The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-26


near the Adams. at the foot OF Old Grey
lock Mountain. in the extreme western
part of Massachusetts,. In its course. this
picturesque little river carries the waters
of the renowned Berkshire Valley to the
sea-a silver thread shining in the sun,
strung with some of New Englands
choicest pearls. Pittsfeld, Lenox Stock
bridge, Great harrington, Sheffield, Ca
naan, and Cornwall deck its banks, and
these are a fair necklace indeed, Corn
wall in Litchfeld County, Conn, the
county adjoining Berkshire on the south,
lies in the foothills on the western border
range of the vale OF Berkshire. AT Corn
wall the valley ceases to be, and the clear
waters of the ripping Housatonic pass
through a narrow gap in the mountains.
West Cornwall and Cornwall Bridge"
are the railroad stations. By train, Corn
wall seems a bowling wilderness of rocky
mountain-side covered with birch and
scrub pine. The wonder to the stranger
ever is that these pretty little villages
mentioned should exist in this wild and iso-
lated place where there is scarcely a sin
gle city block of approximately level
ground.
The houses cling to the mountain side
on little benches apparently scoopsd out
to make a foothold. There are good,
much-used roads In sight, but the way
out and the reason fos their being is not
clear. It is only when one leaves the
vi, ba inf
feet above 1t that the lovely, rolling up
land meadows and beautiful farm home
steads appear. Then one discovers fer
tile country intersected by broad stone
walls that tell of endless and patient toll
in clearing these rock strewn hills OF
Cornwall"
President Dwight, of Yale, once said
Of Cornwall:
The Almighty from his bounteous store,
Poured rocks on rocks till he could pour more.
Proud and prosperous farms they are
now, but If those walls were back where
they came from these broad acres would
never be reclaimed-at least not for a
thousand years. For farming, strictly
speaking, is no longer. the profitable bust
ness 1t once was in Cornwall. People
may get SO numerous one OF these days
that they will have TO take up the pave
then the fioodtide OF prosperity will return
here perhaps; but that is a question for
the sociologist and not for the artist, who
has quite enough TO do Interpreting ex-
ternals. He seeks things that may be
painted, and is concerned only with to-
day. Some one else must speculate about
tomorrow.
Cornwall is town OF beautiful farm
homes. The money that supports them
ic mt de- in ltt- ha
mer boarder has arrived, but he is more
or less remotely related to the townspeo-
pie. He has discovered its picturesque
ness and knows the wholesome high char
acter OF its inhabitants. He slips into his
niche in the family circle and enjoys life,
while the haying and other farm work
go on, Indifferent to his presence. There
are as yet in Cornwall no hotels OF that
Understandable sort where the guests
are set out on the piazza in the morning
turned around at noon, and taken in at
night
1t is said Of New Hampshire that the
most profitable crop raised in that State
is the summer boarder and that the people
there spend their time in summer getting
his money, while they devote the winters
to getting il from each other. Cornwall
profits by the inconvenience of being away
from the railroad and the absence OF fac
tories. Most of the Cornwallltes, of course,
do not know this. only that wiser few.
sound of mind and body, who love home
and are contented with much hard work
and small returns. They know It, but the
others are progressive. They would like
a city or two full OF factories trolley cars,
electric lights, fine hotels, and all those
things which make the cities comfortable
and luxurious for the few and wretcked
for the many. All this may come in time,
but when it does the artist and nature
lover will go somewhere else.
1t is a popularity OF the true Corn
wallite to think this the most beautiful
town in the State, and scrap with his
neighbor about the relative beauty and
value of the different sections OF the town |
1t is only the impersonal artist who comes
here to paint-and there are several
who knows that the town. with its diversl-
fed scenery of hill and dale, is all charm
ing In its way, and no part may safely |
lay claim to having all the attractions in '
Its own little cherished corner.
Cornwall belongs to that order of New |
England towns which, without having |
single village OF any consequence. as TO |
the number Of its inhabitants, cuts a wide |
swathe in the life and activity of the State |
And there are as many Cornwalls as there |
are Eadhams. of which some stranger who |
found them confusing said he wished the |
devil had EN-" That experience might |
be repeated here, should anyone seek an |
obscure person with Cornwall" as the |
address given, for there are seven Corn
Plains, West Cornwall, |
Bridge, Cornwall Hollow, North |
East Cornwall. and Cornwall
Centre. West Cornwall, located on the
railroad, IS the business centre, and the
largest OF the three villages. The Bridge
Is also business centre.
Cornwall Plains, barring the one fault
hat 1t is prone to think Itself the whole
thing because ii is the Otcia! Corn