The Republican journal., 1912-08-15

The bungalow itself is most attractive in de-
sign, built of the best materials and perfectly
constructed. 1t faces south and broad We
randa extends along the front and is continued
on the east and west ends, forming pergola
at the latter end. The building, roof, walls
and veranda, are stained rich brown. AS you
enter the large living room you face stone
fire place with its massive andirons and crane
This part of the bungalow is two stories high
and the room is open up to the roof. Opposite
the fire place is gallery accessible by stair
way. from which you may step through a
French window to balcony. The gable above
supports the flagstaff. On three sides of the
living room are what nautical man would
call broad transoms, covered with cushions,
and with hinged covers that they may be used
as lockers. Off this room are two large Sleep
ing apartments, each with its bath room, set
bowl and hot and cold water. The plumbing
throughout is of the best. In the rear of the
living room is the kitchen, pantries, etc., with
every convenience, and over it are two bed
rooms. Under this part of the bungalow is a
cemented cellar in which is a furnace large
enough to heat church-there are registers
in every room-and a smaller furnace IF that
is the name for it) that keeps up a continuous
supply of hot water. There were no outbuild-
ings when Mr.. Knowlton bought the place
but he has built substantial garage in which
to keep his Packard car, gasolene and oil.
There is well on the place near the house, and
under the hill in front are springs and wind
mill with which to pump up the water, but as
it is not high enough to catch the breezes that
blow at the greater elevation Mr.. Knowlton
has had the city (?) water piped to the house
and garage.
Of the rides in the Packard-all "joy rides"
in fact-it is impossible to write consecutively
or in detail. The longest ride was to SPRING
field, starting at 1890 a. M, returning at $50
p. M, spending an hour or more at dinner in
Springfield and covering distance of ITO
miles. About so miles was over the main
thoroughfare between Boston and New York,
over which. in both directions, cars were going
at top speed. The roads for the most part are
tree-shaded; in many places arching overhead,
and in hot day their shade and the absence
of the glare of the sun was most refreshing l
was told that State law prohibited cutting
the trees by the wayside and that later in the
year those in charge of the roads would trim
the branches that might interfere with vehi-
cles. In places there were walls of green well
up to the travelled way, but where views were
to be had of ponds, streams or hills the road
was open While the hills in Maine are gen.
orally rocky, if not all rocks, the hills in Massa-
chusetts are capable of cultivation to their
very tops, and except along the streams rocks
are not much in evidence anywhere. While
oaks, pines and white birches are seen, the
latter most rarely, the prevailing tree growth
is chestnut, and in the forests it has a tall
straight trunk free of limbs and small head.
1t reaches height of 60 to 70 feet and d-
ameter of Is to 80 inches, occasionally exceed
ing these dimensions The wood is soft, light.
durable and strong, and splits easily. 1t is used
for interior finishing and is much in demand
for telephone poles, railroad ties and fence
posts. The durability of the wood is due to
the fannie acid it contains.
In all the rides but one saw mill was seen.
In many places were factories around which
villages had grown up. l was told of one such
town in Massachusetts where the manufactur-
ing plant which supported it was moved ten or
twelve miles away to get railroad facilities,
and the place was deserted. Some years later,
under different conditions, the factory return
ed-and the empty houses were tenanted again.
That would be the case with many of the
small places in Massachusetts, They are de-
pendant wholly upon the factories as their
locations are seldom adapted to farming or
orcharding. Here and there outside of Spring
field were the homes of Italians,who coming to
this section to work on railroads or highways
had bought abandoned farms" and settled
down. In California the Italians have been
very successful as market gardeners, but how
it is here we did not learn. One negro habita-
ton was seen, with group of grinning picka-
ninny's at the open door. Between Rutland
and Springfield we came upon construction
crew of the Grand Trunk railway preparing to
build lofty concrete towers to support bridge
across river. Temporary workshops and
habitations for the men had been erected, and
half hundred Italians and score of sleek
mules were at work. Few vehicles other than
motor cars, and fewer pedestrians, were seen;
but one note reads: "Saw headed child
that toed-in, in tow of woman"
The Clinton reservoir, the source of Boston's
water supply, was visited and the granite wall
or dam that holds this vast body of water is a
most impressive specimen of mans handiwork,
worthy to rank with the great pyramids in
Egypt and serving a more useful purpose.
The State controls the surrounding water shed,
known as the Wachusetts reservation, and in
every available space young pine trees have
been set out thickly together. The trees now
are not more than two feet high, hardly that,
but when grown the reservoir will be surround
ed by dense pine forest. Mention has been
made of the tree-shaded roads, and in other d.
rections there are evidences of the attention
given to the preservation and propagation of
trees, while in Maine, generally speaking, an
opposite policy is pursued and the clearing of
the land of trees, which serve as reservoirs,
leads to the drying up of streams and deprives
the landscape Of one of its greatest charms.