New-York tribune., 1897-08-22

Kemble-the hands Of which indicate 445 re-
gardess of the real time From the pulpit of
this old church DR.. Parkhurst came to New
York. and many celebrated clergymen have
spoken there From the churchyard there is an
extensive view Of the surrounding country.
But there is nothing about Lcnox to startle
the visitor, and to him who goes there expecting
to see things that are grand, in the Watering
place meaning Of the term. there is only disap-
pontment in store The village consists of an
Od-fashiOned hotel which has nothing in COM
mon with the usual summer resort palace hotel
1t has oli-fashioned furniture and is surrounded
by an atmosphere of refinement and Colonial
simplicity. This building is the largest in the
village. There are few small stores, a bank
a public library. which was built in 1910 as
courthouse; a large stone Episcopal church.
small Methodist and tiny Catholic church-and
that is LenOX. Opposite the hotel is the old
town hall which has served the place for a cen
tury, Old-time. unpretentiOus structure CON
trasting strangely with the magnificent homes
known as cottages. only short distance away
Standing at the soldiers monument on the
little village green one commands view OF
nearly the whole village. and the surprised
tourist who has heard about LcnoX, its beauties
its lavish hospitality. its magnificent festivities
and its palatal residences, asks: rs this really
the place?'
At most of the summer or winter resorts Of
this country may gain fairly correct i'm
preston of the place in day by driving to the
points If interest and looking at the natural and
architectural features. But in that respect
LenOX is again different from any other place
While the tourist may drive through the broad
shaded and perfectly paved streets and the
artistic hedges. lawns an> flower patches, he can
gain only occasional glimpses of the so-called
cottages because they stand away from the
roads and hide their broad verandas and even
their gables and domcs from the tourists view
behind great cumps Of shrubs and dense foliage.
On a domain of about twenty-five square miles
there are about one hundred summer homes, Of
which native Of Berkshire says: These houses
are built 50 far apart that there amt any such
thing as having ncishbors." Still the neghborly
spirit is developed to its utmost in the exclusive
circle, and the people who come to the place
year after year always meet the same people.
MANY VACATION HOMES SPRING Up.
The same charms by which Longfellow and
Holmes and their friends were lured 10 this part
of the Bork shire region brought the people who
wanted country home away from the sum-
mer rabblc and gradually the cottages in the
village became inadequate and farms in the
neighborhood were bought UP for the purpose
Of converting them into vacation homes Woods
and wales and "hardhack" pastures were eager
ly purchased and farms which had nothing to
recommend them but ''view and situation
brought large sums of money and estates which
We're q burden to the owners because OF unpro-
ductiycucss, brought as high as 5000 an acre
from people who wanted them for summer and
autumn homes. one Improvement suggested
another The colony Of cottagors grew, the work
of nature was aided by the landscape gardener,
money was spent lavishly and the result IL an
ideal place. Even before the country was i'm
proved and bcautidcd, Henry Ward Becchcr
wrote Of Lenox: IF one spends July or October
in Lenox he will hardly seek another home for
the summer The old church stands upon the
highest point in the village and If in summer
one stands in the door and gaZcs upon the vast
panorama he might, without half the Ps;Iinlsts
devotion, prefer to stand in the door OK the