Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-10-09

more neatly kept My own recollections
in this matter would sustain this opinion
rs To those IN France, Germany. Swift
zerland or England aud so. too. my ~
periencr j. aud ! have had quite a good
deal of IT, that the inns in French Can
ada VIII average better kept than with
us. The moral of all this is that unless
vermont inns are made first-class in the
quality OF their housekeeping they will
not secure summer guests or tourists if
they are they certainly will.
have had occasion before to speak of
the excellence of this inn. For nearly
90 years 1t has been kept by the French
fanlly-father and son. 1t was built i'm
1892 10y a Mr.. Carroll, who afterwards
moved to Ware, Mass. The house then
passed through several hands to Mr..
French in 1850. 1t is an exceedingly
well placed and well appearing building
of three stories with double piazzas in
front and on one side. 1t is unquestion-
ably as well kept. and has been for
many years. as any hotel in the State.
We left Bradford yesterday morning
at about . O'Clock for West Fairlee. The
road is billy, like all the east and west
roads of this locality, and in that
largely consists its beauty. The first
extensive views were again over the
Connecticut river into New Hampshire
Then followed an interior valley through
which we passed, turning abruptly up
another western hill from whose summit
in larger valley appeared the village of
West Fairlee. This looked quite prettily
from the hill, but was not as attractive
when reached. Its distance from Brad
ford is - miles.
We determined to 90 on to STAFFORD
before stopping for dinner. One and
one half miles up grade brought Us to
the Nershire copper mines, decidedly
Interesting spot, though we did not have
time to examine the mines. The copper
works consist of long series of wooden
/ buildings, quite imposing in extent, and
are surrounded with small and plain
village for the workmen. These mines
are not now in operation, but we under
stood were to be started again soon.
Back of the furnaces far up in semi
circular basin of a lofty, rocky and
/ perfectly barren hill, are the mines, which
we were told could be entered for three
miles. y few buildings stood upon this
hill at what appeared to be the entrance
/ to the mines.
Passing through Mineville the road
continued to ascend for several miles.
At one point remarkable old edifice
with every window out stood at the edge
ola high plateau far above the road whilst
close to 1t was quite good sized Gene
terry. The whole suggested at once the
famous scene of Alloway Kirk. immortal
lied by Burns poem of Tam O'Shanter.
Winding around this plateau and app
/ preaching nearer to its level | left the
/ wagon and assembled it. The building
proved to be a deserted church of two
stories inside were the old box pews
and wide gallery around three sides.
Every window frame was gone as if
to give full scope tor the ghosts or
witches to 60 out or in. The graveyard
came close to the church and was very
/ interesting one with large number of
/ handsome marble stones. The situation
was one of great beauty. In front was
a very extensive view of the lofty New
/ ms inc fo
should Judge, of 30 miles. Back of the
church and cemetery was an exquisite
meadow of green grass, and back OF this
a semrcircular basin of lofty hills,
occupied with farms or forest. 4 little
at one side of the deserted church was
/ quite a good district school house in
which school, was being kept. With my
camera | took a number of pictures of
the different scenes, and then visiting
the school arranged with the teacher
to have the scholars come outside and be
taken in a group with the schoohouse.
then looked at the Inscriptions of the
gravestones. There is always much
interest in the legends that they tell, but
one here had an especial interest for any
American. as follows:
CENOTAPII.
b. FRANKLIN.
Son of William and Angelne East
man. was killed at the battle of
the Wilderness, May G, 1854.
Aged Il yrs, mos, 3 days.
The peculiarities of this spot, dupli-
eating in a most remarkable manner that
of Alloway Kirk, made me most curious
to see again the poem of Tam O'Shanter
the only part of which was able to fairly
recall being the few lines beginning
with:
"But plea sures are like peoples spread.