St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-08-06
Down Among the Pines.
Correspondence of the CALIFORNIAN,

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from Boston," The name Halifax is so
generally associated with Nova Scotia
that few persons, not excepting post
masters, know that there is any other
Mace by that name. Hence some of the
summer boarders here, who thought that
their friends had entirely forgotten them,
were surprised about two months after
wards to receive letters via Nova Scotia,
with "missent" stamped on the envelope.
Realizing that postmasters need to be
educated, we adopted the method OF
writing the word Massachusetts" in
full upon the envelope, but did not state
that it was in New England. We have
met persons who could tell you the
names of all of the gods and godesses in
Grecan history, but had yet to make
the acquaintance OF many New England
towns. Is that a proof that they are
broad minded?
You can visit Plymouth either by
steamer or by rail on the Old Colony
railroad from Boston. You will find it
gives pleasant variety to 60 one way
and return the other. Or you can change
cars at Braintree, the junction of the
South Shore and the main route and go
down past some of the old towns on the
coast-Weymouth, bingham Marsh6eld.
Duxbury, Kingston, to Plymouth, or
keep on the direct, the Oldest and short
est route through Abingdon, Whitman,
Halifax, Kingston, to Plymouth. Hall
fax, it is said, is noted Tor having the
oldest railway station in constant use in
the United States. 1t has been in actual
use since the road was first built in 1915,
! believe. An ambitious young lady
aimed her kodak at the building and gave
us the picture. You would not feel inter-
ested in the simplicity of the architecture
but you might in the plan in building,
knowing that there were not enough
trains and travel to occupy the full time
OF the station master, and as he was
cobbler he had Il shop built in the center,
elevated by steps so he could by a glance
notice if any passengers desired tickets,
and if not 60 on with his work. Thus he
had two strings to his bow" by which
to earn a living. The old door con-
structed with crossbeams and crossbars
is quite curious and might have belonged
to fort, said one informer. The stage
was waiting and we found the stage
driver was an old soldier in the late war
and quite an original character, and ian
important link to the town from the
outer world" remarked, taking the
mails back and forth" NO" he replied,
pointing to a steel rail, 81 serve the
same purpose as that rail does to the
railway, furnish another way of trans
porting people and news" A short ride
brought us to Monponsett lake and to
the Pines, where there are summer cot
tages. There are two lakes connected by
quite good-sized island well wooded.
The shore ofthe lakes and woods beyond
were once the favorite camping ground
of the Indians. On the point Of the island
is where one Of the last struggles with
the Indians took place. They were sur
prised and captured by party of white
men when bathing. Many arrow heads
and other relics were found for years on
the shores. Gov. Carver and Miles
Standsh owned part of the land on the
shore and vicinity. Through the pine
woods abovc-named the Indian hunters,
and in the open fields the Indian women
and girls cultivated Indian maize or
corn. On the opposite shores of the
lakes are favorite places for hunters to
decoy ducks and hunt game. There are
still some families living here who have a
slight tinge of Indian bloodin their veins.
Seated there under the shade ofthe grand
old pines listening to the wind soughing
through their branches, it sounds like a
requiem to the departed and you uncon-
sciously peer into their shadows expect
ing to see some ofthe old sachems appear
with their bows and arrows looking for
game. Formerly past the door in front
Of your house rumbled the old stage
coach from Bridgewater to Plymouth
The first thing that impresses you is the
mildness Of the air and the softness o.
the water. A marked change from
Boston or Braintree and Abingdon
where the saltness of the air or east vino
make it very stimulating. 1t reminds
you of the Riviera in Southern France
so soft and balmy. The cottagers have
their own boats and landings to go out
for sail when they desire. They liv'
simply, have no valuables nor silver tt
tempt robbers - bakers, butchers ant
fishermen, are ready to supply the phys'
cal wants of all who desire them. Al
elderly farmer, who is the genius OF tn
place, raises all kinds of vegetables, gar
den fruits, berries, watermelons, peache
and pears and is ready to supply tn
market; the soil is so sandy that it
favorable for fruit and flower culture
A few years since acres of land beyou
were under high cultivation, for her
were the greenhouses OF the Old Colon
railroad, where they supplied all OF tn