Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-07-15
MY VACATION.

d VdcdUioH, ielo nome June 18TH and
went to Burlington, where spent the
week at the college and the hospital.
Here | saw the celebrated New York
surgeon, Prof. Phelps, perform sew
eral operations, and Prof. Woodward
many Interesting and instructive op-
erations on the eye, ear, nose and
throat. June %, I left Burlington for
Philadelphia. In going south through
the beautiful Green Mountain State,
judging from the condition of the
crops, the soil is excellent. The
country is much more level than on
this side of the mountains till Rutland
Is reached, when it becomes billy and
the soil is poorer. The great industry
in this section is quarrying and cut
ting marble. All along the line are
marble mills. Some of the quarries
are near the railroad, while some are
high up on the mountain side to which
tracks are run, coming down like to-
boggan shutes.
The city of Troy, N. Y, is soon
reached after leaving Vermont, with
Albany only a few miles further on.
The great attraction here is the State
capitol, which has already cost $751;
900, 900, while many more millions are
liable to be expended on it before it
is completed. The superintendent
showed me the special points Of in
terest. Representatives Hall and
the Senate Chamber are very beauti-
full and costly. Every thing is in an
architectural sense most beautiful
and grand. There are also very fine
paintings and pieces of sculpture, etc.
[ was greatly interested in a case
which contained a lot of letters,
among which was the Identical letter
taken from the boot of Major Andre,
the British spy; the letter written by
the villainous traitor, Benedict Ar
mold, with many other letters and
manuscripts of great historical i'm
portance.
Leaving Albany at s p. M, / saw
little of the Hudson river scenery. In
the early morning, we reached Peeks-
it was one panorama of beauty and
interest. In the harbor | had oppor
tunity to see the great ocean liners.
Their size can be best described by
calling them immense" [ saw one
of the great German ships coming and
an English mail ship going out. Gross
ing the ferry, | took the train at the
Pennsylvania r. R. station for Phila-
delphia, the trip thence being delight
full. The railroad is one Of the best
in the world; it is ballasted with stone
to prevent the flying of dust, is laid
with four tracks where the average
speed is from 40 to 80 miles an hour.
The engines are made to consume the
smoke, and without smoke and dust
much OF the discomfort of railway
travel is done away with.
The face of the country across New
Jersey is very level; the soil is red
clay. From the condition of the crops
judge the soil very fertile. 1t is al
most one continuation of cities and
large towns all the way from New
York to Philadelphia, with too many
things of interest to mention.
1 visited the great shipyards of
the Cramps. The yards are of vast
extent and every thing is done
on an immense scale. Five thousand
men are employed. visited the great
ocean greyhound, as she is called, the
ST. Paul. The ship is $50 feet in length
and of great width, built to be one of
the very best ships in the world. The
twin ship st. Louis, also built in this
yard, is making her first trips across
the ocean in very quick time. On
return trip recently, she broke her
rudder soon after leaving British
shores, but pulled on for New York,
being steered by her twin propellers.
Arriving home, the rudder of the ST.
Paul was borrowed until a new one
could be prepared. [ also visited the
great battleship Ohio, which is being
built at cost of 100000. I was
shown about this immense war vessel
on which they have been at work for
three years and on which two more
years will be spent. In looking at the
vast weight of this great mass of iron
and machinery it seems incredible
that it can float it's own weight. I saw
the Brooklyn and the Indiana; the
latter has been out on her trial trip
and is in to be completed. Her armor
plate is seventeen inches thick, of
nickel steel. She has several large
turrets in which her huge guns will
be placed, and coming tower in
which her commanding officer will
stand to watch the battle if the shin