The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1913-11-13
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Boston Wriasr Visits Mountain
Towns. -- Brautifai Manchester
MAGNIFICENT View Prem Top of
Peru Mountain.

Peru Mountain.
Edwin u. Mead. who is d native
Of Chesterfield, n H.. and spends
much time Ia summers there on
his old boyhood farm. sends to The
Mpuntaineer an account OF recent
drive with HIS wife and sister aroun
Stratton Mountain IN Vermont, says
the Boston Transcript In a recent la
sue. IN its department OF the above
title stratton Ia by far the highest
mountain In southern Vermont. al
most 1000 feet high. and the beauti
full region south aud east OF II is
not so often visited nor 80 well
known as II ought TO be. A good
trail has now been made 20 the
summit OF the mountain. and the ex
tension OF the railroad north OF VIII
mington will soon make the south
ern point Of the mountain more easi
by accessible. II Is section that
has already been presented to noun
taineers from the trampers' point
OF view by r. NJ, f., and this ac-
count by Mr.. Mead further attests
its value In a scenic way;
The great charm of Chesterfield,
n. H., one OF the Connecticut val
ley towns dominated by Monadnock,
is not more in its lake, the largest
and most beautiful OF those In
Cheshire, than in its broad horizon,
1t is the one valley town hereabouts
whose village is set on hill,
the villages of Hinsdale, Westmore-
land and Walpole all lying hidden
beneath sheitering ridges. Ches-
terrified village with its spires ris-
ing among the trees can be seen Tor
miles around and itself commands a
view of the Connecticut valley and
Of the Green mountains for an i'm
mense distance, from far beyond
Stratton mountain to the north OF
point beyond Haystack in the south.
The river itself is but four miles
away and Brattleboro is hidden by
Wantastiquet. which fills the south
west corner of the view as one looks
from the village or the higher hills
east of 1t. Most slightly of these is
Prospect hill, which commands the
fl nest panorama In this part of New
England. To the east rises "Chesh-
Eires naughty hill" with Its broad
base and its sharp peak, the ideal
mountain, the geologists' type OF
/ formation; beyond the lake, far In
the north and 40 miles away, Is
Ascutney, while Stratton and Hay
sstack are the chiefs of the noun
tains in the Vermont ranges In the
west. Mo aadnock is $3.50 feet high;
Hayserck. 3,460 feet and Stratton,.
$500 feet, figures easy to remem-
Der in their relation one to the
other.
From the Chesterfield hills we
have looked across to the Vermont
mountains, especially to Stratton,
like the back of great elephant
plowing its way southwark among
the hills. Through an inspiration
from The Mountaineer we resolved
this month to be distant acquaintan-
ces with the great hill no longer,
but to come into close touch and
the process wass SO easy and so re-
warding that we cordially commend
1t to all who love southwest New
Hampshire and its contiguous terrao
and heights OF southern Vermont.
Country Of Deserted Villages.
From Brattl,boro. just across the
river, here were 80 delightful miles
on the Wes' River railroad, winding
Ip the green valley by the beautiful
stream to the little village OF
Jamaica. There at the tavern we
had our midday dinner and at
O'Clock we were off with two horses
the jovial driver, two ladi.s ana
myself--for our drive of 80 miles
over the hills and through the
woods to Arlington, We were a
little surprised, too, TO find that
Arlington is in the westernmost tier
of Vermont towns. SO that the jour
ney from Brattleboro took us vir-
tually across the state.
The road from Jamaica to Airing
ION Is charming, the high views
among the hills and the stretches
through the forests claiming alter
nately the highest praise. All the
pines, spruces, firs. hemlocks, tama-
rack are there in infinite number
and great yellow birches are con-
spicuous among an equal number 0
hardwood trees And the driver,
Elton Williams. is who's who and
what's what combined, for there is
nothing animate or inanimate In the
woods that Is beyond his ken.
II the hills and forests upon the
drive were beautiful and inspiring,
the human and sociological aspects
OF the way were depressing enough.
Ii have never driven through an
equal stretch OF New England where
abandoned farms and even deserted
villages were In such profusion. II Is
doubtful whether in the whole 30
miles we passed half-a-dozen human
habitations which are tenanted to-
day. whila there we're three villages.
West Jamaica. Stratton and Grouts
Mills, which are entirely abandoned
with every building in them going
steadily to ruin. The wife OF our
host az the Jamaica tavern had
ha.,, a Straffou girl and remember |