Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-05-26
ATrip Through New England.
Part IL.

and the environment, an early train
was taken at North Station for a Wis
into Northern New England on
the Boston and Maine Railroad which
has net work of branches all over
this section, carrying in the summer
months thousands of visitors to and
from the White Mountains, some
times called the Switzerland of
America"
There were several routes which
could have been selected, but the one
chosen went in northerly direction
from Boston, through Lowell, Massa-
|chusetts and up the Merrimac river,
for many miles, which river is said
to- run more machinery than any in
the world. I had studied all these
things in geography, but never find
any descriptions sufficient in the most
helpful detail.
:On each side the railroad and
along the river were many manufac-
turing plants, but they were all
something else besides the familiar
cotton factory. was interested in
Ethe logs floating down the river and
the beautiful white birches growing
on either side.
After crossing the boundary from
Massachusetts into New Hampshire,
since the early settlements disput-
led line, which 1 afterwards learned
|.had been surveyed and made salts
factory by my cousin in Littleton,
IN. II, we passed through the most
|populous cities in the state at Nash
ua, Manchester and the capitol
city Of Concord. Almost from the
time we entered New Hampshire, the
scenery began to change, and soon
| thg foothills of the White Mountains
began tobe seen and then higher and
higher they, loomed, and the lakes on
either side were glistening in the sun
Light. 4 sat in the car, looked
ffrom ones Window to the. other, fear
~ would miss something of
& y ,..,sss.
One of the most startling scenes
was Mt. Washington, covered with
snow. This tis the highest peak in
New England, but not quite SO high
as Mt. Mitchell near Asheville which
has the greatest altitude east of the
Rockies.
I The most astonishing thing of all
to me was that l was actually there
to see it, and had to soothe my con-
science many times that had allow
ed myself to indulge in such depar-
ture from my accustomed routine. If
there had been anyone else to have
taken my place l should certainly
have surrendered the JOY to them,
for can enjoy good things by proxy
and have done so many times.
About four o'clock in the after
noon, we began to see some of the
places which had been familiar
scenes to my grandmother who came
from Littleton, N. H., to South Car
olina about 1910, and where my
father as little boy, had visited
his relatives. This part of our visit
became interesting in quite a differ
ent way for besides all the charms of
nature which this country affords,
I was to meet and know for the first
time some of those who were of my
own blood. In many places on the
sides of the hills and in the valleys
were great banks of ice and snow as
well as on the mountain peaks, and
the further we travelled, the more of
it We saw. AS the train stopped at the
station at Littleton. l looked out to
see of 1 could recognize anyone
whom l thought might be there to
welcome me. Sure enough, there was
shining face and arms ready to
receive us. had always had visit
full but not hopeful longing that
someday / might tread upon the soil
and look upon the places that my
grandmother had seen, without
whose adventurous coming to South
Carolina "I would never have been."
In a short time in company with
my cousin, Mrs. Isabella Weller, l
reached the home of more relatives,
Mr.. and Mrs. R. T. Gile. The father
of Mrs. Weller, DR.. Abbey, as
young man taught at Bethany for a
year in Edgefeld county, and refer
red to it in his journal to Edgefield