The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-29
Axoyo THE BERKsnIRE HILLs.
Pittsaeld Notos-Thriving Daiton-Now
 Villas at Lexox.

delightful in summer is in the fall of the year. with It's blue skies. bracing atmosphere and Indian summer rest fulness, charming. Southward from Pittsfield, a mile or so. just off the Lenox road, rises spur of South Mountain, somewhat higher than our own East Rock. A new roadway has been constructed through the fields, which leads with easy grade to the summit. where the visitor finds spread before him a magnificent panorama of scenery. Looking north. the city of Pittsfleld appears central In an amphi- theater of hills, with branches of the head-waters of the Housatonic river embracing 1t. At the right shines Melville lake. upon whose borders the poetHolmes once dwelt. his beautiful country home being at present the res idence of MT. William Pollock. Just beyond lie Silver lake and Goodrich pond, the emerald surfaces of which brighten the way leading to pretty Dalton, lying In & cleft of the Hoosac range of hills at the northeast. Taw- ny Greylock rears his head, twenty miles away, to the northward; and be- yond stretch the hills forming the boundary between Berkshire and Franklin counties. while past the birthplace of the poet Bryant they carry the eye nearly thirty miles to the Vermont line. Northwest, Potter Mountain, of the Taghconic range, stands above all neighboring heights and locates the talked of new route of the Boston and Albany railway to the city last named, lessening the distance some eighteen miles. when it's heart shall have been pierced by proposed tunnel. Before you. in the vale, near where the Consolidated roads trains cross a country road, stands an en- powered cottage. the legendary home of Holmes creation. "Elsie Venner." The novelist, Herman Melville, is said to have penned some of his tales near the lake bearing his name long before he became an employe in the New York custom house. The large and well preserved Plunket mansion, on East street, contained the real clock upon which Longfellow based his fa- nous poem, "The Clock on the Stairs" " Near by, Rose Terry Cooke, in recent years, indited many of her interesting sketches, and here she closed her life. Across the way Parson Todd prepared his Lectures to Young Men," and edi- fled his hearers from the desk of the First Congregational church, at pres ent occupied by Dr. Davis. In Lanes borough, the next town north, lived Shaw, the Josh Billings" Almanacs man, and in the country graveyard, within sight of the passer-by, is his grave.
 Adjacent to the city are extensive farms, such assthe Allen. Milton, Ben edict, Valentine and Walker farms, upon which are costly houses and farm buildings, the owners of which indulge their agricultural tastes with various crops, blooded cattle and other inter- ests pertaining to husbandry. The Valentine and Walker estates border upon the beautiful Onota lake, upon its eastern and western shores: while southward is an upland farm region, traversed by West street, one of the excellent thoroughfares leading out from the city. The building trade is brisk, lumber and materials being moderate in price.
 Burbank Park, comprising a large tract of land upon an elevation over- looking Lake Onota and the city, a gift of the late Abraham Burbank, is fo nf hn ffroa tions of this city.
 A newly constructed road, with hardened surface, extends from Pitts field to Dalton, five miles distant Here are located large mills, which have made the names of Crane and Weston famous throughout our land in connection with the fine writing and book papers which they produce. A large new brick structure, replacing one burned down few years since from whose roof floats the national en- sign, indicates the place where are made fine papers used by Uncle Sam for currency and official purposes which are manufactured under his su- pervision. The mansion houses of Lieutenant-Governor Weston and the Messrs. Crane are elegant and costly New buildings have greatly increased of late: four churches, handsome commodious structures. two of stone and two of brick, are among the mum. Der.
 At Lenox, the church where pr. C. H. Parkhurst, ofs New York renown was preacher for seven years, still bears It's Fanny Kemble clock diaL al. though the clock itself. like the donor Is now done with. time. It stands upon commanding elevation at the north end of the broad avenue constiti1tine the main street of the place, while the parsonage, one of four built within one year. recently, stands half way down the hill in amicable relation witf its next door neighbor, the house o1 the Roman Catholic parish priest. A, point in the rear of the church a fine. ly constructed winding driyeway leads to the rear of MT. w. K. Jesup's newly erected home. Here is a slightly location; the house is unique, beine built of boulder stones from this yicin. ity which are so laid that the oute, z surfaces of the walls show no tool tmarks, The slightly concave iron, faces an extensive stretch of country with it's congregation of hills, extend. ing past Bear Mountain, in Stock. bridge on to Erremonf in the soIItt,