Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-06-11
ALONG NEW ENGLAND ROADS.
LAKE OUNMORE-THE BREADLOAF INN
PRESERVATION OF NORTHERN
FORESTS.

professor in Princeton college. and a
brother of the late DR.. IrennuS Prime of
the New 1ork Observer. took trip up
| through this region last summer. His
observations were recorded in a series of
letters to the New York JopWol Of Conn
merce. one of which follows: nowhere
in the country is there a more beautiful
lake than Lake Dunmore. 1t lies under
the west side of lofty part of the Green
Mountains. the great pile rising abruptly
from its eastern shore. while all around
it is the unbrollen forest; except only at
the northern end. where on clearing
stands a small hotel.
I'VE left Brandon on sunny Nav
morning, with intent to drive only to
Lake Dunmore, and stay there a day or
two. When we came out of the woods
on the shore the exceeding beauty OF the
scene led me again to say. a. have oft
Ell said. this is by much the most charm
ing lake in New England" But a said
before. comparisons of beauty are in
general absurd. There is. however.
nothing lacking here for the full satisfac-
ton of the eye, and nothing to mar the
perfect pleasure with which one sits and
looks at lake, lake shores and mountains
But could not get even feed for my
horses. much less luncheon or lodgings
for ourselves. We fingered half hour
enjoying the scene. then plunged into the
forest road which leads along the foot Of
the mountains northward. and entering
the Middlebury and Ripton road three or
four miles from the lake. we went up "A
magnificent gorge of the hills to the
Brcadloaf Inn.
In the town of Ripton there is a great
plateau of farm lands lying on the noun
tans. The road from Middlebury
ascends to this plateau. crosses it for
about three miles. again ascends the
eastern ridge, and then descendS to Han
cock. Toward the eastern side of the
plateau Git should rather be called a
rolling plain), stands the Breadloaf Inn.
one of the most luxurious places of sum
lhcr rcpOSe in all the north country. On
a large farm. abundantly stocked with
animals of the renowned breeds. stands
what may be called large farm
house. grown into Il rambling. pictur-
esque house with cottages and ample
accommodations for | don't know how
many guests The Breadloaf mountain
which gives name to the inn rises behind
it. \ sparkling trout stream comes
down from the north and another runs in
the meadow in front of the house from
the east. Nature has done all that i,
needful here for beauty. and Mr.. Battcll.
the proprietor, who owns many thousands
of acres of forests lands hereabouts.
loves nature so well that the timber will
never be cut from any of these hills so
long As he can prevent it, In this he has
the admiring sympathy of all lovers of
nature. and all who are thoughtful
enough to look to the future good of the
country. These magnificent hills, cloth
ed to their SUBMITS with forests in whose
cOlors every hue of the rainbow is seen
as the sun swings over them. are too
glorious possessions to be sacrificed for
the few dollars which the timber on them
would fetch.
The common argument which is
used to justify the wholesale destruction
of timber. is that it is needed for building
and other purposes. If every State would
forbid the erection of wooden houses any
where. there would be small harm done
and there would be resulting good beyond
furnishes everywhere ample material
for buildings. more fit. more enduring.
and more beautiful in result than wood.
This material would he abundant and
cheap when men were obliged to use it.
The universal prevalence of wooden
houses in our country, due to the abund-
ance of the material, is an ugly feature.
especially As the houses grow old. Even
the most expensive wooden houses be-
come shabby in time. and are very costly
to Keep in repair. Many Vermont farm
erS are using slate for house and barn
roofing. If they would build stone
houses. as some are doing, they would
have permanent and handsome homes.
am perfectly aware of all the arguments
in favor of wooden houses, and they are
many, but rs between cutting the timber
which remains ON our northern noun
tains, and stopping the use of wood for
house building, there is no choice. The
timber should not be cut. For the vast
injury to the whole country which is
produced by denuding the mountains of
their forests is incalculable. This subject
has been discussed in these letters. The
Connecticut River, given over to the
timber-driverS, has become canal.
Reefs are blasted out Bulkheads are
built to turn the current into the central
channels The mailing snnus no InnUnr