The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-25

old resident and knows values here, said the other day, MT, Badger, I don't believe you could build this house today for cent les sthan $l,S00."
 The MT. has been on several fishing trips while here but has been more successful with lake fishing than with brook fishing as the brooks were low until just recently. On his last lake trip, he and his companion brought home sixty-flve fish, mostly bass and perch with a few bullheads, all of @ good size,
 We have taken many interest ing trips while here. We have been across the state to a point north of Burlington, where we crossed what is called the Sand Bar Bridge" and which Is really a cement road which has been built from the mainland, across dismal watery swamps and marshes and at one point through a shallow part of the lake itself, across portion of Lake Cham plain to Grand Isle. Here we vis- tied the towns of South Hero and Grand Isle. One may continue by connecting roads from island to island up the lake to point just south of the Canadian border. f...e
 We visited Sherbrooke in Cam ada, and drove around the shores of beautiful Lake Memphremagog, which is an international body of water, situated as 1t is partly in the United States and partly in Canada.
 We travelled through the lake district in the northeastern part sof the state, visiting Lakes Wil- loughby. Caspian, Hardwick, Cry stal and many other small ones of which we did not learn the names. Our most interesting trip so far was trip through Smugglers' Notch and to the top of Mt. Mans field. The altitude of Mt, Mans field is given as 4,393 feet, while 1t is five miles in length. As you approach the mountain from the vicinity of Stowe, the outline re- sembles the profile of an elongated face in repose., First there Is the long. sloping forehead and brow, then the peaks known as the Nose, the Lips, the Chin and the Adams Apple. A toll road has been built from the state highway to a point just under the nose, where there has been erected a well appointed summer hotel. To travel this road IS an adventure in itself. Although perfectly safe 1t is so steep and winding that the entire four and one-half miles must be made in low and second gear ascending and in low on the descending trip.
 Although for the past sixty years there has been a wagon road leading to the summit of the mountain, 1t Is about seventeen years ago this toll road was built, at, SO we were informed, a cost of $10000 per mile. Looking east- ward from the hotel veranda ypu see range after range of the Green Mountains in Vermont, the White Mountains In New Hampshire. To the north Is Mount Royal in Canada. By climbing to a slightly higher elevation, one may see the grandeur of Lake Champlain, with It's l20 miles or more stretching from north to south, with the Adirondack Mountains of New York as western background. In fact, one feels as If they were in reality "On Top of the World. Growing all about in the sandy soil and among the rocks at the summit, is a fine, delicate white flower. A guide informed us this is called Mountain Sand Wort. If you are adventurously inclined, you may follow the Long Trail which traverses this mountain. to the Chin which Is a distance of about two miles from the Nose. Some of the members of our party made this trip and felt we'll repaid. In fact, two of our party are so en- thusiastic over the mountain, they have made the ascent three times this summer.
 Coming back to the highway you begin the trip through Snug gler's Notch. The legend of this notch is that during the Embargo and the War of 1912. this gorge was used by smugglers to brng in goods from Canada. A fine road has been built by the State of Vermont and engineered so as to bring the tourist in contact with the natural beauties of this gorge. It Is as if nature had laid out a Midway for your special entertainment.
 My letter has grown so long will not attempt to tell in detail the. beauties of this pass. Theie is Binghams' Falls where for cen. turtles the water has been wearing the stone away and now falls ia cascades of fifteen or more fceE