Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-07-31
AMERICAN LETTERS.
VERMONT AND CANADA.

gap in the mountains whence comes the
New Haven river, that rises in the towns
of Lincoln, Starksboro and Ripton. This
gap is one of the most pronounced ones
on the Green Mountain range, and so far
as we know the most romantic of the
tain town, but its village is built upon
the plains and shows most prettily with
its backing of mountains.
With party of three, besides myself,
| approached it recently from Middle
bury. We went the mountain road by
the Case district and Cobble Hill, and.
after passing the latter, turned at the
schoolhouse to the right. Immediately
signs of the mountains appear, large
rocks, rock naples, a steep ascent, and
below the ever wandering mountain
brook, concealed now by vista of trees
a little further and our road crosses the
stream by bridge well concealed among
the trees. We are now we'll started on
the ascent of the mountain, but leave it
for road that comes in from the north,
and which takes us close under the noun
tains to Bristol
The next morning we left Bristol at 0,
and, drying through its gap by the vii
lagos of Starksboro and Huntington,
came to Jonesville, some % miles, to
dinner, and to Stowe, - miles further,
for a late supper. Since we were at
Stowe, several years since, its large sum-
mer hotel, built of wood and large
enough to accommodate three or four
hundred guests, has burnt up. There is
now two-story country hotel of brick
that presented fair accommodation, but
nothing especially inviting. The next
day by Morrisville, very pretty village,
we came to the Lamoille, which we
crossed, and, after number of miles up
, its sandy and not very highly cultivated
valley, followed up one of its branch es
quite number of miles more to North
Wolcott, that consists of a post Office
perched upon hill. a strong and large
valley lies beyond this, from which the
hill and village known as Crafts bury
Common rises, as an isle in the ocean,
about 400 feet. 1t is a great, fine hill,
commanding views of Lowell, Albany
and Irasburgh mountains to the west and
north, which are still covered with for
est, including some spruce, but this lat
ter is being rapidly picked out. To tn e
east is another high ridge of hills that
tn- thn Dnc 10 oil
The Common is adorned with a band
stand, but without trees. The village
q about it includes few well-appearing
$ houses, zone or two stores, an academy
Gov. Crafts, very good one, lies just
outside of the village, sloping north
! The governor himself is long dead. Many
changes have come over the country
The old forests are rapidly disappearing
| the old inhabitants are gone like them
+ Railroads and itelegraphs, though not
coming especially near this town, have al
tered much the conditions of living. Not
t the same old story, but different story
e is being told to-day, one in which city
or town life is brought in far closer con
, tact with country.
| stopped at the Gov. Crafts farm and
5 had quite a talk with Deacon Root, its
present proprietor, and one of the Older
inhabitants. The deacon has an excellent
S two-story house and says he had fifteer
; city boarders last summer. He al sc
told me about the horse Fox, owned
about lSlS-20 by Royal Corbin of Crafts
y bury, and says that when he came tC
Craftsbury, fifty years ago, he heard
much about this horse and knows thai
;. he was a Morgan. This was the horse
t afterwards called Paddy and that is said
to have been ridden from Boston to Can
= ada without stopping. | found an artl.
Gle published in the Spirit of the Times
Y forty or fifty years ago about this horse
t that stated he was half-brother tC
. Sherman Morgan, being got by the orig
v nal Morgan horse, and as this agree:
with what Deacon Root says he know:
o was said by those who owned the horse
); it would seem to be fairly well estab
r lished.
$ From Craftsburv we drove in the after
noon, by circuitous route across the
+ range of hills that are high enough to bt
called mountains, to Barton. We passed
), the little village of East Albany, secretet
= near the top of the hills on the west side
and Glover that lies on the table land;
: about half way down to Barton. Barton
+ is in the valley of the Passumpsic and {
very beautiful village, though hotel &C
e conmodations are poor. Leaving two OF
+ our party here, Mr.. Brainerd and | pro
r ceeded on! Thursday morning to New
!, port. We went by a hill road that wen
in sight of the village of Irasburgh ant
Z through that of Coventry. Reaching
Newport, we left our team at a livery
T. stable, dined at the large summer hotel
and at o'clock got aboard of the steam
> er Lady of the Lake, which makes two