The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1886-09-10
ATour to the Green Mountains
VERMONT AS VIEWED BY AN EN-
TEXAN.

OF my "reminiscences or "TRIP up inc
Connecticut valley to the Green Noun
tains of Vermont and the White Noun
tains of New Hampshire? If you as
sent, | .shall still almost hesitate
Thousands of people take this run
every year and thousands of graceful
witty writers have described its charms
of senc beauty, quaint New England
villages, tidy farms and their occupants,
far better than | can, yet perhaps not
for your particular columns and
readers. Taking it for granted that
you'll print what l write, here goes
for plunge right into the midst of my
subject.
1t was fearfully hot July day in
the city of New York that boarded a
train outward bound at the AZ street
depot. The mercury marked 80 de-
grees in the shade with steady up
ward tendency. My clothing fairly
clung to me from the effects of over
much perspiration, and everything in
the realm of art and nature seemed
damp and sticky, hot and steamy. A
veriIable Turkish bath, and truly re-
joiced when our train rolled out of the
depot into the open country and we
caught a breath of fresh air, even
though generated by our swift gliding
cars. From Gotham to New Haven,
Ct, distance of Is miles, there were
many pleasing pictures of the land on
the left and the waters of Long Island
Sound on the right. New Haven is a
beautiful little city and the famous
seat of learning, lo resented by Yale
College, nameA III '.n .vernor Yale OF
Connecticut, and f .l,n,., q first at Gay
brook, Ct In 100, ,ci. ministers hav-
ing previously so az ,ed, brought to-
gether number of books, each saying
as he laid down his gift, 81 give these
books for founding college in Con-
necticut." And this was the humble
beginning of grand old Yale, which
was removed to New Haven in 1716.
Society may say what it pleases con-
corning the Purtans and the New
Englanders, but it cannot truthfully
say they do not stand by their churches
dIll IllCll oCHoolS. Liz CCLllIIdl ~
Cambridge, Mass, now known as
Harvard University, was founded in
1885. When Boston was but six years
old it appropriated four hundred
pounds sterling in aid of this institu-
ton of learning, and some years after
each family gave Il peck of corn or a
shilling in cash for It's support. (See
Barnes Pop. History U. s. But |
could not see much OF the city of New
Haven from the cars. The next point
at which we stopped was Hartford, the
present capital OF the snug little "Nut-
meg state,'' 10 miles from New York.
Here we had passing glimpse of the
State House, not remarkably impos-
ing capitol. AT Springfield. Mass,
1876 miles from Gotham, our SGllpr&ss
paused long enough to eat 47enirty
minutes dinner. This, however, was
All unnecessary expenditure of time,
for it only required ten minutes by the
watch for the hungry passengers to eat
everything i'll sight, and the other 70
minutes were squandered in looking
about the dark and dingy depot. Nor
al-when you pass through Springfield,
always carry your dinner and then
you'll not be the prey of a conscience
less railroad landlord. But the mental
food we enjoyed as our train sped
along up this rich portion of the Con-
necticut valley the picturesque lowell
ness OF field and farm, seemed to be a
compromising force and the passengers
soon forgot their appetites in cOntem-
plating the beauties of nature, i'm
proved upon by the industrious farmer,
intelligent horticulturist and thrifty
New England gardeners. During the
days ride | observed many acres of
tlourishing tobacco, which forcibly re-
minded me of old Virginia, Kentucky,
Tennessee and the still more Sunny
South. Fruits and flowers seemed to
flourish every where, and the lovely
little villages and peaceful farmers
homes were fairly festOoned and gar
landed together with beautiful trees,
creeping vines and brilliant colors,
many qucenly arcades of generous and
fairly bewitching beauty. These snug
homes of the New England people,
speak Il generous praise due them from
their fellow citizens of the far west
and great southwest. They tell their
own tale of cultured taste and sweet
refinement. They don't do things on
such grand scale as do the inhabit-
ants of the West and South, but they
are incompatible in their careful and
painstaking snugness, their tidiness,
thriftiness and everlasting activities.
l would that our people of the South
and the Southwest could visit these
abodes of New Englanders more fire.
quently and learn to profit by their ex-
amples of thrifty industry. In fact, |
am fully persuaded that, had our peo-
pie been better acquainted with each
other, north, south, east and west, the
little family difficulty which we kicked
up between the States in 1861, would
never have occurred. But that's in the
past and SO is my ride by rail, for at
White River Junction, a charming lit
tie village all snugged away in the
mountain Businesses of Vermont. |
learned of good opportunity to reach
the summer home of my noble old
friend, Commodore Thomas Chubb,
the wide-a-wake harbor master of Gal
weston, Texas. My journey by cars
covered about 275 miles and l left the
train at 5 p. m, a delightful carriage