Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-09-15
REFLECTIONS ON LUCEs LOOKOUT.
VERMONT OF TO-DAY AND OF OLD.
Ob.rrvRstOna. siud,s- sui tSmMsnis
Thnt Apply 80 New England and sh~


II is nine miles from Woodstock I" l.ucr's
Lnukout On the Bridgrwatrr hills Luce
Is n farmer, philosopher and ph!lnnthropist.
Ills grandfather settled in the Wilderness
Of the eastern fuothillS of the Green noun.
Iains somewhat more than 100 years ago,
dlu there lived in peace and comfort his
'u.I - yrurs. His father was content to
STAG by the old place. lie was away from
home but one night in 10 years. and his
W,drst ,uuginlS never took him outside If
" NdSur county. The present Luce has
found that even to-day some of the CONS
iMis and all of he necessities of HE can
l., won from II hill farm in Vermont. His
Lockout Is an assertion of his indie
prudrn'r and of his love of nature. and
NJ the same time is II confession of his
.l"nSur" IN the society of his fellows. and
"a. his joy in the philosophical contcmpla-
ton of them.
l.urrS farmhouse lies at the foot of the
high ridge which Is II scant half.mr south
Of the one on which his grandfather bu.i.
more than hundlrd yeats ago. or III,
old original Luce homestead there remains
only the shallow hole. once II cellar. now
half.ful of natures refuse. and trimmed
with nrttles. briarS and dock. and marked
for the passcr-by by an ancient lilac, II lone
spruce and II bowed and rheumatic apple
tree. The forest Of the last century has
ivasscrtcd itself agains, The AX and ii.e
and again rolls down from the mountains
- miles away, and with few breaks here
and there sweeps up TO the old homestead
Al
falls away J.. ths '"tlrS % me Otlalue
lhrr, ana rolls oil across the Connerll,u
10 the New Hampshire hills The prc>cn
Lace home lies sheltered and .,omfoltald'
al s, ,nr f"n' o% Of R''r a Of nw'E Tl"p'na
ms into the thick woods which cove.
he ridges northern slope down t.
and around l.nkotn, lake. From thu,
,dgr Of The woods the view south and
and here l.ucr put up rough ia blrS for hr!'
Sc, shut IN iiom She and cattle ny Il
idr fence. and here some kind genius
has set NJ nn old co"k.Stove for the camp
ii y comfort. The crest of the ridge is
thickly woodc.! to its very point. And
al. slender >plurcS. Luce. in generous and
contemplating spirit, has set up his
lookout" II rises well above the tallrS
i."cs. t"nfoltnhl" stairs within take "n.
D." the lookout station. rooted in and pro-
''rled from the weather by movable sides
"hirli handy wiudlnsSrS raise and lower.
Does all this seem trivial: 1t Is not so
= 'arn,r'S outlook. open To all corners.
.',lng above Ike foes, On II mountain spa
n northern New England giving IL clra
view around the whole horizon and buii,
@"t for p!"!;;, but for prusurr.-iS this
without Significance? | believe not. Tn>
lockout tells of much that is not srrll
iiom its summit. Ilrlr are the people u
re farms and villages Of New England
Hills, delighting in outdoor lifc in nature
in wider ont look ON the valleys and
nonntains which are theirs by right of
irth. Here is luxury ana the cnjoymcn,
III H.-luXury unattuinnblr by most, even
If those who are far richer; enjoyment
where many would dare to say there is
',G %" y @Ss .".li fM' Here is
cant and too greatly restrained; but hele
none the less. And here is the genial and
E'nrrouS; spirit Of Luce himself; pleased
to see his farm center for pleasure
and rewarded more by the spirit with
Whith they contribute now and then Il lit
tie to the cost of the tower they have
climbed than by the contribution itself
And ns they come, summer visitors at the
Woodstock inn, fellow farmers and village
ne frankly conrrsscs gets his moneys and
his lnhors worth IN his opportunities for
the study of human nature. - tell YOU.
h" says "th"rr's great odds In folks
7" him who knows his New England
nothing is surprising in the New England
farmer, lie has his type" only to those
wh""r vision rests upon the surface. H.
can be looked down upon. pitpd or con
irmned only by those who. like Rev Rol-
lin l;,ynde HART. have been lifted to I'M
usual mental and moral nights by long con-
tact with some such atmosphere us that of
tlr city clearinghouse OF the second class.
III" native who goes Hbroud and returns
sound in mind expects the unexpected from
his fellows of the New England hills. To
his visitors from farm. village and city.
their joy IN nature and in one anothcr.-;ll
evidenced by this cyric in the woods are
proper to the inscrutablc New England
farmer.
The views from the tower can't de-
scribe. Mansfield. Camel's hump. Kill
lingt"l. AScutnry. Monadnnck, Kearsargp
and other New Hampshire peaks and
ranges, even to the White hills. roll.
Ing hills and fertile valleys, wide miles of
!rnSr forest sunsets, purple haze and all
sew England. this is but barren catn.
! =. Its elevation Is somewhat over $500
feet. But. rs Luce SAYS lit amt ALWAYS
the hg CHEST mountains that gives you the
best views. And after you have seen his
outlook YOU guess Luce is right
The farm, the farmer. the lookout, ami
the view, all these have been set out in
much of detail because they demonstrate
Il" clearly the point have chiefly in view
in whiting these few notes, that llfe in the
New England hills. even in the remote
Ia rail Sf raj fInI ala Ia Ill
ION. is more than endurable, finds those
who enjoy ii. and in spite OF its Luxurious
days leads not to the scoIning of delights.
| rom the Lookout testimony to the truth
OF this claim can be- gathered by those VINO
will. The hills and wales Of Pomfrrt.
Ralnnrd and llatand which roll away al
your feet, --these age not barren. They AZ,
gIrcu. or yellow with harvest here and
there. And Il closer study would show
thar on them lie farms that are as justly
- years ago. Down at Woodstock
,;rcrn. in u bend of the Ottapuechee, just
where it is joined by the south branch.
the savings bnnk-to descend to hard fact
will tell you of u lit IL stream Of savings
that comes steadily in. and chiefly from
tn" river 10 miles, or down siX.or six up the
south branch or six up the north branch
takes one along level roads well kept pas;
iLlnS that show signs of care and thrift
by nlghtN harms mat ever! summer MIS-
by houses that rarely long need paint ol
repair. by Guorynrds neat and trim. and all
the time through Il landscape that all. from
ha;Mduor to hilltop. looks cared for, de.
cent, civilized. homclikr, enjoyable. And
If you venture oN.r the hills by any one of
the score of various roads which lead from
Woodstock or branch from the valley high,
ways. you find them. though often steep.
always in good trim: and scattered along
these hill roads, too. Yum will see farms
which. in fields and houses and barns,
show signs of II laborious life. to he sure,
Of close thrift: but not of privation. of
slncknuSS. of diScollagrmcnt. failure. mis-
cry or unhappinrsS. Except, of course. one
must always except. am speaking of the
inspect Ut things.
And it is this general CHEEKY. comfortable
tlinLrS llnI .IlIu.: Il