Z strous was the tooth that he pulled yes
terday keep right on with the supper and
t never mind the malapropos, for it was
well intended. The good woman Will re
turn soon and stow you away in the up
, per loft with the rats; and you can
dream in spite of the bowling wind out
side
should the tourist enter the lake at
Misssisquoi Bay he will find trio of
/ mountain rivers emptying into IA large
4 pond which forms an arm of the lake.
. Here Major Rogers-the intrepid hero of
. Lake GeOrge-left his boats to pursue the
q ST. Francis tribe when the English had
finally driven the French to the north
- ward Here to-day the sounds of revelry
may be heard nightly at llighgate and
/. other Springs" while close by is the old
r mill where the father of the poet Sake
! ground "Nrginia corn" for the old set
+ tiers with his dripping and Gathering
= heel" when the wasting wood and
r crumbling stone" We're still in their prime.
| Or the tourist may come from the st.
f Lawrence through the Richeieu, the out
. let of Champlain. a few locks ON the
canal will lift him up to the level of the
lake, which lies less than 100 feet above
| tidewater.
IL 1hD Lnnrist snnl = hn hnst .,rnl1 MI. On