Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-10-18
WAY SIDE TALK.

Called to Central Pennsylvania one
day last week, we ended the trip at
State College, the name indicating the
town as well as the great school loca-
ted there. From Bellfonte the journey
was made over "a junkety railroad
which reminded us of the lumber rail-
roads of northern New Hampshire, but
after a good deal of humping and jolt
| ing, we reached our destination. State
College may not interest Vermont read
ers, but it is so exceptional to find a
great school 50 far in the heart of a
farming country, that it seems worthy
of moments thought. Here 400
Pennsylvania boys get their education
from a prepared course TO college finish
whether in classics, mining and engi-
neering or farming. The boys also re-
ceive Il military drill under COM
I misioned officer of the regular army.
The day we were there the school
was ordered to Bellfonte to attend the
funeral of Ex-Governor Curtin. Every
thing is practical work at State College,
and the mechanical building is a mar
vel of completeness in its various de-
partments. Off the college grounds is
struggling village, not unlike the
small New England settlements. Peo-
pie were scarce. Pigs were numerous,
however. Questioning a quaint old
gentleman, formerly an eastern man,
about the propriety OF pigs running
loose in the streets, he only replied that
formerly their state was called Penn
sylvania but since there were no longer
any Penns it was known as Pig-syl-
vania. We did not like the idea of pigs
in the street of a college town, still it
| N that thaU nf a p6Jca tod
breed, anyhow, they were good looking
ones, much better than the ''razc
backsn we find on dress parade farther
south.
1t is most difficult to give any inn
preston of the country seen from car
window. The beautiful rolling farm
land was a delight to the eye. a'hs
great barns and stacks of straw bespoke
the industrious and prosperous farmer.
j The scenery along the route of the
Pennsylvania railroad from Lamont to
/ Harrisburgh was charming. Mountain
ranges We're continuous for many miles
without perceptible difference in
height. In many places there were
long stretches where the Disagreement
from axe and fire were in painful con-
trast to the varigated foliage in other
sections. Here and there along the
track were immense piles of saWdust
and fragments of wood and iron from
the portable steam fire engine plants
which had done their work and been
moved farther into the forest. High up
on the mountain side from the Susque-
hanna valley the lumbermen have
erected mills, and the work of forest de-
struction goes steadily on. We Won
II II, ,N1t, ,,s,ls, Il
materially as the woods We're stripped
and then thought of our own mountain
section; its great summer tourist busi-
ness, the important part that the wood
ed hill and mountain sides plays in it,
arouse herself to the point of forest pro-
lection.
Wherever we travel we find in nature
something beautiful, but in no part OF
the country is there to be found more
quiet beauty than among the green
hills of Vermont and the White Noun
tains of New Hampshire. Nowhere
better all round advantages than in
these two states. We are apt in these
days of business restlessness to look be.
yond our own vicinity, and often take
a step toofar. Car window observations
are too hastily made to have much
weight, but a rambler soon learns tC
pick up information rapidly and is
usually able to distinguish between
passing beauty of landscape, and an at
tractive country home and business 10
cality. Could our New England farm
ers take trip into the middle and
southern states, and observe from cal
window even, they would return better
satisfied than ever with their lot.