Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1891-09-17
LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN.
Some Facts About the Beauty and Sur
rOundings of Chicago's Sunapee.


Bellows Falls is not the only one Of
the large cities which finds itself fortu-
nate In having watering place near
enough to allow many of its residents to
spend the warm days of July and Aug
ust at their summer homes. Chicago
also has its Sunapee in Lake Geneva,
Wisconsin, 20 miles out of the city.
Leaving the city by the Wisconsin divis-
ion of the G. and N. w. railroad, ride
of two hours finds us at the new station
of Williams Bay, which the railroad
company has just put in at its own ex-
pense and which, with the docks, it con-
trolls. Here we find nine steamers, sew
eral of them as large as the Lady
Woodsum, though in style entirely
different. Several are private yachts
and soon are boarded by their small
crew and passengers and are off.
Taking the Commodore, public
boat, we soon follow them from
the bay out into the lake, and pas
sing two large camps we arrive at the
camp of the Western Secretarial Insti-
tute, where, gathered from many west
ern institutions, we find large number
of college men with whom we are to
spend the next two weeks in conference
very similar to Northfield's in the east.
| Desiring as early as possible to ac-
quaint ourselves with the place we take
the boat directly after dinner the next
day for a trip around the lake. From this
afternoons sail, supplemented by the in
formation gained from the pilot and cap
tain in response to the many questions
spotted at them, also from many facts
kindly given by j. w. Hansel, the gen.
eral secretary of the institute, and finally
from our own impressions, after two
weeks stay, we derive some idea of the
place as summer resort. In size it is
little smaller than Sunapee, being nine
miles long and one-half wide, 20 in cir
conference, and in depth varies from a
few feet to 400 feet or even deeper. In
form it resembles that of a boot, with
Lake Geneva city at the toe, while for
cleanness of it's water it is remarkable,
the color resembling deep sea water
rather than that of a small inland lake.
Its development as summer resort has
been within very recent years, but this
in the last four or five has been remarka-
bly, rapid. Indeed, at the present time,
no land is to be obtained on its shores
without the presentation of very large
stipend. The situation may be realized
from the fact that the w. S. |. was re-
fused an offer of $50 foot for land
which it desired to purchase the present
year, and the lot adjoining their property
on the south, having 100 feet front and
the same depth, is held at So 800, and
this, with large gulley, washed out
with a little rivulet.
Many of Chicago's prominent business
men have invested thousands of dollars
in residences on it's Shores the structures
being of brick and some partly of stone.
S. Z Setter, dry goods merchant, has
place on the north shore, valued at $780,
600, and the residence of Judge Withrow,
prominent city attorney, is one of the
very best. Scarcely less fine are
the houses of N. K. Fairbanks, the
Chicago packer; H. II. Potter, railroad
official and those of S. w. Attention,
Ed E. Ayers and Professor David Swing.
0. w. Potter of the Chicago Steel works
who gives very largely to the branches
of association work in Chicago, and
Mrs. George Sturgis, have elegant places
near Geneva City. These residences
gardens, and houses about which the
new set ivy has already thrown its
mantle of green, are houses which would
seem too luxurious for many such
resorts.
1t may not be necessary to draw any
comparison between this place and
Sunapee, but if one were to contrast the
two, he would find very marked differ
ence in the growth on the shores. In
stead of the New England pine we find
for the most part oaks and maple and
instead of the bare soil, covered with dry
leaves, pine needles and decaying twigs,
there is everywhere wild grass and in
the different camps lawns superior to
many country places, fed as they are by
the many springs in the land sloping
toward the lake. There are in the differ
ent camps 30 steamers, many of them as
large as the Woodsum, one of them said
to be valued at $35 900; one large boat,
the size of the Burke or White, which is
used exclusively for excursion parties,
and beside these many sailing yachts.
Very interesting spectacles were the
two yacht races which took place on
the last two Saturdays in August in
which was centered the interest Of
parties all about the lake, as was evil
denced by the crowds upon the II or
10 steamers which followed the course
from the start at Geneva City to the
buoy at the foot of the lake and return.
The winner was the Viking, boat
which has lately been put upon the lake,
having been brought from Long Island
sound by a Chicago yacht club. The in
terest which was awakened may be
imagined when it is said that there was
a difference in time of only five seconds
between the first and second yachts.
Among the IA camps about the lake is
that of the Western Secretarial Institute,
started seven years ago by the general
secretaries of the Young Mems Christian
associations of the large western cities.
From small beginning they have
acquired eight acres of land including
the camp proper and their athletic fields,
and here, every summer from all over
the west they come to take their vaca-
ton, which is spent in Bible study and
recreation of all kinds. Nor is bathing
omitted, but on the contrary, all over the
lake it is INDUCED in, and some of the
most graceful and proficient in the art
are of the fair sex, who are as fearless
in dive from the spring board as the
physical director.