Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-08-31
MIDDLEBURY VIEWED
BY AN OLD TIMER
In His S5th Year, W, M, AyTeS
Pays Visit to BOyhOOd Scenes
Surprised with Growth Of Town
and Finds Delightful Trips
TO Mountains

WIN SEpWNW W wv W
and Finds Delightful Trips
10 Mountains
DanJers, Mass,
August 20, 1917
Editor Of The Register
Dear Sir
At your request send you some ac.
count of my visit to my old home town,
Weybridge and vicinity.
Stopping few days in Middebury
IL was but natural to call at the office
of The Register, the paper that came to
my boyhood home weekly 80 many
years ago, for my father, Francis
Ayres, was subscriber from my earliest
recollection. was very favorably i'm.
pressed with the spirit and enterprise
Of the new paper, Having subscribed
for The Register shall again become a
regular reader of the paper, in my S5th
year, Great changes have taken place
during the twenty-five years since !
was home.
should hardly have known Middle
bury. The old wooden bridge has dis.
appeared and its place is taken by a
substantial stone one The attractive
bank building has been erected, the
Battell block and several others of less
proportions the Town House, the
Methodist and Baptist churches.
On the College campus is the beauti-
full Mead Memorial Chapel with its in
spring inscription as it faces the dis
tant mountains, THE strength Of the
hills is His also.
Several modern buildings have been
added to the three ivy clad strutures of
earlier years.
While many dwellings remain the
same, the only public buildings that
were familiar in the sixties, are the
Congregational and Episcopal churches
and the Addison House.
Middlebury impresses me now, as in
former times, as most desirable place
for comfortable homes, and it's famous
summer school adds much to its popu
larity in vacation time
In Weybridge changes among the
people were more noticeable than in
material things, though here also,
changes have taken place. The
two old covered wooden bridges have
given place to iron ones, much more
substantial. The town is not large,
but it has furnished its proportion Of
useful men, who have gone out into
larger fields.
Sias Wright, native Of the town,
was elected Governor of the state of
New York, and it is believed by many
that he would have become president of
the United States, had he lived few
years longer.
Herbert Twitchell son of Ira
Twitchell, has recently been elected
President of the Chemical Bank of
New York, one of the largest financial
institutions of the country. Many others,
though occupying less prominent posi-
tons, have made good as they have
gone out into business or professional
life. 1t was pathetic to think of so
many friends and acquaintance Of
other days, who have passed away, but
a pleasure to meet few of their de-
cendants.
1t was my privilege to call on friends
in Middlebury, Weybridge, New Haven,
Panton and Bristol. The latter is a
model country village, not nestled
among the hills, but snuggled close to
a mountain.
The roads as rule, are good in all
the towns mentioned, and there are de-
lightful auto rides in various directions.
Among those enjoyed were one to III
conderoga and the old Fort, one to
Lake Dunmore and East Mddlebury,
another to Mt. Phio and several
shorter trips. The most enjoyable was
the one to Mt. Philo. A winding road
affords a gradual ascent to the summit,
Every little distance is lookout rest
ing place from which one can view the
beautiful scenery from different points.
On the west Lake Champlain and the
Adirondack Mountains, Interspersed
between these are valleys, plains
hillocks, covered with trees, grass, or
ripening grain, God leaves no spot
ungloritied. "
Snake Mountain, as it was called in
my boyhood days, but now Grand View
Mountain, affords equal if not superior
views to Mt. Philo.
If arrangements were made for more
easily ascending it, many summer Wis
itors would be attracted by the delight
full view of lake, mountains and plains
from its summit.
The visit to the old home and vicinity
has been a delight to me- The re-
membrance of which will help cheer in
journeying along twilight paths.
Wy NJ