The Newtown bee., 1895-05-31
NEAR TO NATURES HEART.

valleys, and in the simplicity in which
 the Great Architect of the Universe ere ated her, he should take a carriage drive through the length of the Shepaug valley,
 visiting the park at, Steep Rock which that public spirited New York Washing ton man, E.. K. Rossiter, has designed
 and created. That this successful New. York architect just mentioned glories in Nature is attested in the rugged beauty of his summer home on, Washington
 Green, where rocks and trees and wild
 shrubs form part of the attractiveness,
 which cluster about his place. Butthis little sketch was not designed to praise
 MT .Rossiter, but when one enters the
 precincts of Steep Rock park, and feasts upon the rustic beauty, wordssare inade- quate tolexpress the inestims ble blessing this man has conferred upon his adopted town, and indeed upon the larger com munity. Steep Rock, so-called, is locat- ed about two miles south of Washington, :, Iiqst a half mile aaboye2t the rushing me- tropolis of Judd's, Bridge, the little bor- ough over which Mayor Hartwell so wor- lthily presides- s'll .aGiGiao9
 The wild beauty of Steep Rock and it's I environments had often been suggested to the editor Of FIFE BEE, but it had not been his pleasure to visit the place until Friday last, when in the closing hours of the afternoon he accepted the invitation of Ex-Selectman lCourtland D. Cole to visit the park Leaving MT Coles de- lightfu1 Riverview farm, we followed the road leading to Ferry's bridge and south ward by the rivers .side4 which-at-this season is little more than a babbling brook. Passing what is known as
 ''Mitchell's holey'. a very deep pool, we crossed the river. on q sunken bridge, and | plunge at once into the fastness of the forest. We follow the river southward along the East Tongue, passing through a growth of -hemlocksy -hiEehes-in- fact forest in all it's simplicity, a park in the true sense of the word, where the fanci- ful work of man has not despoiled it.
 Along the river we come to what is known as "Saw Mill Hole," where years 1-ago a bustling mill stood, and where now the bull head and the pickeral hold full sWay.SsEhe road curls around the end of the East Tongue, and begins the ascent of the hil. s.Fo our.right as we climb are some fox holes, and as we passed on our return, an old fox yand her young ones
 were running about in great glee. ------
 Still on we stoiled up the hill and in due I ffpta 70 m fn on npopiOo nd hitphad nxlr horse. Passing to the front we found ourselves standing on the brow of Steep Rock. Directly at our feetthe rock takes an abrupt pitch Of 500 feet to the river. Not being anexpertl lclirnber, and having no desire to scale the cliff, we draw back and seating ourselves in a comfortable 4 srock-err we take in the picture, before us. We declare at once it is worth the trip. The view is magnificent. To the east we see where the Shepaug takes it's south ward, northward, westward and again asoathgata course. a sort of Jet ter B., while, the two-points of land at Eonce. suggest the outlines of tongues. The river looks, like a streak of silver, as 1t stretches out along the valley. aItLais not so extensive view, not the expanse or the beauty perhaps that one sees from the crest of Mt .Holyoke- in Massachu- setts, but it is beautiful view, la gem in the casket of Nature. .3 5j''.;5 .& | |ss , Seated eomfortsb zon the rock our host entertained us. .EoYeaFs agoisaqman named Eaizur curtis dwelt in the valley. He was "a man who gloried in daring deeds. 1Itis said that one time he hung head downward from limb of a tree by his feet oyer the pEeeipieea the very sug- gestion of which made the writer go back several feet and seek more secure, foot Ling, lest he should be tempted to initiate this areadfui feat This MT Curtis did
 not mind such small thing as a rattle snake ana AS A diversion would catch them and carry them home alive.a It is said that one time the owner of the lot wheretherock is situated kept a buck, The boyslwhovisited the place delighted to tease him. 9 Oos day he chased them IatsoJ ato the brink Of the rock. The boy he was after lodged suddenly, and before Mir Buck knew 1t he was over the preci- pies. ,It0is saidathat inzhis fall lis horns locked in atree, and the body went to l1hs sriser4 his head hnng to furnish meat for the birdsrof the air. We have men tioned previously the s'Saw Mill Hole, 7 and while wesare in the reniniscent line let me spin q yarn A Afisherman and 2
 boy stood on the brink of the river one day, and in some way 2, log, in the rear became detached and rolling down pin toned the man tn the ground in the--was ter. The boy was unable to release him, and the aunfOftanateo fisherman met his death. 88s Ean Although OFT host had not the figures at hand, he estimated there was about POO acfes in the park. Mir Rossiter ac= quifed this land of Henry Hfckock. the hate .eavitt Bfinsmade and Nelson Rieh-I mond. We have not mentioned eOld shinsr,v the hiihto the west, which is pcosered with, n growth goE birches and As1we sat there's the whistle nf the evening sxpress the Shepang was heard appr rdachfh trom the southa Of course the train stopped at Judd's Bridge, and soon came snorting up tbe |hirI, for tks-track leaves the river here and makes a big ascent. We can .seed it | from f oouf o seat as It winds around the [eurvss. In-av vtwinklingit t has passed from our sknr and entefed- the wonderful tuh. nel,,ahieh MrsMcN eiI createH And which Eeost. the road handsome pile. Tn less time than 1t takes to tell 1t the iron horse SpssasssaStFae north. .entf8nce and Away |sng gues un her evening trip to theD hills k4fQdzfxfGhAad.-As -As the shades of night sh0s failing gr&lnctantiy ydwes tear ourselves aa i6sassIs asxa hsA6kg s1S&n6f4Tnck hu fha