The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-08-18
wINpHAM COUNTY SCENERY.

wINDHAM COUNTY SCENERY.
Writer in Boston Transcript Describes
Beauties Of Country About Dover.
"Mountaineer" in The Boston Transcript
pays the following tribute to Wndham
scenery.
From the center Of most charming
area of rural felicity there comes to the
little note OF ialr en-
thusiast e. NJ. E., who says by way
of introduction, AS | have tramped over
these beautiful hills day after day i
have wished so many times that more
people could know and visit Them
The story comes from West Dover, a
hamlet nestled high up among foothills
of Haystack, with the assertion that
Scotch lady at the village inn considers
Vermont even more beautiful than her
own native land. There is scarcely level
ground enough for the village street,
and on its farther side one seated on the
piazza is caught instantly by picturesque
hill pasture sweeping up to the sky, "a
constant delight whether one watches the
heecy clouds skirting its rim, or at sunset
views the lowing herd in single lille seek
ing the society of the herdsmen, or, wit
nesses display of celestial pyrotechnles
gives its resounding good nights" just
above is the Boyd place, where the owner
fell off his farm to the land below one
slippery, wintery day. Through pastures
and wood, over hill and through glen, up
mountains and across intervales, there Is
network of roads, practicable to the hay
rack or blackboard, and different com
bination with the planning OF every day.
A woodland ride TO Bogie mountain pre-
coded a nine mile walk of which Il. NJ.
L. gives the following delightful descrip-
ton: First we descended Bogie mountain
through the spruce and balsam woods,
which abound here to the almost com
plete exclusion of the pine, past the mar
bic slab erected near the old roadway
and marking the spot where. Benjamin
Converse was killed in 1883 by bull
which he was leading home. from VIII
mington fair to Podunk classic name
that | should no more have expected to
find on solid earth than the tabled spots
of Greek mythology, past meadow and
sugar orchard with open vistas OF STRAIT
ton mountain across the valley at halfa-
dozen miles distance, and SO down TO
the mills of West Wardsboro. From this
place our way lay through the cool woods
by devious paths and an immense bunch
of the purple-fringed orchis was the
treasure trove that we brought back with
us to adorn our dining table IN fragrant
freshness for 10 full days"
Another days tramp OF the fair pedes-
TRANS and nature lovers was over Elmer
hill, up through a pasture deep in ferns,
where the view opens to the north and
east of north to Stratton (3,S39 feetl and
the Jamaica hills (rising to 1000 feet ,
eastward to Monadnock and southwark
to Haystack, Greylock and the Hoosac
and Berlin mountains. A cut through
the woods to the west led to a beauty
spot, formerly the center, OF home life OF
hilltop farm, whence the near view OF
the end of the Somerset range, as it tow,
ers above one, is most impressive and
lawe-inspiring.
The red.letter day of the season to the
dwellers in the little Green Mountain
| inn was the Somerset day. From the hill
pastures back of the village, whence one
can look across the shingled slants OF
the village roofs, and past the meeting
house with its typical porch and simple
steeple, it is the object that fills the
view. 1t dominates the village street,
not in that overpowering sense that OBJ
tains occasionally in Switzerland, where
one might not wish to remain for fear
of being crushed, but in good New Eng
land style, with smoothly forested slopes
and level western ridge. With two miles
of charming road for an introduction
there came four miles OF mountain pain,
eafy bower every inch Of the way to
Chase's Pond From this pretty little
clearing with its charming vision OF
Stratton mountain and its twin reflected
from the water the way led through
Bear Hollow alas no bears since year
ago - then up gentle ascent lined with
luscious Strawberries and raspberries when
suddenly the view opens upon the Glaston'
bury mountains (3,764 feet), parallel range
| in the system to Somerset, and whose
southern spurs, beyond the peak OF Bald
shadow and protect Bennington from the
northeast winds. For the conclusion OF
a little season of tramplng the correspon
dent with two other Brattleboro women
and two men for guides, made the ascent
through the wilderness-there is no tran
on Stratton mountain. The trip was made
from West Wardsboro and Stabbed
across the feeder brooks of the West
river. 1t is an even four miles as the crow
flies from the highway to the summit
Stratton being a vast bulk that covers
not less than 10 square miles of territory
The climb was not difficult one, the skill
of the men being sufficient to avoid some
of the trials of amateurs, windfalls, lumber
mems slash and the joint-rooting witch
peak to the south at $40 feet, making
the rest of the climb along the axis o.
the mountain. 'It was a paradise Of
BIRDS writes E. M. E. 1--WE. started a
partridge which went off piping to its
brood of which we were fortunate in get
ting glimpse of one chick, the black
throated green and black-throated blue
warblers were frequently heard, and by
one of the largest of the many, brooks
that rumble down the side of the great
|neun, ain mass there was audible the bub
are some of the mountaineering delights
awaiting him who seeks them in the bits
of Vermont just north of the Massachu
sets border.