The Press., 1893-07-13
Number 15.

But it is far from being a book of dry detail. The magnificent scenery of Union Is described, incidents of thrilling interest are combined with it's biographical sketch es, and the characters of it's early citizens as portrayed do the town honor, as does also the long list of noted men of this lit tie hill town. It's wooded hillsides, with highways sweeping over hills crowned with fertile fields, the altitude of which the traveller when told him it's lakes, literally upon the mountain tops; It's romantic gorges, all these have been an inspiration to it's sons and daughters. Many of these bits of fine scenery have been described in The Press by the pen of Prof. Hammond, and the cream of these, beside other sketches from the same and other sources are given in this book.
 MT. Lawson has added much to the hard work done by his predecessors, for which the people of Union owe him grati- tude, as we'll as for the manner in which he has prepared the original work for the printer. An especially good feature has been the gathering of the names of the soldiers of the revolution for Union, 159 in number, with the dates of enlistment, length and places of service. and all other information possible to get. The same work, less difficult of accomplishment, has been done in cases of the later wars.
 MT. Lawson, the compiler, is about to sail (Aug. 1st) for India, where he is sent to do missionary work. He hopes to see bound copies of the book ready for distribution before his departure. He has arranged with w. M Corbin, who may be addressed at Stafford Springs or Hartford to receive orders for the work. The price is put at $5, and it is hoped that as many as possible will become pa- irons, and reduce the risk to those who have assumed the cost of publication.
 Below are a few extracts from one chapter of the book:
 There is no town in the region and probably none in the state in which so large proportion of the land is covered with forests. The central and eastern sections of the town especially, are large ly covered with pine woods. When one stands on the hilltops and gazes on the surrounding region, he can see but few clearings to break the monotony of the pine-clad hills and valleys. Beneath these pines the laurel grows in great abundance, forming dense, impenetrable thickets. Its beautiful white and pink blossoms, make the landscape lovely in the month of June.
 We ought in connection with the laurel to speak of the rhododendron which also grows in Union. It is found in the woods northwest of the Captain Paul place. There is no other place known in this vii cinity where it grows wild It's large, showy flowers are much sought after by those who know where they grow.
 Through these forest solitudes echoes the sound of the woodland thrush whose song MT. Hammond loved to hear so we'll and of which he said: ''It is not 8 rare bird, yet in some places it is never found I have never heard that one of the sweet est of American songsters except in my native town. From modesty or from fea1 she shuns the busy haunts of men and hides in deep forest dells. She has been called the American nightingale, but the thrush is a bird of the day and not of the night. She sings in the early morning, and when the still evening is coming on. In warm, cloudy weather, but not in storms, her song is heard at all hours of the day. Like all good musicians, she waits for the perfect silence of her audit ors. She will not breathe sweet, loud music out of her little instrumental throat, unless nature listens to her clear airs, her sweet cadences, her prolonged closes, and to the echo of those warbling notes, which the air, as if 10th to lose, holds it's breath to hear.
 l left home some years since to attend a Fourth of July celebration at old Wood stock, where Gen. Grant was an invited guest. At West Parish I was detained by sickness. But 1 did not thus lose my chance of enjoyment on that trip. found that chance in the depths of the Bigelow woods. Then heard once more, after long years, the song of the wood land thrush. Not one only, but many sang, not in concert, but in responsive lays, as is their habit. They sing and listen in rotation, each perched on sprays apart, near and far, each having differ ent pitch or key, each emulons of all ir song. I verify believe these thrushes knew of my coming to my old haunts and meant to enchant me with the melo dies and the memories of my better days
 And there are many natives of Unior who, like MT. Hammond, have in theil earlier years, listened to the song of the woodland thrush, to the merry chirr ot the chee-wink and to the murmuring ot the wind in the tall pine tops; they have tramped over it's hills and through it's val leys; they have followed it's streams and fished in it's ponds; and they have en gagged in the sterner tasks of cultivatine it's fields or felling it's forests. To these there are many pictures stored away 1T the mental gallery which are source O. delight as they recall their youthful days
 And they are glad that they had the priv
 ilege of being born in Union. They ar'
 also coming to be more and more sum
 mer visitors attracted by the beautie.
 and quiet of the place. And if this chap
 ter shall lead the residents of the town tt
 become more appreciative of the display!
 which nature has placed around them, thu
 chief purpose of its writer will be accom- plished.
 Mashapaug Lake affords fine fishing
 and to row upon it is always pleasure
 the many islands and bays ever openin,
 new vistas of scenery. A place whicl
 visitors delight to visit is the "Ravine'
 below the dam at the south end, alon,
 the stream which leads to Bigelow. Her
 on the east side is precipitous cliff, witt
 the jutting rocks in the deep shade cover ed with ferns. It is very attractiv place to one who loves to be alone witt | Nature.
 Mashapaug Lake is very. interesting il this respect, that it has two outlets. Tn main one at the north end forms the Quin
 nebaug, which, after flowing througl Holland, Sturbridge, and Southbridge il | Massachusetts, turns south and become
 the east tributary to the Thames at Nor | wich. The other outlet is at the soutl
 end where, when the pond is full, the wa
 ter flows down through rocky gorge int
 the Bigelow pond. Thence it flows on i
 the Bigelow to unite with Still river t