New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-23
A THRIFTY EXCURSION.
THE WHITE MOUNTAINS IN OCTOBER.

Ransom, October l4.-Ths is thrifty nation;
at least the New-England part of the nation is
thrifty, and to the average inbabtant of such
nation the idea of saving money has charms
BY this ] do not wish it to be understood that
we went to the White Mountains this October
solely TO save money
We had never been there, and scenery also has
charms.
When my friend read the statement in our daily
paper that one might 90 from Boston up even
20 Jefferson and return, for the Of 81 she
Immediately declared that it would be cheaper TO
20 than TO stay at home. Besides there were
the mountains TO be thrown in, as it were. ]
reminded her that taxes due. end that
we had not paid for our summers ice. and did
she think We were justified? She replied that
she always considered herself justified in making
money, anyway, and We would pay for the lee
when we came home. We have now come home
and the ice bill and tie tax bill are still unre-
ceipted. But this is anticipating.
In September and October the hotels in the
White Mountains make special rates" Having
just returned from among these hotels. am
prepared TO say that the above statement is
fact. They do make special rates. But THINK
they have the same clerks which they employed
during the heated term. And the hotel clerk
in the months OF the scrc and yellow leaf has
the same generous and henefcent intentions toward
glory of summer. And these intentions are SINH
lar to those entertained in the mind of the wolf
when he sees the sheep unsuspiciously cropping
grass on the hilsides. But since there are sheep
in the world there doubtless must be wolves
also.
We were obliged to return by the 9th of
October. according to the conditions ON our tick
cts We gave ourselves little more than week
before that date. We thought If we could not
that
save tidy little sum toward taxes IN that tiine
we never could do so by travelling in New
Hampshire
There is o drawback. felt more or less acutely
In ones inner consciousness, in the fact OF pelng
an excursionist The fact that YOU are an eN-
cursonist proclaims that you travelling NJ
reduced rates Now, while nearly all OF MS WISH
70 travel at reduced rates, very few OF Us arc
anxious to have it known that we are DONG So
We like to save money, but we also IKE 10 'fr
pear to he spending il.
In view of the amount we had economical by
bnvinr orr tickets to Fabyans we took seats III
the parlor car In this way, as we leaned pack
in our arm chairs, quite markedly lnStga"u
the ever present thought that we were 1ourneylhS
at reduced fare And there is always some
thing soothing in the way the conductor OF
parlor car treats you. He doesn't say llcKe's'
nlease !" as the conductor in the common car
savs these words There is no arbitrarincss III
his voice or manner He usually answers CUES
tions concerning the journey as If you had n
RIGHT 10 put such questions to the man EMPLOYED
by the company TO reply to them In short TINS
conductor almost made us feel as If we were pay
inc full fare, and were not saving money at all.
Thus we were in a frame of mind to look out
upon the calm beauty Of the Merrimac Valley up
which we glided. 1t is lovely valley. prosper
ous smiling. % II it had nothing turbulent in the
inD hut
future. The towns reposing upon the banks OF
the river are like people who have known no
storm and stress in their lives
We gaze ont upon Concord and wonder If any
BODY in that city was ever violently unhappy.
Perhaps the Pennacook Indians did not enjoy be-
ing driven from this valley; perhaps their story
pf what is now Concord would reveal some herce
emotion But then Indians only Indians in
that day as we'll as in this, and made for the pur-
pose Of being driven from their homes Whittier
pictured them here in this vale hundreds OF years
ago:
In their sheltered repose, looking out from the
wood
The bark uilded wigwams of Pennacook Stood
There clided the corn-dance the councilfre shone.
And against the red war-post the Ratchet was
thrown.
Plainly there is no Ratchet thrown in these
1avs-at least nothing visibe-and the red war
tost has long ago been removed from PennacooI.
So we 60 on up the country, always climbing,
and after a while we are curving around the
shores of Winnepesaukee and are only conscious
of the beauty upon which we gazing
Let il be remembered by the haclncyed tourist
hat this is the first time We have ever been over this
route. when the hackneyed tourist smiles at any
,ndue enthusiasm let him smile indulgently.
This lake this Pleasant water in high place
ia an winning it's shores bend here and there IN
such n charming way, it's guards of blue mountain
nool,s ara 70 benignant, everything, even from the
train windows is enchanting, let us forget
that IL is "the end Of the century, and that ar
dent admiration is not now a permitted maui
oonce Relknop and Ossipee keeps watch here
forever and Whiteface and Chocorua brood IN
solemn steadfastness farther away from the lake.
Il ,ras at WinnepesauEec that my friend and
r confded IN each other the remark that we did
rot care how much admired we even went so
Gov os not 70 care if we became gushing. 1t is
srob q reIief at times to he able 10 gush- | say
.ann, 10 that human being who has rot outgrown
that oapabihty.
70 tho Nerrimac seems to be river Of harmony
and TRANQUILITY not so is the Ammonoosuc' Iha'
stream comes rushing tumultuously DOWN; "
seems u, be telling all its secrets TO every village
and to every gorge, and to every mountain III i'S
nath: IL told them even TO us wheh we "hiheu pS
it's side after We had arrived at our destlhahoil
and had left the cars at Fabyans ANA oewl'ch
ing secrets they were which the AmmohooSuc 'olo
60 up 10 this north country. stroll ~ 'ie o''',
.h,s river and the river will tell you also: il
hos M t,voritns-only YOU must understand The
;r.tuousness the ardor of the stream TOOK US
ontve at once: and now that have Ie1l IL anu
am sitting in my room writing about It, near i''
precipitat., step It's rapid murinur' ana 'ee
again the electric stimulation of its presence.
October in the mountains is gorgeous 'ion'i
hut there is an icy sting in its smile
That fire of cord wood sticks IN the gre"
6renlacc in the entrance hall OF the ho'ei wa