Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-31

aged "Canuck' Frenchman has built one
OF the pretticst hotels in the North. an
CINE on the side opposite the sail I'll
warrant there is no more quaint or uucerer
fcrryboat in the country.
THE OLD FERRY.
once heard of pair of friends who
came down to the lake in two-horse rig
and found one of these scow ferryboats,
but no ferryman. They picked up his horn
and blew 1t to wake the dead hut the fer
ryman did not come.
Never mind" said one man to the
other. 81 have often seen the thing done;
| will get the boat across"
They drove the carriage on board and
pushed off into the lake. on that same
instant the stiff breeze that was blowing
filed the great sail and the steering oar
went overheard and floated away. Up the
lake went the ferryboat, churning the
water into acres of foam. The man who
bad often seen the thing done" went help
less with fright, but the other man got a
plank and used 1t as a rudder with such
effect that in the course of a long time
the boat was turned and ran ashore.
They led the team ashore, abandoned
the ferryboat, and started to find n road.
The nearest road was miles away, and the
land between them and it was all laid out
in farm fields. They vow that they let
down the bars of more than 400 fences and
spent until dayllght-a matter of seven
hours getting to that road
Eut even of primitive precautionary
craft there are so few on the Lake that
their absence is impressive. Perhaps once
day and once in each night a powerful
tug Will steam along towing two dozen or
forty canal boats to or from Whitehall
large. fine canaboats. on which you see
the life of a floating town.
YACHTS AND LAUNCHES.
Eight or ten steam yachts and launches
were as many as | saw, pioneering the
beautiful pleasure navy that will ride these
waters when the rich and luxurious come
to spy out the views from the now farm
lined Vermont shore and build their camps
and homes upon its capes and bluffsOur
fcllow-Ncw Yorker DR.. W. Seward Webb,
has led the way with the most beautiful
home in the region and one of the most
ambitious and costly country seats in Am
erica. lie has bought the whole of Shell
burnc Point, containing more than 4.0N
acres. and has erected there a palace in
which he spends eight months of each
year.
Whether we regard Lake Champain and
the valley in which 1t lies as a cradle OF
liberty. an ancient cockpit of war, or an
amphitheatre OF history, it's chief interes,
has long lay in its past One may drench
himself with moving tales of heroic past
if he stays, as did at the end OF my voy-
age. at Larabee's Point. The British used
to row over TO the hotel on this point dt
was log house them years before the
Colonies rose in rebellion. The struggle
over the rival rights OF New York and
New hampshire to make grants OF land IN
Vermont waged all over this vicinity The
Green Mountain Boys, from fighting New
Workers, came to fighting the British only
a mile away, at Fort Ticonderoga-
49,. g H. l.
beautiful and pitiful The ruins of this
stronghold. which was the first British
post to fall into our hands, stand on q
rocky elevation which Is now part of q
farm, or close beside farm, and owned
by a wcll-known New York city family.
The Sons of the Revolution have put g
bronze tablet on one OF these walls, anc
the painted advertising signs which lone
scandalized the place have been removed
But If ever a place needed governmental
care, and IL ever government was remis.
in plain duty, 1t is here that you see
these faults glaring eloQuently.
This fort. which recalls the glory o.
France and marks her bold endeavor t.
extend her dominion deep in our own land
this monument OF the beginnings of Eng
lands imperial sway and the folly OF thu
men who then guided her growth; this re
minder OF the heroism of our patriot an
cestors. is to-day a grazing ground fo
cattle and a seat Of neglect and tangled
wildwood.
Here might we'll have been established
one of the army posts now springing VI
all along our northern frontier; if not
then here our government should main
tain a small preserve, rebuilding the ole
fort on its ancient lines, marking tn,
old and rebuildcd parts, and beautifyine
the vincinage as it may have been in th'
days of its glory. 1t should be a New
World Mecca to which our millions SHOULD
wcnd for fresh inspiration in the sacreC
duties of American citizenship.-J
Ralph, in the New York Times,