Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-12-24
NOTES OF A WINTER RIDE AoRoss THE
GREEN MOUNTAINS.
BREAD LOAF Inn,
Ripton, VT, Dec. 8, 1886.

mild winters day, when the heavens
seemed to be considering what they would
do, have freeze or a thaw- The ques-
ton still remains undecided. There has
been cold spell, with plenty of snow.
The cold came last Friday and went away
today. The snow came before and re-
mains yet, spread over the whole coun-
try not over thick-from a foot to foot
and half. 1t is almost level, with just
the commencings of drifts on the road
sides. The sweet gray of the mountains
threw their shadows over the snow as we
assembled to the table-lands. The bells
jngled merrily-an extra fine pair of the
best city manufacture, that matched al
most perfectly with superb team of
Morgan horses that we drove. a daintily-
turned Gould Albany cutter, with large,
elegant wolf robes, completed our outfit.
Tomorrow we intend to penetrate the
higher range of mountains with the long
valleys that lie beyond. With reasona-
bic rapidity, and far more pleasurably
than by cars, does one travel over the
country by team, and the cold of winter
to those warmly clad, will scarcely i'm
pede progress. Then hurrah for a north
ern winter and hurrah for a northern
ride
GAYSvILLE. Thursday evening.
We did not leave Bread Loaf Inn until
after dinner. The backbone of the noun
tain system of Vermont we passed over
at height of 2200 feet above the sea,
and by glen, through which one of the
branches of the White River flowed, came
to Hancock, nine miles. From Hancock
we followed down the White River to
this place, 16 miles. We passed through
the classic village of Rochester, classic
in its repose and in its beauty, and the
less so of Stockbridge. 1t is ride we
have often taken when fields and wood
lands were green now it was one long
view of extended white. Either by win
ter or summer it is an exquisite view.
Many home is passed in the valley or
seen upon the hillside, and all are tidily
kept and prettily located. You cant go
amiss when a country is so clean as this.
The murmuring brook, the fertile valley,
the beseeching hillside appear every
where. and above them heavens eternal
dome. filled with light or filled with dark
ness. Vermont is most thrifty, pastO-
raj country, andiwe doubt if upon earth
there is any to excel it in the beauty of
its landscape or the character of its in
habitants. At Rochester we made call
upon DR.. Huntington, one of the most
worthy and most eminent of Vermont
physicians; and also saw Gen. Cushman,
a substantial representative of Vermont
brains and character. DR.. Huntington
showed us over his newl prepared house
and then took us to the barn to see an ell
egant Morgan mare, descended from the
Clifford Morgan, with Black Hawk out
cross.
The sleighng all the way was most eX-
cellent, As good, perhaps, as it could pos
sibly be, with the exception of bit I'M
der the mountain at Hancock swept by
the tiercest mountain winds. Here the
snow was packed so hard as to oblterate
the road, and make it quite difficult to
pass. As a rule yet over the country
there is not snow enough to make drifts,
or to interfere in turning out.
Before we reached Gaysville night once
more began to saunter around the recess
es of the woods rs though it were seek
ing where it cOnd best make its bed.
The days now are so short that the nights
seem to come on in them. The full moon
appeared to the east above high noun
tain. The lingering day slowly faded
before it, and now the bright moonlight
rests upon the now in complete triumph.
EAGLE HOTEL,
Woodstock, Dec. 10.
This hotel is filled with lawyers, court
being now in session. The hotel itself is
old but very well kept. At about a.
m. we left Gaysvile; thermometer at II
above. The sun had not yet risen at the
village, although it gilded the distant hill
tops. As we drove into the shadow the
air felt cool and crisp, i'll unison with the
trckling of the water against the rivers
ice. Along the roadside each thing was
gloved with frost. Three miles brought
US to the Locust Creek House, and here
we leave the valley of the White River
to cross over by Barnard Pond to Wood
stock, distance of - miles. Woodstock
is one of the larger of Vermont villages,
and one of the prettiest of them. 1t lies
low in the valley of the Ottaquechee
river surrounded with lofty hills. This is
the character of a large share of the vii
lagos of eastern Vermont; occasionally
one like Randolph Centre is built upon
hill where it shows from every mountain
crossing, almost the sole city on this
plain of hills.
1t is another beautiful moonlight night.
The young folks are undoubtedly enjoy
ing it through all Vermont villages. Last
night we counted 20 skating on the river
at Gaysville, the girls apparently as eX-
pert as the boys.
BRANDON House,
BRANDON, VT, Dec. II.
Over the mountain. We have left the
lovely NdlltNS lildl lllltIStCl tdCll DlIltI
so variously but continuously in Eastern
Vermont. The last one at Sherburne we
followed up Is miles from Woodstock,
altering and turning, but without any
hill, and where we left it it branched off
widely towards the north; mountains
2OOO feet high at least on each side of it.
They told us it continued nine miles to
Pittsfeld, forming a watershed, but not
much of hill. | remember at Pittstield
another fine valley that runs down beau
tifully to Gaysville. This network of
valleys extends hundreds of miles in
Eastern Vermont, possessing perhaps the
loyeliest driving ground, and with the
best roads, in America. From Wood
stock we passed through Bridgewater, a
town that looks some like Pennsylvania
one. Sherburne has quite an insignifi-
cant hamlet at point where the road
starts to cross the highest range of noun
tains to Rutland. Here is farmhouse
inn. standing just beyond the junction of
the Rutland road and at the entrance to