i'.'y^awagaii 
 
eiif 
 
 —■m Lake George. 
 
 Tliis beautiful Lake stands unrivalled as a summer rpsort. Nestling in 
 a basin scooped out of one of the most lovely spots upon the surface of 
 this our globe; hemmed in by mountains, meadows, plains and valleys; 
 clad in robes of regal, ever-varying splendor; resting like a sheet ot mol- 
 ten silver, high above trie sea level ; dotted with fairy isles that glitter like 
 emeralds in the summer sunlight, and seem to float upon the bosom of this 
 silvery lake; its translucent waters send up pictures from its lowest depths 
 to meet the charming scenes that he reflected on the borders of this lovely 
 mirror, framed and set in nature's choicest brilliants ; the very air and sky 
 seem to ca'^"^" *'■"* ir>or>if«itinn of thp ■unnHmna aon-noci Qr>A c""^"ise, noon 
 ^'%>'^<^<%,<^'%,'%><^^^<^<%^<^^/^<^^^'q] death at 
 
 I LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. t^^rTt 
 
 i' |> 3 locality 
 
 and sunset 
 the hand o 
 bloody bat 
 lovelines, t 
 is irresista 
 
 
 
 JT/ie// 1..^-^..^. 
 
 #KE, 
 
 It was bull 
 ing Place ] 
 persons. ' 
 
 f UNITED STATES OF AMERICA f y water- 
 
 ,- ^ i hundred 
 
 fp<<s>'%,^'^<^<5^<^<^'%'^-^^,^<^^^ '%>'%,^(l3i litabiefor 
 
 families anu parues. jiivery room is mruisnea wiin gas anu a uell. 
 
 JL First-Class Orchestra 
 
 Has been engaged for the season. The Stables have accommodations for 
 One Hundred Horses. 
 
 STEAM AND SAIL YACHTS 
 
 And small Row Boats to be had on inquiry at the oflSce. To Families and 
 Parties Special Terms will be made. Apply until June 1st, to ''The Ar- 
 lington," Washington, D. C. 
 
 T. RoEssLE & Son, 
 
 Owners and Proprietors. 
 
THE 
 
 REAT 
 
 ^ORTH-W 
 
 ) 
 
 OI^H- VV EST, 
 
 BEYOND CHICAGO. 
 
 Hitherto we have said but little about the railways or the country beyond 
 Chicago. Many of our readers have " worn out," by constant visits, much of the 
 scenery and tourists' resorts of the East, and are looking for " forests new and 
 pastures green " elsewhere. We would invite them to look to the great North- 
 west. Here they can find lakes and hills, mountains and valleys, woods and 
 streams, new, and untrod by the Eastern tourist. To get to Chicago, you have 
 various and good routes. 
 
 Beyond Chicago, we would name the great North- Western Railway, as a route 
 having more terminal points, more connecting lines, and reaching more points of 
 interest, than any other ; and it may be taken, should you be on business or pleas- 
 ure bent, or should you desire to reach Denver, and the mountains of Colorado, 
 the wilds of Idaho and Montana, or the Pacific slope, or north-westwardly the 
 woods and streams and lakes of Wisconsin, Minnesota, or the Lake Superior 
 ■country of Northern Michigan. 
 
 In 1849, there was not a mile of completed railroad in the vicinity of Chicago. 
 Ip that year, W. B. Ogden was endeavoring to interest the people in the northern 
 portion of Illinois to subscribe money to build a tramway along the route ot what 
 afterwards became the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad. Through almost 
 insurmountable difficulties tlie venture was finally accomplished, and the road 
 opened for business. From that small beginning great results have grown. In 
 time the Chicago and North-Western Railway Company was formed, and took 
 unto themselves the first effort of Mr. Ogden, and also other lines projected by 
 him and others. This great corporation now owns and operates over two thou- 
 sand miles of road, that, radiating from Chicago like the fingers in a man's hand, 
 -extend in all directions, and cover about all of the country north, north-west, and 
 west of Chicago. With one branch it reaches Racine, Kenosha, Milwaukee, and 
 the country north thereof; witJa another line it pushes through Janesville 
 Watertown, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Escanaba, to Negaunee and 
 Marquette; with another line it passes through Madison, Elroy, and for St. Paul 
 -and Minneapolis; branching westward from Elroy, it runs to and through Winona, 
 Owatonna, St. Peter, Mankato, New Ulm, and stops not until Lake Kampeska 
 (Dakota) is reached ; another line starts from Chicago, and continues through 
 Elgin and Rockford to Freeport, and connects for Warren, Galena, and Dubuque, 
 and the country beyond. Still another line runs almost due westward, and passes 
 through Dixon, Sterling, Fulton, Clinton (lo.), Cedar Rapids, Marshalltown, 
 Grand Junction, Missouri Valley Junction, to Council Bluffs and Omaha. This 
 
the " Great Trans-Continental Route," and the pioneer overland line for 
 Nebraska, Colorado Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, California, and the Pacific 
 Coast. It runs through the garden of Illinois and Iowa, and is the shortest and 
 quickest route for Omaha., Lincoln, and other points in Nebraska, and for 
 Cheyenne, Denver, Salt Lake City, Virginia City, Carson, Sacramento, San 
 Francisco, and all other points west of the Missouri River. 
 
 See, then, what one company can do for you. If you want to go to Milwaukee, 
 Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Janesville, Watertown, Oshkosh, De Pare, 
 Green Bay, Ripon, Madison, Baraboo, Eau Claire, Hudson, Stillwater, St. Paul, 
 Minneapolis, Duluth, Breckenridge, Morehead, Fort Garry, Winona, Owatonna, 
 New Ulm, Freeport, Warren, Plattville, Galena, Dubuque, Waterloo, Fort 
 Dodge, Sioux City, Yankton, Council Bluffs, Omaha, Lincoln, Denver, Salt Lake 
 City, Sacramento, San Francisco, or a hundred other northern, north-western, or 
 western points, this great line affords the amplest accommodations. The track is 
 ofthe best steel rail, and is well ballasted, and as free from dust as a road can be 
 made. The bridges are strong and durable ; and all the appointments are first- 
 class in every respect. The trains that run over this route are made up of elegant 
 new Pullman palace drawing-room and sleeping coaches huilt expressly for this 
 line; luxurious, well lighted, and well-ventilated day-coaches, and pleasant 
 lounging and smoking cars, all built by this company in their own shops. The 
 cars are all equipped with the celebrated Miller safety platform, and patent 
 buffers and couplings, Westinghouse safety air brakes, and every other appHancy 
 that has been devised for the safety of passenger-trains. All trains are run by 
 telegraph, and are so regularly on time that one could safely set his watch by 
 their arrivals or departures. It is acknowledged by the travelling public to be the 
 popular line for all points in Northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northern 
 Michigan, Dakota, Western Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Mon- 
 tana, Idaho, Nevada, California, and the Pacific slope. 
 
 The Devil's Lake country around Baraboo (171 miles from Chicago), the 
 beautiful lake country around Madison (140 miles from Chicago), Sparta (a 
 celebrated magnetic-spring resort), Escanaba, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Elk- 
 hart Lake, Marquette, St. Paul, Minneapolis, the Falls of Minnehaha, Lakes 
 Calhoun, Harriett, and Minnetonkee, White Bear Lake, Lake Como, and many 
 other points on this route, are well worth visiting. Good Hotels, and pleasant 
 boarding and farm houses, abonnd ; near which you can find fishing, sailing, 
 boating, and bathing to your heart's content. Lake Geneva, the gem of Western 
 lakes, is also on this line ; and at its head is the town of that name, that has 
 been appropriately named "The Saratoga ofthe West." The Chicago and 
 North- Western each year places on sale excursion -tickets at cheap rates to all of 
 its summer resorts in the North-west, and to Denver and other points in Colorado. 
 George L. Harrison, at 5 State Street, Boston is the New England Agent 
 of this great Line and will at all times be pleased to give full information about 
 its routes, etc. 
 
 MARVIN HUGHITT, W\ H. STENNETT, 
 
 General Superintendent, Gen'l Passenger Agent. 
 
 Chicago. Chicago. 
 
Stran&^ers and Citizens are Cordially Invited 
 
 TO VISIT THE STORE OF 
 
 Bradford & Anthony, 
 
 374 Washington St. (opposite Bromfield St.,) Boston, 
 
 Importers, Wholesale and Retail Dealers In 
 
 dutlefy, S^i^l\iii^-¥kdkle, 
 
 SKATES, AND FANCY HARDWARE. 
 
 Throughout this establishment, from basement to roof, are to be seen many novel 
 and useful articles. Table Cutlery — of latest styles — finest finish and servica- 
 ble quality. Pocket-Knives — of all the noted makers in every style. Fancy 
 KNives. Scissors — elegantly finished — all sizes and forms — also in Sets and 
 Cases. Razors, Dressing Cases, Travelling Cases, Sportsmen's Knives. 
 Traveller's Articles — such as Luncheon Baskets, Flasks, Pocket Stoves, 
 Telescopes, Pocket Compasses. &c., &c. Fancy Hardware in endless variety. 
 Small Steel Wares. Anglers will find everything for fishing, of the most 
 reliable quality, of all kinds and styles. Rods made of Split Bamboo, Green- 
 heart, Lancewood, &c. Reels of Aluminium, Oreide, Ebonite, &c. Artificial 
 Flies for all waters, own patterns and dressing ; special Flies made to order. 
 Everything that is new and choice in the way of Fishing-Tackle. 
 
 Bradford & Anthony ara Agents for the United States for the Patent Acme Skates, 
 the best self-fastening Skates made, and have always a full assortment of the best 
 and latest styles of Skates in the market. 
 
 •<^ The Family Newspaper, ^ 
 
 DAILY, SEMI-WEEKLY AHD WEEKLY. 
 
 EVElSriKG- TRAVELLER, 
 
 [Established 1815.] 
 
 ¥l\e I<af g^e^t ^olio 5<Yei\in^ Papef ii\ ]\f ew 5<ii^ai|d. 
 
 $9.00 per anmun, including Postage. 
 
 BOSTON (w^Hctv) TRAVELLER, 
 
 [Established 1821.] 
 $4.00 per annuiii in adyance. 
 
 AMERICAN (WEEKLY) TRAVELLER, 
 
 [ESTAELiyHED 1838.] 
 
 $2.00 per annum in advance. 
 
 WOSTHINGTON, FLAHDERS Ss CO., Traveller Building, Boston. 
 
THE BOSTON 
 
 GOMMESGIAL BULLETIN. 
 
 The Best Paper of the kind in the Coiintry. 
 
 ^^^^ The only paper that prints the 
 MANVFACTUHING NEWS 
 
 of the United States, and the 
 
 BUSINESS CHANGES in the UNITED STATES. 
 
 INCLUDING 
 
 New Partnerships, Dissolutions, Failures, and Suspensions. 
 
 ALSO, 
 
 Uarket Beports, Mone^ Articles, Business Items, Gossip of Trade, Bailroad aai 
 
 Insurance Matters, 
 
 ORIGINAL SKETCHES 
 
 By the Best American Authors. 
 
 Also, the celebrated 
 
 SIPIOE OIF LIIFE COLTJlVIIl^r 
 
 Of Original "Wit and Humor. 
 
 Terms: Four Dollars a Year. 
 
 fl®=- The Commercial Bulletin lias the largest circulation of 
 any Paper of its class in the United States. 
 
 Office: Bulletin Building, 275 "Washington Street, 
 
 opposite Water Street, - - - BOSTON. 
 
 CURTIS GUILD & CO., Proprs. 
 
AiaSAlIKi 
 
 THE STANDARD OF THE WORLD. 
 
 05 
 
 •so 
 
 CO 
 
 o 
 
 
 5 
 
 CD 
 O 
 
 CD" 
 
 The Most Convenient 
 
 HIGHEST PRIZES AT PARIS IN 1857; VIENNA, MONTREAL, 
 1873; PHILADELPHIA, 1874. 
 
 In every respect worthy of the most implicit confidence, and in their correct- 
 ness of Principle, in their Accuracy of Adjustment, m their Durability, and in 
 their convenient Adaptability to every business need, they are 
 
 UNEQUALLED. 
 
 FAIRBANKS' 
 
 achgs lealssp 
 
 Designed for and adopted by the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. Also, 
 
 Miles' Patent Alarm Safety Money Drawer. 
 
 WAREHOUSES: 
 
 2 Milk St., Old South Block, Boston, 
 
 FAIRBANKS, BROWN & GO. 
 311 Broadway, - - - New York, 
 
 FAIRBANKS & CO. 
 
 ALARM 
 
 TILL M^CCo 
 
 PROVIDENCE, 
 
;j4;. 
 m 
 
 k 
 
 t 
 
 If- 
 
 w 
 I 
 
 !i'r ■ 
 
 V ■ 
 
FAXON'S 
 
 an 
 
 t 
 
 OF 
 
 SUMMER TRAVEL, 
 
 TO THE 
 
 LAKES, SPRINGS AND MOUNTAINS 
 
 OF 
 
 NEW ENGLAND AND NE¥ YORK. 
 
 BY EDWARD S. SEARS. 
 
 KouTES TO New York, Long Island Sound, the Hudson Rivek 
 THE HoosAC Tunnel and Saratoga. Lakes George, 
 Champlain, Winnepiseogee and Memphrebeagog. 
 ll The White Mountains, and the Adiron- 
 
 n DACKs. Niagara, the St. Lawrence 
 
 \ 
 
 AND 'IHE SAGUENAY, ETC., ETC. 
 
 BOSTON: ''■■'"' ^i v^ ^5\\\'^'^ \y" 
 
 V U B L ISHED BY CHARLES A. F A^XJ 
 
 No. 228 Washington Street. 
 
 (FOKMEKLY 82.) 
 
 I875-' 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 187s, by 
 
 C. A. FAXON, 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress^ at Washington. 
 
 
 J. B. Batchelder & Co., Piinters, 319 Washington St., Boston. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 Steamboat Routes to New York. — Stonington ILine ^ 
 Providence; Steamer Rhode Island; Approach to New 
 York ; The Fall River Route ; Nev^^port ; Norwich Line \ 
 Norwich ; Shore Line Route to New York ; New Haven ; 
 Springfield Route to New York ; Hartford and the Con- 
 necticut River. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Up the Hudson River to Albany. — Saratoga; The Pali- 
 sades; Highlands; West Point; Newburgh; Fishkill;: 
 Poughkeepsie ; Hudson Citj ; Albany ; other Routes to 
 Saratoga ; Fitchburg. Rutland and Saratoga Line ; Fitch- 
 burg; Mount Monadnock ; Bellows Falls ; Ludlow; Rut- 
 land ; Rutland to Saratoga ; Boston and Albany Route ; 
 "Worcester; Springfield; Pittsfield to Albany. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Hoosac Tunnel Route to Saratoga. — Fitchburg; 
 Gardiner; Athol ; Orange; Brattleboro' ; Greenfield; 
 Hoosac Tunnel and its History; North Adams to Troy. 
 
 • CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Saratoga and its Attractions. — Congress Park ; Con- 
 gress, Columbian, Empire, Star, Pavilion, Hathorn 
 and Geyser Springs; Analysis of the Waters; Bottling 
 the Waters ; United States, Grand Union, Congress and 
 
CONTENl'S. 
 
 Columbian Hotels ; The Holden and Waverlj Houses ; 
 Strong's Institute ; Social Life in Saratoga ; Schroon 
 Lake ; The Route to Lake George. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Lake George and its Beauties. — The Fort William 
 Henrj Hotel; Trip down the Lake; History of Lake 
 George; Ticonderoga. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Down Lake Champlain. — Crown Point ; Burlington ; Lake 
 View; Across the Lake to Plattsburg; Scene of the 
 Battle, etc. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Plattsburg and the Ausable Chasm. — .Fouquet's Hotel ; 
 Plattsburg; The Drive to the Chasm; Map of the 
 Chasm ; The Journey through the Glen, etc. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Adirondack Region. — Paul Smith's ; Martin's ; Boat 
 Trip through the Lakes ; A Visit to the Southern Lakes ; 
 Big Tupper ; Long and Raquette Lakes ; John Brown 
 Tract ; Eckford Chain of Lakes ; The Southern Adiron- 
 dacks ; Indian Pass ; Elizabethtown ; Lake Placid ; Wil- 
 mington Pass and Whiteface Mountain. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Routes to Montreal. — Via Lowell, Manchester, Concord; 
 The Air Line Route; Lake Winnipiseogee ; Down the 
 Lake to Wolf boro' ; Alton Bay ; Plymouth ; The Grand 
 Trunk Route; Wells River; Newport; Lake Memphrem- 
 agog ; Trip down the Lake ; Central Vermont Route ; 
 Mount Mansfield ; St. Albans ; Vermont Mineral Springs ; 
 From Rutland to Montreal ; Plattsburg to Montreal. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Route to Niagara Falls. — Rochester to Niagara; The 
 Village and its Hotels ; Tour of the Islands ; Biddle 
 Stairs and Cave of the Winds; Prospect Park; Across 
 the River; Suspension Bridge; Webster's Description; 
 Across Lake Ontario ; Down the St. Lawrence ; The 
 Thousand Islands ; Ogdensburg; Down the Rapids. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Montreal. — Its Squares, Buildings, Churches, Institutions; 
 Drive around the Mountain; Down the River to Quebec; 
 Citj of Quebec and its History; The Suburbs; Mont- 
 morenci Falls; The Lower St. Lawrence and the 
 Saguenaj; Tadousac; Ha! Ha! Bay; other Trips from 
 Quebec. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The White Mountains. — Old Man of the Mountain; The 
 Flume ; Twin Mountain and Crawford Houses ; The 
 Notch ; Gate of the Notch ; Climbing Mount Washing- 
 ton ; North Conway ; Kiarsarge Mountain. 
 
THE PROLOGUE. 
 
 'N 1873 and 1874, Faxon's Handbook of Travel 
 to Saratoga, the Adirondacks, Niagara and 
 the Northern watering-places was received 
 with the most flattering favor bj the public 
 generally and by tourists especially. So 
 marked, indeed, was the favor accorded it, 
 that the publisher would have been justified 
 in re-issuing it without change, for an in- 
 definite period, assured of abundant success. 
 But the Spring of 1875 brought the comple- 
 tion of the Hoosac Tunnel, and other impor- 
 tant routes of travel, which fact, with the 
 •desire to improve the book still further, and to place it at 
 the head of all similar works, determined the publisher up- 
 on a complete revision of the work, including all changes 
 up to the present time, and also introducing much additional 
 information and many descriptions of scenes not found in the 
 previous issues. This work, which extends to an entire re- 
 writing of the book, has been carefully and conscientiously 
 performed, great pains being taken to present the facts ac- 
 curately, yet with due regard to interest, and it is believed 
 that a thoroughly trustworthy guidebook, as well as an en- 
 joyable volume for whiling away the tedium of travel is the 
 result. The attention of the reader is especially called to 
 several original features in this book which will be of value 
 to the tourist. 
 

TOURISTS' M^F 
 
 mMw if a: 
 
 I>IM- |U1|1| 
 
 . Ucohiflt^iiiilitniirL. 
 
 ^ I Si'. X^ ., -^1, /- IMIilclkHi. '.'■ 
 
 
 lAf 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 Steamboat Routes to Saratoga. 
 
 HE objective point of our 
 journeyings for the present 
 being Saratoga, we will first 
 show how a very pleasant 
 trip thither may be made 
 principally by steamer, 
 with more or less railroad 
 worked in by way of con- 
 nections, as may be de- 
 sired. And in opening the 
 consideration of this sub- 
 ject, several popular, esti- 
 mable and every way first- 
 class routes intrude them- 
 selves, so to speak, upon our 
 notice, and we shall treat 
 them, one at a time as they 
 deserve. But first, which- 
 ever route be chosen, we will 
 presume the tourist under- 
 stands his business, has 
 procured his tickets and laid out his course beforehand, and 
 has not as some foolish"^virgins do, left all till arrival at the 
 railway station, a few minutes before train-time. Thus in place 
 
2 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 of a nearly distracted and thoroughly irritated man, hurl- 
 ling questions at the head of a busy and preoccupied ticket- 
 seller or a hurrying and impatient porter, while his family 
 (the traveller's, not the porter's) stand around in anxiety and 
 despair, we shall have the pleasing spectacle of a complacent 
 and amiable gentleman, leading a well ordered and joyous 
 procession of his family into the right car, at the right time 
 and bound in the right direction; with ample leisure for the 
 purchase of the morning papers and the selection of seats on 
 the shady side of the car, or a desirable section in the "draw- 
 ing room " if preferred. This much premised, we will pro- 
 ceed to speak of 
 
 The Stonington Route to New York, 
 
 whence we will take the Hudson river boats to Albany, and 
 the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad thence to the Springs. 
 The agency in Boston of this line is at 228 Washington 
 street, where courteous gentlemen will be happy to afford 
 any necessary information and to sell tickets for any desirable 
 excursion taking in this route. From Boston our course is 
 over the Boston and Providence Railroad, one of the best- 
 managed and most comfortable roads to ride over, in the 
 country. The station is on Park Square, only a few steps 
 from the Common and the Public Garden, and is one of the 
 largest and finest railway depots in New England. The mag- 
 nificent train house, a huge Gothic arch, accominodates a doz- 
 en trains at once, without confusion or inconvenience, while 
 the waiting rooms, offices, etc., in the head-house fronting on 
 the Square, are magnificent in their dimensions, furnishings 
 and conveniences. A lofty clock-tower surmounts the head- 
 house and adds beauty and lightness to the outward appear- 
 ance of the structure. Taking seats on the right hand side of 
 the cars if it be a hot and sunny day, we are whirled out of 
 the station, across the Back Bay, stopping for one instant 
 at the crossing of the Boston and Albany, and then a delight- 
 ful ride begins through the beautiful western suburbs of Bos- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 3 
 
 ton. The several neat and convenient stations in the newly 
 annexed wards of the citj are passed, and then come Hjde 
 Park, Readville and Canton (14 miles from Boston, and the seat 
 of one of Eliot's Christian-Indian settlements), M'^here the 
 railroad traverses a viaduct of solid granite 63 feet high and 
 600 feet long, and whence, seated in the cars, we overlook the 
 roofs of the village. Here the Stoughton Branch, four miles 
 long, leaves the main road and runs southeasterly to Stough- 
 ton forming a connection with the Old Colony. Blue Hill, 
 an eminence over 600 feet high, commands a fine view of the 
 city which we have just left, the ocean dotted with snowy 
 sails and the whole surrounding country. Next come Sharon 
 and Foxboro, noted for their fine hills, their manufacture of 
 straw-goods and their fine farms. Mansfield, 22 miles from 
 Boston, is the next place, and here we make our first stop, 
 taking on board probably, a number of passengers who have 
 come down from Fitchburg, Clinton, Lowell or South Fram- 
 ingham "and way stations" via the Mansfield and Framingham 
 Railroad, which here crosses our track on its way to Taunton 
 and New Bedford, and which will hereafter be described. 
 The junction here of these two important lines has made 
 Mansfield quite a busy, thriving railroad centre, though there 
 is little else of interest about the place. Passing West Mans- 
 field "on the fly" we are soon whizzing through Attleborough, 
 on a high embankment, giving us a view of the busy village, 
 with its factories lighted up, if it be a dark evening, and 
 their hundreds of windows gleaming through the darkness like 
 fire-flies. The principal industries — indeed almost the uni- 
 versal manufacture, is that of jewelry. The tradition used to 
 be that Attleboro jewelry could be procured for fifty cents a 
 peck, and that it was dear at that, but of late the manufac- 
 turers have copied costly gold jewelry with such accuracy and 
 good taste, and have so thoroughly plated their goods that 
 their appearance can be hardly distinguished from the origi- 
 nal, and they will wear for a number of years. Dodgeville 
 and Hebronville, manufacturing villages, are rapidly left 
 
4 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 behind, and then we pass through Pawtucket, 39 miles from 
 Boston, the first town in Rhode Island, on a high embank- 
 ment, with quite a sharp curve, and have a fine view of the 
 many large and busy manufactories for which the place is 
 famous. Here are the Pawtucket tack works, turning out 
 some 300 or 400 millions annually, the Dunnell manufactur- 
 ing company's thirty-six factories, where some 20 million 
 yards of calico are yearly printed, the thread and spool fac- 
 tories, the steam fire engine works and many other industries. 
 Pawtucket has its historical interest, also, being the spot 
 where in 1676 Captain Pierce with 70 men were massacred by 
 the Indians in the bloody " King Philip's war." From Paw- 
 tucket we ride only five minutes or so until we draw up in 
 the fine and spacious railway station at Providence, 43^ miles 
 from Boston. 
 
 Providence — Its History and Surroundings. 
 
 Probably every reader of this book is familiar with more or 
 less of the history of this, the second city in size and wealth, 
 of the Eastern States. " The State of Rhode Island and 
 Providence Plantations," as the official documents read, has 
 had more good natured fun made of it than any other State 
 in the Union, except perhaps Delaware, on account of its tiny 
 dimensions and its two capitals, being, sirtce the rejection of 
 the absurd custom by Connecticut, the only State which in- 
 dulges in such an expensive and needless luxury. Yet if 
 wealth, industry and prosperity count for anything, Rhode 
 Island is a great State, and as for patriotism and national 
 pride, the i68o Rhode Island soldiers who fell in the war for 
 the Union sufficiently answer. Providence "is the State" to 
 a greater degree, probably, than is true of the capital of any 
 other Commonwealth, not merely by virtue of containing 
 some 70,000 of the 220,000 entire population of the State, but 
 by virtue of its commerce, its manufactures, its educational 
 institutions and the wealth and enterprise of its citizens. 
 It is a beautiful city, most attractively located around the head 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 5 
 
 of Narragansett Baj, which stretches southward to the ocean. 
 The Providence river, which empties into the bay, expands 
 into a cove, almost circular in form, and quite large in area, 
 which lies to our right as we enter the station. This cove is 
 surrounded bj a broad walk, shaded by fine trees, amply 
 lighted and protected by an iron railing, thus forming a favor- 
 ite promenade in the Summer. The view across the cove in 
 the evening, when all the twinkling lights are gleaming and 
 their reflections flash from the water, is very pretty. The 
 Seekonk river runs on the East side of the city, forming at its 
 confluence with the Providence river a broad and commodious 
 harbor. On the eastern side of the Seekonk, is East Provi- 
 dence, a pleasant suburb, through which the Providence, 
 "Warren and Bristol Railroad runs along the shore of the bay 
 to Vue de L'Eau, and thence to Warren and Bristol. The city 
 is very irregularly laid out, rivalling its ancient foe, Boston, 
 in that respect, but its business streets and buildings are 
 many of them very fine. The manufacture of steam engines 
 and other machinery, silver ware, fire-arms, cigars, etc., 
 foreign commerce and trade are the principal sources of the 
 wealth of Providence. Alighting from the cars, we step out 
 of the depot upon Exchange Place, where we see the fine sol- 
 diers' monument, from the design of Randolph Rogers, and 
 which was erected by the State. The base is of blue Westerly 
 granite and the superstructure of bronze. Four statues seven 
 feet high represent the Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery and the 
 Navy, and above thein stands a figure of Ainerica, ten feet 
 high, extending in one hand a wreath of immortelles for the 
 fallen and in the other a sword and laurel wreath for the liv- 
 ing. A short distance from the monument, towards the river, 
 is the Custom House and Post-office, a massive granite build- 
 ing, and just across the river is the City Hall. The Arcade, 
 a large, open hall, roofed with glass, on either side of which, 
 on two stories, open retail stores of various descriptions, ex- 
 tends through from Weybosset to Westminster streets, in 
 this immediate vicinity, and is one of the attractions usually 
 
6 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 shown to strangers. The Rhode Island Hospital, Brown Uni- 
 versity, the Athenaeum, the Rhode Island Historical Society's 
 Hall, the Dexter Asylum, the Butler Insane Hospital, the 
 Friends' Boarding School, and the State Prison are the prin- 
 cipal public institutions, and there are many fine churches of 
 various denominations. 
 
 Providence was founded in June, 1636, by Roger Williams, 
 who had been exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for 
 heretical religious views, he being a Baptist. On his coming 
 hither, he was drifting down the Seekonk river, when at a 
 rock near the foot of Power street, which is still shown to 
 visitors, he was hailed by some Indians with the cry "What 
 cheer? " He landed, "end after a short confab with the savages, 
 who were very friendly and amiable, he continued his course 
 a few blocks further, under the India street bridge and around 
 Fox street to the mouth of the Providence river, where he saw 
 a good opening for a settlement, and accordingly settled. 
 Since that day, Roger Williams and What Cheer have been 
 the patron saints of Rhode Island, and nearly everything in 
 Providence is named after one or the other. Roger Williams 
 was a good man and he was the first to try the experiment of 
 genuine and perfect religious liberty in this country. The 
 consequence was that his little colony was soon filled up with 
 all sorts of " damnable heretics," Qiiakers, Baptists, Catho- 
 lics and those of no particular faith, yet they managed to pros- 
 per, branch out and increase, living at peace with each other 
 and with the Indians. It will be observed that there were 
 good Indians in those days. The Narragansetts, as Roger 
 Williams found them, were a simple, amiable race, and what 
 is most wonderful for Indians, industrious, supplying most of 
 their dusky brethren of other tribes with wampum, pipes and 
 pottery. The only good Indians nowadays, are dead Indians. 
 
 The suburbs of Providence are very inviting to the Summer 
 tourist. By the Providence, Warren and Bristol railroad, one 
 may visit several watering places along the east shore of Nar- 
 raganset Bay, or may settle for a time at Warren, the former 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 7 
 
 home of Massasoit, or at Bristol, near which is Mount Hope, 
 the dwelling place of Metacomet or King Philip, son of the 
 great sachem, and the bitterest foe of the whites in the long 
 war which ended with his death. By steamers from Provi- 
 dence one can take passage almost hourly down the Bay to 
 Vue de L'Eau, Smith's Palace, Silver Springs, Cedar Grove, 
 Bullock's Point, Nayatt Point; Rocky Point, the most cele- 
 ^ brated shore resort and clambake manufactory in New Eng- 
 land ; past Warwick, fainous in old times as the seat of a 
 colony of most remarkable heretics even for that age, and 
 as the birthplace of General Nathaniel Greene, of Revolu- 
 tionary fame ; by Prudence, Hope, Patience and Despair 
 Islands, then down between Rhode and Conanicut Islands, 
 and into the harbor of Newport. From Providence, a line 
 of steamers runs to New York, the Hartford, Providence 
 and Fishkill Railroad runs west to Hartford and Water- 
 burj^, the Providence and Worcester northwest to Worcester, 
 and the Stonington and Providence, by which we continue 
 our route, and which forms part of the Shore Line, (all-rail) 
 to New York, skirts along the west coast of Narraganset Bay 
 and across a point of Washington County, across the line of 
 Connecticut to Stonington at the easterly end of Long Island 
 Sound. 
 
 Stonington and the Sound Voyage. 
 
 Leaving Providence we pass nearly south through the 
 towns of Cranston (noted for its cotton-mills and for its Nar- 
 ragansett race-course), Warwick, previously' described; Green- 
 wich, the site of a Methodist seininary; Wickford, a sleepy, 
 antique place, and Kingston (70 miles from Boston), the coun- 
 ty seat, whence carriages convey passengers to Narragansett 
 Pier, nine miles southeast, the j^outhful rival of Newport, 
 with its cluster of hotels, its fine beach, its overlooking 
 Heights, its morning bathing and afternoon croquet, and its 
 drives to Narragansett Heights, the neighboring lakelets, Point 
 Judith and other points of interest. This town of South 
 
8 ' TOC/R/STS' FIANDBOOK. 
 
 Kingstown is the largest in Rhode Island, covering an area of 
 76 square miles ; it is noted as the birthplace of Commodore 
 Perrv and of Stuart the great painter, and for containing the 
 great swamp in which was fought the decisive battle in the 
 King Philip war. On a hill crowned with pines and cedars 
 in the centre of this swamp are still to be seen the remains of 
 the rude fort in which the desperate Narragansetts intrenched 
 themselves and whence thej were driven bj the still more 
 desperate colonists from Massachusetts and Connecticut. 
 
 Leaving behind Carolina, a manufacturing village, Rich- 
 mond Switch and Niantic, we come to Westerly, which lies on 
 both sides of the Pawcatuck river. Here is the dividing line 
 between Connecticut and Rhode Island ; accordingly one half 
 the village is in one State and the rest in the other. Another 
 curious feature of Westerly is that nearly all the inhabitants 
 are Seventh Day Baptists, so that on Saturday the visitor will 
 find the manufactories and stores closed and the church bells 
 ringing. On Sunday, everything assumes its week-day aspect. 
 There are extensive flannel and cotton mills here and the vil- 
 lage has quite a picturesque appearance. There is one fine 
 hotel here, the Dixon House, owned by and named after ex- 
 Senator Dixon. From Westerly a little steamer runs twice 
 daily down the river to Watch Hill, a favorite watering place 
 on the Sound, or rather on the precipitous promontory which 
 divides the Atlantic Ocean from the Sound. On the one side 
 of this point the visitor can enjoy still-bathing; on the other 
 surf-bathing, which in high winds is too high and strong for 
 safety. Watch Hill is also accessible six times daily by boat 
 from Stonington and once or twice daily by boats from Nor- 
 wich and New London. There are seven fine hotels at Watch 
 Hill, all on the summit of the Bluff", and a fine view of the 
 Sound, Fisher's and Block Islands, and the town of Stoning- 
 ton on the mainland just across the sheltered bay. The col- 
 lision by which the steamer Metis was sunk off" Watch Hill, 
 in August, 1872, will be remembered for many years by resi- 
 dents and visitors. The deck of the vessel with most of the 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 9 
 
 rescued passengers washed ashore on the point, and so did 
 most of the bodies of the drowned. The proprietors and 
 guests of the hotels were indefatigable in their efforts for the 
 comfort of the rescued. 
 
 Stonington, 92 miles from Boston, is the next station, but 
 we do not see anything of the quaint and sleepy old town, for 
 we are switched oif a mile or two short of the station, and 
 sent down to the landing alongside which lies the steamer 
 Rhode Island, Stonington or Narragansett, with steam up, 
 ready to convey us to New York. These steamers of the 
 Stonington line (especially the Rhode Island, the newest of 
 the Sound boats and one of the most elegant afloat) are fa- 
 mous the country over for their speed, safety, comfort and 
 luxury, and the convenient hours at which they start and ar- 
 rive have always made this a favorite route with the public. 
 
 The Illiode Island — A Model Steamer and an Enchant- 
 ing Sail. 
 
 The Rhode Island may be taken as a model Sound steamer, 
 her size, elegance and varied conveniences being united with 
 speed and safety, thus making up all the desirable qualities of 
 a steamboat. One novel and most agreeable feature is the 
 location of the dining hall on the main deck, aft the space 
 usually devoted to the Ladies Saloon. This dining hall is a 
 spacious and luxurious apartment, fitted up tastily and look- 
 ing out upon the water on both sides, thus ensuring a happy 
 combination of light, fresh, pure air, and an everchanging 
 scene npon the waters of the largest inland sea of America. 
 The linen, silver, glass and service of this hall is rich, attrac- 
 tive, and, in beauty of finish, all that the most fastidious could 
 hope or wish for. The dining room will seat 250 persons at 
 one sitting. On warm afternoons, parties desiring it can 
 dine oif the spacious guards, a novelty in steamboat travel. 
 There are 165 staterooms, each large and with lofty ceilings. 
 Every room on the boat is lit with gas, and in each alcove is 
 an electric bell, which communicates with the steward's de- 
 
lO TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 partment, which is a novelty on a Sound steamer. The rooms 
 are richly furnished and fitted with every convenience. A 
 Chickering grand piano graces the saloon which is sumptu- 
 ously decorated, carpeted and frescoed, and is lighted by ele- 
 gant bronze chandeliers. One of the noticeable features of 
 this really magnificent steamer is the application of steam to 
 her steering wheel, which reduces the chances of accident by 
 collision to the inerest minimum. A child can steer the 
 Rhode Island, as far as strength is required. Under its pres- 
 ent auspices the Stonington Steamboat Company has been in 
 operation seven years, without missing a trip or losing a 
 single life. It traverses what is called the inside route^ thus 
 avoiding the rough and uncertain passage around Point 
 Judith, and its provisions for the comfort and pleasure of pas- 
 sengers are unsurpassed. 
 
 Embarking at about 9 o'clock we are soon steaming out into 
 the Sound, with a view of the gleaming lights of the Watch 
 Hill hotels on our -left, and the blazing Fisher's Island light 
 ahead of us. Soon we turn to the eastward and lay our course 
 up the Sound, with the beautiful hills and green fields of Con- 
 necticut on our right, and the low, flat, monotonous shores of 
 Long Island in the distance on our left. After a substantial 
 supper in the saloon below, if it be a moonlight night, we 
 shall find our chief enjoyment of the trip in sitting out 
 upon the forward deck, watching the lights on shore, the pas- 
 ing sails that gleam ghostly white in the moonbeams for an 
 instant and flit by like morning vapors ; the bold outlines of 
 the eminences on the shore, or the islands along our course, 
 while the gentlemen enjoy the acme of physical happiness in 
 the whifliing of fragrant cigars, and the ladies, wrapped in 
 fleecy nothings express their uncontrollable enthusiasm in 
 positive declarations that "it's just too lovely for anything." 
 Or, if the breeze be too strong, as Sound breezes even in 
 Summer often are, we shall find in a seat upon the afterdeck, 
 with the steamer's wake churned to frothy whiteness by the 
 paddlewheels stretching behind us like a path of silver in the 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. II 
 
 white moonbeams, a fascination that we would not forego, 
 and here for hours we shall find delighted voyagers drinking 
 in the beauty of the scene with placid contentment. But 
 romance fades before the di-owsy god, and we shall doubtless 
 succumb to the desire for sleep sometime before midnight. 
 Then we can retire to our cosy staterooms fitted with electric 
 bells, running water, gas and other comforts of a first class 
 hotel, and on a luxurious bed rest as sweetly as if at home, 
 being wakened in the morning, if we desire, in season to en- 
 joy the sail through the East River and Hell Gate ; or if we 
 prefer can slumber till the boat reaches her pier, No. 33 North 
 River. 
 
 The Approach to New York. 
 
 The East River, so called, is simply the narrow strait by 
 which the waters of the Sound communicate with New York 
 Bay. The narrowest portion of this strait, filled with sunken 
 ledges, projecting rocks and small islets, through which all the 
 water is poured at every turn of the tide is known as Hell 
 Gate, from its dangerous character in years past. Many ves- 
 sels have been caught in its treacherous, boiling whirlpools 
 and dashed upon its sunken rocks, to destruction. But the 
 government engineers, by blasting out the submarine rocks 
 have greatly changed the aspect of the place for the better and 
 there is now little or no danger in navigating the river. Our 
 entrance to the river is made where the Sound, suddenly nar- 
 rowing, is almost cut off by the projection of Throgg's Neck, 
 from the shore of Westchester County on the north, and the 
 almost coincident projection of Willett's Point from Long 
 Island on the south. Here the government has two strong 
 fortifications commanding the passage of the river and the 
 approach to the city from this direction. Soon we pass Flush- 
 ing Bay, on the left, with the beautiful village of the same 
 name at its head ; Randall's Island, with its House of Refuge 
 for young criminals ; Ward's Island, with its Emigrant Hospi- 
 tal and Potter's Field ; Hell Gate, with its swirling currents 
 
'12 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 and rockj isles; Astoria and Ravenswood, prettj villages on 
 the Long Island shore ; Blackwell's Island, with its Lunatic 
 Asylum, Workhouse, Almshouse, Penitentiary, Charity Hos- 
 pital, Small-pox Hospital, and its neat little fortification, built 
 by a crazy inmate na:ned Maxey, who was impressed with the 
 belief that this was the true point to defend the city. We 
 now begin to realize our approach to the metropolis. The 
 elegant villas and richly cultivated gardens on either side of 
 the river begin to give place to foundries, ship-yards and other 
 manufacturing establishments ; on our left we pass in succes- 
 sion Hunter's Point, Greenpoint, Williamsburg (now part of 
 Brooklyn), the Wallabout Bay, with the U. S. Navy Yard and 
 the houses and spires of Brooklyn ; on our right flit past one 
 after the other Jones's Wood, the German festival garden, 
 Bellevue Hospital, and then the solid squares of brick and mor- 
 tar that go to make up the great city. Continuing down the 
 East River, amid the swarm of ferryboats that dart out from 
 the slips on either hand, by the forests of masts that line the, 
 wharves on both sides, we pass the huge and towering piers 
 of the Brooklyn Suspension Bridge, turn to the right and 
 are soon rounding the Batteiy. This small island on our 
 left, covered with fortifications bristling with guns, and sur- 
 monnted by a circular fort that looks as much like a cheese as 
 anything, is Governor's Island. That round, odd looking 
 structure on our right, with a conical roof that looks like a big 
 gasholder, is Castle Garden, once a fort, later the fashion- 
 able concert hall and ball-room of the city, where Jenny Lind, 
 Parodi, Sontag and other old-time prime-donne made their 
 most notable successes ; now the emigant depot of the city. 
 It was formerly isolated from the main land, and accessible 
 only by a bridge, but among the improvements carried on by 
 the Tammany ring, with Boss Tweed as its centre, was the ex- 
 tension and beautifying of the Battery, by which Castle Gar- 
 den was included within its limits, the whole territory enclosed 
 by a splendid granite sea-wall, the surface graded, turfed and 
 laid out in walks, trees planted, lights set, and the whole made 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 1 3 
 
 a most attractive pleasure park for the densely crowded dis- 
 trict in its vicinity. " Give the devil his due" is an old pro- 
 verb, and Boss Tweed and the Tammany ring have received 
 so much just denunciation that they ought to have credit for 
 this genuine improvement to the city. Looking directly north 
 from the Battery extends Broadway, the great artery of Man- 
 hattan Island. We are now entering the North or Hudson river, 
 and passing between New York city on the right, and Jersey city 
 and Hoboken on the left. On both sides are the piers and docks 
 of steamship lines, foreign and domestic, and all along the 
 ■wharves are the proofs of the immense commerce of the city. 
 The piers are numbered in regular order, beginning at the 
 Battery, and as our Pier is No. 33, it is only a short time before 
 WQ are "warping in" and soon we are landed at the foot of 
 Jay street, a few steps from West street. As this is not a cyclo- 
 psedia nor a gazetteer, no description of New York city will 
 , be attempted ; indeed to most people it will be unnecessary. 
 We will simply pursue our journey Saratogaward, proceeding 
 by steamer up the Hudson, as described in Chapter II. 
 
 The Old Colony Houte to Saratoga. 
 
 Another favorite route from Boston to New York, en route 
 for Saratoga, is that via Old Colony Railroad to Fall River 
 or Newport, thence by the steamer Bristol or Providence to New 
 York, and thence up the Hudson, as described in next chapter. 
 If we decide on this route, our first move will be to visit the 
 office of the line in the venerable old building at the head of 
 State street, formerly the seat of the assembled wisdom of the 
 colony, known as the Old State House. Having purchased 
 tickets and secured check for a first class stateroom, we repair 
 to the Old Colony depot, corner of Kneeland and South 
 streets, a few minutes before half past four in the afternoon, 
 and are soon comfortably seated in the cars. We have an 
 opportunity to admire the fine station, with its lofty rotunda, 
 its elegant and luxuriously furnished waiting rooms, its im- 
 mense arched train house, its courteous ticket sellers and other 
 
14 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 depot officials, its complete system of designating trains and 
 their starting time, so that no one could possibly go astray, 
 and the numerous conveniences which all travelers must ap- 
 preciate, but which are not often found in such perfection as 
 here. If we choose we can fancy ourselves English lords or 
 something else as we whirl over the sinooth rails, by taking to 
 ourselves a compai-tment in the English coaches which are 
 run on the steamboat trains, but if we here have a patriotic 
 horror of "blasted Britishers" and their ways, we shall find 
 the ordinary cars sufficiently comfortable for the best Yankee 
 citizen. We move out of the depot, and out of the city pro- 
 per almost simultaneously as we cross Fort Point Channel to 
 South Boston, on a pile drawbridge, but though out of the old 
 town of Boston, we are not to be outside of the limits of the 
 present city of Boston for some time. Crossing the South 
 Bay on a causeway and pile bridge, we enter the old town of 
 Dorchester, now the Sixteenth Ward, Boston. We successive-* 
 ly pass Crescent Avenue, Savin Hill, Harrison Square and 
 Neponset stations, all in the Dorchester District, and all on 
 the shores of Dorchester Bay, across which fine views of the 
 harbor and islands are obtained. Then we cross the end of 
 Milton (Atlantic Station) and enter the famous town of 
 Quincy, famous as the home of the Adams family and the 
 birthplace of Quincy granite. The three stations in this town 
 are Wollaston Heights, Quincy and Quincy Adams, respec- 
 tively 62, 8 and 82 miles from Boston. The Qiiincy station is 
 near the homestead of the Adams family. Then Braintree is 
 passed, whence the South Shore division branches off to 
 the eastward, passing through Weymouth, Hingham, Co- 
 hasset, Scituate and Mansfield to Duxbury, and thence to 
 Plymouth by a short connecting branch, and we draw up 
 for a moment at South Braintree, 11^ miles from Boston. 
 Here is a general junction, as three divisions of the road 
 branch off here, one via the Abingtons, Hanson, Hali- 
 fax, Plympton and Kingston to Plymouth, with a branch 
 diverging from South Abington to Bridgewater on the sec- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 1 5 
 
 ond or Cape Cod Division. This division taking South 
 Braintree as its point of departure, passes through Holbrook, 
 East Stoughton, Brockton, Brjdgewater, Middleboro, (whence 
 two branches lead to the westward, one to Weir Junction, 
 near Taunton, the other via Mjricks, where the New Bedford 
 Railroad is crossed, to Somerset Junction, forming a connec- 
 tion with the third or Fall River and Newport Division, jet to 
 be described, through South Middleboro, Tremont (con- 
 necting with the Fairhaven Branch Railroad to New Bedford), 
 Wareham, Cohasset Narrows (hence still another branch runs 
 south via Falmouth to Woods' Hole, where the Martha's Vine- 
 yard and Nantucket steamer is taken), Sandwich, Barnstable, 
 Yarmouth (where a little branch runs south to Hyannis Port, 
 on the south side of the Cape, a watering place of some note), 
 then along the sandy ridge known as Cape Cod, through 
 Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, and 
 Truro, to the extreme curving tip of the Cape, the fishing town 
 of Provincetown, 120 miles from Boston. The third division 
 is the one with which we have to do, and we take the most 
 westerly course of the three from South Bi-aintree. We pass 
 through Holbrook, 14I miles from Boston, a " shoe town," 
 Stoughton, North Easton, Easton, and Raynham, in which 
 latter place the first forge in America was set up by the 
 Leonard brothers, in 1652, and soon enter the station at Taun- 
 ton, 34 miles from Boston. This is a city of some 20,000 
 inhabitants, on the Taunton river, which furnishes the power 
 for many manufactories, thus disproving the ancient libel that 
 Taunton water was too weak to run down hill. Miss Eliza- 
 beth Pool, of Taunton in Somersetshire, England, founded 
 and named this city in the early days of the colony, but it 
 was only a pretty hamlet in 1810. Now, there are the im- 
 mense Mason Locomotive Works, the Taunton Car Works, 
 the various tack manufactories which turn out about the only 
 kind of tax popular with the public, the Taunton Copper 
 Works, several brick manufactories, foundries, cotton mills 
 and an extensive Britannia-ware manufactory. The centre of 
 
1 6 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 the citj is the Green, a neat square, with fine buildings front- 
 ing upon it. Near bj are the buildings and grounds of the 
 State Lunatic Asylum, a pleasant and popular Summer resort, 
 the City Hall, Public Library and several fine stone churches. 
 Taunton is a quiet and thrifty place, and much pleasanter to the 
 visitor than its younger and more energetic sister, Fall River. 
 Weir Junction, where the New Bedford Railroad crosses our 
 track. Weir, North Dighton, Dighton (near which the famous 
 Dighton Rock, with its supposed Icelandic inscription is 
 found), and Somerset are successively passed, and we arrive at 
 Fall River, 50 miles from Boston. 
 
 Fall Hiver and its Factories. 
 
 Here is the great spindle city of the country, ranking even 
 Lowell. The mills stand in rows, one above the other, along 
 the steep banks of the river which falls 136 feet in half a mile, 
 and so thickly are they studded along this magnificent wuter- 
 power that they completely hide it from view. Many of the 
 mills, however, are run by steam-power. Print cloths are the 
 principal manufacture, though all kinds of cotton goods and 
 some woolens, are made. Over .$10,000,000 are invested in 
 the Fall River mills, and they furnish employment for over 
 20,000 operatives. Most of the factories are massive granite 
 structures and rank among the finest of their class. The sad 
 disaster at the Granite Mill, No. i, in the Autumn of 1874, by 
 which 20 or more operatives were suftbcated in the burning 
 structure, or leaped from the windows to a cruel death on the 
 pavements below, is fresh in everyone's mind. Fall River is 
 solidly built along the shore of Mount Hope Bay, with Mount 
 Hope itself looming up on the other shore. The boundary 
 line of Rhode Island passes just south of the city; formerly it 
 divided it, but Massachusetts ceded some land around Paw- 
 tucket to " Litle Rhody," and secured the whole of the " Bor- 
 der City" for herself The Fall River, Warren and Provi- 
 dence Railroad runs hence, northwest, to Providence, 16 
 miles. At Fall River, our train runs down to an extensive 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. I 7 
 
 wharf, alongside which, with steam up, lies the magnificent 
 
 steamer Bristol or Providence, waiting to convey us to New 
 
 York. These vessels, which are perfect counterparts of each 
 
 other, have exhausted the praises of hosts of writers. For 
 
 size, speed, beauty and luxury of appointments, they are 
 
 among the finest steamers ever launched, and each Summer 
 
 the crowds that patronize them attest their popularity. A fine 
 
 military band on each trip performs selections on deck, and 
 
 also dance music in the saloon, and the hours of the evening 
 
 often wane into the "wee sma' hours ayant the twal," before 
 
 the happy voyagers seek their sumptuous stateroom couches. 
 
 From Fall River, our course is across Mount Hope Bay and 
 
 into that of Narragansett, down Avhich we steam for 20 miles, 
 
 and round into the harbor of Newport. The sail down the 
 
 Bay is most exhilarating and delightful, much more so than 
 
 the ride by rail from Fall River, via Tiverton, Bristol Ferry, 
 
 where the track crosses a narrow strait to the upper end of 
 
 Rhode Island (the island, not the State), and then down to 
 
 Newport, which occupies the southwestern portion of the 
 
 island. 
 
 !N"ewport and its Attractions. 
 
 This famous watering place, famous alike for its mild and 
 equable climate, its magnificent ocean views and its refined 
 and cultured society, can have but an imperfect mention here. 
 A volume alone could do it justice. Indeed, many volumes 
 have been devoted to the task and have only in part succeed- 
 ed. Newport is one of the oldest of American summer re- 
 sorts, and will always hold its preeminence, though since the 
 war, the decline of Southern travel has tended to change the 
 preponderaiice of the transient population from the great ho- 
 tels to the magnificent villas or the cosy cottages that spring 
 up like the work of enchanters all over the peninsula; from 
 mere butterflies of fashion to refined and elegant summer 
 residents. In the i6th century, Verrazani, a Florentine, vis- 
 ited this spot and wrote of its beauties, but even his landing 
 is antedated by that of the Norsemen, if the testimony of the 
 
l8 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 old stone tower in Touro Park may be credited. This won- 
 derful ruin, which has set all the antiquarians by the ears for 
 centuries, is a circular structure of stone, supported on round 
 arches, and now covered with ivy and enclosed by an iron 
 fence It certainly does not bear out in construction, mater- 
 ial or style of architecture the theory that a colonial governor 
 built it for a wind-mill, in the i7th century, neither is there 
 any record that such was the case, and the opinion generally 
 accepted is that it was a watch-tower, built by the Norsemen 
 who are supposed to have settled this section in the nth cen- 
 tury ; the same who inscribeil the Dighton rock. Its elevated 
 locality, its workmanship and its style of architecture all tend 
 to bear out this supposition. It is naturally one of the chief 
 points of interest in Newport, and standing as it does, in 
 front of the Atlantic House and near the centre of the city, 
 is observed by all visitors. The old town, built around a fine 
 harbor opening from Narragansett Bay, is a sleepy, antique- 
 looking old burgh, with several buildings dating back before 
 the Revolution, and a general air of inusty tradition. The 
 new town, on the elevated ground encircling the old part, and 
 on the ocean shore forming the southern extremity of the 
 island, is the fashionable Newport. Here are the magnificent, 
 broad, hard, smooth and tree-bordered avenues, brilliant each 
 afternoon with processions of stylish equipages; here are the 
 splendid villas and the elegant cottages which the wealthy 
 Summer residents from New York and Boston yearly occupy ; 
 here is the abode of the society which gives Newport its chief- 
 est charm. It is not a place for a visit of a week or so, like 
 Saratoga or Long Branch. One doesn't get into the ways of 
 the habihies in that time, and one needs to visit Newport 
 often, and stay a long time, to become familiar with its attrac- 
 tions and to enjoy its advantages. 
 
 The Sound Trip to New York. 
 
 But we have no time to revel in the delights even of New- 
 port, and whether we have come hither by boat from Fall River, 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 1 9 
 
 or being delajed have taken the later through express to 
 Newport, we must be promptly on board our splendid craft 
 which is impatiently snorting at her moorings. At last we 
 are off, and steaming out of the harbor, between Goat Island 
 (the seat of the United States naval torpedo station), and Fort 
 Adams, on a point partially enclosing the harbor, we pass 
 between Rhode and Conanicut Islands, into the Atlantic- 
 Rounding Point Judith, famed in the past for rough weather 
 and universally seasick passengers, but now, with immense 
 steamers and the highest degree of comfort, little feared, we 
 skirt along the coast of the mainland, with the state of Rhode 
 Island on both sides of us, which seeming paradox is ex- 
 plained by the fact that while the state proper lies to the 
 north. Block Island, noted for its codfishery, and belonging 
 to the same gorgeous little State, lies to the southward some 
 ten miles. Soon we pass Fisher's Island on the right and 
 Long Island begins to overlap us on the far left. We pass 
 the mouths of the Thames and the Connecticut, and lay our 
 course straight up the Sound, arriving in the East River at 
 early dawn, and at our pier, No. 28 North River, about sun- 
 rise. From New York up the Hudson, our route as is des- 
 cribed in Chapter II. 
 
 The IsTorwich Line to Saratoga. 
 
 By the Norwich line of steamers, a very direct and easy 
 route is afforded us from the Hub to the metropolis. For in- 
 formation, tickets or staterooms, we shall apply at the office of 
 the line, 219 Washington Street, where we shall find every re- 
 quired conrtesy and facility, and sometime before 6 P. M., if 
 we propose to go via New York and New England Railroad, 
 or before 5 : 30 P. M., if we go via Boston and Albany, we 
 shall be on board the cars. By the latter course, we go direct 
 to Worcester, thence over the Norwich and Worcester Divis- 
 ion of the New York and New England, through Auburn, 
 Oxford and Webster, Mass., and Thompson, Conn., to Put- 
 nam, Conn., 61 miles from Boston, where the train by the 
 
20 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 main line of the New York and New England joins us, and 
 whence we proceed to Norwich and New London. Bj the 
 New York and New England, we leave the station, foot 
 •of Summer Street, at 6 P. M., and trundling across the 
 famous South Boston flats, on a causewav, we dash through 
 South Boston in a deep trough underneath the streets and 
 at the very roots of the houses, cross the South Bay and 
 the line of the Old Colony, traverse the Dorchester District 
 in a different direction and further inland than the Old Colo- 
 ny, passing the Stoughton Street, Bird Street, Mount Bow- 
 doin, Dorchester and Mattapan stations, before we get outside 
 the city limits. All these stations are in the midst of delight- 
 ful rural scenery and have neat and attractive station houses 
 and tasteful surroundings. Hyde Park, a station in the new 
 and flourishing town of the same name, eight miles out, comes 
 next, and then Readville, in the same town, where the line 
 ■crosses that of the Boston and Providence. Then come Elm- 
 wood, Springvale and Ellis stations, all in the town of Ded- 
 ham and all within thirteen miles of Boston. Dedham, the 
 shire town of Norfolk county, is a quiet old borough with a 
 considerable village in which stands the elegant court-house. 
 In the township are several factories, power for which is af- 
 forded by "Mother Brook" so-called, though it is really not a 
 Ijrook, but a canal, and the oldest one on the continent. It 
 was made in 1640, and its design was to increase the naviga- 
 ble facilities of Neponset River by diverting into it part of the 
 waters of the Charles. It is three miles long, with 60 feet fall. 
 Norwood, in the town of the same name, formerly South Ded- 
 ham, Everett's, Winslow's and Tilton's stations are successive- 
 ly passed in the next four miles. All are thriving suburban 
 villages, possessing much rural beauty, and all are largely 
 inhabited by people doing business in Boston. Next comes 
 Walpole,i9 miles from Boston, where the Mansfield and Fram- 
 ingham Division of the Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Rail- 
 road crosses our track and affords through connections with 
 Providence, New Bedford, Lowell and the north. Next comes 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 21 
 
 thet own of Norfolk, formerly North Wrentham, noted for it& 
 straw factories, with the several stations of Campbell's, Nor- 
 folk and City Mills. Franklin is next, 27 miles from Boston, 
 a town named for the immortal "Poor Richard," and hy him 
 presented with a valuable library. Wadsworth is the next 
 station, and then Mill River Junction, 33 miles from Boston, 
 a business centre of some importance from the fact of the 
 Woonsocket Division, — which leaves Boston from the Boston 
 & Albany Depot, and pursues a route through Brookline, 
 Newton, Needham, Medfield, Medway and Bellingham — here 
 crosses the main line, and affords connection with the great 
 manufacturing village of Woonsocket, just over the Rhode 
 Island line. Our next station is Blackstone, 36 miles from 
 Boston, an important manufacturing village, just across the 
 river (and the State line) froin Woonsocket. Here the Provi- 
 dence and Worcester Railroad crosses our line, and affords yet 
 another set of through connections. Our course now turns 
 slightly to the northward, and we skim along through the 
 southernmost towns of Worcester county, Blackstone, Ux- 
 bridge and Douglas, with the stations of Millville, Ironstone, 
 East Douglas, and Douglas, all inside of 50 miles from the 
 Hub. 
 
 Througli Rhode Island and into Connecticut. 
 
 Then we trend southwest again, cut off a tiny corner of the 
 northwestern town of Rhode Island, Burrillville, and cross 
 into Connecticut, entering the northeastern town of that 
 Commonwealth, Thompson. East Thompson is the station, 
 and hence a branch 18 miles long runs northwest through 
 Webster and Dudley to Southbridge, Mass., connecting at 
 Webster with the Norwich and Worcester division. Our 
 route next takes us through Thompson and Mechanicsville to 
 Putnam, 59 miles from Boston. Here the Norwich and Wor- 
 cester Division crosses the main line, and here is a large and 
 commodious station, with all facilities for the comfort of pas- 
 sengers waiting for trains, and a good restaurant where an 
 
22 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 excellent dinner can be procured when desired. From Put- 
 nam the main road runs by Pomfret, Abington, Eliot's, 
 Hampton, Goshen, and North Windham stations, among the 
 most wild and romantic scenery of Tolland County, to Wil- 
 liamantic, the great railroad centre of Eastern Connecticut. 
 Here the New London Northern Railroad from New London, 
 Conn., to Grout's Corner, Mass., the Hartford, Piovidence 
 and Fishkill Railroad from Providence to Waterbury, Conn., 
 (which is designed to be one division of the New York and 
 New England through line) and the New Haven, Middletown 
 and Willimantic Railroad, which forms a direct connection 
 with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, and 
 New Haven, and thus completes the New York and Boston 
 Air Line, (all rail.) 
 
 From Putnam to Norwich. 
 
 But our course does not take us to Willimantic, this time, 
 as we turn to the left at Putnam, onto the track of the Nor- 
 wich and W^orcester Division, which, coming from Worcester, 
 26 miles north, through the towms of Auburn, Oxford and 
 Webster, Mass., and Thompson, Conn., now continues to the 
 south through the town of Killingly, noted for Indian legends 
 and traditions of the old colonial days. It is a rich n:ianufac- 
 turing town, having large woolen and cotton mills at Days- 
 ville and atDanielsonville, which latter is the principal village 
 of the town, where two or three weekly papers are published, 
 and Avhere the arrival of a train brings together nearly the 
 entire floating population at the station. Wauregan comes 
 next, a small station, the village being some distance west, on 
 the Quinebaug river, which furnishes power for the large 
 Wauregan cotton mills, and near the pretty Quinebaug Pond, 
 three miles long, connected with which is a legend that once 
 in seven years, at midnight, a pillar of fire (known as the 
 Narragansetts' fishing light), rises over the centre of the lake. 
 The object of this apparition is not stated by the old settlers 
 who claim to have seen it, but as they still live, apparently it 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 23 
 
 is not a dangerous omen. We now pass into the town of 
 Plainfield, with Central Village, a large cotton manufacturing 
 hamlet, as our first stopping place, and then Plainfield Junc- 
 tion, iS miles from Putnam, 7S from Boston, where we cross 
 the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad. At Jewett 
 Citj, a small station six iniles further on, we cross the Quine- 
 baug river, and soon after pass through a tunnel 300 feet long, 
 cut from the solid rock. Greenville, eight miles further south- 
 west, is a large manufacturing village on the Shetucket river, 
 which we have crossed a mile or two back, near the point 
 where the Quinebaug empties into it. From this point we 
 follow the right bank of the Shetucket, two miles, and arrive 
 in Norwich, the principal city of eastern Connecticut, and the 
 shiretown of New London County. 
 
 Norwicli, its Peculiarities and its Beauties. 
 
 Norwich is 94 miles from Boston, and is built on a loftj 
 promontory between the Shetucket and Yantic rivers, which 
 here unite to form the majestic Thames, and on the alluvial 
 ground at the foot of the steep acclivity. In its location and 
 configuration Norwich much resembles Quebec. No other 
 place on this continent probably has a more commanding 
 situation, or a more delightful overlook. In the construction 
 of the town, also, Norwich is much like G^ebec, barring the 
 wall and the citadel of the latter. The commercial streets run 
 along the Shetucket front, whose wharves are crowded with 
 shipping ; the residence streets are terraced one above another 
 on the overhanging bluff, to which zig-zag lines of streets 
 lead up like the "switchbacks" on a coal railroad. The 
 promontory points to the south and from its summit, crowned 
 with handsome villas, the view of the noble Thames which 
 expands from its very foot and stretches way to the Sound, 
 fifteen miles south, is charming and grand. Norwich, in 
 consequence of its site at the head of the navigable waters 
 of the Thames has an extensive commerce with coastwise 
 ports and with the West Indies, while by its propinquity 
 
24 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 to the great cotton manufactories of Eastern Connecticut 
 it enjoys a large trade in those articles. From the low ground 
 on the river banks, near which the railway station stands, the 
 view of the town is confused and meagre ; one seems to be 
 looking up into an overhanging mass of houses, with no 
 regularity, but as one becomes acquainted with the place, 
 and traverses its entire extent, it is seen to be a symmetrical 
 and pleasing city of some 20,oco inhabitants, making consid- 
 erable pretension to architectural beauty, and abounding in 
 delightful walks and drives. By reason of its peculiar config- 
 uration, Norwich is one of the most oddly built cities,, in its 
 business portion, of any in the world, and has been made the 
 subject of no end of jokes on this account. Norwich is the 
 original town where the people of one street look from their 
 kitchen doors down their neighbor's chimneys on the next 
 street and see what they are cooking for breakfast ; where a 
 man steps out of his garret window into another man's back 
 door yard, and where the cellar of one house drains on to 
 the roof of the next below. Without joking, some business 
 blocks which stand three stories high on Main street are six 
 stories high on the next street, if they run through the block, 
 as some do; while on the other, or up-hill side of Main street, 
 a block three or four stories high is so built into the solid 
 rock of the hill that you have to go up two flights of stairs 
 before you see daylight at the rear, and the back yard is only 
 accessible from the upper floor. As may be supposed, streets 
 do not run up and down the hill, but around its side, gradu- 
 ally climbing upward, and instead of cross-streets, there are 
 flights of stairs by which pedestrians get from one street to 
 another, while vehicles have to take the long gradients and 
 sharp angles by which the streets communicate at their ex- 
 tremities. Climbing above the business portion of the city, 
 Washington street runs along the west side of the promon- 
 tory, overlooking the Yantic and bordered on either side by 
 magnificent lawns, on which, far back from the street, stand 
 the statelv mansions of the merchant princes. Broadway 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 2 5 
 
 extends from the business center, nearly parallel with Wash- 
 ington street, but on the eastern side, and is less imposing in 
 the matter of residences, and more like a citj street, and both 
 open upon the parade, (also known as Williams Park) a 
 splendid field on the level plateau surmounting the bluffs, 
 bordered with magnificent elms, and surrounded by elegant 
 residences, among which is that of ex-Senator Lafayette S. 
 Foster and the old home of General Williams of Revolu- 
 tionary fame. On one side stands the noble building of the 
 Free Academy which possesses a wide reputation, and broad 
 streets diverge in various directions. Sachem street leads to 
 the Falls of the Yantic, formerly a wild and romantic cataract, 
 through a water worn gorge in the eternal rock, and over 
 curiously grouped and massive boulders. The diversion of 
 the water of the river by a dam above into an artificial chan- 
 nel, has left the rocky foundation of the Falls bare, except in 
 seasons of freshets, yet the spot is always well-worthy a visit. 
 But though the demands of business have thus marred the 
 beauty of the Falls, they have widely increased their financial 
 value. The artificial channel furnishes power for a score of 
 extensive factories which manufacture paper, cottons, rubber 
 goods and almost every thing else, and form the nucleus of 
 the thriving Falls Village. Near the Falls is the old Indian 
 cemetery, the burial-place for many ages of the Mohegan 
 chiefs. Here is the monument to Uncas, the famous Mohegan 
 Sachem, the steady friend of the whites, and with his army 
 of trained warriors their most efficient ally against the Pe- 
 quots, Narragansetts and King Phillip's confederation. Uncas 
 was originally a Pequot chief, who in 1634 revolted against 
 the Sachem Sassacus and joined the Mohegans. They made 
 him Sachem and he brought the nation to the highest point 
 among the tribes, and after ruling 50 years, died in 1683. ^^ 
 1640 he sold the site of the present city to the colonists, for 
 £70. Near Greenville, which is reached by horse-cars from 
 Norwich, is the Sachem's Plain, where Uncas with 500 Mohe- 
 gans defeated and killed Miantonomah, Sachem of the Nar- 
 2 
 
26 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 ragansetts with 900 warriors. Five miles south of Norwich 
 is Mohegan, the site of the fortress of Uncas, and here live 
 the few half-breeds who represent the famous tribe. 
 
 From Norwich to !N"ew York. 
 
 From Norwich to the New ""York steamers, there are two 
 routes, sometimes one and sometimes the other being used. 
 By the first we cross the Shetucket near the upper end of the 
 citj, and proceed down the east bank of the Thames, through 
 portions of the towns of Preston and Ledjard to Allyn's 
 Point in the latter town, where are extensive wharves and 
 depots for the eastern terminus of the Norwich and New York 
 Transportation Company's fine steamers^jCity of Boston and 
 City of New York. These boats rank among the finest and 
 swiftest on the sound, and their course being entirely "in- 
 side" and sheltered by Long Island, the route is a favorite 
 with many tor whom seasickness has terrors. The other 
 means of reaching the boats is via New London Northern 
 Railroad to New London, thirteen miles, along the west bank 
 of the Thames. The road follows the waterside closely, 
 running at the foot of the steep and lofty banks most of the 
 way, and the view from the windows at the left side of the 
 train is of surpassing beauty. The stations are Thamesville, 
 Waterford and New London, at which last place the train 
 runs down upon a long covered wharf, alongside which lie 
 the boats. 
 
 New London is a city of about 10,000 inhabitants, which 
 has one of the finest harbors in the world, and in the days of 
 the whale fishery was only second to New Bedford as an oil 
 city. Of late it is one the sleepiest of decayed seaports, its 
 wealth being mainly that accumulated by the whaling masters 
 of a generation ago, safely invested. Its location, on a broad, 
 gentle slope, is naturally very fine, and in the upper part of 
 the city there are many fine residences and some handsome 
 public buildings, but the business portion of the town is old- 
 fashioned, out-of-repair, dirty and unattractive. The fishing 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 2^ 
 
 and coasting interests and railroad connections are the princi- 
 pal sources of the prosperity (such as it is) of New London. 
 It is a delightful resort in summer, despite the drawbacks 
 mentioned, bj reason of its natural advantages. The aristo- 
 cratic Pequot House stands at the mouth of the Thames, some 
 three miles south of the citj, near the lighthouse, and other 
 summer hotels are found in vicinity. Sailing, fishing and 
 bathing are of the best and easily attainable, and steamers 
 run daily to Watch Hill, Norwich, Sag Harbor and Hartford. 
 Between the city and the mouth of the river, on a projecting 
 rocky peninsula, stands Fort Trumbull, a massive granite for- 
 tress, inanned by a small garrison, and on the east side of the 
 river in the town of Groton, is a strong water battery. Near 
 this point on the bights is the site of old Fort Griswold, 
 captured in 1781 by a detachment of the force which under 
 the renegade Benedict Arnold burned New London. The 
 fort was defended valorously by 150 militiamen under Colonel 
 Ledyard, who on surrendering his sword to the tory Captain 
 Bloomfield, was run through the body with it, and the Ameri- 
 can prisoners were all at once massacred by their cowardyl 
 captors. The story is familiar to every child who has studied 
 the History of the United States. On the spot stands a fine 
 granite shaft 127 feet high and 26 feet square at the base; a 
 monument to the slaughtered militia. Above the city is the 
 newest of our navy yards, secured by the Connecticutd elega- 
 tion in Congress only after a severe struggle, and still in a 
 rudimentary state. Besides the New London Northern, the 
 Shore Line Division of the New York, New Haven and Hart- 
 fort|Railroad has its eastern terminus here, forming a link in 
 the Shore Line route from Boston to the metropolis. A ferry 
 across the Thames to Groton conveys the cars back and forth. 
 Whichever route we take from Norwich, we will suppose 
 ourselves safely on board the steamer and passing out of the 
 Thames river by Fort Trumbull and the tall lighthouse, into 
 the Sound. Moving to the right, we pursue the same general 
 course as has been described for the other lines, and reach 
 
28 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK, 
 
 New York early in the morning, where the Hudson river 
 steamer is taken for Albany, as will be narrated. 
 
 The Shore Line Route to Saratoga. 
 
 The Boston and New York Shore Line is another favorite 
 route from the Hub to the great city of Gotham, and by many 
 travellers preferred to any other. We take the cars at the 
 magnificent Boston and Providence station, and ptu'sue the 
 same course to Stonington as has been laid out in the descrip- 
 tion of the Stonington steamboat line. From Stonington we 
 pass through Mystic, a small but thriving village, whose 
 principal industry is ship-building, West Mystic, Noank, 
 Pequonnock Switch and Groton, to New London, a distance 
 of twelve miles. Near Mystic are Pequot Hill and Fort 
 Hill, ancient strongholds of the Pequot Indians, who caused 
 ovir colonial forefathers so much trouble. The former for- 
 tress was stormed in 1637 ^J ^ handful of settlers and a 
 force of Mohegans under Uncas and Narragansetts under 
 Miantonomah (this was before these sachems had fallen 
 out) and the six hundred Pequot warriors were put to the 
 sword. The view of the Thames river, the Sound and 
 the neighboring country from Fort Hill is particularly fine. 
 At Groton we get a fine view of the monument on the right, 
 and soon the cars run down a gradual incline upon the im- 
 mense ferry-boat which is in waiting to convey us across the 
 river to New London. A large dining-hall is arranged on the 
 upper deck, over the cars, and a capital hot dinner is served 
 to passengers who desire during the transit. From New Lon- 
 don we follow the shore of Long Island Sound, getting 
 occasional fine land-and-water-scapes from the windows on 
 the left. The shores are inostly low and sedgy, but there are 
 some bold, rocky projections, and groves of fine trees. We 
 pass through the towns of Waterford, East Lyme and Old 
 Lyme (stations, Waterford, East Lyme, South Lyme, Black- 
 hall, Lyme and Connecticut river) crossing at East Lyme the 
 Niantic Bay, an arm of the Sound, on which is the beautiful 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 29 
 
 village of Niantic, much frequented in summer, and provided 
 with several good hotels and boarding houses. Boating and 
 fishing are the principal attractions, and marvellous stories 
 are told of the numbers of tautog and striped bass taken 
 here. 
 
 An Historic Old Town. 
 
 We cross the Connecticut river bj a covered truss bridge and 
 enter the famous old town of Saybrook, at the station of the 
 same name ; the Connecticut Valley Railroad crosses our track, 
 following the course of the Connecticut river from Hartford 
 to its mouth, at Saybrook Point, near which is its terminal 
 station of Fenwick Hall, a fine new summer hotel, with seve- 
 ral handsome outlying cottages, and splendid views of river, 
 Sound and shore, excellent bathing, fishing and sailing facili- 
 ties, direct railroad communication, and the quiet elm shaded 
 streets of the venerable hamlet of Old Saybrook near by. 
 Saybrook Point was the site of an old fort built in 1635, and 
 which was obliterated by the cutting through of the railroad. 
 In 1636, Colonel Fenwick came from England and took 
 command, bringing with him, his wife who died in 1648, 
 and whose grave, marked by a rude stone, remained until 
 1872, when the ashes of Lady Fenwick were disinterred with 
 considerable ceremony, conveyed to the cemetery and depo- 
 sited beneath a monument. Saybrook was a place of note in 
 colonial days, and the old fort did much service in repelling 
 hostile fleets. Yale College was at first located in Saybrook, 
 being chartered in 1701 and holding its first fifteen "com- 
 mencements" here. In 1708 the celebrated Saybrook Plat- 
 form was drawn up here, for the guidance of the college. We 
 next pass through Westbrook, Clinton, Madison and Guil- 
 ford, quiet farming towns, with watering places on the shores 
 of the Sound, and come to Stony Creek, off which are the 
 Thimble Islands, famous in tradition, and romantic in scen- 
 ery. 
 
30 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 The Romantic Thimble Islands. 
 
 Stony Creek has several small summer hotels, and a fleet of 
 fine yachts lies in its little haven, for the accommodation of 
 sailing parties or of visitors to the islands. These Thimble 
 Islands are chiefly owned by New York and New Haven 
 people, who have cottages of more or less simplicity upon 
 them for their vacation residences. The group numbers 365, 
 it is said, and all are rocky, bold prominences, rising out of 
 deep water, and mostly covered with trees. The channels 
 between the islands, by their depth of water and being 
 sheltered from the winds by the islands, afford a safe haven to 
 yachts and fishing vessels in storms, and many sail nightly 
 make harbor among the isles. The pirate Captain Kidd fre- 
 quently put in here, and Money island, the largest of the 
 group, has been dug all over for the treasure he is fabled to 
 have buried here. A small hotel has been built here by the 
 owner, and most of the island laid out in building lots which 
 have been bought up and occupied with small cottages. On 
 Pot Island, the loftiest and best wooded of the group, is another 
 summer hotel, where good living, pure air, the best of bath- 
 ing and excellent views of the Sound can be had at a low 
 price. The oysters which are taken from the waters of Stony 
 Creek harbor and among the islands, are of wonderful size 
 and flavor, and they form the staple of every meal if desired. 
 Branford is the next station to Stony Creek, and is the- point 
 of departure for several popular summer resorts, Indian Neck, 
 Pine Orchard, Branford Point and Double Beach, at each of 
 which are one or more comfortable and moderate priced hotels. 
 We next pass through East Haven, cross Saltonstall Lake, 
 (whence the city of New Haven procures the most of its ice, 
 and where a part of the Yale College class races are rowed) 
 the Quinnipiack river, and passing through Fairhaven, (the 
 great oyster mart of the section, and now one of the wards of 
 New Haven) soon roll into the under-ground station in the 
 heart of the Elm City. 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 3 1 
 
 K"ew Haven and its Environs. 
 
 New Haven is the largest citj in Connecticut, and up to 
 1873, when Hartford was very sensibly made the sole capital, 
 divided the honors of the seat of government with that city. 
 It has almost 6o,cxx) inhabitants, is a thriving manufacturing 
 and commercial town, and is famous for its magnificent elm 
 trees, which line nearly every street. In the center of the 
 city is the Green, a handsome public square, surrounded by 
 elms and containing the old Center church, Trinity church 
 and the North church, all ancient and venerable, and in 
 their rear, on a gentle rise, the Old State House, now useless, 
 a shabby old structure of brick and plaster, in the Doric style 
 of architecture. Chapel street, the main business avenue, 
 runs along one side of the Green, Elm street on the oppo- 
 site, and they are intersected at right angles by Church 
 street (on which stands the splendid City Hall), and College 
 street completing the sides of the square, which is the size 
 of four city blocks. Temple street, a broad thoroughfare, 
 bordered by grand elms whose branches unite in a splendid 
 gothic arch above it, traverses the Green midway between 
 Church and College streets. Above College street are the 
 grounds of Yale College and its fine and extensive buildings. 
 This famous college, removed here in 1717 from Saybrook, 
 is one of the chief seats of learning in this country, and its 
 edifices number some fifteen large structures, besides several 
 small society buildings and those of the Scientific, Law, 
 Medical and Theological schools connected with the Univer- 
 sity. The Art Gallery is one of the finest and most exten- 
 sive in the country, and the museums,, reading rooms and 
 other accessories are fully supplied and of a high order. 
 
 Manufactures, Suburbs, and Means of Transportation. 
 
 The manufactures of New Haven are so extensive and 
 varied as to preclude particular mention in a work of this 
 kind. The principal are firearms, of which the Winchester 
 
3^ TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 Repeating Arms Company and the Whitney Rifle Company 
 turn out immense quantities; church and parlor organs, 
 pianos, carriages, agricultural implements, hardware, rail- 
 road cars, etc., etc. The city also enjoys an extensive West 
 India and coastwise commerce, and is a very wealthy and 
 intellectual city. The streets abound in handsome residences, 
 nearly all of which, even in the heart of the town, have con- 
 siderable grounds around them. On the avenues radiating 
 from the business centre, are many splendid mansions, 
 notably on Hillhouse avenue, at the head of which is "Sa- 
 chem's Wood," a noble villa, surrounded by a park, the 
 property of the Hillhouse family. There is a fine drive on 
 the east side of the bay, at the head of which the city stands, 
 by Forts Hale and Worcester, to the lighthouse, five miles 
 from the city, at the entrance to the Sound. Savin Rock, four 
 miles from the city, at the west side of the mouth of the bay 
 is another resort. The road thither passes through the quiet 
 old village of West Haven. The rock is a bold projection, 
 near which is a fine beach, with a Summer hotel. East Rock 
 and West Rock, some two miles inland from the city, are 
 lofty, precipitous masses of trap rock, rising from the plain, 
 from the summits of which grand views are obtained. Horse 
 cars run to the base of each, and they are much visited. 
 Near West Rock is Maltby Park, where is located the city 
 water- works. There is a fine series of drive-ways in this park, 
 which covers some 800 acres. Besides the Shore Line Divi- 
 sion, the main line of the New York, New Haven and Hart- 
 ford Railroad, the New Haven, Middletown and Willimantic, 
 the New Haven and Northampton, or Canal Railroad, and 
 the New Haven and Derby Railroad, all converge in the 
 underground station, which will soon be a thing of the past, 
 as the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad is now 
 building near the basin at the head of the harbor, a magnifi- 
 cent depot, which will be, when completed, one of the finest 
 in New England. Steamers run to New York twice daily, 
 forming still another route to the metropolis, and small boats 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 7^^ 
 
 plj daily, in Summer, to the various resorts in the neighbor- 
 hood. 
 
 From Wew Haven to KTew York. 
 
 From New Haven we travel by the main line of the New 
 York, New Haven and Hartford railroad, which forms with 
 the Boston and Albany the Express Line ; with the New 
 Haven, Middletown and Willimantic and New York and New 
 England the Air Line ; and with the roads by which we have 
 come the Shore Line — all three direct all-rail express lines 
 froin New York to Boston. By whichever route he comes 
 from Boston the traveller is transported from New Haven 
 over the one trunk line, which, rolling out of the depot under- 
 neath the busy streets of the city, skirts the shore of New 
 Haven bay in a southwesterly direction, passing through 
 West Haven, Milford and Stratford, quiet country villages 
 with broad, elm-shaded streets. We cross the Housatonic river, 
 which divides the two last named towns, and are soon in 
 Bridgeport, the fifth city in population of Connecticut, and 
 one of the most extensive manufacturing centers of New Eng- 
 land. Here are the sewing machine factories of Elias Howe, 
 Jr., and Wheeler &^ Wilson, each employing several hundred 
 hands and turning out many thousands of machines every 
 year; a number of arms and aminunition manufactories, 
 clock shops, and indeed manufactories of nearly all sorts of 
 "Yankee notions," But Bridgeport's chief fame is that it is 
 the birthplace of P. T. Barnum and Tom Thumb, and the 
 former has a splendid mansion, Windermere, on the south 
 side of the city, overlooking the Seaside Park, with its fine 
 esplanade and its charming view of the Sound. Bridgeport 
 has bi-daily steamers to New York, and the Naugatuck Rail- 
 road runs north-east to Waterbury, 62 miles, and the Housa- 
 tonic north no miles to Pittsfield, Mass. Bridgeport is 18 
 miles from New Haven and 178 from Boston. We next pass 
 through Fairfield, an ancient and quiet seaside village, which 
 is rich in Indian and Revolutionary tradition, having been 
 
34 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 burned in 1779 bj Trjon's Hessian Yagers, returning from a 
 raid on New Haven. Southport, two miles further along, is 
 chiefly famous for an Indian fight some 250 years ago, and 
 has done nothing notable since. Westport is a young and 
 vigorous village on the Naugatuck, and South Norwalk, 14 
 miles from Bridgeport and 192 from Boston, with its neigh- 
 boring village of Norwalk, is the largest place between Bridge- 
 port and New York. The chief manufactures are locks, knobs 
 and hats, and the principal other trade, oyster raising and 
 shipping. The magnificent million-dollar palace of the late 
 Le Grand Lockwood stands near the village. At the draw- 
 bridge which we cross just before reaching the station, the 
 fearful accident by which a train was precipitated into the river, 
 took place, and caused the passage of the law now enforced, 
 coiupelling the stopping of all trains before reaching a draw- 
 bridge. From South Norwalk, the Danbury and Norwalk Rail- 
 road runs north 24 miles to Danbury, the great hatting village 
 of^the country and the home of James M. Bailey, the Danbury 
 News man ; indeed of the Danbury News itself. Darien and 
 Noroton coine next, the latter being the site of Fitch's Home 
 for Soldiers' Orphans, founded by Benjamin Fitch, with its 
 fine library and art gSiWevy. Stamford, 200 miles from Boston 
 and 34 from New York, a very handsome village, is a great 
 watering place with wealthy New Yorkers, and their cottages 
 dot the hillsides on every hand. The New Canaan Railroad 
 runs north-east to the adjoining town of the Biblical name, a 
 distance of eight miles. Like old Canaan, it is " a land flow- 
 ing with milk and honey," or would be if bee-farming were 
 carried on, as it is a great cow country. From Stamford also, 
 communication is had with New York by steamer. Cos Cob, 
 near which Edwin Booth has a fine villa ; Greenwich, where 
 Israel Putnam performed his daring equestrian feat of riding 
 his horse down stairs, and where are several fine churches 
 and the famous Americus Club house of the Tammany ring, 
 are next passed, and then we cross the frontier into New York 
 State. Port Chester is the first station in the Empire State, 
 
TOURISl'S' HANDBOOK. 35 
 
 a thriving village 27 miles from New York. Rje comes next, 
 then Mamaroneck and New Rochelle, whence the Harlem 
 River Branch diverges slightly from the main line, and runs 
 to the Harlem river, through a number of the villages of West 
 Chester County, which furnish residences formany New York 
 business men. Our train passes rapidly by the stations of 
 Pelhamville and Mount Vernon, whence we turn south-west 
 and traverse the tracks of the Harlem Railroad, passing 
 through the upper portion of New York City, with its shanty- 
 crowned rocks, on which a large population of rag-pickers, 
 pigs and goats sustain an unenviable existence ; soon arrive 
 at the numbered streets, and after a short ride draw up in the 
 magnificent Grand Central station, 700 feet long, and covering 
 three acres of ground. It extends from 42d to 45th streets, 
 and half-way from Fourth avenue to Madison avenue. It is 
 of brick, stone and iron, with several lofty domes, and miles 
 of tracks inside its vast enclosure. Besides our own, the 
 Harlem and the Hudson River trains enter and leave this 
 depot, and from its vicinity various lines of horse cars and 
 stages can be taken to any part of the city, or we can charter 
 a hack direct to the pier of the Hudson river steamer which is 
 to convey us to Albany. 
 
 The Boston and Ifew York Express Line. 
 
 Another much frequented route from Boston is by the 
 New York and Boston Express Line, over the Boston and 
 Albany and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Rail- 
 roads. Our route to Springfield is described under the head 
 of the Boston and Albany route. From Springfield, we turn 
 south, following the east bank of the Connecticut river, which 
 spreads out from half a mile to a mile wide on our right, 
 along the fertile alluvial m?eadows of Longmeadow, the staid 
 and quiet village being on the high bluff's to our left. Below 
 Longmeadow, near the Enfield Bridge station, and the old 
 toll-bridge across the Connecticut, the river passes over a 
 series of shalloAv rapids extending for several miles over the 
 
36 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 red sandstone ledges which form its bed. Near the upper end 
 of these rapids, a wing-dam is thrown across the river, and 
 diverts the water into a canal on the western side, which fur- 
 nishes power for the various manufactories at Windsor Locks, 
 some six miles below, where it empties into the river bj a 
 series of locks. Light draft, flat-bottomed steamers and scows 
 bj ineans of this canal make the voyage from Hartford to 
 Springfield with coal, stone, etc. Formerly the traffic was 
 very extensive, and embraced also the transportation of pas- 
 sengers by two or three daily lines of steamers, the passage 
 being graphically portrayed by Dickens in his "American 
 Notes." The passenger travel and most of the freighting has 
 been monopolized by the railroad, of late years. Thompson- 
 ville, nine miles from Springfield, and 107 miles from Boston, 
 is a busy manufacturing village on the east bank, in the town 
 of Enfield. Here are the mills of the Hartford Carpet Com- 
 pany, the largest of the kind in the country, turning out 
 nearly 2,000,000 yards annually. In this town of Enfield, the 
 northernmost of Connecticut, are also the Hazard Powder 
 Works, at Hazardville, and the famous Shaker community. 
 At Warehouse Point, four miles south, we cross the Con- 
 necticut on a splendid iron bridge, built in England and set 
 up here piecemeal on the piers of the old bridge, without 
 interruption to travel, in 1866. We soon pass through the 
 village of Windsor Locks, with its many paper, silk and iron 
 mills, cross the Farmington river on a stone bridge of seven 
 arches, pass through Windsor, a handsome old town of great 
 fame in Colonial days, and now a great'tobacco-raising town, 
 and in a short time enter the brown stone station at Hartford, 
 26 miles from Springfield, and 124 from Boston. 
 
 Hartlord and Its Environs. 
 
 Hartford, the capital of Connecticut, is a beautiful city of 
 40,000 inhabitants, at the mouth of the Little River, so-called, 
 and was settled by the Dutch in 1633, who built a fort at the 
 mouth of the Little river, on a point still known as "Dutch 
 
TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 37 
 
 Point." Three years later, Thomas Hooker, a Puritan pastor, 
 led his little flock through the wilderness from Newtown, and 
 established himself here. A little log church was built near 
 the present site of the old State House, and was the prede- 
 cessor of a number of churches, of which the present lineal 
 descendant is the old Center church near the same spot, in 
 the burying ground of which rests Hooker's body under a 
 stone table. The business center is on several streets parallel 
 with the river, and intersected by streets running westward to 
 the elevated ground beyond the railroad. The old State House 
 stands in a small square at the junction of State and Main 
 streets, on the eastern portion of which the United States 
 government is building a post office. The new State House, 
 a magnificent structure of granite and marble, is building on 
 the gentle slope overlooking the City Park, the Little river 
 and the railroad, on grounds formerly owned by Trinity Col- 
 lege, which is removing to higher and more ample grounds, 
 on the hills west of the city. The college is a wealthy Epis- 
 copalian institution, founded in 1823. The old buildings were 
 of sandstone, with no particular architectural beauty; the new 
 edifices will be worthy the college. The City Park is a splen- 
 did tract of 45 acres, bordei"ed by the Little river (also called 
 Park river) and is laid out in the highest style of landscape 
 gardening, and adorned by fountains, statues and an elevated 
 stone terrace. The splendid bronze statue of the late Bishop 
 Brownell, on an eminence in front of the State House, the 
 statue of Israel Putnam, and that to Dr. Welles, the discov- 
 erer of ansesthetics are its principal work of art. 
 
 Hartford's Public Buildings. 
 
 In strictly public buildings, Hartford has few of which to 
 boast. The new jail in the northwest part of the city is one of 
 the handsomest of them, and that is hardly attractive to the 
 ordinary visitor. The Wadsworth Athenaeum on Main street 
 near the Little river is an old, castellated structure, with a 
 gray mastic front, in which are the rooms of the Connecticut 
 
38 TOURISTS' handbook:. 
 
 Historical Society, including a museum of curiosities, chiefly 
 dating back to Revolutionary and colonial times, relics of In- 
 dian wars, things that belonged to Israel Putnam, the bloody 
 shirt in which Colonel Ledyard was slain, pieces of the Char- 
 ter Oak, etc. Speaking of the Charter Oak, every other 
 thing you see or hear of in Hartford is " Charter Oak" some- 
 thing or other — insurance companies, fire engines, eating 
 houses, saloons, etc. Mark Twain says he has seen enough 
 " genuine wood of the Charter Oak" to build a plank road to 
 Salt Lake City, and he doesn't exaggerate much. The chair of 
 the President of the Senate in the Old State House is made of 
 the wood, beautifully Qarved, the museum above referred to 
 has several pieces, and at least one family in town has a piano 
 case made of it. And yet, the spot where the old tree stood 
 is marked only by a round marble slab, a foot or so in diame- 
 ter on Charter Oak avenue. The High School building on 
 Farmington avenue occupies a sightly acclivity, overlooking 
 the Park and the river, as well as the railroad and a good 
 share of the city, while a little northward, the Blind Asylum 
 on Asylum avenue, stands in a fine park, embowered in 
 trees. 
 
 Magnificent Private Residences. 
 
 These avenues are largely appropriated by the residences 
 of wealthy citizens. The Hon. Marshall Jewell, Postmaster 
 General, owns a splendid mansion on Asylum avenue, and 
 Mark Twain has the oddest of costly villas on Farmington 
 avenue. The Retreat for the Insane is on Retreat avenue in 
 the southwestern portion of the city, and to the eastward, on 
 Wethersfield avenue is the magnificent estate of Mrs. Samuel 
 Colt, widow of the great fire arms inventor. The property 
 comprises a large tract of land, laid out as a park, with build- 
 ings for every conceivable use of a city mansion and suburban 
 villa combined ; conservatories, pheasantry, hot houses, gra- 
 peries, and the like ; while trees, fountains and statuary render 
 the grounds among the finest in the country. Between this 
 
TOURISTS* handbook:. 39 
 
 splendid estate and the river (from which it is divided and pro- 
 tected bj a djke), stretches the South Meadows, formerly pas- 
 turage, and bought very cheap bj Colonel Colt as the site for 
 his factories — now the property of the Colt Patent Fire Arms 
 Company, of which General William B. Franklin is presi- 
 dent. 
 
 Manufactories and other Business Interests. 
 
 On this vast tract, Colonel Colt laid out broad avenues and 
 cross streets, surrounded it with a dyke to keep out the river 
 in time of freshets, built cottages for his workmen, buildings 
 for stores, a public hall, and in fact, laid the foundation of a 
 complete village. His death, no doubt, somewhat retarded 
 the progress of the new village, but it is still a neat, thriving 
 and comfortable settlement, where most of the workmen in 
 the arms factory and other industries connected therewith 
 reside. On this territory, Mrs. Colt has built, as a memorial 
 to her husband and deceased children, a splendid free church, 
 of brown and Ohio stone, which for beauty of architecture 
 and perfection of detail is probably unequalled by any church 
 of its size in this country. The entire expenses are borne by 
 this noble lady, who is as good as she is wealthy, and is uni- 
 versally beloved for her numberless acts of benevolence and 
 Christian charity. Washington street, a broad, handsome 
 drive, leading south from Capitol avenue, is bordered on 
 either side by magnificent residences, fronted by green and 
 velvety lawns. In winter it is the favorite sleighing ground 
 of the city, and here the fast 'uns may be seen of an afternoon, 
 if snow be on the ground. In its wealth, in proportion to 
 population, Hartford stands at the head of the cities of the 
 nation, as it does in respect to business buildings. The 
 Phoenix Bank, the Connecticut Mutual Life, the Charter Oak 
 Life and the Hartford Fire 'Insurance Companies' buildings 
 are among the largest and most magnificent and can cope 
 with any in the country The insurance business is pre- 
 eminently Hartford's source of wealth, though trade, com- 
 
40 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK:. 
 
 merce and manufactures are largely responsible for the result. 
 Besides the Colt works, the Pratt and Whitney Company, 
 machinists, the Roper Arms Company, the Weed Sewing 
 Machine Company, the Sharpe Arms Company and many 
 other manufactories do a thriving business. Steamers run 
 daily to New York, and others to the river ports, to Sag Har- 
 bor, New London, etc., and many sailing vessels come up 
 the river to this port. Of railroads centering in Hartford, 
 there are the New York, New Haven and Hartford, by which 
 we have come and by which we pursue ovir course, the Hart- 
 ford, Providence and Fishkill, from Providence to Waterbury, 
 the Connecticut Valley from Hartford to Saybrook Point, at 
 the mouth of the Connecticut river, and the Connecticut 
 Western from Hartford to Millerton, where it connects with 
 the Poughkeepsie and Eastern, and is designed to form a link 
 in one of the through western lines. Hartford has a fine 
 opera house, seating 1800, and another hall in which theatri- 
 cal entertainments, concerts, etc., are given, several good 
 hotels and all the characteristics of a live city. For its his- 
 toric note, the reader is referred to any first-class history of 
 the United States. 
 
 To New Haven and New York. 
 
 Having thus taken a random ramble about Hartford, we will 
 return to the stone railway station and take passage on the 
 next train south. For the first mile or so our route follows 
 the curve of the Little river, which separates the track from 
 the Pratt and Whitney, Roper and other machine works. We 
 soon reach Parkville, a hamlet in the southwestern outskirts 
 of the city, about the intersection of Park street with the 
 railroad, near which is the Charter Oak Park, a fine enclosure 
 with race track, designed for agricultural fairs and horse 
 trots. Four miles further we come to Newington, where the 
 Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad, wliich has run 
 on the same track with us since leaving Hartford, branches 
 off to the right, and five miles more bring us to Berlin. 
 
TOURISTS' HANbBOdK. \\ 
 
 Hence, two branches diverge ; the one to the right running 
 to New Britain, a joung but thriving city, noted for its manu- 
 factures of small hardware, tools, etc., and the other to the 
 left, connecting with the city of Middletown, on the Con- 
 necticut river, 15 miles froin Hartford, where also the Con- 
 necticut Vallej and the New Haven, Middletown and Willi- 
 mantic (Air Line) railroads cross. Middletown is a large, quiet 
 and rather old fogy place, chiefly noted as the seat of Wes- 
 leyan University, the chief Methodist college of the north. 
 The next stopping place is Meriden, a wide-awake, bustling- 
 city, the chief attractions of which are its nuinerous manufac- 
 tories of silver-plated ware. Fire arms are also inade here, 
 and the State Reform School is pleasantly located on a slope in 
 the outskirts. Three miles further, or 145 from Boston, 
 comes Yalesville, a small manufacturing village ; then Wal- 
 lingford, noted for its britannia ware inanufacture and its 
 being the home of a branch of the celebrated Oneida Com- 
 munity of Free Lovers. The train next traverses a long 
 stretch of white sandy plains, useful, no doubt in holding the 
 world together, but as soil, too poor to raise mullein. The 
 more of this land a man owns, the poorer he is. Geologists 
 say, and there is every reason to believe, that this was once 
 part of the sandy bed of New Haven harbor, and can trace 
 the former shores of the bay in the rising ground bordering 
 these plains. The road is terribly dusty here, and every body 
 is glad to reach North Haven station, where we strike "solid 
 ground" again. This is a great town for brick-making, and 
 ships several millions yearly. Half a dozen miles more of 
 travel amidst interesting scenery brings us to New Haven, 
 whence we continue our journey to New York and thence 
 to Saratosra. 
 
CHAPTER UI. 
 
 Up the Hudson River to Albany and Saratoga. 
 
 ARATOGA, however, being our 
 present Mecca, and not New York, 
 we will not delay in the metropolis, 
 but seek the first conveyance to the 
 Springs. Pier 39, foot of Vestry 
 street, is but a few steps, — to be 
 exact about it, half a dozen 
 blocks, — and if we choose 
 to do so, we can proceed 
 direct thither and on board 
 one of the splendid day 
 boats Chauncey Vibbard 
 and Daniel Drew, famed as 
 ^^^^ floating palaces par excel- 
 lence, for Albany. Or if we 
 choose we may take a car- 
 riage for a short drive up town, or if desirable may snatch an 
 hour or two for the transaction of business (this refers to the 
 gnetlemen, of course) as the boat up the river does not start till 
 8.30. At that hour, accordingly, we shall be promptly on hand 
 ».or if more convenient we may connect with the boat at the 
 Yoot of 23d street, fifteen minutes later. We are soon com- 
 fortably ensconced somewhere on deck, so that, our eyes can 
 
 (42- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 43 
 
 range the scene in every direction and get the full effect of 
 the varied beauties of nature and art. As we head up the 
 river, we leave behind us the crowded harbor and the bustling 
 piers ; to our left and rear is Jersey City, with its various depots 
 for transatlantic steamships, its manufactures and its busy 
 streets ; directly abreast of us and adjoining Jersey City is 
 Hoboken, the former picnic suburb of the metropolis, now a 
 steamship and railway terminus, and a little beyond and on the 
 same side is Weehawken. Straight ahead of us stretches the 
 noble river, bearing on its bosom so great a proportion of 
 the city's wealth-producing commerce ; the vast fleets of canal 
 boats, laden with coal from the Pennsylvania mines, or grain 
 from the western fields ; the steamers from Europe and the 
 American coast ports ; clam and oyster boats from the south 
 and the lower bay; rafts of lumber from the north, and the 
 pleasure palaces like that on which we are taking our passage. 
 On our right is the great city, with its square miles of build- 
 ings, its labyrinths of streets and its forests of masts. As we 
 proceed up the river we successively pass and recognize, if 
 we be familiar with the metropolis, Manhattanville, with 
 its Lunatic Asylum, Manhattan College, and the Sacred 
 Heart Convent; Carmansville, with its Deaf and Dumb In- 
 stitution, and group of fine villas ; the Morris House, Wash- 
 ington's headquarters in 1776, Fort Washington, the highest 
 point on the island, crowned with villas — all formerly sub- 
 urban villages, but now connected portions of the great city. 
 Between us and Mount Washington projects Jeffrey's Hook, 
 the site of a redoubt in 1776, and on the west bank of the 
 river, directly to our left, is Fort Lee, with its Revolutionary 
 memories and its immense Palisades Hotel. 
 
 The Palisades. 
 
 The grand and wonderful Palisades, famous the world over, 
 have begun to appear on our left, since passing Weehaw- 
 ken, and from Fort Lee for several miles north, they tower 
 like a great wall above the river. These palisades are of the 
 
44 TO IJRIS tS' HA NDBOOK. 
 
 singular rock formation known as a "trap dyke," from 300 to 
 500 feet liigh, forming the west bank of the river. The loftj 
 wall appears like a succession of vertical pillars, joined to each 
 other, or the palisades of a fortification, whence its popular 
 name is taken. Nearly opposite Fort Lee, on the East side, 
 appears the mouth of Spuyten-Duyvil Creek, a tidal inlet, 
 which with Harlem River forms a water communication 
 between the Hudson and East Rivers, and isolates the island 
 of Manhattan. The creek is crossed by several bridges form- 
 ing the means of communication with the towns in Westches- 
 ter County lately annexed to the metropolis. The legend 
 goes that a Dutch trumpeter, Anthony by name, while on a 
 journey in the old days of New Amsterdam, was impeded in 
 his progress by this creek, then nameless. He swore that he 
 would swim it, "en spuyt den duyvil," (in spite of the devil) 
 and plunged in. But when half across, the veracious narra- 
 tive goes, the devil angered at the free use of his name, caiue 
 up in the form of a huge moss-bunker, or menhaden, seized 
 Anthony and pulled him under, to rise no more. Above the 
 creek we pass Riverdale, Mount St. Vincent, with its con- 
 vent, and soon reach Yonkers, 17 miles from New York, a 
 flourishing and beautiful village at the mouth of the Neperah 
 river, with many suburban residences of New York merchants 
 in its limits. Here was the ancient Philipse estate, the old 
 Dutch manor house, built in 1682 and enlarged in 1745, being 
 still in existence. Mary Philipse, the lovely heiress of this 
 estate was sought in marriage by Washington long before he 
 wooed the widow of Custis, and he never forgot her refusal. 
 Hastings comes next, a busy town, and the port of shipment 
 for the Westchester marble quarries. A little above is Dobbs's 
 Ferry, an old village at the mouth of Wisquaqua Creek, and 
 opposite is Piermont, on the line between New York and New 
 Jersey. Hitherto, we have had the foreign country last named, 
 on our left all the way, but now for the rest of our journey, 
 we shall be in the United States and in New York, all the 
 way. Inland from Piermont is the old Dutch hamlet of Tap- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 45 
 
 pan, noted chiefly as the place of Major Andre's trial and exe- 
 cution in 1780, after Benedict Arnold's unsuccessful attempt 
 to deliver up West Point to the British. 
 
 A Region of Roniance. 
 
 Here begins the Tappan Zee, a lake formed by the widening 
 of the river, v^hich is from two to five miles wide for a dis- 
 tance of ten miles. Near Irvington stands " Sunnjside," the 
 old home of Washington Irving, to whose genius this whole 
 region owes much of its charm, for he gathered up the quaint 
 Dutch traditions that lingered about the scenes and localities, 
 and interweaving them with the bright romances of his own 
 brain, formed a chaplet which crowns the Hudson with im- 
 mortal fame. The Tappan Zee and its neighborhood is the 
 very center of this mythical and romantic region. In the 
 legends of the early settlers the lovely lake is haunted by spec- 
 tral ships of ancient Dutch mould, which came flying up in the 
 teeth of the wind and tide, and never returned ; by phantom 
 whale-boats of the old water-guard, sunk by the British ; and 
 by the spectral skiff" of Rambout Van Dam, destined to row 
 between Kakiat and Spuyten Duyvil till the day of judgment. 
 Even Sunnyside has its legendary interest. It was built over 
 200 years ago by Wolfert Acker, a Dutch councillor, who in- 
 scribed over the door, "Lust in Rust," (pleasure in quiet) and 
 the English settlers with a droll humor nicknamed it " Wol- 
 fert's Roost." All around are beautiful villas, of New York 
 grandees mostly, and the spot is charming to the highest 
 degree. A short distance above is Tarrytown, the Dutch 
 Terwe Dorp, immortalized in Irving's work, and near by is 
 Sleepy Hollow, a quiet valley originally called Slaeperigh 
 Haven, the scene of Irving's world-famous legend. Carl's 
 Mill, the old Dutch church, built of bricks brought from Hol- 
 land, the bridge over the Pocantico, where Ichabod Crane was 
 overthrown by the Headless Horseman, the Philipse Castle, 
 an old loop-holed mansion, built in 1683, as a point of defence 
 for the tenantry of the Philipse manor, all are extant. Oppo- 
 
4-6 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 site Tarrjtown is Njack, and a short distance above is Sing 
 Sing, a pleasant village on a sunny slope. Near the river 
 bank, on grounds covering 130 acres, stands the famous State 
 Prison, whose mai-ble buildings were erected bj the convicts 
 who swarm like bees all over the enclosure. On the west 
 bank is Verdritege Hook on Point-no-Point, a bold promon- 
 tory on the top of which lies Rockland Lake, the ice-Held 
 whence the inetropolis is chiefly supplied. Teller's or Croton 
 Point projects from the right bank nearly two miles, as if to 
 co^itest the passage of the river, and as we approach it we see 
 the mouth of the Croton river, whence the v/ater supply of 
 New York City is conveyed 40 miles in a covered aqueduct. 
 The dam is six miles up the river, and is 250 feet long, 40 feet 
 high and 70 feet thick at the base, forming a lake five miles 
 long, covering four hundred acres and holding 500,000,000 
 gallons of water. The aqueduct, of stone and brick, follows the 
 course of the Hudson river to the great reservoirs in Central 
 Park, and has a daily capacity of 60,000,000 gallons. The 
 works cost ^14,000,000, and include sixteen tunnels and 
 twenty-five bridges, by which the conduit overcomes natural 
 obstacles in its course. 
 
 The Highlands of the Hudson. 
 
 We round Croton Point, steering nearly towards the west 
 h^nk, where the Highlands loom up grandly before us, and 
 enter the beautiful Haverstraw Bay, a placid expanse of the 
 river, named from the village of Haverstraw on the left. On 
 Treason Hill, appropriately so called, stands the old stone 
 mansion where Arnold and Andre met and arranged for the 
 surrender of West Point. A short distance above, on the 
 same side, is Stony Point, the scene of " Mad Anthony" 
 Wayne's reckless, but successful assault in the Revolution, 
 and opposite is Verplanck's Point, which he rendered unten- 
 able by the cannonade from Stony Point, after its capture. A 
 few miles above, on the right bank, is Peekskill, at the mouth 
 of a creek or " kill" from which the village takes its name, 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 47 
 
 Jan Peek, an early Dutch mariner having ascended hither and 
 named the kill after himself. Here the river turns sharply 
 to the left, and passes through "The Race " so called, formed 
 by the bluff promontory of Anthony's Nose on the North and 
 the Dunderburg on the South. Between these the narrow 
 channel is cut, the course of the river being very nearly from 
 West to East for a mile or two. The scenery here is grand 
 and majestic. Our steamer plows its way between the im- 
 posing mountains of the Highlands. The lofty Dunderberg 
 (believed by the ancient Dutch to be the home of the storm- 
 goblins — hence its name of "Thunder Mountain," as amus- 
 ingly described by Irving) towers on our left, and hardly a 
 stone's-throw on our right, Anthony's Nose (named, accord- 
 ing to the same authority, from the bulbous and rubicund 
 protuberance of Anthony Van Corlear, Governor Peter 
 Stuyvesant's trumpeter,) rises 1128 feet above the water. Soon 
 we turn to the right, pass Bracken Kill, Iowa Island, Poplopen 
 Kill, and the remains of Forts Montgomery and Clinton, 
 between which the Yankees in 1777 stretched a heavy chain 
 and boom to stop the passage of the British fleet, but from 
 whence they were driven by a flank movement of Sir Henry 
 Clinton. 
 
 "West Point and Above. 
 
 Buttermilk Falls are passed on the left, near which stands 
 the famous Cozzens's Hotel, and soon we arrive at West 
 Point, the nursery of Uncle Sam's incipient warriors, and the 
 flirtation field of hosts of metropolitan damsels during the 
 summer encampment. Here are the barracks for 21^0 cadets, 
 the chapel, the hospital, the main academy building, the tro- 
 phies of captured artillery, the ruins of old fort Putnam, and 
 the Siege Battery near the water's edge. Across the river, we 
 see Sugar Loaf, beneath whose shadow still stands the house 
 in which Arnold made his headquarters ; a little further along 
 is Cold Spring, overlooked by Mount Taurus and Breakneck 
 Hill. On the left side, a little beyond West Point, loom 
 Crownest and Boterberg mountains, separated by the "Vale 
 
48 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 of Tempe," the scene of part of "The Culprit Faj." Near 
 the northern foot of the last named mountain, lies the prettj 
 village of Cornwall, and near bj the former villa (Idlewild) 
 of N. P. Willis. 
 
 Uewburgh, Fishkill and Poughkeepsie. 
 
 But a short distance further, we see the busy streets, the 
 white- dwellings and the loftj spires of Newburgh, apparently 
 climbing the steep bluffs on the west bank, while at the water- 
 side stand blocks of huge warehouses, and acres of wharves 
 and fleets of canal boats lie at the coal docks, loading with 
 black diamonds brought direct from the mines by a branch of 
 the Erie Railway. The "switchback," by which the loaded 
 trains run by gravity down to the dock, and discharge directly 
 into the canal boats, will be witnessed with interest by all our 
 fellow passengers of a mechanical or material turn of inind ; 
 while the romantically inclined will find food for enthusiasm 
 in the river and mountain view, and the lovers of history in 
 the thought that here in Newburg, Washington had one of 
 his numerous headquarters, — this one in a *stone house over 
 the heights, where he wintered in 1783 — and perhaps will 
 land and pay a pilgrimage thither, as to a second Mecca. New- 
 burgh is an exceedingly sightly and handsome city, has 15,000 
 inhabitants, an immense coal and luinber trade, and is con- 
 nected by ferry with Fishkill Landing, on the east shore, the 
 western terminus of the New York and New England rail- 
 road, from Boston, via Hartford and Waterbury, if it shall 
 ever be completed. The Duchess and Columbia Division, 
 now runs to Millerton, where connection is made via Con- 
 necticut Western, with Hartford, but the link between Water- 
 bury and this Western Division is still inissing. A few iniles 
 north, and on the west bank, is a level rocky plateau, called 
 by Hendrick Hudson, who witnessed there a midnight orgie 
 of the Indians, "the Devil's Dance Chamber." Within the 
 next few miles we pass Hampton, Marlborough and Milton, 
 small and uninspiring villages on the left, and New Hamburg 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 49 
 
 and Barnegat on the right, and next arrive at Poughkeepsie, 
 75 miles from New York, and the largest city between the 
 metropolis and Albany. Poughkeepsie, on the east side, is a 
 thriving and prosperous city of 20,000 inhabitants, and is the 
 western terminus of another proposed line of railroad from 
 Boston, to connect with an arm put forth from the West by 
 the great Pennsylvania railroad. Vassar College, with its 
 400 young lady students, its splendid buildings and its un- 
 rivalled educational facilities, is about two miles from the 
 city, and is an enduring monument to the benevolence of old 
 Matthew Vassar. Besides this famous institution, there are the 
 Poughkeepsie Female Academy, the Collegiate Institute, the 
 Military Institute, ex-Mayor Eastman's National Business Col- 
 lege, St. Peter's Academy, Cottage Hill Seminary, the River- 
 view Military School, and other educational establishments of 
 a high grade, from which learning exudes, as it were, to bene- 
 fit the whole country. There is also the State Hospital for 
 the Insane, with its extensive grounds. The Poughkeepsie 
 and Eastern Railroad runs east to Millerton, where it connects 
 with the roads above named, and the Harlem from New York 
 city, while the Hudson River Railroad, which has all along 
 followed our course, on the right bank, passes through the 
 city. The situation of Poughkeepsie is imposing and sightly. 
 It is mainly built on an elevated plateau, far above the river, 
 and its many fine edifices show off to good advantage as we 
 approach and pass by. 
 
 The River Villages, and Hudson City. 
 
 Opposite Poughkeepsie is New Paltz, a landing connected 
 with the city by a ferry ; six miles above is the beautiful vil- 
 lage of Hyde Park, near which point the river curves and 
 narrows between high cliffs. This curve was appropriately 
 named " Crooked Elbow" (Krom Elboge), by the ancient 
 Dutch, and bears the name to this day. From this point, for 
 a few miles, the scene is one of quiet beauty. Fertile mead- 
 ows stretch on either hand, the river placidly expands, while 
 3 
 
50 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 the blue peaks of the distant Katskills form a pleasing back- 
 ground. Staatsburg, Rondout and Port Ewen, staid old vil- 
 lages, rich in history and tradition, are next passed Rondout 
 is at the mouth of the creek of the same name, bj which the 
 Delaware and Hudson Canal makes its way to the Hudson. 
 Kingston, two miles from the river, on the beautiful Esopus 
 Creek, which has furnished the subject for many fine pictures, 
 is a very old village, in which the first constitution of New 
 York was framed, at a legislative session in 1777. It is now 
 a place of some 7,000 inhabitants, and is reached by horse- 
 cars from Rondout. Across the Hudson lies Rhinebeck, 
 with a ferry connection, the main village being two miles 
 inland. On a high bluff near by is an old fortress mansion, 
 as manor houses were built in those days ; the house of the' 
 Beekman family in the 17th century. Tarrytown, Tivoli, 
 Saugerties, Clermont and Maiden, river landings, are suc- 
 cessively passed, each having something of interest in its 
 history. Above Tarrytown is Annandale, the estate of John 
 Bard, who has ereeted thereon St. Stephen's College, a fine 
 stone Gothic building, for the education of young men for 
 the Episcopal ministry; also the fine church of the Holy 
 Innocents. Saugerties is at the mouth of Esopus Creek, 
 marking the one hundredth mile from New York; Clermont 
 is the ancient Beat of the Livingston family, founded by the 
 chancellor of that name, and Maiden is the great shipping 
 point of the North River flagging-stone. Passing Katskill 
 Landing, the mountains of that name tower above it on the 
 left bank, with the Mountain House plainly visible near one 
 of the summits. From the landing stages convey tourists to 
 the celebrated resort. On the way, the road leads through 
 Sleepy Hollow, the scene of Rip Van Winkle's fabled 20 
 years' nap. On the east bank of the river, four miles above 
 Katskill, is Hudson, the capital of Columbia county, a city 
 of about 10,000 inhabitants. Here is the head of ship navi- 
 gation on the Hudson, and hence the Hudson and Boston 
 Railroad rtins to Chatham, connecting there with the Bos- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 5 1 
 
 ton and Albany. A few miles northeast are the Columbia 
 Springs, often visited, and the views of the river, the Kats- 
 kills, Helderbergs, Shawangunks, Highlands, and other 
 mountains from Prospect Hill are very fine. Opposite Hud- 
 son is Athens, the shipping point of immense quantities 
 of hay, ice, brick, etc. Here the New York Central Rail- 
 road has a great freight terminus. A short distance above is 
 Coxsackie and then Stuyvesant Landing, New Baltimore, 
 Schodack and Beeren Islands, Coeymans, Schodack, Castle- 
 ton, Staats Island and Overslaugh are passed, and the 
 steamer rounds to at the dock at Albany. 
 
 Albany, Its History and Its Attractions. 
 
 In 1614 the adventurous Dutch, who had even then sailed 
 far up the Hudson and explored the magnificent country on 
 its banks, deemed the site of the present city of Albany emin- 
 ently fit for a settlement, and accordingly they settled. Nine 
 years later they built Fort Orange, and called the little town 
 Beaverwyck, owing to the numbers of beaver found here. In 
 1664 the British took the place and named it Albany in honor 
 of James II, then crown prince, Duke of York and Albany. 
 In 1686 a city charter was granted, and in 1798 it became the 
 capital of the State. Albany, and indeed nearly all the county, 
 and those of Rensselaer and Columbia, were embraced in the 
 patent of 1150 square miles granted to Killian Van Rensselaer, 
 by the Dutch East India Company in 1637 ^^ Patroon of Rens- 
 selaerwyck, and here he and his descendants ruled in feudal 
 state until the anti-rent troubles in 1846, when the state troops 
 were obliged to interfere to put down the insurrectionary 
 tenants, and since that time, the vestiges of the old system 
 have disappeared, though the family still remains wealthy 
 and famous. So much for history. The Albany of the 
 present day is a thriving manufacturing and commercial city, 
 doing an immense business by means of the Erie Canal, which 
 here has its vast eastern terminal basin, with its breakwater 80 
 feet wide and 4,300 feet long, and by its railroad connections. 
 
52 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 It is also the center of a great brewing interest, and Albany 
 XXX ale is known the country over. The river is bridged 
 for the passage of the Boston and Albany railroad, by a struc- 
 ture of stone and iron costing $1,150,000. Besides this rail- 
 road, which runs 201 miles east to Boston, the Hudson River 
 142 miles south to New York, the New York Central 298 miles 
 west to Buffalo, the Rensselaer and Saratoga 94 miles north- 
 east to Rutland, Vt., and the Albany and Susquehanna, 142 
 miles south-west, to Binghamton, where it connects with the 
 Erie Railway, center here. The city has some 80,000 inhab- 
 itants and many fine public buildings. The most magnificent 
 among these will be the new capitol, second only to its Federal 
 namesake at Washington, if it is ever finished. It has been 
 in progress many years, and has cost some $10,000,000. It 
 is of light colored stone, in the Renaissance style, of which it 
 is considered the finest example in the country. The water 
 supply is drawn from Rensselaer Lake, five miles west, 
 through a system of works costing $1,000,000. The marble 
 State Hall, the City Hall, the Catholic Cathedral of the Im- 
 maculate Conception, St. Joseph's church, and St. Peter's 
 (Episcopal), with its silver service given by Queen Anne to 
 the Onondaga Indians, are all worthy of attention, as are the 
 several educational institutions. But perhaps the most inter- 
 esting building in the city is the old Van Rensselaer manor 
 house, surrounded by its park, near Broadway, on the site of 
 the original dwelling of the first Patroon of the name. This 
 manor house is very ancient, and an interesting relic of the 
 ai-chitecture of the feudal days of Albany. Here too is the 
 old Schuyler mansion, built some two centuries ago, by the 
 head of that distinguished and wealthy fainily. 
 
 A pleasant stopping-place in Albany, and one much frequen- 
 ted and enjoyed by tourists, is the famous hotel, Congress Hall, 
 of which Mr. Adam Blake is the justly popular proprietor. 
 Its location on the high land opposite the State House and the 
 new Capitol ; away from smoke and dust and noise of rail- 
 road trains and the business streets, makes it especially de- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. ' 53 
 
 sirable to those fond of quiet, while comfortable, well 
 furnished rooms, a sumptuous table and all the conveniences 
 of a hotel leave little to be desired. 
 
 From Albany to Saratoga. 
 
 Continuing on our pilgrimage to the Springs however, we 
 must drop the beauties and the traditions of Albany, and take 
 the cars of the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad northward. 
 Passing the Rural Cemetery, a little out of the city, we soon 
 reach West Troy, the site of the Watervliet National Arsenal, 
 with its hundred acres of enclosure, and its many substantial 
 buildings. Across the river to our right, we see the city of 
 Troy, with its fine buildings and its hosts of foundries. We 
 soon reach Cohoes, a busy factory city of 16,000 inhabitants, 
 at the great falls of the Mohawk river. Here is a costly dam 
 built by the State, and by means of great hydraulic canals, 
 water-power is derived equal to the task of manufacturing 
 f 10,000,000 worth of goods annually. Three miles above 
 Cohoes, the Erie canal crosses the Mohawk in an aqueduct of 
 stone with 27 arches, the whole structure being over iioo feet 
 ong. We cross the Mohawk river at Cohoes, and soon 
 passing through Waterford, a manufacturing village, fol- 
 low the left bank of the Hudson — a small stream above the 
 confluence of the Mohawk, and shorn of all its grandeur — 
 and traverse a long and fertile meadow between the river and the 
 Champlain canal. Then we pass Mechanicsville, where are 
 numerous thread factories. Round Lake, where the Metho- 
 dists have a famous camp-ineeting in "the season," and soon 
 draw up at the station at Ballston Spa. This resort, though 
 now less famous than its more northern rival, Saratoga, was 
 in the past the great fashionable watering place of the coun- 
 try and still retains traditions of its former grandeur. It is 
 now visited in the summer by many people, who desire a quiet 
 and select, rather than a brilliant and showy company, and 
 comfortable accommodations. There are several fine and 
 famous springs here, among which the Sans Souci, in the 
 
54 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 grounds of the famous old hotel of the same name, is the most 
 widely known. It is a spouting spring, and very rich in mine- 
 ral virtues, containing 986J grains of mineral matter to each 
 gallon, 572 being chloride of sodium (called salt by some pro- 
 saic and vulgar people,) and 274 being bi-carbonates of lime 
 and magnesia. The Artesian Lithia spring, bored in 1868, is 
 considered a wonderful specific for rheumatism, gout, gravel 
 and kindred diseases. It flows from a depth of 650 feet, and 
 contains nearly 8 grains to the gallon of the bi-carbonate of 
 lithia, and enough other mineral ingredients to aggregate 
 1,2345 grains per gallon, making it probably the most strongly 
 mineral water in the valley. The Ballston Springs are in the 
 southern portion of the same valley with those of Saratoga, 
 which seems to justify, in the wonderful efficacy, variety and 
 quantity of its medicinal waters, the Indian superstition that 
 here was the laboratory of the Great Spirit, where his children 
 should come to be cured of their diseases. Ballston is the 
 capital of Saratoga county, has several factories and a popu- 
 lation of about 5000. From Ballston to Schenectady a branch 
 runs southwest, the distance being 17 miles. Continuing on 
 our northern course seven miles, we sweep by several grand 
 hotels, foi-ming the centre of a handsome and populous vil- 
 lage, draw alongside an immense covered platform, and alight 
 at Saratoga Springs. 
 
 Other Routes to Saratoga. 
 
 As already intimated there are several other routes which 
 may be traversed on our way to Saratoga, but through lack 
 of directness or the long time consumed, some special reason 
 would be required for travelling them. One may go by 
 Providence and thence by Hartford, Providence and Fishkill 
 to Hartford, thence by steamer to New York; or by New 
 York and Boston Air Line, via Putnam, Willimantic, Mid- 
 dletown and New Haven ; or by steamer from Providence, or 
 Saybrook, or New Haven, or even Bridgeport to New York; 
 or by a dozen other routes or parts of routes ; but, as already 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 55 
 
 said, special reasons would be required to justify such a 
 departure from the ordinary course of travellers. Some peo- 
 ple, also, take the Hudson River Railroad from New York to 
 Albany, but such people lose in great measure the enjoyment 
 of the splendid scenery of the Hudson, But by whichever 
 route we come, we will suppose ourselves to have landed 
 safely under the long roof which covers the platforms and 
 tracks at " the Springs," and to be receiving the congratula- 
 tions and pressing invitations of the legion of delighted port- 
 ers and drivers, who are unfeignedly glad to see us and 
 anxious to take us to their respective hotels. 
 
 The Fitchburg, Rutland and Saratoga Line. 
 
 We will, however, describe one or two of the prominent 
 all-rail routes thither. And first, we will premise that the 
 tourist has purchased his tickets and obtained the necessary 
 information as to routes, stopping-places, connections and 
 time tables, both which desirable consummations can be 
 reached by a call upon, or a letter to the office of the Fitch- 
 burg, Rutland and Saratoga Line, at No. 228 Washington 
 street. The railway station on Causeway street, is the start- 
 ing point for two routes, that via Fitchburg and Rutland 
 coming first under our notice. Elegant and comfortable or- 
 dinary cars are furnished by this line, in which any one can 
 ride as easily and with as little discomfort as on any road in 
 the country. In addition, the famous Pullman cars are run 
 on the through trains, in which those who are willing to pay 
 for a little extra luxury and the attention of a special con- 
 ductor can enjoy the acme of comfort in railway travel. As 
 we leave the city and cross Charles River to Charlestown, the 
 tall form of Bunker Hill monument towers above us on the 
 right, and nearer by we see the grim walls of the State Prison. 
 We barely skirt the edge of Charlestown, and then cross 
 the Miller's river, pass through Somerville, Cambridge, Bel- 
 mont and Waltham, at which latter place we see the immense 
 works of the American Watch Company ; Lincoln, in which 
 
5 6 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 town are the famous Walden woods and ponds, made famous 
 bjThoreau's hermit life, and now the favorite scene of picnics; 
 and soon we enter Concord, which was the scene of anything 
 but concord one hundred years ago. On the 19th of April, 
 1775, history tells us, 800 British troops under Major Pitcairn, 
 who had dispersed the patriots at Lexington the nigh before, 
 were met at the North bridge across the Concord river by a 
 little band of " embattled farmers," who " fired the shot heard 
 round the world," and in so doing routed the proud hosts of 
 the invader and sent them in disorder out of town. Here, 
 upon the 19th of April, 1875, the centennial was celebrated 
 with great pomp, a crowd of 20,000 people attending, the 
 President and his Cabinet being present, an oration by George 
 William Curtis, an addi-ess by Ralph Waldo Emerson and 
 several other speeches being delivered, and the fine bronze 
 monument of the Minute Man being dedicated on the old 
 battle ground. But this is not a historical work of fiction ; 
 anyone who craves more history can consult the text books 
 in the public schools. South Acton is the next station. It is 
 chiefly noted as the point of departure of the Marlboro' 
 Branch, 13 miles long. At Ayer (formerly Groton Junction) 
 railroads from Worcester, Nashua, Lowell, Clinton and Peter- 
 boro', N. H., intersect, and here we are quite sure to receive 
 accessions to our numbers from some or all of these places. 
 
 Fitehburg and its Environs. 
 
 Soon we reach Fitehburg, distant 50 miles (an hour and a 
 half's ride) from Boston, and here we find another prosper- 
 ous manufacturing town, an important railroad centre, and a 
 delightful spot in summer to spend a few days or weeks. A 
 good sized hill near the town bears the resounding title of 
 Rollstone Mountain, and the brawling brook which courses 
 through the village, supplying 25 water privileges and creat- 
 ing a necessity for several railroad bridges, is known as the 
 Nashua river. From Fitehburg the Hoosac Tunnel Line 
 branches off to the west, the Fitehburg and Worcester road 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 57 
 
 runs nearly south to Worcester, and the Cheshire railroad 
 proceeds (and we with and upon it) northwesterly to Keene, 
 N. H. We pass through the towns of Westminster and 
 Ashburnham, for the first few miles having fine views from 
 the windows on the left of Wachusett Mountain, 2,018 feet 
 high, in the northern part of Princeton, and passing in Ash- 
 burnham a number of clear, wooded ponds, which at this 
 season are carpeted over with water-lily pads, and starred 
 with their fragrant and snowy blossoms. Next we come to 
 Winchendon, 68 miles from Boston, a large manufacturing 
 town on Miller's river. This is the great hive of industry 
 from which are produced myriads of wooden vessels, utensils 
 and conveniences. It is no sign of illness in this town to 
 turn a little pail, or a large one either, for hundreds of work- 
 men are daily turning them, and "kicking the bucket" does 
 not necessarily imply death. One of the largest of these fac- 
 tories, where everything wooden from a clothes-pin to a rock- 
 ing-horse is turned out, is that of Captain E. Murdock, Jr., 
 and it will be worth anyone's while to stop here and visit it. 
 And they need not stop for that alone, for hence the Monad- 
 nock Branch makes oflT to Rindge, Jaffrey and Peterborough, 
 N. H., and many people transfer themselves to this road for 
 a trip to Mount Monadnock, of which more will be said here- 
 after. Others go by carriage from Winchendon, and, indeed, 
 in all the neighboring country it is the custom to get up pic- 
 nic parties to the top of Monadnock, for the benefit of 
 sojourners from the cities. 
 
 Mount Monadnock. 
 
 This most celebrated peak of the vicinity is located in the 
 town of Jaffrey, N. H., and is full in view from the car win- 
 dows for several miles as we pass into the Granite State, 
 either on the main line or the Monadnock Branch. It is a 
 bold, rugged peak, 3450 feet high, nearly conical, and of great 
 beauty when its harsh lines are softened by the distance. 
 Near to, it shows wooded sides reaching nearly to the sum- 
 3* 
 
58 TOttRISTS' HANDBOOIC. 
 
 mit, though broken hy perpendicular ledges of rock, and a 
 crest of solid jagged rock, bare and bleak as that of Mount 
 Washington itself. It is comparatively easj of ascent, and 
 one can leave Boston at 7.30 A. m., visit JafFrey, ascend the 
 mountain, and reach home at 7 p. m., after a most delightful 
 and invigorating trip. From the summit of Monadnock, a 
 view, grand, beautiful and varied is spread out before the visi- 
 tor. Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts 
 are at his foot, and though he does not see all the kingdoms 
 of the world and the glorj of them, jet he gets a larger idea 
 of the greatness of this portion of New England than he can 
 from level ground. There are said to be 30 lakes embraced 
 within the range of vision, on one of the prettiest of which, 
 Contoocook, a small excursion steamer has been placed. The 
 Monadnock Mountain House, on the slope of the mountain, is 
 much frequented by visitors. Returning to the main line, we 
 pass through State Line, 71 miles from Boston, Fitzwilliam, 
 77 miles, Troy, 82 miles, and Marlboro, 86 miles, little towns 
 nestled among the hills, and favorite resorts for those who 
 were born under the last sign of the Zodiac. Then through 
 South Keene, 80 miles from Boston, a small station in the 
 southern part of Keene, and in a few minutes we roll into the 
 fine depot of Keene proper, 82 miles from our starting point. 
 Keene is one of the most charming towns in New Hampshire, 
 noted for manufactures, the power for which it derives from 
 the Ashuelot river and from Beaver Brook, the falls of which, 
 two miles north of the village, are an object of great interest 
 to the tourist. The location of Keene is beautiful, on a fine 
 meadow surrounded by hills, and traversed by the clear and 
 sparkling river. It is a town of 6000 inhabitants, has seven 
 churches and the county buildings of Cheshire county. The 
 Ashuelot Railroad runs hence southwest to South Vernon, 
 Vermont. The streets of Keene are broad, well shaded, and 
 the business centre. Central Square, has fine stores, in which 
 a large trade with the surrounding country is carried on. 
 From Keene we continue through the Westmorelands, the 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 59 
 
 first 100 miles from Boston, being oddlj enough named East 
 Westmoreland and suggesting the inquiry as to whether there 
 may not be a North-East-by-South Westmoreland, then West- 
 moreland proper, 104 miles, Walpole no miles, Cold River 
 113 miles, the track following all the way the course of the 
 Connecticut River, and at the feet of a chain of magnificent 
 hills, the highest of which. Fall Mountain — a spur of Mount 
 Toby — towers 750 feet above our heads. Just beyond the 
 last named station we roll through a bridge which crosses the 
 Connecticut into Vermont, giving us fleeting glimpses of the 
 celebrated Bellows Falls, and in a few moments we are at 
 the Station of that name, an important railroad junction, and 
 one of the most flourishing manufacturing towns of the Green 
 Mountain State. 
 
 Bellows Falls, and Beyond. 
 
 The situation of this village is romantic in the extreme. 
 Looking to the eastward from the platform of the railway 
 station, Mount Kilburn, wooded with evergreen to its very 
 summit, towers like an emerald wall to the hight of 900 feet. 
 At its foot, and almost at ours, the river roars and foams. The 
 Connecticut is here compressed into a channel less than 50 
 feet wide, and the rush of waters through this narrow gorge 
 and over the huge rocks, which obstructs it, is magnificent, 
 especially during the Spring floods. Bellows Falls is a most 
 enjoyable place at which to spend a week, so numerous and 
 so varied are its objects of interest. To geologists, the 
 strange natural carvings of human faces in the rocks of the 
 vicinity will be well worth seeing ; to the lover of fishing, 
 Warren's and Minard's ponds, Saxton's river and other places 
 afford fine sport, and if one enjoy witnessing the development 
 of the finny tribes, he may, at J. D. Bridgman's trout-breeding 
 establishment, | of a mile north, gain all needed information ; 
 to the invalid the Abenaquis Iron Springs offer their healing 
 waters, and to the lover of fine natural scenery there are 
 numerous pleasant drives, walks and climbs in the neighbor- 
 
6o TOURISTS' HANDBOOK:. 
 
 hood. Bellows Falls has been mentioned as a great railroad 
 centre. Here, besides the Cheshire road, which forms a part 
 of the great thoroughfare to Boston, the southern division of 
 the Central Vermont Railroad comes in from South Vernon, 
 where it connects with the Connecticut River Railroad, for 
 Springfield, Mass. Here also, the Central Division of the 
 same great corporation branches oft' to White River Junction, 
 while we ourselves continue on northwest, over the Rutland 
 Division of the same railroad. A ride of ten miles brings us 
 to Bartons ville, 123 miles from Boston, where we begin the 
 ascent of the Green Mountains, though we do not perceive 
 anj strong indications of our approach thereto before reach- 
 ing Chester, 127 miles from Boston, whence we see from our 
 post on the summit of a long green slope to the Williams 
 river, a noble hill towering on our right. At Gas sett's, 133 
 miles from Boston, we can take a stage, if we are so disposed, 
 for Springfield, seven miles distant, and inspect the Black 
 River Falls, which afford some wonderful illustrations of the 
 action of water in wearing awaj rock. 
 
 Ludlow and the "Hog's Back." 
 
 Passing Cavendish and Proctorsville, which last place is 
 noted for a quarry of splendid serpentine marble, much used 
 for decorative purposes, we come to Ludlow, 141 miles from 
 Boston, where we see the wonderful "Hog's Back" This 
 euphonious designation is applied to a loftj ridge, whose 
 formation has greatly puzzled geologists, rising abruptly 
 from the green and fertile meadows. It is generally believed 
 to have been an island in some primeval lake, before the 
 breaking down of the eastern serpentine ridge drained off" its 
 waters and changed its bottom into a rich meadow. Over 
 the crest of this ridge runs the railroad, ascending from Lud- 
 low seven miles to Summit, the highest station on the road. 
 At Ludlow we wait for the passage of the down train, and 
 looking from our windows, up the grand sweep of the 
 *' Hog's Back," we see ihe train gliding like a serpent along 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 6i 
 
 its edge, and presently, with a roar like that of many waters, 
 it emerges from a shallow cut and dashes up to the station 
 at a speed which requires all the power of the brakes to 
 check. From Summit to Ludlow no steam is used ; the traia 
 is run bj gravity alone ; the speed is tremendous, and the 
 sensation of riding over this portion of the road is exhila- 
 rating in the extreme. Ludlow is also famous for its mag- 
 netic iron ore and its fine beds of antique marble. Toiling 
 up the " Hog's Back " we next reach Healdsville, 147 miles 
 from Boston, a little station surmounting an ugly chasm, out 
 of whose rocky sides several charming little cascades trickle 
 Summit comes next, one mile further, and here the dividing 
 line between the eastern and western slopes is reached. Here 
 steam is shut off, and we begin the descent to Rutland, 18 
 miles distant and 1,000 feet below us, our average descent 
 being 55 feet to the mile. Mount Holly, East Wallingford 
 and Cuttingsville are passed without comment, unless one 
 should chance to notice from the windows Shrewsbury Peak, 
 near the latter station, a commanding mountain 4,086 feet 
 high. 
 
 Rutland and its Attractions. 
 
 Clarendon, 160 miles from Boston is the last stopping place 
 before reaching Rutland, six miles further on, where we enter 
 a large and handsome depot, and can, if we desire, get an ex- 
 cellent dinner at the restaurant in the station, or can patronize 
 one of the hotels near-by, whose merits are loudly eulogized 
 by a host of porters, whose friendliness and desire for the 
 travelers' comfort are touching in the extreame. Many per- 
 sons will desire to stop at Rutland for a time to rest from the 
 fatigues of the journey, or to enjoy the fine scenery and the 
 many attractions in the vicinity. For those fond of mountain 
 climbing, Shx-ewsbury and Killington Peaks, lofty protuber- 
 ances of the Green Mountain system, easily visited, will prove 
 great attractions ; Capitol Rock, on the north side of the 
 latter, being a noted curiosity. For those whose blood is out 
 
62 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 of order, and who consequently "enjoy poor health," there are 
 the Clarendon Springs near-bj, whose waters, abounding in 
 nitrogen gas in solution, sulphate and muriate of lime, sul- 
 phate of soda, sulphate of magnesia, a large amount of car- 
 bonic acids and perhaps other essentials to the prosperity of 
 a well regulated drug-store, — are said to be equal as an alter- 
 ative to those of the German Spa, which they much resemble. 
 There are many fine drives about Rutland, to Sutherland 
 Falls, to Killington, Shrewsbury and Pico Peaks, and to West 
 Rutland where are some of the largest marble quarries in the 
 world. Whole hills seem to be composed of solid marble, 
 of snowy whiteness and fine texture, so fine, indeed that its 
 value at the quarry is greater than that of Italian marble deli- 
 vered at New York. A visit to these quarries is full of 
 interest. Approaching, one sees first the great mill where 
 gangs of saws are endlessly cutting the glittering stone into 
 slabs of various thickenesses ; the huge derricks, used for 
 lifting the great masses of stone ; then the piles of broken 
 stone sloping away from the mouth of the quarry, like the 
 piles of coal dust in front of a Pennsylvania coal shaft ; then 
 the gloomy opening to the mine itself. Some of these quar- 
 ries have been worked for many years, and have completely 
 hollowed out the interior of considerable hills, leaving only a 
 shell of marble to support the soil and preserve the form of 
 the outside. At first the work of quarrying was done by 
 hand, but now steam is almost universally applied. Diamond 
 drills, channelling machines and other like appliances are at 
 work down deep in the bowels of the earth, the deafening 
 noise of their action reverberating through the vaulted cavern ; 
 the gleam of light from the engine and the sooty smoke which 
 constantly arises, and has in the lapse of years changed the 
 snowy purity of the marble canopy overhead to inky black- 
 ness, make the whole scene to the unaccustomed visitor like 
 a glimpse of Dante's Inferno. Rutland has several fine 
 streets, handsome stores, hotels and churches, and the court 
 house of Rutland County. The town has about 10,000 inha- 
 
TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 6^ 
 
 bitants and is very prosperous and thrifty. The raih-oads 
 which centre here are the Rutland Division, Central Vermont, 
 from Bellows Falls to Burlington and Essex Junction ; the 
 Harlem extension, running through Manchester and Ben- 
 nington, Vermont, and Chatham Four Corners, New York, 
 to New York Citj; and the Rensselaer and Saratoga, bj which 
 we take passage for the Springs, 
 
 The Eoad from Rutland to Saratoga. 
 
 Our first station is West Rutland, where the eye is attracted 
 by the immense quantities of marble awaiting shipment, from 
 the great quarries already described. This is also the nearest 
 station to the Clarendon Springs, mentioned above, and here 
 many visitors stop and take stages for the fainous resort. 
 Castleton, lo miles from Rutland, 176 from Boston, a beautiful 
 village of 1,000 inhabitants, is our next stopping place. This 
 village is peculiarly favored by nature. It lies in the very lap 
 of the Green mountains which rise abruptly on the east, while 
 the rolling country to the west stretches away to the shores of 
 Lake Champlain. It contains Lake Bomoseen, a clear and 
 beautiful body of water nine miles long by three miles wide, 
 dotted with islands and embosomed in lofty hills ; its waters 
 cold and limpid, the home of myriads of fine fish. Glen Lake, 
 a tributary of Bomoseen, lies to the west, and Castleton river, 
 a transparent, rapid stream, rising in the Green mountains, 
 flows by its southern extremity on its way to join the Poultney 
 river at Fairhaven, whence the combined stream makes its 
 way to Lake Champlain over three falls aggregating 200 feet 
 in hight. With such natural facilities, and the well known 
 amiability and susceptibility to the blandishments of the 
 angler of Vermont fish, it is no wonder that many gentlemen 
 alight at Clarendon, whose principal baggage consists of rods, 
 hooks, creels, lines and flies. But not alone do those of the 
 male sex stop at Castleton. Fair and fascinating creatures, 
 whom nothing less than a " Saratoga" or two can pacify in 
 the way of baggage, are also dropping off here by every train. 
 
64 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 Thej say thej come to see Lake Bomoseen, to climb Bird, 
 Herrick and Gilmore mountains and to visit the Falls, but 
 there is reason to fear that thej have designs upon the hardj 
 fisherman whose prowess we sing; else whj those clothes, 
 why the scenes of gajetj at the hotel, whj the tales of flirta- 
 tion that have become tradition in the neighborhoods? The 
 road bj which we came from Rutland lies through " The 
 Gate," a narrow pass between the Bird and Gilmore moun- 
 tains, of which we spoke above, and from Castleton we pass 
 through Fairhaven, where we may stop, if so inclined, to 
 visit the Falls of the Castleton river or continue to White- 
 hall, 26 miles from Rutland, 192 from Boston, a town of 6,000 
 inhabitants, at the southern extremity of Lake Champlain. 
 During the French and Indian wars, and the Revolution, 
 Whitehall, then called Skenesborough, was a place of much 
 importance. The Champlain canal runs hence to Troy, con- 
 necting the lake with the Hudson river, and on our way to 
 Saratoga the slowly-moving boats, with their tugging horses 
 and efficient officers and crews, are in sight from the car win- 
 dows a good share of the way. The Lake Champlain steam- 
 ers have their southern terminus here, runnings hence to 
 Ticonderoga, Burlington, Plattsburg, Rouse's Point and way 
 stations. 
 
 An Historic and Legendary Legion. 
 
 The region upon which we are now entering is rich in his- 
 torical and legendary lore. In the old days the possession of 
 the Lake was deemed of such importance by all the powers 
 that contended for the supremacy, that this territory was 
 fought over again and again, and successively held by French, 
 Indians, English and Americans. Every village, almost, 
 bears the name of some fort, and has a crumbling ruin, or 
 nearly obliterated earthwork, or at least a healthy tradition, to 
 trot out in support of its claim. Fort Ann is the first of these 
 villages, and it shows the remains of a redoubt erected in 
 1756, during the " Old French War," to command the head of 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 65 
 
 boat navigation on Wood Creek. Next comes Fort Edward. 
 Here was another stronghold, but the chief features of interest 
 attaching to the place, are the legends of Jane McCrea and 
 Major Israel Putnam. In 1777 during Burgojne's invasion. 
 Miss McCrea, the affianced bride of an American rojalist in 
 the invading armj, was at the house of a friend near the fort. 
 A party of the Indian allies attacked the house and butchered 
 all the inmates save Miss McCrea. Thej took her with them 
 towards the camp, but fearing pursuit, killed her also, threw 
 her body into a spring and carried her scalp into the presence 
 of Burgoyne, demanding the price of a traitor's head. The 
 lady's lover was present and recognized the beautiful hair. 
 His reason forsook him ; he deserted the army, and wandering 
 for a time he died by his own hand. The other legend is more 
 cheerful. In the winter of 1757-8, Israel Putnam, then major, 
 was quartered here. The barracks took fire near the magazine, 
 where 300 barrels of powder were stored. Putnam mounted 
 a ladder near the fire, ordered a line of men formed to the 
 river and buckets of water passed as rapidly as possible to 
 him, while he threw them on. Putnam stood there till the 
 outer sheathing of the magazine was ablaze. Only a single 
 thickness of plank intervened between him anci death, but he 
 wouldn't heed the entreaties to save himself, and just then the 
 barracks fell in, the danger was averted, the fire was soon 
 subdued, and peace and happiness reigned supreme. There 
 is n't much of the fort left to corroborate the story, but it is 
 doubtless true. It was just like " Old Put." At Fort Edward, 
 we first touch the Hudson River, and here a branch leaves for 
 Glen's Falls. Forty minutes more of riding, through a level 
 and uninteresting country, and we arrive at Saratoga, 63 
 miles from Rutland, 229 from Boston. Our first intimation 
 of approach to the village is the appearance of buildings on 
 the left ; then the most northerly of the springs is seen, the 
 valley opens before us, and in a moment we whirl up to an 
 immensely long covered platform at the station, and step out. 
 We are greeted by hosts of hackmen and 'bus drivers, who, 
 
66 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 though strangers to us, hail us with a heartiness and a fami- 
 liarity, which shows that they expected us and are delighted 
 at our arrival. 
 
 The Boston and Albany Boute. 
 
 By this route, we take the cars at the Boston and Albany 
 depot, corner of Beach and Albany streets, and if we wish to 
 go "through by daylight" and sleep in Saratoga the same 
 night, we shall take the 8.30 A. M. train. Should we choose 
 however, we shall be amply repaid for stoping by the way at 
 several points, where most romantic and beautiful scenery is 
 spread out. Securing seats on the right-hand or shady side 
 of the elegant cars, or a cosily curtained section of the Wagner 
 palace, we trundle out through deep cuttings alongside of or 
 underneath busy streets, until the Back Bay district is reached, 
 when a vast expanse of gravel stretches out like a gray- 
 brown sea, over the flats once covered by sparkling waters, 
 where 20 years ago or less little boys sailed boats, went in 
 swimming and fished for mummychugs. A moment's halt 
 is made at the "Know-nothing" crossing of the Provi- 
 dence railroad and then we are off again. Cottage Farms, 
 Allston, wherq^are the shops of the Boston and Albany rail- 
 road and the Beacon race track ; Brighton, with all its great 
 cattle yards and abattoir; "all the Newtons," lovely subur- 
 ban villages, which give to strangers some of their plea- 
 santest impressions of the vicinity of Boston ; Auburndale, 
 the site of the Laselle female seminary, a noted educational 
 institution ; Riverside, with its charming view of meadow and 
 river and forest ; Wellesley, with its beautiful Lake Wauban 
 and the splendid Durant female seminary towering beyond ; 
 Natick, the house of Vice President Wilson, (whose modest 
 white house is pointed out to visitors with as much pride as is 
 the soldiers' monument in the little square near the depot), a 
 town where shoes, hats and base-balls are manufactured, and 
 in the early days of Massachusetts Bay Colony, the site of 
 Eliot's Christian Indian community ; Cochituate Lake on the 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 67 
 
 right, whence an aqueduct of 20 miles in length conveys the 
 water to the city of Boston, are passed, and soon we draw up 
 for a short halt at South Framingham. 
 
 A Busy Bailroad Centre. 
 
 At South Framingham, in addition to the vast through 
 traffic of the Boston and Albany, is a very considerable rail- 
 road centre formed by the junction here of the several roads 
 composing the system of lines under the management of the 
 Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg. The main road runs north- 
 west through Framingham Centre, a pretty rural village, noted 
 chiefly as the site of the State Normal School, where every year 
 a class of "sweet girl graduates with their golden hair" go forth 
 to the easy conquest of the young men and the more difficult 
 task of teaching the young idea how to shoot; through South- 
 boro, Marlboro, Northboro and Berlin, pretty farming towns ; 
 through Clinton, a busy village at the junction of the Wor- 
 cester and Nashua railroad ; through Pratt's Junction, where 
 the Fitchburg and Worcester is crossed, and Leominster, to 
 a junction with the various northern lines at Fitchburg. The 
 Mansfield and Framingham Division runs southeast 18 miles, 
 through Sherborn, Medfield Junction, where it connects with 
 the Woonsocket Division of the New York and New England 
 road ; Medfield, Walpole, where it crosses the main line of 
 the New York and New England, South Walpole, Foxboro, 
 and Mansfield, where it connects with the Boston and Provi- 
 dence, and the Taunton Branch, which the line has leased as 
 a connection with the New Bedford Divison, over which 
 passengers and freight are brought from the seaboard to the 
 mountains. The Lowell and Framingham Division runs 
 north 28 miles, through Sudbury, famed in colonial history 
 and romance especially for its "Wayside Inn" of Longfel- 
 low's poem ; through West Concord, Acton, Carlisle and 
 Chelmsford, to the great spindle city, where another connec- 
 tion with the great northern lines is formed. 
 
68 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 From South Framingham also, a branch of the Boston and 
 Albany runs southward twelve miles, through Holliston to 
 Milford, a busy village. Near South Framingham is Har- 
 mony Grove, famous for temperance, woman's, spiritualist and 
 all sorts of "off color" mass meetings; also the Methodist 
 camp ground. From South Framingham we pursue our 
 course westward, following the Sudbury river some distance, 
 and passing Ashland, Cordaville, Southville and Westboro, 
 (at which latter place is the State Reform School, a water- 
 cure establishment and the headquarters of the sleigh-build- 
 ing interest in this State,) Grafton, Millbury, (whence a 
 branch track runs to the village proper 3 miles south, a busy 
 manufacturing place,) and by a sharp turn to the right we 
 come in view of the sparkling waters of Lake Quinsigamond, 
 famed in years gone by as the course for the Yale-Harvard 
 College regattas, and know that we are approaching Woi'cester. 
 A few moment's ride, and we trundle into the splendid union 
 depot, one of the finest, if not the finest railroad station in 
 New England. It is of solid granite masonry throughout, 
 " built to stand," and is 514 feet long by 256 feet wide, with a 
 clock tower 200 feet high. Though built by the Boston and 
 Albany railroad, it accommodates the trains of the Worcester 
 and Nashua, Providence and Worcester, Norwich and Wor- 
 cester, Boston, Barre and Gardner, and Fitchburg and Wor- 
 cester railroads, and effectually supersedes the several isolated 
 stations hitherto used by the various roads. It stands on 
 Washington Square, a few rods north-west of the old " lower 
 depot " of the Boston and Albany, and a quarter-mile south 
 of the up-town or Foster street station. 
 
 "Worcester and its Attractions. 
 
 Worcester is the second city in Massachusetts for wealth 
 and population, containing over 50,000 inhabitants, thirty 
 churches, many thriving manufactories and a number of 
 academic institutions. It is built very near to the geogra- 
 phical center of the State, and accordingly is the place for 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 69 
 
 holding most of the State Conventions of the p olitical par- 
 ties. Most towns are located by accident of settlement, bj 
 reason of natural advantages or some similar circumstance. 
 Worcester was not thus placed, but was located and settled bj 
 order of the Colonial Legislature of Massachusetts Bay in 
 1669, as a half-way-house or halting place between Boston 
 and the towns in the Connecticut Valley. Thirty families 
 were located here and built a stockade against the "heathen," 
 as Lo and his relatives were then facetiously termed, but "ye 
 salvages " made it so warm for the settlers that in a few years 
 the place was abandoned. In 1713 a new settlement was 
 formed, a church built, which was also a citadel, and whither 
 the male population carried arms and ammunition when at- 
 tending services, — in fact, a genuine church-militant. Wor- 
 cester was full of patriotism during the Revolution and sent 
 a good sized regiment, the Fifteenth Mass., to the Continental 
 army. A handsome monument to its colonel, Timothy Bige- 
 low, stands on the Cominon. It was dedicated April 19, 186I, 
 with a speech by Judge Thoinas, the very day of the first 
 bloodshed of the rebellion, when the Sixth Massachusetts 
 marched through Baltimore. By a singular coincidence, the 
 Fifteenth Massachusetts regiment, raised here, paraded and 
 received its colors just 84 years after its namesake of the Revo- 
 lution. Worcester sent several regiments and many fine offi- 
 cers to the Union army during the late war. The bravery of 
 the fallen is perpetuated by a magnificent monument, dedica- 
 ted last summer, consisting of a tall granite column, whose 
 base is flanked by colossal bronze figures of soldiers, represent- 
 ing the several arms of the service, and its top is crowned by a 
 globe sustairting a beautiful statue of victory. It has been 
 mentioned that Worcester was not located by reason of natural 
 advantages, yet had it been, a finer site could not have been 
 chosen. Its manufactures have been developed by the power 
 afforded by the Blackstone river which flows through it ; its 
 centrality and the conformation of its ground have made it 
 a great railroad junction, while healthfulness and attractive- 
 
70 
 
 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 ness are combined in its position among a group of romantic 
 hills. Look which way you will, a graceful eminence rises 
 before you, and generally it is crowned by the buildings of 
 some college or academy. There are the Roman Catholic 
 College of the Holy Cross, the Oread Seminary, for young 
 ladies, the State Normal School, the Classical and English 
 High School, the Free Industrial School, the Baptist Academy, 
 the Highland Military School, and one or two others, all pro- 
 vided with fine buildings. Other objects of note in the way 
 of buildings are the structure of the American Antiquarian 
 Society on Lincoln square, with its library of 50,000 volumes, 
 and its ancient portraits, its museum of old MSS. and curiosi- 
 ties etc. ; the old Exchange tavern, where Washington and 
 Lafayette have slept, and Mechanics' Hall, the largest in the 
 State, where political conventions are held. 
 
 Westward from Worcester. 
 
 Continuing our westward journey, we soon arrive at West 
 Brookfield, having passed Rochdale, Charlton, Spencer, East 
 Brookfield and Brookfield, all smiling and fertile farming 
 towns. West Brookfield is noted as the scene of a most de- 
 termined resistance in 1675, by a little colony of Ipswich 
 men, against the Nipmuck Indians. Huddled in a little gar- 
 rison house, the brave colonists defended themselves for three 
 days. Then the Indians, loading a cart with flax and straw, 
 set fire to it, and pushed it up against the house. It had 
 already began to blaze up, when a sudden shower extin- 
 guished the flames, and a gallant party of horsemen from 
 Lancaster, 30 miles distant, galloped up and scattered the 
 heathens like chaff. No wonder the old chroniclers considered 
 that shower a miracle from Heaven. The various Brookfields 
 are now noted for their shoe manufactories, and West Brook- 
 field, where all trains stop, has a restaurant in the station, at 
 which the best milk in New England can be procured. From 
 West Brookfield, our course lies along the Chicopee river, 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 7 1 
 
 which the track crosses a dozen times or so before reaching 
 Palmer. Some of the glimpses of the river through the trees, 
 dashing over brawling cascades, are very pretty. En-route 
 to Palmer, we pass the Warren, West Warren and Brimfield 
 stations, notable only for their manufactures and general 
 thrift. Palmer is a stirring town, especially since it has 
 become a great railroad centre. Here the New London 
 Northern Railroad crosses our track, running from the Long 
 Island Sound on the south to Grout's Corner on the north, 
 where it connects with various northern and western lines. 
 Hence also diverge the Ware River Railroad (leased to the 
 Boston and Albany, and the Athol and Enfield.) Just across 
 the Chicopee river, to the south, we see the huge, white build- 
 ing of the State Almshouse, in the town of Monson. Pass- 
 ing Wilbraham and Indian Orchard, with their factories, we 
 descend a steep grade of about four miles, and enter Spring- 
 field. 
 
 Springfield and its Environs. 
 
 Springfield, 98 miles from Boston, 104 from Albany, and 
 135 from New York, forming the natural centre for the roads 
 from those places, as well as from the several systems of lines 
 to the north, via the Connecticut River Railroad, is located 
 on the eastern bank of the Connecticut river, about two miles 
 below the mouth of the Chicopee, and about the same above 
 the mouth of the Agawam, which comes in from the West. 
 It is a city of about 30,000 inhabitants, and is noted for its fine 
 scenery, its railroad communications, its United States Ar- 
 mory and its manufactories of railroad cars (Wason Manufac- 
 turing Co.), of trunks and harness, of small arms, (Smith 
 and Wesson Manufacturing Co.), etc. Springfield was settled 
 in 1638, by a company under William Pynchon, and burned 
 by the Indians in 1675, while the trainbands were absent de- 
 fending Hadley. Only three block-houses, in which the 
 inhabitants took refuge, remained standing, and one of these 
 
72 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 was extant at a very recent date. During the Revolution a 
 shop for the repair of muskets, and a foundry for cannon 
 were established here, and from this little beginning sprung 
 the great United States Armory, at once the pride of residents 
 and the wonder of visitors. From the depot, one may take a 
 carriage, the street cars or omnibuses, or may walk down 
 Main to State street, thence eastward half a mile, and up a 
 rather steep ascent to the entrance, which is through a fine 
 large gate, breaking the monotony of -a splendid iron fence 
 which encloses a beautiful natural park of 72 acres, on Arsenal 
 Hill, a broad, nearly level plateau, on which stands the quad- 
 rangle of massive brick buildings, enclosing a large and 
 handsome green. The works are at present on a peace foot- 
 ing, and employ only 500 to 700 men, but during the Rebellion 
 the works ran night and day, some 3000 men found employ- 
 ment and about 800,000 stand of arms were manufactured. In 
 the Arsenal, a large square building on the west side of Union 
 Square, are stored 175,000 stand of arms, in solid squares, 
 reaching from floor to ceiling of the lofty rooms. From the 
 deck of the Arsenal Tower, a magnificent panorama spreads 
 before us. On the north are Mounts Tom and Holyoke, twin 
 sentinels at the gateway of the river, to the east are the lofty 
 table lands of Willbraham and Ludlow, and to the west West 
 Springfield's fertile farming lands, the sinuous Agawam river 
 and the hills of Russell and Chester for a background. One 
 mile south from the Armory proper, are the Water Shops, on 
 the Mill river, where the heavy forgings and castings are 
 made and where the gun barrels are tested. There are many 
 lovely drives in and around Springfield. Crescent Hill, with 
 the splendid residences of O. H. Greenleaf, J. G. Chase, Geo. 
 B. Howard and many other wealthy citizens. Long Hill, 
 Round Hill, where is the splendid villa of Dr. William G. 
 Breck ; Brightwood, with the summer residences of Dr. J. G. 
 Holland (Timothy Titcomb) and George M. Atwater, and 
 many other beautiful spots can be visited in a short circuit. 
 The City Library on State street, is a handsome structure. 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 73 
 
 exceedingly commodious and well arranged, from the designs 
 of George Hathorne, the architect, of New York, who also 
 built the splendid villas of Dr. Breck, O. H. Greenleaf and 
 others mentioned above, and the fine buildings of the Spring- 
 field Institution for savings, corner of Main and State streets, 
 the most prominent corner in the citj. The new court house 
 on Elm street, running through to West State and fronting on 
 Court Square, is a massive granite structure costing $200,000. 
 It has a tall clock tower, balconies, etc., the Italian style. The 
 North and South Congregational churches (both new), the 
 church of the Unity, the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. 
 Michael, the Memorial church at the base of Round Hill and 
 the new State street Methodist church are the finest religious 
 edifices. The new High School building on State street, 
 opposite the City Library, is a large, fine and commodious 
 structure of brick with granite trimmings, and a lofty tower. 
 There are two fine hotels, the Massasoit, close by the depot, 
 long famous for its table, and the Haynes House, corner of 
 Main and Pynchon streets, down town, away from the noise 
 and smoke of the railway, and everyway a first-class house. 
 Its owner, Tilly Haynes, has done as much any one man for 
 the growth and prosperity of Springfield, and is the owner of 
 the neat and cosy opera house on the opposite corner. Hamp- 
 den Park, the famous scene of the Springfield races, lies on 
 the alluvial meadow near the river, north of the city, and one 
 of the finest courses in the country, for a rowing regatta is 
 that just below the city. Two or three miles north are the 
 villages of Chicopee and Chicopee Falls, noted for their cot- 
 ton manufactures, and the former as. well for the Ames Manu- 
 facturing Company's works, whence were turned out thousands 
 of swords and hundreds of cannon and equipments during 
 the rebellion, and where were cast the superb bronze doors 
 of the Senate at Washington, the equestrian statue of Wash- 
 ington in the Boston Public Garden, and the statues of many 
 Soldiers' monuments. 
 4 
 
74 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 Up Through the Berkshire Hilxs. 
 
 Leaving Springfield the train crosses the Connecticut river 
 on a splendid iron open bridge recently built, passes through 
 the southern portion of West Springfield, along the left bank 
 of the Agawam or Westfield river, through Westfield, (the 
 Indian Woronoco), and famous for its manufactures of whips 
 (a quarter of million yearly), and genuine Havana cigars (of 
 Connecticut Valley seed leaf, — io,ono,ooo to 12,000,000 a 
 year). For its State Normal School with its 200 embryo 
 school ma'ms, and its Soldiers' Monument, surmounted by a 
 bronze statue in heroic size. Here the New Haven and North- 
 ampton Railroad crosses our line, and furnishes another con- 
 nection between the mountains and the seaboard. From 
 Westfield we ascend the valley of the river, with Mounts 
 Tekoa and Pochassic towering above us on the right, pass 
 the small stations of Russell and Huntington, and stop at 
 Chester, a considerable center of communication and traffic 
 with the surrounding mountain towns, and the location of a 
 valuable emery mine. From Chester, the steep ascent of the 
 mountains begin, and we climb for thirteen miles at the rate 
 of 80 feet to the mile. Some long stretches have gradients of 
 82 feet. Becket, Washington, the highest point on the road, 
 Hinsdale and Dalton, hill towns, famous for their rocks, ro- 
 mantic scenery and exhilarating air, are passed, and we arrive 
 at the elegant station tn Pittsfield. 
 
 Pittsfield and its Beauties. 
 
 Pittsfield, the capitol of Berkshire county, is one of the 
 youngest cities in the State, with about 12,000 inhabitants, 
 many noted manufactories and a great variety of beauties, 
 natural and artificial. It is 53 miles west of Springfield, and 
 151 from Boston. Among the former, must preeminently rank 
 its ladies, the fame of whose beauty extends throughout the 
 Commonwealth. No susceptible bachelor can risk a visit to 
 Pittsfield, especial]}' to the vicinity of Maplewood Institute, if 
 
TOURISTSJ HANDBOOK. 75 
 
 he expects to get home heart-whole. In the same class 
 (natural beauties), must, of course, be placed the mountains 
 and lakes, which environ Pittsfield on either hand. The town 
 is built on a loftj plateau, some 1200 feet above the sea level, 
 and the Hoosac mountains to the east, and the Taconies to 
 the west, completely encircle it. Lake Ashlej, whence comes 
 the abundant and crystal water supply, Lake Onota, Lake 
 Pontoosuc, Berry Pond, West Pond, Melville Lake or Lilly 
 Bowl, Silver Lake, Sylvan Lake, and several nameless lochs 
 are near the city, and are frequently visited. The Wahconah 
 Falls, Lulu Cascade, South Mountain (whence a magnificent 
 view is gained), and other hills and valleys are worthy of 
 visits. New Lebanon Springs, a popular watering place, lies 
 some 15 miles west, and on the way thither is the famous 
 Shaker Village. Among the artificial beauties of Pittsfield 
 the fine Soldiers' Monument, in the centre of the old green, 
 attracts attention first. It bears a magnificent bronze statue 
 by Launt Thompson, of a color bearer, standing on a massive 
 pedestal. The dedication, September 24, 1872, called together 
 the largest crowd ever gathered in Berkshire county, and was 
 the occasion of a grand celebration. The elegant white mar- 
 ble Court House, the Berkshire Athenaeum Building, the fine 
 white marble Cathedral of St. Joseph, the Berkshire Life 
 Insurance Company's Building, and the Maplewood Institute 
 (surrounded by a magnificent grove), are among the finest 
 public buildings. At Pittsfield, the Housatonic Railroad run- 
 ing south, through Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge and Great Bar- 
 rington, all famous for their magnificent scenery, enters 
 Connecticut, and finally reaches Long Island Sound at Bridge- 
 port. The North Adams branch runs north from Pittsfield, 
 through Lanesboro, Cheshire and South Adams, and forms 
 a connection with the Hoosac Tunnel line. 
 
 Across the Line and so to Albany. 
 
 Passing to the southwest a few miles, we reach the State 
 line and cross the imaginary barrier into New York State. 
 
76 TOURTSrS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 From this point we traverse Canaan, which, though not " a 
 land flowing with milk and honej" exactly, is a romantic 
 and mountainous town enough, and soon arrive at Chatham. 
 This place is particularly notable as the crossing point of 
 the Harlem Extension Railroad, from New York City to 
 Bennington and Rutland, Vt., and as the point whence the 
 Hudson and Boston Railroad (leased by the Boston and 
 Albany) branches off in a southwesterly curve to Hudson, a 
 thriving city on the noble river of that name. From Chat- 
 ham our course is a little west of north, through Kinder- 
 hook, Schodack and Clinton, the scenery growing less wild 
 all the way to Greenbush, or East Albany, on the Hudson, 
 which we cross on a splendid open bridge, and are landed in 
 Albany. This city and the route hence to Saratoga have 
 already been described. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Hoosac Tunnel Koute to Saratoga. 
 
 '^^TAVING left Boston from the Fitchburg depot 
 
 precisely as described for 
 the Rutland route, our 
 course follows that till 
 we reach South Ash- 
 burnham, 6i miles from 
 Boston, where a "Y" 
 sets us off in a more 
 westerly dii-ection, and 
 we are soon speeding 
 over the Vermont and 
 Massachusetts Division. 
 From Wachusett, stages 
 rvm to Princeton, a few 
 miles south, where is a 
 popular Sumixier resort, 
 and whence Wachusett Mountain, already mentioned, is as- 
 cended. Gardner and Templeton, hill towns, noted for their 
 manufactories of wooden ware, are passed within ten miles 
 distance, and we enter the fertile and picturesque valley of 
 Miller's River. The railroad is elevated on an embankment, 
 giving fine glimpses of Monadnock, the intermediate hills and 
 the river at our feet. Baldwinville, Royalston, Athol, Orange, 
 Wendell and Erving are passed in the next 20 miles. All are 
 
 (77) 
 
78 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 quiet little towns, noted for their rural beauty and for oc^ 
 casional bits of wild and romantic scenery, of which we gain 
 only too brief views from the car windows as we fly past. 
 At Grout's Corner, 98 miles from Boston, the New London 
 Northern Railroad, from Long Island Sound, up through 
 Willimantic, Conn., Palmer and Amherst, Mass., crosses our 
 route, and continues northward through South Vernon to 
 Brattleboro, Vt. The road follows the Connecticut river 
 eleven miles to South Verijon, a small and unimportant vil- 
 lage, and thence ten miles further to Brattleboro, a thriving 
 manufacturing town, noted as the birthplace of Colonel James 
 Fisk, Jr., and the place of his burial. A splendid monument 
 to his memory, the work of Larkin G. Mead, the sculptor, 
 was dedicated with imposing ceremonies on the 30th May, 
 (Memorial Day) 1874, the Ninth Regiment of New York 
 National Guard, which Colonel Fisk commanded, participat- 
 ing. Here a pleasant stopping place will be found at the 
 Brattleboro House, owned by Jacob Estey, Esq., a prominent 
 citizen, and ably managed by Mr. H. A. Kilburn, whose long 
 experience in hotel keeping, insures the comfort of his guests. 
 The house has been remodeled in excellent style and all the 
 comforts are to be found here. Six miles from Brattleboro 
 are the famous Guilford Springs. From Grout's Corner the 
 route leaves the Miller's River valley, and passing through 
 the town of Montague, crosses the Connecticut river on an 
 open bridge, which affords a fine view in either direction of 
 the beautiful stream and the romantic scenery of its banks. 
 Just below this point, the Deerfield river empties into the 
 Connecticut, from the west; we cross it and proceed up its 
 valley to Greenfield, 106 miles from Boston, the county seat 
 of Franklin county. 
 
 Greenfield and its Environs. 
 
 Greenfield is a beautiful village, rural in its appearance 
 and charming in its location, though in its industries and its 
 
Tourists^ handbook: *jg 
 
 population it is a thrifty and prosperous town. It lies spread 
 out upon the fertile meadows which border the Connecticut, 
 the Deerfield and the Green rivers. The latter gives its 
 name and furnishes the power to the Russell cutlery works, 
 which employ some 600 men and turn out immense quanti- 
 ties of goods yearly. Here are also woolen mills, tool facto- 
 ries, etc., among the industries of the place. The square in 
 the centre of the village is one of the prettiest examples of 
 the rural New England "plaza;" its soldiers' monument in 
 the middle being fronted and overlooked by the Town Hall, 
 the Court House, and a fine stone church, while the sides of 
 the square are filled in with handsome residences, stores, etc. 
 There are, perhaps, as many objects of interest and places of 
 favorite resort in the immediate vicinity of Greenfield as near 
 any other place in New England. Not only have the numer- 
 ous rivers which course down from the hills produced many 
 objects of wild and romantic beauty, but tradition and his- 
 tory throw their charm over the region, and take us back to 
 the early days when the settlers took their lives in their 
 hands and only held on to them by the bravery with which 
 they fought the heathen until they had driven them out. 
 Near this place the Connecticut makes a descent of 36 feet, 
 forming a waterfall, which Dr. Hitchcock pronounces the 
 most interesting in the State. The Turner's Falls Company 
 has here built a huge curved dam, and established manufacto- 
 ries which are expected to some day rival Lowell and Law- 
 rence. Deerfield, a quiet farming town, lies five miles south 
 of Greenfield. Coleraine, Leyden and Shelburne are towns 
 in the immediate vicinity of which each has a gorge to 
 boast; a dark, deep, narrow chasm, cut by the waters of the 
 rivers which course through them, adorned with cascades 
 and set in a framework of lofty hills. Arthur's Seat and the 
 Poet's Seat are high and romantic hills overlooking the 
 neighboring villages, the rich intervales, and the meander- 
 ing streams. Leaving Greenfield, the road makes a detour to 
 the south to avoid the disagreeable alternative of climbing 
 
go Tourists'' handbook. 
 
 over Arthur's Seat, and then, following the course of the 
 Deeilield river, enters the dark and glaomv but majestic 
 Deerfield Gorge, through which the river finds its way be- 
 tween Shelburne and Conway. So narrow is this defile that, 
 before the construction of the railway, enthusiastic natural- 
 ists and lovers of the romantic could hardly pick their way 
 on foot through it. At Shelburne Falls, 129 miles from Bos- 
 ton, the river leaps downward over a succession of giant 
 stairs, which look as if hewn in the solid rock, finding a new 
 level 150 feet below. Here is a large cutlery establishment. 
 Passing through Buckland, Charlemont and Zoar, small hill- 
 towns, noted for their bold and rugged peaks, their romantic 
 glens, and the flavor of tradition dating back to the old 
 Indian wars, we reach Hoosac Tunnel Station, 136 miles 
 from Boston, and get our first view of the world-famous 
 mountain and the yawning entrance to the " great bore." 
 
 The Hoosac Tunnel and its History. 
 
 The situation of the mountain (which is not only the great 
 barrier between east and west, but, as it were, the centre of 
 attraction to visitors among the northern Berkshire hills) 
 may, at the outset, need some explanation. The Hoosac 
 Mountain has two crests with an intermediate valley; the 
 Deerfield river washes the eastern base and the Hoosac the 
 western. Most tunnels are built on an ascending grade, as 
 some descent is necessary to carry off the water; but these 
 two rivers being at precisely the same height above tide- 
 water, the mountain had to be entered at the same point at 
 both ends, so that the only way to secure drainage was to 
 have a summit at the centre, from which the grade descends 
 about 26 feet in the mile to either portal. The crest over- 
 looking the Deerfield valley is about 1,450 feet above the 
 riverbed; the Hoosac peak is 1,750 feet, and the lowest de- 
 pression between these tops is some Soo feet above the 
 grade. 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 8 1 
 
 Description of the Tunnel. 
 
 According to the terms of the last contract, which was 
 agreed upon in 1869, and under which the tunnel was com- 
 pleted, one railroad track was to be laid through its length, 
 and all unnecessary material removed by the first day of 
 March, 1874. The tunnel was not fully in readiness for use 
 at the time specified in the contract; but the contractors who 
 undertook the work so faithfully performed their duty that 
 the State did not insist upon too rigid a fulfilment of the let- 
 ter of the agreement. In no better waj^ can the magnitude of 
 the undertaking be made manifest, than by giving a few sta- 
 tistics in regard to the tunnel. It is 25.031 feet in length, 
 and nearly midway in its length rises the central shafts which 
 terminates near the top of Hoosac Mountain, and is 1,040 
 feet deep. This shaft is oval in form, the major axis of 
 27 feet being coincident with the line of the tunnel, and 
 the minor axis being 15 feet. It has been said that the sec- 
 tions on either hand of the central shaft were of nearly 
 equal length. The section opening at the eastern portal is 
 12,837 feet long, while that to the west of the central shaft 
 is in length 12,194 feet. 
 
 The First Plan for a Tunnel. 
 
 It was as long ago as 1825, that a Board of Commissioners 
 was duly appointed to consider the practicability of building a 
 canal from Boston to the Hudson river, having its western 
 terminus at the place where the great Erie Canal, the pride of 
 the time, emptied its waters into the river. After a careful 
 examination into the various routes which were proposed, 
 with more or less eagerness and zeal, by the rising politicians 
 of the Commonwealth in that day, the Commissioners sub- 
 mitted a report in favor of following the course of the Deer- 
 field and Hoosac rivers, and of passing through the Berkshii-e 
 hills by means of a tunnel through the Hoosac Mountain. 
 4* 
 
3 2 TOlTRISTS' HAN£>BOOI^. 
 
 But just as the subject began to be discussed, the railroad 
 began to be heard of; so that, in the interest and enthusiasm 
 which was felt for the new mode of conveyance, all the labor 
 and all the arguments of the Canal Commission were forgot- 
 ten. 
 
 The First Charter. 
 
 With the history of the railroad in this Commonwealth our 
 description has to do only so far as it is connected and inter- 
 woven with the history of the tunnel ; but it may be said that 
 the tunnel line had its birth when the Vermont and Massa- 
 chusetts Railroad Company was formed. One year before, 
 the Fitchburg road had been built in a thorough and substan- 
 tial manner in the short space of less than two years. Only 
 six years after the completion of the last-named road, a 
 charter was granted by the General Court, acting in obedi- 
 ence to popular demand, to the Troy and Greenfield Railroad 
 Company, giving the corporation the right to build their line 
 from near Greenfield to the State line at Williamstown, and 
 there to connect with a railroad which should be built from 
 Troy to that point. There was no mention made in the char- 
 ter of a tunnel through Hoosac Mountain, but it is quite evi- 
 dent that the tunnel formed a part of the plan. 
 
 Application for State Aid. 
 
 Subscriptions to the capital stock were few and far between, 
 and, before a year had elapsed, the corpoi-ation determined to 
 apply to the General Court for a loan of the State's credit ; 
 and it was in the Legislature of iSqi that the contest on the 
 tunnel began. There were to be found many who remon- 
 strated against the State's taking any action in the matter ; 
 but, after mature deliberation, the committee came to the con- 
 clusion that ^1,948,557 was a sum more than enough to finish 
 the tunnel, and that allowing plenty of time for accidents and 
 hindrances, 1556 working days would amply suffice for the 
 accomplishment of the work if no shaft were sunk. With a 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. ^t^ 
 
 shaft, the committee were sanguine enough to suppose that 
 the tunnel could be completed in 1954 days. The discussion 
 was not very brisk, however, until the plan for State aid had 
 been broached ; and the editor of every country paper in the 
 Commonwealth had then something to say on the subject. 
 In the Legislature the contest was slowly but fiercely carried 
 on; and on the 12th of May the project for a State loan was 
 defeated by the strong vote of 108 in favor to 237 opposed. 
 In 1852 the vexed subject was dropped, the managers of the 
 Troy line doubtless feeling that there was nothing to be ex- 
 pected from the General Court of that year; but, in the year 
 following, the corporation again appeared at the bar of the 
 Legislature, asking for a loan from the State. On the 26th of 
 April, in the closing days of the session, the bill was passed 
 to be engrossed by a vote of 143 to 96. But so much opposi- 
 tion was manifested, not only by some of the most influential 
 journals of the time, but by men whose opinion was powerful 
 in influencing the popular mind, that, when the measure 
 came up for final action, the loan bill was lost and the tunnel 
 postponed for still another year. In the following year, how- 
 ever, the advocates of State aid renewed the contest, and had 
 the satisfaction of finding their labors at last crowned with 
 success. 
 
 The First Loan Granted. 
 
 The law providing for the first Hoosac Tunnel loan was 
 drawn up with great care, and even the opponents of the 
 tunnel conceded that no pains were spared to keep the credit 
 of the Commonwealth untarnished in the transaction, which 
 it was confidently predicted would make the State bankrupt 
 before 20 years. The sum of .$2,000,000 in sterling bonds 
 was fixed upon as the amount to be loaned by the State, and 
 to be paid in instalments of $100,000 each. In order to pro- 
 perly provide for the State's credit, various regulations were 
 made. Under these restrictions the enterprise did not attract 
 capital, and subscriptions were sent in with alarming infre- 
 quency. 
 
84 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK'. 
 
 The Earliest Contracts. 
 
 But nevertheless the contract for the road, which had hither- 
 to existed only on paper and in the imaginations of its pro- 
 jectors, was awarded in spite of the scarcity of funds ; and the 
 work of constructing the line, tunnel and all, was given in 
 1855 to Messrs. E. W. Sewell & Co. of Philadelphia, for the 
 sum of $3,500,000, which was subsequently annulled. But 
 hardly had two months elapsed when negotiations were en- 
 tered into with the firm of Hermann Haupt & Co. ; and in July, 
 1856, the first contract was made with those gentlemen, who 
 seem to have had great confidence in the success of the enter- 
 prise. By the agreement, Messrs. Haupt & Co. were to build 
 the road afid tunnel for the sum of f 3,880,000, the money to 
 be obtained as follows : From the Commonwealth, $2,000,- 
 000; in mortgage bonds of the company, $900,000; in capital 
 stock, $598,000; in cash, $382,000. Six thousand shares of 
 the stock were to be taken by Haupt & Co., no cash assess- 
 ments to be laid thereon, but the amount due to be paid in 
 work, as stock credits. After another application for State 
 aid, in 1857, ^^e Legislature voted to send a special committee 
 to"T;he tunnel itself, and to make a report on the condition of 
 matters. This was the first of the many official visits which 
 legislators have, from time to time, paid to the romantic 
 neighborhood of Hoosac Mountain. In a month's time, the 
 committee made a report, showing that 621 feet had been 
 pierced at the eastern portal, and 185 feet at the west of the 
 mountain ; and thereupon arose the most famous controversy 
 in the history of the Hoosac Tunnel. On the question of modi- 
 fying the requirements of the loan act, there were presented, 
 finally, two reports. The majority and the minority — the 
 last consisting of one member — in the committee agreed that 
 the rigor of the act should be relaxed ; and all but one obsti- 
 nate gentleman were willing to be liberal with the company, 
 and give them every reasonable oppoi-tunity to complete the 
 work which they had in hand. On the 14th of May, there- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 85 
 
 fore, a bill was passed bj both houses of the Legislature bj 
 heavy majorities, and the matter was vetoed bj Governor 
 Henry J. Gardner of "Know Nothing" fame. 
 
 A Legislative Investigation. 
 
 In i860, after various vicissitudes, it occurred to the Legis- 
 lature that it would be well for a committee to pay a visit to 
 Hoosac and to see how the work was going on. That there 
 was any suspicion that the corporation and the contractors 
 were not doing all that was required by law there seems to be 
 no evidence. But the committee found a state of things 
 around Hoosac Mountain which they little anticipated. The 
 State Engineer, in his report on the condition of the road in 
 1858, said that " the total length of rails laid was seven miles, 
 138 feet," but when the committee came to enquire into the 
 subject, it was found that the road was not completed for that 
 distance, but that there were several places where the road 
 was not passable. In January, i860, the third instalment of 
 scrip had been paid, it being certified that the road had been 
 graded three miles further. But the committee found out 
 that in this length of three miles there were fourteen gaps, 
 every point where a bridge, culvert or cutting was to be made, 
 had been left untouched. This statement was submitted by 
 the committee to the Legislature, without note or comment, 
 and the matter was remanded to the special committee on the 
 tunnel. 
 
 The Haupt Contract Annulled. 
 
 The company struggled on with the work during the year, 
 and fornearly half the year following; until in July, 1861, the 
 State Engineer, finding that the contractors failed to do the 
 prescribed amount of work, refused to certify their bills, and 
 the Troy and Greenfield corporation, after so many years of 
 hard work, laid down the Hoosac Tunnel enterprise, and so 
 the history of the project under private management came to 
 an end. For two years nothing was done, though Governor 
 
86 TOURISTS' handbook:. 
 
 Andrew, in his message to the Legislature, in 1862, recom- 
 mended the General Com-t to take prompt action. The whole 
 subject was, early in the session, referred to a special com- 
 mittee, who gave a patient hearing to all parties interested, 
 and, in March, presented a report, with whose conclusions 
 each member of the committee agreed. This report regarded 
 the faith of the State as pledged to an investment of at least 
 $2,000,000, on account of the tunnel, and saw no reason why 
 the State could not undertake the work single-handed. The 
 action of the State Engineer, sustained bj the opinion of 
 the Attorney-General, the Hon. Dwight Foster, was declared 
 to have resulted from a misapprehension of the meaning of 
 the legislative act of i860. The committee, on the assump- 
 tion that "no one contemplated aid from the State to an 
 extent exceeding f 2,000,000," recommended that the road east 
 of the tunnel should be completed by the State, at an expense 
 not greater than $195,000; and that the work of tunnelling 
 should be paid after a "red-tape" system, which need not 
 here be given, as the bill never passed the Senate, and was 
 never heard of in the House. The measure was lost on the 
 2ist of April, by the casting vote of ex-Governor Clifford, and 
 in its place a measure was offered by the Hon. William D. 
 Swan, of Dorchester, which provided that the State should 
 at once possess itself of the road and tunnel, and proceed 
 to finish it, in any way thought best; and, when done, to 
 run it or leave it, as might be thought advisable. The bill 
 passed both houses, with an amendment limiting the entire 
 expenditure to be incurred by the State, under this and all 
 previous bills, to $2,000,000, and Governor Andrew approved 
 the measure on the 28th of April. 
 
 State Commissioners Appointed. 
 
 The State having, in spite of a vigorous opinion, commit- 
 ted itself to the completion of the tunnel, if the project was 
 a thing to be accomplished by mortals, three Commissioners, 
 
TOURISTS' HANt)BOdK. 87 
 
 Messrs. John W. Brooks, S. M. Felton and Alexander Holmes, 
 were appointed, who entered upon' their work earlj in May. 
 The directors of the Troj and Greenfield road, voted in 
 August, to surrender the property of the corporation to the 
 State, and on the 13th of October, after some necessary de- 
 lays, the President of the road, and the firm of Hermann 
 Haupt & Co., submitted to the act of the State and relin- 
 quished all right, title and interest in the tunnel. Nothing 
 had been done on the tunnel since the Haupt contract had 
 been cancelled in 1861 ; and the mountain, when the Com- 
 mission resumed operations in August, 1863, had been pierced 
 only at the east end to any extent, and there only to a dis- 
 tance which was less than one-tenth of the smallest estimate 
 of the length of the shaft when completed. The five years 
 of tunnelling, under the State Commission, forms an interest- 
 ing chapter in the history of the great Hoosac bore, and 
 makes a record of steady and persevering work, in the face of 
 every obstacle, of which those concerned may well feel an 
 honest pride, although they can boast of but little actually 
 accomplished. 
 
 Compressed Air as a Motive Power. 
 
 Up to this time all the actual work had been accomplished 
 by hand power. The much vaunted "boring machines," 
 which were to run straight through the mountain, had left 
 only their unpleasant memories behind them. But just at 
 this time the use of compressed air as a motive power began 
 to be discussed. In the previous year's session, opinions had 
 been given in favor of the project ; and the Commission now 
 thought in what way such motor power might be attained. 
 After much discussion it was decided to dam the Deerfield 
 River at a point about three-quarters of a mile from the eastern 
 portal, and bringing the water from thence to the tunnel by a 
 canal, thus securing a fall of about 30 feet. The project pro- 
 voked a storm of opposition, and was characterized as a great 
 and most costly blunder. But the Commissioners stoutly 
 
88 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 maintained its utility, and asserted that it would not only 
 furnish a constant supply of compressed air at the east end, 
 but that its benefits could reach the central and new west 
 shaft workings, with only the expense of carrying the pipes 
 over the mountain. The result has at any rate disproved the 
 charge of total inefficiency which was brought against the 
 Deerfield dam project by its many opponents, for sufficient 
 power was furnished almost constantly for the working at the 
 east end, though the plan never worked at the the opposite 
 side of the mountain. 
 
 The Results Accomplished, in 1864. 
 
 Work went on steadily through the Winter of 1863-64; and 
 in September of the latter year the following report was writ- 
 by State Engineer Doane, showing the progress of the under- 
 taking : At the west end, a new portal had been cU ared, and 
 the machinery was in readiness to begin the work of tunnel- 
 ing. At the shaft on the west, where nearly 60 feet had been 
 pierced by Haupt & Co., the west working had gone forward 
 45 feet, and the east working 128 feet. The east end shaft 
 had not made any progress, but the work of enlargement had 
 been carried on with some success. Work on the central 
 shaft had only been fairly begun ; in the following January, 
 1865, it had been sunk only to the depth of 74 feet. Such was 
 the record up to the Spring of 1865. In March of that year, 
 the work of cutting down the breast of the work in the tunnel- 
 ling from the east was brought to a conclusion, and hencefor- 
 ward, progress was made from the bottom, instead of the top 
 of the tunnel. The work had made a statisfactory progress, 
 the gain in one year being 239^ feet. At the central shaft 
 pi-ogress had been made to the depth of 127 feet, the shaft 
 being lighted by naphtha gas in October. 
 
 The Years 1866 and 1867. 
 
 The year 1866 chronicles some important events at the 
 tunnel. In June, the new machine drills for the use of com- 
 
TOURISTS* HAMT)BOOK. 89 
 
 pressed air at the eastern end were introduced, the machinery 
 of the water works having been in readiness the previous 
 January. At first the progress made was less than what had 
 been accomplished by hand-power ; but certain improvements 
 were soon made, which resulted in the success of the experi- 
 ment, so far as the east end was concerned. At the west 
 shaft, nitro-glycerine was introduced, and brought into use 
 everywhere, except at the east end. The total amount pierced 
 was : East end, 3473 ; west shaft, eastward, 1042 ; central 
 shaft, 377. The total length of headings, excepting at the 
 west end, was 4813 feet, of which 1325^ feet is to be credited 
 to the work of the 13 months ending December i, 1866. 
 During 1867 further improvements were made. The water 
 had increased so much at the west shaft, east heading, that 
 work was suspended until June, when a new contract was 
 made with Mr. Farren, for the work on the west end of the 
 tunnel, requiring brick arching ; and Messrs. Dall, Gowan & 
 Co. contracted to undertake the work at the east end and 
 central shaft, during the months of August, September and 
 October. Under these gentlemen the work was carried on 
 throughout the year, with the following result: The west 
 heading, from the west shaft was carried forward 313 feet, 
 while the gain at the eastward heading was 252 feet ; at the 
 east end, an advance had been made in 13 months of 1235 feet, 
 and the central shaft had been sunk to a depth of 206 feet 
 fnrther than a year before. Under Mr. Farren's contract, the 
 brick tunnel from the west end had been carried forward to a 
 length of 4142 feet, with an additional heading of 297 feet. A 
 summary of the year's work, therefore indicates a total length 
 of tunnel and heading of 7324^ feet, of which amount 251 1^ 
 feet were gained by the labor of the past 13 months. 
 
 1868— A Legislative Battle. 
 
 But the battle which was waged on the subject in the Gene- 
 ral Court of 1868 was long and bitter. The enemies of the 
 
go TOURISTS' HANDBOOK'. 
 
 tunnel project spared no effort to induce the Legislature to 
 abandon the undertaking on which had been spent so many- 
 millions of dollars. On the 15th May, the Special Committee 
 on the Tunnel reported a bill appropriating $250,000 for the 
 completion of the railroad, $600,000 for work on the tunnel 
 during the year, together with $350,000 for interest on debt ; 
 and, moreover, authorizing the Governor, by and with the 
 advice of the Council, to enter into a contract for the com- 
 pletion of the road and tunnel, and to dispose of the State's 
 interest in the enterprise on such terms as appeared advisable. 
 On the nth of June, after one bill had been passed by a small 
 majority and found to be illegal, a second supplementary bill 
 prevailed in both houses and received the Governor's signa- 
 ture. The bill embodied the features of the first section of 
 the bill submitted by the Tunnel Committee, but was amended 
 by Mr. Packard so as to authorize the making of a contract to 
 complete the entire work, provided it could be done in seven 
 years, at an expenditure of not more than $5,000,000, and to 
 preclude any expenditure by the State in work not done under 
 contract after October i. Other amendments made up the 
 bill as it passed finally to be a law, requiring "satisfactory 
 guarantees " from the contractors, and withholding at least 
 $1,000,000 from the contract price until the enterprise was 
 completed. The record of work accomplished when opera- 
 tions were entirely discontinued, in October, shows that in 
 nine months the east end heading had advanced 574 feet ; 
 amount pierced at the west end, west shaft and well No. 4 
 workings, 1504 feet, and in all 208S. There remained to be 
 completed, 15,693 feet of tunnel and 457 feet of depth in the 
 central shaft. 
 
 The Shanley Contract. 
 
 When the proposals for the contract were sent into the Gov- 
 ernor and Council, it was found that the estimates varied 
 from $4,027,780 to $5,378,354. Of the twelve bids which were 
 made, only four were within the limit of $5,000,000, fixed by 
 
TOURISTS' HANTlBOOlC. Qt 
 
 the Legislature to defray the expense of tunnelling, and to 
 liquidate outstanding liabilities which amounted to about 
 ^250,000. Messrs. Francis and Walter Shanlej, of Canada, 
 made a tender to undertake the enterprise at $4,623,069. 
 Although this was next to the highest bid made bj the four 
 whose proposals fell within the necessary limit, the Legisla- 
 ture had not required that the contract should be given to the 
 lowest bidder, and in consideration of the deposit of public 
 securities to the amount of $500,000 as a satisfactory guaran- 
 tee, as well as in view of the long experience and excellent 
 reputation of the firm, Governor Bullock gave the contract to 
 the Messrs. Shanly, after long consultation with the Council. 
 The contract was signed on the 19th of December, 1868, but 
 work was not actually begun until the 29th of March, in the 
 year following, when operations were resumed at the heading 
 at the east end. The record of work done up to the close of 
 the year showed that the total length of the east end heading 
 was 6522 feet, and of the west end, 4505; in all, 11,027 feet 
 out of 25,031. In 1870, steady progress was made, the cen- 
 tral shaft completed to a depth of 102S feet, two feet less than 
 required by contract, and work commenced on a heading in 
 each direction. In August, sixteen feet had been built in 
 either direction, exclusive, of course, of the width of the 
 shaft. The record for the year is to the effect that 15 14 feet 
 had been pierced at the east end, 1203 feet at the west end, 
 and 60 and 80 feet east and west of the central shaft ; thus, 
 during the year, 2864 feet of tunnelling had been pierced, 
 leaving only 11,140 feet to be accomplished. In 1871, a large 
 flow of water prevented progress to any great extent in the 
 central shaft, and it was generally thought that the contrac- 
 tors would be unable to complete the tunnel in the given time. 
 The aggregate of progress showed a gain of 1743 feet at the 
 east end, 1380 feet at the west end, and 430 feet east and west 
 of the central shaft; in all, 17,446 feet accomplished, and 
 divided as follows: east end, 9779 feet; central shaft, east, 
 337 feet; central shaft, west, 240 feet; west end, 7090. The 
 
92 
 
 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 contractors worked so faithfully during the year 1872 that the 
 average required by contract was much exceeded, excellent 
 progress being made in every direction except at the central 
 shaft, west heading, where an advance was made of only 119 
 feet. On December 12th, a junction was made between the 
 east end and central shaft workings. It will be, perhaps, 
 remembered, that when the lines met, a varation of but five- 
 sixteenths of an inch could be discerned. 
 
 The Mountain Pierced. 
 
 In 1873, work was pushed so vigorously that there, was 
 remaining to be done, November i, 1873, 242 feet. The rec- 
 ord thereafter stands : 
 
 November 8, advanced from central shaft, west, 
 November 8, advanced from west end east, 
 
 November 15, advanced from central shaft west, 
 November 15, advanced from west end east, 
 
 November 22, advanced from central shaft west, 
 November 22, advanced from west end east, 
 
 Total, 201 
 
 Remaining to be pierced, November 23, 41 
 
 Leaving, on November 23, forty-one feet to be completed, 
 which work was completed on that day in the presence of a 
 large number of State officials, railroad men and journalists, 
 who passed through the opening in the wall of rock, and made 
 the tour of the Hoosac Mountain, underground. From that 
 time only the work of blasting out the tunnel to its full size, 
 laying the iron and completing the road at either end, re- 
 mained ; and though this was in itself a considerable task, 
 and involved a much greater outlay of time and money than 
 any of the ardent friends of the enterprise foresaw, it has all 
 been successfully accomplished, and the passage of the tunnel 
 forms the most notable feature of one of the principal routes 
 from Boston to Saratoga and the West. 
 
 31 
 
 
 25 
 
 
 
 56 
 
 42 
 
 
 33 
 
 
 — 
 
 75 
 
 41 
 
 
 29 
 
 
 — 
 
 70 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 93 
 
 ITcrth. Adams and its Surroundings. 
 
 Emerging from the gloom of the tunnel, a short run over a 
 descending grade and around a rather sharp curve, brings us 
 to the prettj village of North Adams, situated at the forks of 
 the Hoosac River, in a perfect amphitheatre of hills, from 
 w^hich views both grand and charming are gained. Aside 
 from its importance as a railway junction, — the Hoosac Tun- 
 nel line and a branch of the Boston and Albany here meeting — 
 North Adams has no inconsiderable prosperity as a manufac- 
 turing village. Here are 20 cotton and woolen mills, power 
 for which is furnished by the two branches of the Hoosac, 
 which unite near the centre of the village, and several large 
 shoe-factories. In one of these latter the first experiment in 
 the Eastern States with "Chinese cheap labor" was tried by 
 Mr. Sampson in 1870, some 75 Mongolians being imported 
 from San Francisco. The population of North Adams is 
 about 13,000 of which some 5000 souls are employed in the 
 various factories. Here are several neat churches, a fine high 
 school-house, many elegant residences and two hotels, the 
 Ballou House and the Berkshire Hotel. There are many 
 points of natural interest in and about North Adams. Ex- 
 cursions are plenty and easily taken, for the ascent of Mount 
 Greylock, for visits to the natural Bridge — one mile east of 
 the village, — where Hudson's brook has worn a passage 30 
 rods long and 15 feet wide through the solid marble, which 
 stands an arch 30 to 60 feet high above — and where Haw- 
 thorne was fond of straying and musing during a summer 
 spent at North Adams in 1838 ; to the cascade on Notch Brook- 
 one and a half miles from the village, where the water leaps 
 down 30 feet ; and best of all, the drive over the Hoosac 
 Mountain. The ride is eight miles in length. The west 
 peak is scaled by a succession of zigzags constantly rising, 
 and from its summit is gained a splendid view of the neigh- 
 boring villages, the Hoosac Valley, Greylock and the Ver- 
 mont hills. Then a swift descent brings us to the "saddleback" 
 
'94 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 or plateau between the summits, where we pass the central 
 *• shaft of the tunnel. Then the eastern summit is climbed, and 
 the view presented is grand and majestic, justifying fully 
 Hawthorne's eloquent description : 
 
 A noble view is obtained from this point, above the roman- 
 tic gorge of the Deerfield river to Wachusett Mountain, and 
 beyond it the blue and indistinctive scene extended to the 
 east and north for at least sixty miles. Beyond the hills it 
 looked almost as if the blue ocean might be seen. Monad- 
 nock was visible like a sapphire cloud against the sky. The 
 scenery on the east side of the Green Mountains is incompar- 
 ably more striking than on the west, where the long swells 
 and ridges have a flatness of effect. But on the eastern part, 
 peaks one to two thousand feet high rush up on either bank 
 of the river in ranges, thrusting out their shoulders side by 
 side. Sometimes the precipice rises with abruptness from the 
 immediate side of the river ; sometime, there is a valley on 
 either side ; cultivated long, and with all the smoothness and 
 antique rurality of a farm near cities, this gentle picture is 
 strongly set ofl:' by the wild mountain frame around it. I 
 have "never driven through such romantic scenery, where there 
 was such variety and boldness of mountain shapes as this ; 
 and though it was a sunny day, the mountains diversified the 
 view with sunshine and shadow, and glory and gloom. 
 
 Proceeding westerly by Troy and Boston Railroad from 
 North Adams, a ride of about one mile brings us to the cross- 
 ing of the highway to Williamstown and the Hoosac river. 
 Here a small elm can be seen in a meadow, only a few rods 
 from the track, marking the site of old Fort Massachusetts, one 
 of the cordon of works built by the colonists in 1744 to guard 
 the frontier. From this point, railroad, river and highway 
 run amicably side by side through a narrow defile to Wil- 
 liamstown, a lovely hamlet nestled in the lap of the moun- 
 tains, and noted as the site of Williams College, as well as 
 for its beautiful mountain and valley scenery. South of the 
 village is Mount Hopkins, 2,Soo feet high, which is often 
 ascended for the sake of the view from its summit. The Hop- 
 per, also south from the colleges, is a vast gulf bounded by 
 Greylock on the east, Prospect Mountain on the north and 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 95 
 
 Bald Mountain on the south, and abounding in fine cascades 
 and noble scenery. Snow Glen, where snow always re- 
 mains, and Flora's Glen, where in 1812, William Cullen Bry- 
 ant, then 18 years old, and a student at Williams College, 
 wrote his " Thanatopsis," are places of interest in the vicini- 
 ty. Two miles north of Williamstown is the famous Sand 
 Spring, beneficial in cutaneous diseases, where is located 
 Greylock Hall, a large new hotel. 
 
 Into New York State. 
 
 From Williamstown, which is the extreme northM^estern 
 town of Massachusetts, our course is northwest, skirting the 
 rocky town of Pownal, the southwest corner of Vermont, to 
 Petersburg, the first town in New York State. Thence passing 
 Hoosick Junction, where we cross the Harlem Extension rail- 
 road, we are soon whirled into the Union depot at Troy, N. Y. 
 Troy is the capitol of Rensselaer county, is the bead of naviga- 
 tion on the Hudson, has about 50,000 inhabitants, is noted 
 for its iron loundries, stove manufactories, bell foundries, 
 prosperity, Willard Female Seminary, fine residences, paper 
 collar works, breweries, laundries, and several other things, 
 too numerous to mention. There are several handsome 
 streets, bordered by elegant residences, and many fine church- 
 es, but the chief glory of Troy is its thrift, springing from its 
 many and varied industries, its commerce on the Hudson, its 
 wide-spread tributary country, and its excellent educational 
 advantages. On Mount Ida, a tall hill overlooking the city 
 on the east, is St. Joseph's Theological Seminary, a Roman 
 Catholic institution for the education of priests ; the Rens- 
 selaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824 by Patroon Van 
 Rensselaer, has a world-wide fame, while the Female Semi- 
 nary, founded in 182 1 by Mrs. Emma Willard, has been pre- 
 eminent for many years, and numbers over 7000 alumnae. 
 West Troy, just across the Hudson river, which is spanned by 
 a steam ferry, is a busy suburb, with its manufactories, over 
 40 in number, and its Watervliet Arsenal, one of the largest 
 
96 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 of Uncle Sam's establishments. From Troj, morning and 
 evening lines of boats run to New York city, stopping at Al- 
 bany and other river ports ; trains leave the Union depot for 
 Albany, New York and the West by New York Central and 
 Hudson River Railroad ; for Albany, Saratoga and Rutland 
 by Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad, and for Boston and 
 New England generally by the route over which we have 
 come. Leaving the Union depot by the Rensselaer and Sara- 
 toga train, a ride of six miles brings us to Albany Junction, 
 where a branch from Albany, 12 miles distant, joins us, and 
 we continue our course to Saratoga by rail as already de- 
 scribed. 
 
 A Rail Car Flirtation. 
 
 The pleasures of a rail car ride to Saratoga are sometimes 
 heightened, and its minor discomforts alleviated by an inno- 
 cent flirtation, if opportunity serves, as graphically described 
 in verse by Mr. J. Cheever Goodwin, of Boston : 
 
 Laughing eyes and pouting lips, 
 
 Dainty waist and taper, 
 Sat she just across from me, 
 
 Reading morning paper. 
 
 Golden hair, befrizzled, in 
 The style that's most in vogue, her 
 
 Ticket in her hand explained 
 She went to Saratoga. 
 
 Much I pondered as I sat. 
 
 Scanning her with caution, 
 Whether the inviting chance 
 
 I should welcome or shun. 
 
 She was all alone, you see ; 
 
 Should I greet her boldly? 
 Would she welcome my approach 
 
 Or receive me coldly? 
 
TOURISTS' handbook:. 97 
 
 "Nothing venture, nothing have," 
 
 Think I, as gets lost her 
 Ticket on the floor,-r-and straight 
 
 Find it and accost her. 
 
 "Travelling alone?" I asked, 
 
 "Yes," she answered sweetly; 
 "But a friend will meet me, though," 
 
 Added she discreetly. 
 
 Thence progressed I rapidly, 
 
 Shared her tempting luncheon. 
 She, though circumspect, did not 
 
 Any gentle fun shun. 
 
 Much I wished, as on we sped, 
 
 Toward our destination. 
 That the train would practice some 
 
 Slight procrastination. 
 
 All in vain, too soon, alas ! 
 
 Reached we Saratoga ; 
 There was waiting for her, — well, 
 
 Set him down an ogre. 
 
 All this happened yesterday ; • 
 
 Would you know the sequel? 
 Listen to a moan, so -sad. 
 
 Never was its equal. 
 
 I, to-day, at each hotel, 
 
 Diligently sought her, 
 Hoping she might prove to be 
 
 Some one's only daughter. 
 
 And I found her, well-a-day ! 
 
 Only child she maf be ; 
 Certahi 'tis she's]]married, and 
 
 Rejoices in a baby. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Saratoga and Its Attractions. 
 
 HE village so famous in the 
 annals of fashion is situated 
 in a valley running nearly 
 northeast and southwest, 
 beneath the surface of which 
 is nature's most potent labo- 
 ratory, whose preparations 
 come to the surface in scores 
 of places within a few miles. 
 The Ballston Spa, so famous 
 a half century ago, are in 
 the same valley at its south- 
 ern end. Yet though the 
 ^' extent of territory in which 
 these healing mineral springs 
 have been found to exist is 
 quite limited, yet within its 
 extent and out of its scores of springs, no two alike are in 
 chemical analysis or in therapeutic effects. And this is the 
 greatest wonder of all, that such a wide diversity of compo- 
 sition should exist in springs close together, — in some cases 
 within the same enclosure. Of all the medicinal waters of 
 Europe, the Spa of Belgium, the Seidlitz of Bohemia, the 
 Selzer, Baden Baden and Aix of Germany, and the Chelten- 
 
W,H,rORBES CO 
 
tMjgi 
 
 i- 
 
 iiiaMU) 
 
 • L^CCK^fSS .?7V^J:4--7.gj^'2^?g^., 
 
\ ; . 1873' 
 
 W,H.FORBES.CO 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 99 
 
 ham, Bath and Harrowgate of England, all are inferior in 
 variety and power to the inexhaustible and health-giving 
 springs of Saratoga. The site of the village is in the hear 
 of the valley, itself some 300 feet above the sea, at the foot of 
 the Kayaderosseras Mountains, which form the water-shed 
 between Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence. The health- 
 fulness of the location and its convenience to railroad facili- 
 ties have made Saratoga a favorite Summer residence with 
 wealthy people, who can afford to keep their own cottages or 
 villas here, and who are yearly beautifying the place by the 
 fine buildings they are erecting, and the handsome grounds 
 they are laying out. The principal street is Broadway, which 
 nearly follows the course of the valley, and on which the 
 principal hotels front. Broadway is a fine, straight, wide 
 avenue, and when crowded of an afternoon, with the elegant 
 equipages of Saratoga's Summer residents, slowly moving 
 up and down, as if on dress parade (which the ladies are), 
 the sight is beautiful and full of life. Many of the most noted 
 springs are on or near Broadway, and here the chief business 
 of the place is transacted. The first knowledge of the heal- 
 ing qualities of the waters hereabouts was gained by the Indi- 
 ans, who in lyijy brought to the valley on a litter Sir William 
 Johnson, Bart., a friend and patron of the amiable red men, 
 and in a few weeks he was restored to health. The spring at 
 which this cure was effected was the High Rock, which is still 
 famous, and is distinguished from all other fountains by the 
 mound of calcareous tufa, seven feet in diameter in the base 
 and half that distance in height, which the waters have 
 deposited in the course of centuries. This mound is in the 
 form of a low cone, and from a hole some six or eight inches 
 in diameter, at its centre, the clear and pleasant water bub- 
 bles np. Naturally the superstitious savages harbored the 
 most profound reverence for this healing spring, and the early 
 settlers shared in their appreciation. Probably the next spring 
 discovered was the Congress, which was first observed by a 
 party of hunters, one of whom was ex-Congressman Oilman, 
 
100 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 (in honor of whom it was named Congress Spring), in 1792, 
 as thej were strolling along the banks of the little creek, into 
 which its waters trickled. Subsequently, being tubed, its flow 
 was greatly increased, and it now is the most noted and one 
 of the most prolific (if the word be applicable), of the healing 
 waters. From time to time, within the present century, other 
 springs have been discovered or developed by boring, until 
 now, the valley for several miles is honeycombed with the 
 tubes of inineral springs, bearing all sorts of names and pos- 
 sessing all sorts of properties. To enumerate them all in 
 proper order, we must suppose ourselves setting out to drive 
 through the village, and visit each in turn, and as the inost 
 natural course will begin at the very centre of the village, 
 where, within a few rods of the three largest hotels, is the 
 beautiful and world-famous 
 
 Congress Park. 
 
 This public pleasure ground, which is always the first 
 place of interest visited by the newly-arrived, is a pretty en- 
 closure of a few acres, of nearly triangular form, bordered by 
 Broadway, Union Avenue and South Circular street, natural- 
 ly diversified in contour, and covered with a handsome growth 
 of trees. The proprietors, "Congress and Empire Spring 
 Company," have laid out graveled walks, undulating lawns 
 and secluded copses, and have placed statuaiy at various 
 points, besides stocking the park with deer, which are very 
 tame and roam freely, and building handsome structures over 
 the two springs. Congress and Columbian, which stand near 
 the corner of Broadway and Union Avenue. The Doric col- 
 onade in the left of the illustration covers the Congress, and 
 the Grecian dome to the right surmounts the Columbian. 
 The park is the resort of thousands of people, residents and 
 visitors, daily, and its shaded walks are a favorite stroll. 
 Could the arching trees but speak, they could tell many a ro- 
 mantic tale of sweet flirtations and delightful love-making 
 which they have witnessed. Presumably, most people come 
 
i02 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 hither to drink the waters — some take half a dozen glasses at 
 a dose, — but the winding paths, the sylvan nooks and the 
 companionship of the dears are so productive of tender emo- 
 tions, that many who come to drink remain to " spoon." 
 
 The Congress Spring. 
 
 The properties of the Congress water, which as well as the 
 most celebrated, is among the most efficient of the Saratoga 
 waters, and which, in bottles, can be found almost the world 
 over, are pleasantly, but effectively cathartic. The taste is 
 agreeable to most people, and the cool, sparkling draught is 
 certainly one of the " easiest to take" of alljnedicines. The 
 carbonic acid which causes its effervescence ^also imparts a 
 vivacity to the water, which resembles that of soda water. In 
 small quantities after meals, the Congress water gives tone to 
 the stomach and clearness to the head, especially agreeable to 
 those whose business tends to mental exhaustion and physical 
 torpidity. The water is useful as a preventive of feverish 
 and biliary disorders, headaches and the like, and is freely 
 drank by the residents. To secure the fullest effect the water 
 should be drank before breakfast, in quantities easily regula- 
 ted by experience, its effect being aperient without subsequent 
 reaction or languor, and a gradual diminution of the quantity 
 leaves the bowels regular, and the general health and spirits 
 greatly improved. As an alterative or tonic, the water should 
 be taken sparingly through the day with brief intervals, and 
 the effect is suprisingly beneficial. In cases of chronic dys- 
 pepsia, diarrhea, jaundice and diseases of the kidneys, the 
 water properly used will remove the evil accumulations from 
 the bowels and stimulate the organs to the normal discharge 
 of their functions. As a remedy for the disorders of seden- 
 tary life, constipation, with all its resultant ills, and the dis- 
 orders occasioned by " high living," the water has a most 
 salutary effect. The operation of the Congress water, though 
 certain and thorough, is free from griping pains, and its after 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK, IO3 
 
 effects pleasantly different from those of drastic purgatives. 
 In submitting a new analysis of this water, which is given 
 elsewhere, Professor C. F. Chandler, Ph. D., of Columbia. 
 College, says : "A comparison of this with the analysis 
 made by Dr. John H. Steel in 1832, proves that Congress 
 water still retains its original strength, and all the virtues 
 which established its well-merited reputation." It should be 
 remembered that the water of this spring is sold in bottles 
 only. What purports to be Congress water, for sale on 
 draught in various places throughout the country, is not gen- 
 uine. The artificial preparations thus imposed upon the 
 public may have a certain resemblance in taste and appear- 
 ance, but are frequently worse than worthless for medicinal 
 purposes. 
 
 The Columbian Spring. 
 
 This spring, which is within a biscuit-toss of the Congress 
 and owned by the same company, was opened in 1S06 by 
 Gideon Putnam. The water issues from the natural rock, 
 about seven feet below the surface of the ground, and is pro- 
 tected by heavy wooden tubing. It is the most popular spring 
 among the residents of Saratoga. The escaping bubbles of 
 free carbonic acid gas give to the fountain a boiling motion. 
 Large quantities of the gas can easily be collected at the 
 mouth of the spring at any time. It is a fine chalybeate or 
 iron water, possessing strong tonic properties. It also has a 
 diuretic action, and is extensively used for that purpose. The 
 water is recommended to be drank in small quantites during 
 the day, generally -preceded by the use of the cathartic waters 
 taken before breakfast. It is put up in half-pint bottles by the 
 company, and is especially valuable in liver complaints, dys- 
 pepsia, erysipelas, cutaneous diseases, chlorosis and many 
 female complaints. 
 
I04 
 
 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 The Empire Spring. 
 
 The same company owns the Empire Spring, which is 
 situated on Spring avenue, at the head of Circular street, and 
 
tOURiSTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 105 
 
 near the base of a high limestone bluff, in the northerly part 
 of the village, a few rods above the Star Spring, and about 
 three-fourths of a mile from the Congress. Mineral water 
 was known to trickle down the bank at this point ever since 
 the land was cleared of its primitive shrubs. It was not till 
 the year 1846 that the fountain was tubed. Tne proprietors 
 have surrounded it with shade trees, built a pavilion over 
 it and erected a large bottling house close at hand. The water 
 much resembles that of the Congress Spring, but is more 
 active, owing to a greater amount of magnesia. The Empire 
 is highly esteemed for the treatment of obscure and chronic 
 diseases, requiring alterative and diuretic remedies. It is also 
 valuable as a preventive of intermittent, bilious and gastric 
 fevers, dysentery and liver complaints, rheumatism, gout and 
 cutaneous disorders, etc. The same rules apply to its use as 
 have been given for the Congress water. Some systems take 
 more kindly to the one, and some to the other water, but the 
 general effect is much the same. Another celebrated water is 
 that of 
 
 The Star Spring, 
 
lo6 . TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 which is located near the Empire, on Spring avenue; Star 
 Spring Company, proprietors, J. W. Dane, President. Under 
 the name of President Spring, and afterward Iodine Spring, 
 the fountain now called the Star has been known for nearly a 
 century. It was first tubed in 1835. In 1865 the Star Spring 
 Company was formed, and in the following year the spring 
 was retubed under their direction. In 1870 they erected the 
 finest bottling-house in Saratoga. Great care is taken to pre- 
 serve the spring in a pure condition and perfect repair. The 
 water has become immensely popular in New England, and 
 throughout the United States and Canada. The proprietors of 
 this spring, feeling the need of some method of transporting 
 the water in bulk, to avoid the heavy cost of bottling, and the 
 heavy freight upon the same, commenced in 1866 to send the 
 water in barrels made of rock maple. This method proved a 
 failure, as it was impossible to confine the gases in wood, and 
 impossible to prepare the wood in a manner not to impart to 
 the water its peculiar taste. They then prepared the tin-lined 
 barrels (patent dated November, 1867) which proved a suc- 
 cess. These bairels are used to convey the water to all parts 
 of the country. It is then drawn into fountains, and charged 
 lightly with gas to restore it to its original condition, and is 
 dispensed by the glass, and is as palatable and effective as 
 at the natural fountain. This method has become very popu- 
 lar where known. For commercial use, the water is sold in 
 cases of quarts and pints ; and besides, owing to the large 
 amount of gas which is finely incorporated with the water, the 
 company are enabled to supply families with it in kegs of 
 15 gallons, in which the water keeps as well as in bottles, 
 and at one-fourth to one-sixth the cost. This method seeins 
 to give entire satisfaction, and is fast coming into general 
 use. The price to druggists, in bulk, is 20 cents per gallon ; 
 to families, four dollars per half barrel ; to the trade, in cases, 
 at 21 dollars per gross for pints, and 30 dollars per gross for 
 quarts. The large and pleasant office in the bottling-house is 
 adorned with flowers, shrubs and rare exotics of great beauty. 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. lO^ 
 
 Visitors will find here ample accommodations for rest and re- 
 creation,[as the office is open to all. 
 
 The Star water is mildlj cathartic ; has a pleasant, slightly 
 acid taste, gentle and healthy in its action, and jet powerful 
 in its effects. It is far more desirable for general use as a ca- 
 thartic, than the preparations of the apothecary. The Rev. Dr. 
 Cuyler, in one of his peculiarly charming letters, gives thw 
 Star water preference over all others as an active and efficient 
 cathartic. While the immediate effects of the Star Spring are 
 cathartic, its remote effects are alterative ; and these after all 
 should be considered the most important, as the water thus 
 reaches and changes the morbid condition of the whole sys- 
 tem. In this part of the village, and near the Star, is the 
 famous High Rock Spring above mentioned. 
 
 In the same vicinity and under the same proprietorship, is 
 the Saratoga "A" Spring. In 1S65, Messrs. Western & Co- 
 purchased the property, and sunk a shaft 12 feet square, to 
 the depth of 16 feet. The surface above the rock consists of 
 bluish marl, similar to that found all along this mineral val- 
 ley. A tube, in the usual form, was placed over the spring 
 and clay was used as packing around it. In the spring of 
 the next year, the fountain was more perfectly secured by a 
 new tubing; and the water was bottled, and shipped all over 
 the country. Near by is the Red Spring, long known and 
 valuable in cutaneous diseases, scrofula, dyspepsia, and the 
 Seltzer Springs, which produces a pleasant beverage, much 
 like the imported seltzer water, and used extensively for mix- 
 ing with still wines, etc. Returning towards the centre of 
 the village, we come to 
 
 The Pavilion Spring. 
 
 This has for more than thirty years been favorably known. 
 It is central in position, and, with the neat park around it, i& 
 a pleasant place of resort. Church street bounds the park on 
 the north. Spring avenue extends northward, and the elegant 
 structure which surmounts the fountain is but a few steps 
 
to8 
 
 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK, 
 
 from the street on either side. The United States Spring iS 
 under the same colonnade, and the water is pleasantly cathar- 
 tic. Passing the Pavilion and turning down Putnam street, 
 we come to the spring of the same name, which is chiefly 
 used for bathing purposes, the water being a strong chaly- 
 beate, or iron tonic. The Hathorn Spring comes next, on 
 Spring street, in rear of the Congress Hall. It was tubed in 
 1869, and is the most active cathartic to be found at Saratoga. 
 The Hon. H. H. Hathorn is proprietor, and the water is bot- 
 tled, as well as extensively drank on the spot. The Hamilton 
 Spring, on the opposite side of Spring street, is principally 
 diuretic in action. Passing Congress Park, we come on the 
 other side of Broadway, to the beautifully shaded grounds of 
 
 the Clarendon Hotel, in which, under a pavilion, is the Wash- 
 ington Spring, often called Champagne Spring, from its pecu- 
 liar effervescence. Jt isl tonic and diuretic in its_^action, and 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. I09 
 
 Strongly impregnated with iron. It was tubed in 1806. The 
 Leland Spring is in the same grounds. Having thus briefly 
 noted the Springs near the centre of the village, we will next 
 take a trip to some of the outlying fountains. Of these, the 
 most celebrated is the Excelsior Spring, about a mile east of 
 Broadway, and a little north of the Empire Spring, in a most 
 romantic and beautiful dell, formerly known as "The Valley 
 of the Ten Springs," but which has been christened, "Excel- 
 sior Park." In the same vicinity are the Union (formerly the 
 Jackson), a mild cathartic, the Minnehaha, the White Sul- 
 phur (used for bathing), and the Eureka Springs. 
 
 The Geyser Spring. 
 
 This, with the neighboring Triton and Champion springs, 
 are the spouting springs of Saratoga, and are about a mile 
 and a half south of the village on the Ballston road. All are 
 artificial, having been successively bored in 1870, 1872 and 
 1S71 respectively. The Geyser Spring is in a building which 
 for some years was used as a bolt factory, and the proprietors 
 of which sunk a shaft in hopes of finding water. The bor- 
 ing is 140 feet deep, 5 J inches in diameter; sixty feet of the 
 distance bored was through limestone. A tube was fitted to 
 the boring and connected with a pipe so that a constant 
 stream is playing to the height of fifteen or twenty feet. 
 This perpetual fountain is much visited as a curiosity. The 
 water is singularly cold, being only 14*^ Fahrenheit above the 
 freezing point. In mineral ingx'edients this spring is the rich- 
 est of the Saratoga waters that have yet been analyzed. As 
 a medicinal agency its effects are marvelous. Testiinonials 
 from all quarters are received bearing witness to its wonder- 
 ful cures of diseases, especially in cutaneous diseases or any 
 of the various phases of scrofula. It is used with telling 
 effect in kidney disease, liver complaint, dyspepsia, bilious- 
 ness, rheumatism, acidity of stomach, constipation and 
 piles. It is a delightful beverage, and when taken as a 
 
no 
 
 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 
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TOURISTS' HANDBOOiC. Ill 
 
 cathartic leaves none of those unpleasant effects observable 
 in the use of many other of the Saratoga waters. Adams & 
 Jones are proprietors. 
 
 Having thus familiarized ourselves with the principal 
 springs, we will, before noting other objects of interest, 
 examine the appended analysis on opposite page. 
 
 Bottling the "Waters. 
 
 The process of bottling is similar at all the springs, and 
 as the Congress bottling-house is the most famous, a descrip- 
 tion of it will suflfice for the whole, as given by Mr. C. C. 
 Dawson of New York : — 
 
 " Probably not one-fifth part of the waters of these 
 springs, which are used medicinally, are drank in Sara- 
 toga. Multitudes, it is true, flock here during the summer 
 months; but their stay is usually limited to a few brief 
 weeks — a time, in many cases, too short for these mild nat- 
 ural remedies to accomplish their perfect work. Thousands 
 of visitors, therefore, find it necessary to continue the use of 
 the waters after leaving the springs ; and great numbers of 
 other sufferers from the various ills which flesh is heir to, 
 who are not able to visit Saratoga, still find the waters a 
 source of comfort and health. Thus, while the benefit of 
 these springs is enjoyed at Saratoga only by a comparatively 
 limited number of persons, and principally during a brief 
 season, their blessings are carried, by means of the bottled 
 waters, all over the world, and are dispensed to multiplied 
 thousands without regard to season or clime. A large and 
 important branch of commerce has thus sprung into exist- 
 ence, involving a liberal expenditure of capital, and furnish- 
 ing employment, directly or indirectly, to a great number of 
 persons. The bottling and packing is carried on throughout 
 the year; and, except during the height of the visiting sea- 
 son, when so much is consumed at the springs as materially 
 to decrease the supply for bottling, the work is prosecuted 
 
11^ 
 
 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 night and day. The arrangements for this purpose are the 
 most complete of anything of the kind in the country; and 
 all the various operations are carried on with care, skill and 
 perfection unsurpassed. In order to increase their facilities, 
 
 the Congress Spring Company have erected a glass factory 
 near the village, vv^here they not only make all the bottles 
 required in their own immense business, but fill large orders 
 
TOURISTS' H AMD BOOK:. II3 
 
 for all kinds of bottles for other purposes. Some eighteen 
 or twenty neat cottages in the same part of the village have 
 been erected bj the company for the use of their factory 
 operatives. 
 
 " Each bottle, before being filled, is thoroughly washed 
 and rinsed with both warm and cold water, a stream of each 
 of which is constantly pouring into the tanks before the 
 washers. To detach any impurities that cannot be removed 
 by other means, a small brass chain is dropped into each 
 bottle and thoroughly shaken about. The substitution of 
 this simple and effective method of cleansing for the use of 
 shot or pebble is an improvement which might well be 
 adopted by every housewife. 
 
 " None but the finest corks are used; the brands used for 
 branding them are set into a small table, their lettered faces 
 being nearly level with its surface. They are kept hot by a 
 jet of gas turned on them from below; and the corks receive 
 their brand by being rolled over the heated types — an expert 
 boy performing the simple operation with great rapidity. 
 
 "The water is pumped from the spring through pure 
 block-tin pipes into a receiver holding from five to six gal- 
 lons, from which it is drawn into the bottles ; the pipes, 
 pump and receiver being so constructed as to prevent any 
 escape of the natural gases. The corks, after being soaked 
 in warm water until they become so soft as to be easily com- 
 pressed, are driven into the bottle hy machinery, the process 
 reducing their size before entering the bottles about one- 
 third. It requires a strong bottle to stand the pressure of 
 their expansion after being driven in; and even strong men 
 sometimes find it difficult to pull them out. A single work- 
 man will fill and cork from fifteen to twenty dozen bottles 
 per hour. 
 
 "After being filled and corked, the bottles are laid upon 
 their sides in large bins holding from 150 to 200 dozen each, 
 where they are allowed to remain four or five days, or 
 longer, to test the strength of the bottles by the expansion 
 
114 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 of the gas, and also to detect any corks that may be leaky 
 or otherwise imperfect. The breakage, while in this situa- 
 tion is about five per cent of the whole number filled, and 
 sometimes more. The bottles frequently burst with a sharp 
 report, like the firing of a pistol or the cracking of cham- 
 pagne bottles. Every bottle that breaks, either while in the 
 testing-bins or in any of the various processes of washing, 
 filling or packing, is registered in the office of the company 
 by means of wires going from different parts of the estab- 
 lishment, and centring there in an apparatus arranged for 
 the purpose All leaky corks are drawn, and the bottles 
 refilled with water direct from the spring While all these 
 precautions add. largely to the expense of putting up the 
 waters, they render a leaky, and consequently a bad bottle 
 of Saratoga water almost impossible; and they also render 
 the breakage of bottles in subsequent handling a matter of 
 rare occurrence. 
 
 " When the bottles and corks have been thus thoroughly 
 tested, the corks are securely wired, this operation being 
 performed with great rapidity by employees long trained to 
 the work. 
 
 "The next process is the packing in cases, which is also 
 done with great care and remarkable dexterity. The neck of 
 each bottle is firmly wound with clean straw ; and the bottles 
 are placed on their sides in tiers of equal number, a parting 
 strip of straw being laid between each bottle and its neighbor 
 on either side. A layer of straw is also placed between the 
 tiers of bottles, as well as the top and bottom of the box. 
 When the box is filled, the packer walks over the bottles for 
 the double purpose of settling them properly in their places, 
 and as a further test of their strength, before the lid is put in 
 its place and nailed down." 
 
 The Hotels of Saratoga. 
 
 Saratoga has long been famed for its grand hotels, wherein, 
 during the season, the wealth and fashion of the whole coun- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. II5 
 
 try assemble, and where all the luxuries of a city home or the 
 palace of a foreign nobleman can be found, within a minute's 
 walk of the healing springs. Of all the great hostelries 
 which have existed at the springs, the old United States has 
 been one of the most noted, but that was burned several years 
 ago. On its site, at a cost of over $1,000,000, has been erect- 
 ed and in 1874 opened to the public, the most stupendous, as 
 well as the most elegant hotel in the country, if not in the 
 world. 
 
 The United States Hotel. 
 
 This marvel of public houses is situated on Broadway and 
 Division streets, extending on the latter fully back to the de- 
 pot, with which it communicates by a lofty-arched passage for 
 the convenience of guests who arrive in rainy weather. To 
 say that the building is immense, conveys no idea of its pro- 
 portions ; that its internal arrangements are unequalled, will 
 not describe them ; that its purk, promenades, ball-room, and 
 wide verandas are beautiful, lovely, exquisite and delightful, 
 cannot picture them as they deserve. The building covers 
 seven acres of ground, and is arranged in the form of an ir- 
 regular pentagon, having a frontage of 232 feet on Broadway, 
 503 on Division street, and 153 on Railroad place, extending 
 back through all its length 54 feet. At the south end of the 
 "main front" commences the "Cottage Wing," and extends 
 back at right angles to the main building 566 feet. This wing 
 is one of the prominent and peculiar features of the building, 
 being intended to give families and parties the same quiet and 
 seclusion which they could get in a private cottage, with the 
 addition ofthe attention and conveniences belonging to a first- 
 class hotel. In this wing the rooms are arranged in suites, 
 containing from one to seven bedrooms, with parlor, bath- 
 room, and water-closet attached to each suite. Here families 
 can dine at their own table if they choose, and be in every 
 way as much isolated as if in a private villa of their own. In 
 the main front, on Broadway, is the grand drawing-room? 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. II7 
 
 86 feet in length bj 50 in breath, furnished in blue, with the 
 finest Axminster carpets, carved black walnut and marble 
 furniture, superb curtains and chandeliers. The chandeliers 
 in this room cost each $1000. 
 
 North of the entrance hall is the ladies' parlor, furnished 
 with exquisite taste. Next comes the gentlemen's reading- 
 room, on the corner of Broadway and Division streets, con- 
 nected with the business offices, in which is the largest 
 telegraphic annunciator in the world, sixteen feet square. 
 West of this is the grand dining-hall, fifty by two hundred 
 and twelve feet, also the private dining-parlors, offices, wine- 
 room, etc. The grand ballroom is situated in the second 
 story of the Division-street wing, and is without doubt the 
 finest room of its kind in the world. Connected with it is a 
 quiet and secluded veranda overlooking the lawn. This 
 retreat, dimly lighted, and secure from inquiring eyes as it is, 
 where the strains of music from the ballroom are faintly 
 heard, mingled with the plashing of the fountain beneath, 
 and the murmur of the wind in the tree-tops which bend 
 above it, is the most delightful spot imaginable for the 
 exchange of those sweet nothings, which, far more than the 
 music or the intoxication of the dreamy waltz, go to make up 
 the fascination of the grand balls to susceptible young men 
 and maidens. All the rooms throughout the house are fur- 
 nished in the richest and most tasteful style, with running 
 water in each. The elevators, two in number, are of the Otis 
 Bros', manufacture. One is intended solely for the use of 
 arriving and the other for departing guests. The manage- 
 ment is in the hands of the Hon. J. M. Marvin, the long-time 
 proprietor of the old hotel. There are many other fine hotels 
 in Saratoga ; but they will not require a detailed description, 
 for they have been long and favorably known to the travelling 
 public. Each has soine special point of attraction ; but these 
 have been so often enlarged upon, that the tourist feels per- 
 fectly acquainted with them. Prominent among them is 
 
Il8 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 The Grand Union Hotel, 
 
 on Broadway, a short distance south of the United States, 
 this season under the control of Messrs. J. H. Breslin, 
 & Co. It accommodates twelve hundred guests. Across the 
 street, directly opposite the Grand Union, is 
 
 Congress Hall. 
 
 This structure is four hundred and sixteen feet in length, 
 and is supplied with every thing that can give pleasure, and 
 add to the comfort of guests. At each extremity there are 
 two large wings that extend back three hundred feet, and 
 greatly enlarge the accommodations. Like the Gi*and Union, 
 it occupies an entire square, covering all the space between 
 Spring and Congress streets. Congress Hall occupies the 
 site of a former house of the same name, which was burned 
 in May, 1866. The proprietors are Hathorn & Southgate. 
 
 On Broadway, south of the Grand Union stood the Grand 
 Central Hotel, which was leased by Mr. John B. Cozzens, 
 but which was destroyed by fire in November, 1874. 
 
 On Broadway, South of the Grand Union, is the 
 
 Columbia Hotel, 
 
 which is owned and kept by D. A.' Dodge, of Brooklyn New 
 York. Its front forms one of the chain of hotels reaching 
 from the west end of the United States to the Clarendon, and 
 looks off on Congress Spring Park, one of the prettiest 
 plateaus of Saratoga. This house is specially kept as a family 
 hotel, homelike in apartments and moderate in charges, and 
 will be found a pleasant stopping place. 
 
 Still south of the Grand Central, we come to another of the 
 older Saratoga hotels, the Clarendon Hotel, Mr. Charles E. 
 Leland, proprietor. This house is one of the most aristocratic 
 at the Springs, and is too well known to require other than 
 this passing mention. 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. II9 
 
 The Holden House 
 
 is on Broadway, two doors north of the United States, and is 
 owned and managed by Mr. C. H. Holden, who has just refur- 
 nished, recarpeted, repapered and repainted it throughout, 
 and made it one of the handsomest as well as most comfort- 
 able of the smaller hotels of Saratoga. Mr. Holden has 
 made many friends by his long connection with railroad and 
 steamboat business, and the travelling public will naturally 
 gravitate to his hotel. Everything is as complete in its way 
 here, as at the large hotels, the bill of fare is good, the rooms 
 neat and well furnished, and the prices are low. Mr. Holden 
 is a gentleman whom his guests like, and carriages and 
 porters meet every train on arrival in Saratoga. 
 
 The "Waverley House. 
 
 Another of the small houses which deserves well of the 
 public is the Waverley, on Broadway, a short distance north 
 of the Town Hall. Major W. J. Riggs, its proprietor, is a 
 genial, whole-souled man, and makes himself a favorite with his 
 guests. This house accommodates 150 guests, without over- 
 crowding, and is as well arranged as any of the large hotels in 
 the place. The parlors and dining-rooms are large and airy, 
 and furnished in excellent taste. The sleeping-rooms and 
 private parlors are arranged in suites for the convenience of 
 families and parties, or singly; and all communicate with the 
 balconies, which extend around the house, and afford some of 
 the loveliest views of the surrounding country to be obtained 
 in this place. Among the chief attractions which this excel- 
 lent house has for those who prefer health, quiet, and comfort 
 to heat, dust, noise, and discomfort, are its large, airy, and 
 well-arranged rooms. A further advantage is its moderate 
 price. 
 
 There are a number of public institutions of various kinds 
 in Saratoga, which are patronized by visitors, not only during 
 the summer season, but also, to a greater or less extent, 
 during the whole of the year. One of them is 
 
I20 
 
 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 Strong's Bemedial Institute, 
 
 on Circular street, a short distance from Broadway and all the 
 principal hotels and springs. Drs. S. S. and S. E. Strong, 
 regular physicians, graduates of the University of New York, 
 
 are the proprietors. The institute was established several 
 years ago, and has enjoyed a superior reputation for its treat- 
 ment of invalids, as well as for its hotel and boarding accom- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 121 
 
 modations. During the spring of 1871 the building was 
 greatly enlarged, and now affords accommodations for 200 
 guests. Its parlors, dining-halls, and bath-rooms are fitted 
 up in the most modern and elegant style ; and the general 
 appointments are of the first order. Being somewhat removed 
 from the bustle and confusion of the larger hotels, it affords 
 a delightful retreat for persons of impaired health ; while re- 
 fined and cultivated people will find its society more congenial 
 than that of the more public houses. Among its annual pa- 
 trons are the Rev. Theodore L. Cuyler, D. D. ; Ex-Gov. Wells 
 of Virginia ; Mr. Robert Carter, of the firm of Carter Brothers, 
 publishers, of New York; and many others of like position 
 in society. The Institute is supplied with new and the most 
 improved appliances now known to medical science, among 
 which are the Electrothermal, Sulphur, Air, Turkish, and 
 Russian Baths ; Swedish movement cure ; the Equalizer or 
 Vacuum Treatment; Oxygen Inhalations ; Gymnastics; and 
 other varieties of hydropathy and medicine. 
 
 Temple Grove Seminary is beautifully situated in a grove, 
 on what was formerly called Temple Hill ; and its grounds 
 occupy the whole square on Spring street, between Circular 
 and Regent streets. 
 
 Social Life at the Springs. 
 
 But the natural advantages alone of Saratoga would have 
 never given it the pre-eminence above all other watering- 
 places which it enjoys. The results of human art and the 
 enjoyments of social and fashionable life are the chief claims 
 upon the favor of many visitors. Not even the invalids 
 come here to drink the waters alone ; they expect to meet 
 and enjoy the society of other invalids, and the gayeties of 
 the season. Dancing and drinking are reckoned by some as 
 the chief employments of guests at Saratoga, and so far as 
 the morning draught of two or half a dozen glasses of 
 spring water, and the nightly hop at one of the — 
 6 
 
122 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 " great hotels ablaze with light, 
 
 Where youth and beauty, wealth and rank, 
 Hold revel through the night," 
 
 are concerned, the truth justifies the declaration. But there 
 are other and even more entrancing social pleasures at the 
 Springs, of which we will enumerate a few. First, there is 
 the Lake Drive. Saratoga Lake, a beautiful sheet of water 
 nine miles long and five miles wide, is four miles distant from 
 the village by the extension of Union Avenue. The drive is 
 a continuation of East Congress Street, and has a row of 
 trees each side and one in the middle. A most gay and bril- 
 liant scene is presented on a bright August morning or after- 
 noon, as the long procession of carriages, in all the richest 
 styles, pass down on one side of the drive and back on the 
 other. On* a high bluff, near the outlet of the Lake, is 
 Moon's Lake House, kept for the accommodation of the 
 many visitors who every fine day ride down from the Springs. 
 A mile beyond the Lake House is Chapman's Hiil, which 
 rises i8o feet above the surface of the lake; and three miles 
 farther on is Wagner's Hill, 240 feet high. N. P. Willis 
 relates, among his legends, the following tradition of Sara- 
 toga Lake: "There is," he says, "an Indian superstition 
 attached to this lake, which probably has its source in its 
 remarkable loneliness and tranquility. The Mohawks be- 
 lieved that its stillness was sacred to the Great Spirit, and 
 that, if a human voice uttered a sound upon its waters, the 
 canoe of the offender would instantly sink. A story is told 
 of an Englishwoman, in the early days of the first settlers, 
 who had occasion to cross this lake with a party of Indians, 
 who, before embarking, warned her mo&t impressively of the 
 spell. It was a silent, breathless day, and the canoe shot 
 over the smooth surface of the lake like an arrow. About a 
 mile from the shore, near the centre of the lake, the woman 
 willing to convince the savages of the weakness of their 
 superstition, uttered a loud cry. The countenances of the In- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 1 23 
 
 dians fell instantly to the deepest gloom. After a moment's 
 pause, however, thej redoubled their exertions, and in frowns 
 ing silence drove the light bark like an arrow over the waters 
 They reached the shore in safety and drew up the canoe, 
 and the woman rallied the chief on his credulity. 'The 
 Great Spirit is merciful,' answered the scornful Mohawk; 
 ' he knows that a white woman cannot hold her tongue.'" 
 Whatever basis there may be for this legend, certain it is that 
 the Great Spirit has removed the prohibition, if any existed, 
 upon talking and laughter upon the lake, as witness any 
 pleasant evening, when parties who have ridden out to 
 Moon's are enjoying the delight of a moonlight sail or row." 
 The collegiate regattas of 1874 and 1875 on this lake have 
 attracted hosts of visitors hither, and have drawn general 
 attention to the merits of this beautiful sheet of water as a 
 race course for shells. 
 
 Then, in the season, there are the races. The Saratoga 
 race course is only a mile from Broadway, near Union Ave- 
 nue, and it is always kept in fine condition. The attendance 
 at the races embraces a large share of the wealth and style of 
 the country, and the grand stand is filled not only with inter- 
 ested turfmen, owners of fleet horses and gentlemen of 
 means, but with hundreds of stylish and elegantly dressed 
 ladies, who appear to be as much excited over the contests as 
 their male neighbors, and who freely wager such trifles as a 
 dozen gloves or a bottle of wine on their favorites. Then 
 there are the weekly balls at the principal hotels. At these, 
 of course, dancing is subordinated to dress. All the ladies 
 from each of the other hotels will, of course, make it a point 
 to stroll over in the course of the evening and see what 
 everybody " has on," and it is of course necessary to dress so 
 that their feelings will be inexpressible. Hence the size and 
 number of the Saratoga trunks which every lady finds a 
 necessity of her outfit for the Springs. Hence, also, the 
 reports in the Saratoga and the metropolitan papers of the 
 
124 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 dresses of the belles. Many of these glowing descriptions are 
 inserted bj special request. When we read that " Miss 
 Clementina Van Tassel was much admired in a jufon of 
 mauve matelasse^ with feignoir of satin tarletane cut bias 
 and ruffled to the waist with pink tulle; corsage bouffant and 
 panier decollete with point lace en traine, a la maitre de 
 Jiotel; hair a la cus^idore dressed with callas and nastur- 
 tiums, (the description may not be just right in some of its 
 details, but if so any of our lady readers will correct us) we 
 take it for granted that she or her escort has given the details 
 to the society reporter, who is always glad to spice his de- 
 scription of the ball with these personal " puffs." The scene 
 in the grand ball-room of the United States, Grand Union, 
 or Congress Hall, on one of the ball nights fully justifies this 
 glowing verse of Miles O'Reilley's : — 
 
 A fairy scene of colored light, 
 
 Of gorgeous dress and magic changes, 
 Where still the gazer's dazzled sight 
 
 From beauty to new beauty ranges. 
 Now rings the music clear and high. 
 
 Now seems to die ; now swells in clangors ; 
 Voluptuous visions fill the eye 
 
 And thrill the pulse with tropic languors. 
 
 Flirtation and its Concomitants. 
 
 And last, but most fascinating of all, there is — flirtation. 
 Without this chiefest of watering place charms, social life 
 even at Saratoga would lose its attraction. The promenade 
 on the balcony between dances ; the whispered word or the 
 sly glance over the morning glass at the spring; the moon- 
 light drive to the Lake, the "holding hands" on the Clar- 
 endon piazza or on the benches in the Park — all these 
 delights would be blotted out and Saratoga would become to 
 the young and impressible, a dreary waste, a howling wilder- 
 ness — that is, if a wilderness ever howls. J. Cheever Good- 
 win, the talented young poet and dramatist of Boston, has 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 125 
 
 illustrated in graceful verse the romance of a Saratoga flirta- 
 tion, as follows : — 
 
 It was up at Saratoga that I met her, 
 
 Where I went to drink the waters for mj health ; 
 
 And her stylish way (I never shall forget her) 
 Seemed to me a sure concomitant of wealth. 
 
 In her figure and her face she was a Venus ; 
 
 Like the evanescent lightning shone her eyes : 
 In the dining-room one table was between us ; 
 
 But love such paltry distances defies. 
 
 I smiled my adoration o'er my coffee, 
 
 Drank deep of tender passion with my tea : 
 
 As the waiter took my trout untasted off, he 
 Little thought it was so typical of me. 
 
 I was caught as fast as ever were the fishes ; 
 
 And the hook went deeper in with every meal : 
 But my hopes were all as empty as the dishes ; 
 
 And my sorrow cut as deep as knife of steel. 
 
 'Twas in vain I promenaded the piazza : 
 She was never in the parlor night or day; 
 
 And I thought, " She is an invalid, and has a- 
 N injunction in her room to always stay. 
 
 " For I never find her drinking at the Hathorn ; 
 
 To the hops or balls I never see her go ; 
 She is never betting Belmont or McGrath on, 
 
 At the races where so many beauties show." 
 
 My suspicions were, alas ! substantiated ; 
 
 For excepting at our meals we never met : 
 You 'd have surely thought I was a man she hated, 
 
 Excepting for the smiles I used to get. 
 
 " Does she ever think of me? " I sadly wonder : 
 " When she 's seated at her breakfast or her tea, 
 
 Through the many miles that keep us now asunder, 
 Does her memory ever send a thought to me?" 
 
 And I sadly fear I 'm utterly forgotten, 
 
 That my presence would not cause her heart to stir, 
 
 That she 'd give to see me not a single button, 
 Though I 'd gladly give a dozen to see her. 
 
126 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 Schroon Lake and Neighboring Kesorts. 
 
 Taking Saratoga as our point of departure, there are several 
 excursions which we can make with ease, and bj which we 
 can visit many scenes of interest in a very few days and by 
 comparatively very few miles of travel. The Adirondack 
 Railroad, which is pushing its way northward from Saratoga 
 into the heart of the great wilderness only trodden by the 
 wild deer and the Indian until within a few years, affords easy 
 communication with a number of noted resorts, embracing 
 views of Nature in all her pristine beauty and savage grandeur, 
 within a few hours' ride of the grand hotels of the Springs. 
 A trip of fifty miles in the cars brings us to Riverside station, 
 but a few miles short of the present terminus of the railroad 
 (North Creek), whence we take a stage for a six mile ride to 
 the foot of Schroon Lake, a favorite and very beautiful resort. 
 Schroon Lake is unique as a watering-place, being in a semi- 
 wilderness, — the outskirts of the Adirondack region, — and 
 surrounded by wild and rugged hills, yet as has been shown, 
 within a few miles of the railroad, which is in effect the same 
 as if it were within twenty miles of Saratoga by stage. Ac- 
 cordingly, we shall be very apt to find the cars well filled and 
 outside seats on the stages in lively demand, if we go to 
 Schroon in the Summer season. The Lake is nine miles long, 
 and averages about two miles wide, except at the Narrows, 
 which contract to half a mile or less in width, about midway 
 its length. At the upper end is the village of Schroon Lake ; 
 at the lower end, where the stage deposits us, is Pottersville. 
 The outlet is at the latter point, and the water finds its way 
 through Schroon river to the Hudson, near Warrensburgh, 
 20 miles south. Schroon Lake is also reached by staging from 
 Lake George to Thurman, nine miles thence by rail, 14 miles 
 to Riverside. At Pottersville, the hotel kept by L. R. Locke, 
 affords us a good dinner or accommodations for a longer stay 
 if we choose, teams for a trip into the wilderness or convey- 
 ance to the Landing at the foot of the Lake, where the little 
 steamer EflEingham is in waiting to convey us to Schroon, 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. I27 
 
 through the entire length of the beautiful sheet of water. A 
 little to the north of the village a swift mountain stream, on 
 its waj to the Lake, has worn a channel through the white 
 marble, which forms a natural arch above it, 40 feet high and 
 247 feet long. The lake, which is reallj a widening of the 
 Schroon River, or northeast branch of the Hudson, is at a 
 level of 1000 feet above tide water, and has but a single island, 
 Isola Bella, near the northern extremity. There have been 
 various attempts to assign an In.dian paternity to the name 
 Schroon, but it is far more likely that the tradition which as- 
 signs its name to the early French occupants of Crown Point, 
 who gave it the title of " Scaron," after Madame deMaintenon 
 (Scaron), the second wife of Louis XIV. From the landing, 
 the little steamer shoots across the lake northeasterly, to a 
 considerable bay on the east shore at the head of which Mill 
 Brook empties into the Lake. Near its mouth, a new hotel, 
 the Wells House, is attracting a good share of patronage. 
 Thence in a long, sweeping curve, we plow through the Nar- 
 rows and lay a straight course for the little cluster of houses 
 interspersed with hotels which form the village of Schroon, 
 passing on the right Isola Bella, with its villa and gardens. 
 Here is the Leland House, overlooking half the lake from its 
 elevated site on a projection from the west shore ; near by the 
 Wickham House, new and commodious, and the Taylor House 
 and Ondawa House to the left as the boat stands in. At any of 
 these hotels, comfortable rooms, the best of mountain fare, 
 boats and guides can be had at reasonable rates, and the 
 visitor can highly enjoy a day's or a month's stay, varied by 
 excursions down the Lake or into the woods ; the ascent of 
 Mount Pharaoh and Mount Severn, and the fishing in Pharaoh 
 Lake at the foot of the mountain of the same name, whence 
 trout are taken in great numbers. Paradox Lake, nine miles 
 north, is much visited. It is a lovely and secluded pond, with 
 romantic scenery and good fishing for its recommendations 
 It is one of the feeders of Schroon river, and it derives its 
 name from the fact that it is so little above the level of the 
 
128 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 stream, that in the Spring freshets the water of the river runs 
 into it, instead of out. Long Pond, Pyramid Pond and other 
 small and nameless little tarns lie in its immediate vicinity, 
 Pratt's hotel, near the head of Paradox, being the head-quar- 
 ters of visitors to the region. 
 
 Returning to Pottersville by steamer, and thence by stage 
 lo Riverside, we may find it worth while to stop at Charles- 
 town, six miles from Pottersville, and thence make discur- 
 sions to Brant Lake, nestled among the Kayaderosseras peaks, 
 in the town of Horicon, and the other points in the vicinity. 
 Returning by rail from Riverside to Hadley, 28 miles, many 
 tourists alight for a visit to the village and Lake of Luzerne 
 on the opposite, or east bank of the Hudson. The lake is a 
 quiet and picturesque little body of water, among the hills, 
 700 feet above sea level, with a single island. In the village 
 are the Wayside Hotel, Rockwell's and the Wilcox House, all 
 of good repute, and here boats can be procured for the navi- 
 gation of the lake, and teams for the many fine drives in the 
 vicinity. The following lines by Percival find an echo in the 
 feeling of visitors to this lovely little mountain mirror : 
 
 The waves along thy pebbly shore. 
 
 As blows the north wind, heave their foam. 
 
 And curl around the dashing oar, 
 As late the boatman hies him home. 
 
 How sweet at set of sun, to view 
 
 Thy golden inirror, spreading wide ; 
 
 And see the mist of mantling blue 
 
 Float round the distant mountain side. 
 
 At midnight hour, as shines the moon, 
 
 A sheet of silver spreads below; 
 And swift she cuts, at highest noon. 
 
 Light clouds like wreaths of purest snow. 
 
 On thy fair bosom, silver lake, 
 
 O, I could ever sweep the oar; 
 When early birds at morning wake. 
 
 And evening tells us toils are o'er. 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. j2g 
 
 The village of Hadlej stands at the junction of the Sacon- 
 daga river with the Hudson. The Indians called it Tiosa- 
 wonda, or the "Meeting of the Waters." Near bj are Jes- 
 sup's Little Falls, or Luzerne Rapids, where the Hudson 
 dashes between loftj banks over a declivity of i8 feet. Jes- 
 sup's Great Fall, five miles below, is 70 feet high, and is 
 much visited. From Hadlej we cross the Sacondaga river on 
 a bridge 450 feet long and 96 feet above the bed of the river. 
 
 The Route to Lake George. 
 
 But by far the greater proportion of visitors to Saratoga 
 make their principal excursion thence to Lake George. This 
 far-famed lake, which has no rival in this country so far for 
 gradeur and beauty of scenery, facility of access and superb 
 accommodations, is usually visited by thousands of tourists 
 while many wealthy families from New York and other cities 
 own islands or seats on the shores where they spend a portion 
 of each summer. Many of the villas are of great elegance 
 and the air of the entire locality and its visitors is that of 
 refinement and luxury. The lake is about thirty-one miles at 
 its nearest point, Caldwell, from Saratoga, and is reached by 
 taking the cars of the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad to 
 Fort Edward, seventeen miles northeast, and by the Glen's 
 Falls Branch, five miles northwest, to Glen's Falls, on the 
 Hudson river, two hundred miles from its mouth. This 
 village, which has a population of about 8,000, is one the of 
 most thriving and certainly one of the handsomest of inland 
 towns. The Rockwell House, fronting on the fine public 
 square — with its Soldiers' Monument surrounded by an eao-le 
 and flanked by military statues ; its lofty and handsome foun 
 tain, which, perpetually playing, scatters its misty spray over 
 the broad street and delightfully cools the air; and with its 
 tree-shaded and neatly kept streets diverging in various direcr 
 tions — is a fine, commodious house, much frequented. The 
 industries of Glen's Falls comprise its quarries of black mar- 
 ble and limestone ; its paper and saw mills and its trade with 
 6* 
 
130 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 the country around. Its chief feature of interest is the great 
 fall of the Hudson from which its name is derived. The sub- 
 stratum of this region is black limestone, which is crystallized 
 in places, and so regularly stratified that a perpendicular 
 section looks like hewn stones in the wall of a building. 
 The action of the water has worn some of these strata away, 
 a few at the top, and more farther down the falls ; so that a 
 kind of irregular series of steps has been formed, over which 
 the waters of the river go thundering down a descent of 
 over fifty feet. Seen in the sunlight, rainbows appear 
 in the clouds of spray that are tossed into the air just below. 
 The river has worn its way deep into the black limestone, 
 which rises in some places to the height of seventy feet 
 above the surface of the river. A bridge six hundred feet 
 long, which rests on a marble island in the centre, crosses the 
 Hudson at this point, and from it one of the best views of the 
 falls is obtained. By a private stairway that goes down near 
 the bridge, one may reach two objects of interest, Indian 
 Cave and Big Snake. The cave runs through a small island, 
 from one channel to another. This is said to be the place of 
 concealment of Cora and Alice, Mayor Hayward and the 
 singing-master, characters familiar to the readers of Cooper's 
 "Last of the Mohicans." Here David blew his pitch-pipe and 
 sang " The Isle of Wight " to the accompaniment of the roar- 
 ing waters, and here Uncas watched over the slumbers of the 
 fair sisters. It is a capital place to grow romantic, and after 
 a scramble through the rocky cavern, one can imagine a 
 Mingo hidden in every bush on the shore, and can hear the 
 scalp-song in every note of the rushing stream. " Big Snake " 
 is the name applied to the likeness of a serpent in a vein of 
 stone projecting from the smooth surface of a softer ledge. In 
 the rocks near the falls many trilobites and others of our fossil 
 ancestors (according to Darwin) are entombed, but no one 
 seems to weep over the tomb of his remote progenitor. The 
 Darwinian theory is all very nice — for other people — but 
 somehow, no one wants to take it home to himself. Caldwell, 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. I3I 
 
 at the head of Lake George, is nine miles from Glen's Falls, 
 which is reached bj a romantic and view-affording stage ride 
 bj the plank road. As we rattle out of Glen's Falls in fine 
 style, occupying, if the day be fair and we lucky, seats " on 
 top " of the Concord coach, drawn by its four spanking 
 roadsters, through the toll-gate, past the fair grounds and 
 thea over hill and dale in a nearly direct northeasterly course 
 — by ponds starred with fragrant pond lilies, through dense 
 woods whose arching branches unite over our heads and 
 sometimes almost scrape us off the coach as we dash beneath 
 them — to the " Half Way House," where George Brown, the 
 jovial host, is always ready to get up a milk punch or a lemon- 
 ade for each thirsty soul. As we traverse the region of the 
 ponds we are waylaid by Bedouins, that is, we suppose they 
 are Bedouins, young Arabs laden with the white lilies tied up 
 in odorous bunches, which they shy into the coach windows, 
 and with which they bombard the roof passengers, meantime 
 trotting alongside the team in expectation of "back-shish" 
 which they generally get in the form of a hail-storm of cop- 
 pers. Shortly after passing the Half Way House we see the 
 Williams Monument, a marble obelisk eight feet high, stand- 
 ing on a huge boulder upon a side hill to the left of the road. 
 The inscription reads : — 
 
 ERECTED TO THE 
 MEMORY OF 
 
 COLONEL EPHRAIM WILLIAMS, 
 
 A Native of Newton, Mass., 
 who after 
 
 GALLANTLY DEFENDING 
 
 the frontiers of His Native State, 
 
 SERVED UNDER GEN, JOHNSON 
 
 against the 
 
 FRENCH AND INDIANS, 
 
 and Nobly Fell Near this Spot 
 
 in the Bloody Conflict of 
 
 September 8, 1755, 
 
 in the 42d year 
 
 of His Aije. 
 
132 
 
 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK, 
 
 The monument tells its own story, and it is only necessary 
 to add that Colonel Williams was the founder of the college 
 which bears his name at Williamstown, Mass., and that the 
 monument was erected by the students in 1854, to perpetuate 
 the memory of a good man and a brave soldier. All this secf ion 
 of country has been the theatre of conflict from the first white 
 occupation down to the close of the Revolution, and soon we 
 come in sight of a lovely little pond, now shaded by bending 
 trees, and dotted with snowy lilies, which bears the strangely 
 inappropriate name, as it now seems, of Bloody Pond. Its 
 name is derived from one of those sanguinary surprises of 
 the " old French war," when a party of the French, cooking 
 heir supper around this little lakelet, were ambuscaded by the 
 English and slaughtered in such numbers that their blood is 
 said to have tinged the water red. Soon after, we gain our 
 first views of the " Horicon Water," gleaming through the 
 trees like a gem of lapis lazuli, set in the emerald of the foli- 
 age. From this point the road winds around the hillside and 
 down to the lake, and we see the white houses of Caldwell 
 almost at our feet, and " catch the gleam of a passing sa^l " 
 or the puff of fleecy smoke from one of the little steamers 
 that ply on the lake. In a few moments we turn up a grav- 
 elled driveway and alight upon the long piazza of the Fort 
 William Henry Hotel. Lake George is before us, and the 
 mountains behind and about us. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 Lake George andfits^Beauties. 
 
 AKE GEORGE, loveliest of inland 
 waters,! no j,"wonder [the [red man named 
 thee Horicon, " Silver Water," 
 ^ or that the pious French mis- 
 ^^ sionaries, the first white discov- 
 ' erers, called thee Lac 
 
 du St. Sacrament, so 
 pure, so clear, so bril- 
 5 Hant are thj waters ! 
 lJ Of all the liquid jewels 
 ^^ shining on the earth's 
 brow, thou art the 
 fairest and the bright- 
 est! Romance, tradi- 
 tion, and history, com- 
 bine to invest thee with a poetic charm ! Hither for yeares th 
 tide of summer travel has tended, and here the pilgrim, seeking 
 what is fairest and sweetest in Nature, is content to abide, sure 
 that nothing can surpass the beauties around him. Lake 
 
134 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 George lies in a valley whose lower outlet is far at the north, 
 whose walls are mountains, and whose charms have been the 
 inspiration of poets and painters for a century. This lovely 
 body of water lies about 300 feet above the sea level, and 
 stretches thirty-five miles in length, from north to south, with 
 a varying width of from one to four miles. It is supplied by 
 springs and mountain brooks, and hence its waters are clear 
 as crystal and cold as the snows of Lebanon. Its shores are 
 dotted with the villas of wealthy summer residents, and its 
 surface studded with verdant islets, most of which are crowned 
 with tasteful and romantic cottages. Caldwell, at its head, or 
 southern extremity, is a little hamlet whose chief industry is 
 the reception and accommodation of summer visitors, and 
 which is largely composed of hotels, the Fort William Henry, 
 the Lake House, the Harris and the Central, while just across 
 the Lake, embowered in trees, stands Crosbyside, on a beau- 
 tiful slope — a quiet and unexceptionable retreat. The Fort 
 William Henry Hotel, from whose broad piazzas and tasteful 
 grounds a splendid view of the watery expanse is gained, 
 is one of the most famous, most elegant and most 
 fashionable of watering place resorts. It is from four to six 
 stories high, crowned with a Mansard roof and two lofty Re- 
 naissance domes, and fronts 334 feet on the lake side. A 
 piazza twenty-five feet wide, and shaded by a roof supported 
 on columns thirty feet high, extends along the entire front, 
 and here of a summer's day or evening, a bewildering array 
 of dainty feminine toilettes and astonishing masculine finery 
 is spread out to view. Of course, the animated contents of 
 the garments aforesaid are but a secondary consideration, but 
 if one cares to examine closely, he will find that they comprise 
 in no small proportion the elite of metropolitan society. In 
 the evening the blaze of light from the halls, parlors and the 
 central office, is enough to dazzle one ; but the gas jets are 
 eclipsed in splendor by the flashing radiance of the diamonds 
 worn by the lady guests. Strains of delicious music float out 
 through the open windows, and within, the whirl of lithe 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. I35 
 
 forms and the shimmering of silks and fleecy fabrics in the 
 dreamy waltz makes up a scene of gayety which is hardly 
 matched even at Saratoga. In the grand dining hall, bril- 
 liant with table ware, glass and silver, the dusky cohorts 
 wheel and deploy in never ceasing action, obedient to the 
 wish of the guest and the rules of that mighty potentate, the 
 head waiter, seemingly engaged in a never-ending endeavor 
 to supply a never- satisfied demand for ''Lake George trout, 
 with fried potatoes and coffee." Above, are rooms for 900 
 guests, and rarely, during the season, are the accommodations 
 sufficient for the crowd of visitors. From the front of the 
 house, elegant and tastefully ornamented grounds slope to 
 the water, with a plashing fountain in the centre, making 
 music in the little basin, on which snowy swans float to and 
 fro. Broad gravelled walks radiate in every direction, and the 
 dark shrubbery is lit up at night by the radianpe of gas lamps 
 conveniently disposed. The ruling spirit of this great cara- 
 vanserai is Mr. Roessle, who with his sons have been the 
 proprietors since 1868, and who has made his name synony- 
 mous with the highest luxury and elegance of which a hotel is 
 capable. There are many points of interest in the vicinity; 
 visits to the ruins of Forts Williams Henry and George, the 
 ride to the Healing Springs, and that up Prospect Mountain 
 being the favorite trips ; but the enjoyment best of all is 
 found in the sail down the Lake. 
 
 A Trip Down the Xiake. 
 
 From the landing at the water-side, the little steamer Min- 
 nehaha steams daily to the foot of the lake and back, and 
 many tourists avail themselves of the opportunity to spend a 
 delightful day in the round trip. Swinging out from the 
 little wharf, the vessel glides out into the lake, with French 
 Mountain looming grandly on the right, and Rattlesnake 
 Cobble frowning behind us. We pass Tea Island, about a 
 mile from our starting point, a small, wooded islet near the 
 
136 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 west shore, with a rustic cottage, and memories of a ''tea- 
 house" kept there years ago for the regalement of visitors. 
 Diamond Island, a mile and a half further, lies on our right 
 hand, and derived its name from the quantities of quartz crj- 
 tals formerly found here. In 1777, Burgojne fortified it as a 
 military post, and the same year it was the scene of an en- 
 counter with the Americans. A mile further, on the left bank, 
 stands the Coolidge House, a quiet, pleasant resort, much 
 sought by fishermen, who find in its vicinity some of the finest 
 fishing on the lake. Nearly opposite, out in the lake, lie the 
 Three Sisters, and still further east Long Island, the largest 
 in Lake George, extending about a mile North and South, 
 and affording room for a fine farm on its surface. A steam- 
 boat dock extends from the east side, and after touching here, 
 we round the northern end of the island, and bear westerly to 
 Bolton. On our right, the lofty, rugged Buck Mountain 
 towers 2000 feet above us, and just south of it is Pilot Moun- 
 tain, only less lofty. Before reaching Bolton, we pass Dome 
 Island, the loftiest and one of the largest in the lake, oval in 
 form, and sufficiently dome-shaped to justify its name. We 
 next pass Recluse Island, owned by Rufus Wattles of New 
 York, and one of the loveliest gems on the bosom of the lake. 
 It is handsomely wooded, and bears a tasteful cottage, with 
 outlying pavilions, summer houses, and a graceful bridge 
 connects it with the tiny Sloop Island on the ea'-t. Recluse 
 Island became famous in 1868 by a newspap^ r hoax, which 
 represented it sunk by an earthquake — a statement which 
 proved " not sufficiently materialized." 
 
 Bolton, ten miles from Caldwell, is th$ second village in 
 size upon Lake George, and post^esses three excellent hotels, 
 the Mohican, the Bolton and the Wells Houses, all chiefly 
 patronized by season boarders. Its site is deeply embayed, 
 and its view down the lake includes the Narrows, formed by 
 Tongue Mountain on the left and Shelving Point on the right ; 
 and Northwest Bay, a considerable indentation of the west 
 shore formed by the projection of Tongue Mountain. Bol- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 137 
 
 ton presents a most romantic appearance from the water, the 
 many beautiful cottages, the shaded grounds, and the pretty 
 little church of St. Sacrament, built by the exertions of a 
 young daughter of Mr. Thieviot, giving it the aspect of one 
 of those picturesque French villages which painters delight 
 to put on canvass. Tongue Mountain to the north, already 
 mentioned, is a beautiful and shapely elevation, whose con- 
 tour indicates the derivation of its name. Green Island, near 
 the Bolton shore, is about half a mile long, and is a beautiful 
 spot, and Crown Island near by is one of the gems of nature. 
 From Bolton our course is nearly east, to Fourteen Mile Isl- 
 and, at the extreme point of Shelving Rock, which forms the 
 right wall of the Narrows. These Narrows are among the 
 most lovely of the features of Lake George. Here the shores 
 are less than a mile apart, and so far do the lofty banks over- 
 lap each other, and so full is the course of islands, that from 
 the steamer it looks as if the lake ended here. But we touch 
 at the little pier of Fourteen Mile Island, 12 miles from Cald- 
 well, and a favorite resort for artists and gentlemen of a pisca- 
 torial turn of mind, and swinging out again see clear water 
 beyond. The view through the Narrows during the chang- 
 ing moods of a summer afternoon, and especially during a 
 summer shower, is inexpressibly grand. The lofty peaks on 
 either hand clothed in purple mists, the rolling vapors which 
 curl around their rugged sides, the drifting clouds which now 
 and then eclipse their summits, and above all, the sunshine 
 breaking through the rifts and glorifying the scene — all make 
 up a picture which would drive an artist frantic with the 
 knowledge of his inability to reproduce it on canvass. Laying 
 our course nearly due north from Fourteen Mile Island, we 
 are soon passing Black Mountain, the highest on the lake, 
 being nearly 3000 feet in height. Its sides are clothed in 
 dense woods, two-thirds its height, and above, the bare-bleak 
 rocks tower into the clouds. It is often ascended with the 
 aid of guides, and from its summit in a clear day, views of 
 the entire lake and the surrounding country are gained. Next 
 
138 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 beyond is Sugar Loaf, a spur of Black Mountain and a rude, 
 lofty mass of rock. In the lake are the Harbor Islands, the 
 scene of a fierce battle in 1757, in which some 300 or 400 Eng- 
 lish were worsted by a band of Montcalm's Indian allies. 
 Deer's Leap Mountain is on the west bank, and gains its 
 name from the fact that a deer, pursued by hunters and 
 hounds " took a header" off the beetling precipice, and was 
 impaled on a sharp tree top below. On the right shore, in a 
 smooth hollow, sloping down to the beautiful Bosom Bay, 
 nestles the little hamlet of Dresden, which is reached from 
 Hulett's Landing on the point south of the bay. Again 
 striking across the lake to the west shore, we pass Sabbath 
 Day Point, a bold projection, tradition says named because 
 Abercrorabie halted his troops here over Sunday, on their 
 way to attack Ticonderoga. Prosaic history destroys the ro- 
 mance of this story by insisting that Abercrombie landed 
 here on a Wednesday, and leaves the origin of the name still 
 in the dark. Bluff Head is the point on the right shore, op- 
 posite Sabbath Day Point, and the long ridge back of it is 
 called Spruce Mountain. Six miles north of Sabbath Day 
 Point, and twenty-eight from Caldwell, at the head of a semi- 
 circular bay, lies the village of Hague, with its Phoenix Hotel 
 and its fine fishing grounds in the broad lake. Just above is 
 Friend's Point, off which lies Waltonian Isle, named from a 
 party which formerly camped there. On the east shore, 
 thirty miles from Caldwell, is a huge projecting hill, known 
 as Anthony's Nose, off which the water is said to be the deep- 
 est nf any in Lake George. Two miles further down, on the 
 west shore, is Rogers's Slide, a smooth, nearly perpendicular 
 wall of rock, 400 feet high, whose base is in the lake bottom. 
 The story whence its name is derived is that in the winter of 
 1758 Major Rogers, who commanded a company of Colonial 
 soldiers, was scouting near the outlet of the lake, and was 
 discovered and pursued by the Indians. He came to the high 
 bluff, near the summit of the slide, and made his way down 
 to the upper edge of the inclined plane ; here he unfastened 
 
TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. I39 
 
 his snow-shoes, turned about in them, and with his toes to- 
 wards the heels of his shoes, walked awaj from the rock, 
 took a circuit down to the ice, and made his escape to Fort 
 George. The Indians came to the top of the rock, and, see- 
 ing apparently the tracks of two persons directed towards the 
 lake, they supposed that two men must have slid down the 
 rock; this belief was strengthened by the sight of the major 
 running across the ice. The Indians were filled with wonder 
 that any man could go down this long and steep descent, 
 and find himself alive afterward; and they felt sure the major 
 must have been under the protection of the Great Spirit, and 
 dared not further molest one who had defied such danger. 
 There seems to be no authority for the story, but Rogers was 
 noted for his "Munchausen yarns," and very likely he told 
 it. From this point the banks grow lower and less pictu- 
 resque, the water shoals, and we approach the foot of the 
 lake. Prisoner's Island, near the west shore, is so called from 
 a tradition that in 1758, Abercrombie confined a lot of French 
 prisoners on this island, whence they escaped by wading 
 ashore. But while we are pondering on this remarkable 
 statement, the boat nears the dock, a few bumps, a grating 
 against the timbers, and we are fast to the pier, near which 
 the cars are waiting to convey us to Lake Champlain. 
 
 The Geology and History of Lake George. 
 
 Where Lake George now reposes was once a valley, bounded 
 by low hills of the primitive limestone rock, but the "drift 
 period " of the geologists flooded the valley with a mighty 
 deluge, and covered hill and dale with gravel, sand and soil. 
 The flood passed, and the lake fell to its present level, the 
 islands and hilly banks emerging clothed with soil, and the 
 bed of the lake being covered with snow white sand. The 
 water is of remarkable purity, so that objects can be seen at a 
 great depth. Travellers liken Lake George to Loch Katrine 
 in Scotland. The region around the lake, has been harried 
 by the movements of hostile armies, until nearly every point 
 
14© TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 bears some historic or legendary repute. Even the islands 
 were the home of brave and daring rangers, and some of 
 them were even fortified, attacked, defended and captured, as 
 military posts. Caldwell stands near the site of Fort Wil- 
 liam Henry, which was erected by Gen. Johnson in 1755, after 
 the battle near Bloody Pond already referred to. It was at 
 this fort, in 1757, that the Indian allies of the French marquis, 
 Montcalm, fell upon the English, who had surrendered them- 
 selves to the French as prisoners of war, and murdered in 
 cold blood or carried away captive fifteen hundred men. The 
 ruins of Fort George are about a mile south-east from the 
 Fort William Henry Hotel. All that is now left of the old 
 fort is the ruins of the rectangular citadel that was built in- 
 side of the breastworks. A part of the old wall, nearly twenty 
 feet high is standing. 
 
 In 1609, Champlain ascended the St. Lawrence and crossed 
 the lake with which his name is ever since associated, to a 
 point near the present site of Ticonderoga. His Indian com- 
 panions described Lake George to him but he never entered 
 it. The first white man probably who saw the lake, was 
 Father Jogues, the Jesuit missionary, who in May, 1846, attend- 
 ed by Jean Bourdon, the engineer, of Qtiebec, arrived at the 
 outlet of the lake, on the eve of the festival of Corpus Christi, 
 and in honor of the day gave the water the name of Lac du 
 Sacrement, or Lake of the Blessed Sacrament. During the 
 twenty years succeeding, visits were made to Lake St. Sacra- 
 ment by the French from Canada, and in 1691 Major John 
 Schuyler left Albany with a force which scouted up and down 
 the lake. During Queen Anne's war, from 1702 to 1713, the 
 lake was used as the route to Canada, as was also the case 
 during the war of 1745 — 1760, when the peaceful quiet of its 
 woods and waters was often broken by the rude shock of 
 battle. In 1755 the battles near Williams Rock, in which 
 Colonel Ephraim Williams and the old Mohawk Chief Hen- 
 drick were killed ; the repulse of the French from Johnson's 
 camp, near the subsequent site of Fort George, and the rout 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 14I 
 
 and destruction of the French force at Bloody Pond followed 
 in rapid succession, and during the entire war, Lake George 
 was the scene of carnage and disorder. The story of the 
 siege of Fort William Henry and of the various battles on 
 the lake, can be found in any history of this country. About 
 1770, peace having been restored, settlers began to locate on 
 the shores of Lake George, and Forts George and Ticonderoga 
 were substantially deserted and fast going to decay. In 1775 
 the Revolutionary excitement began to be felt about Lake 
 George, and the capture of Ticonderoga by Ethan Allen gave 
 the possession of the whole section into the hands of the 
 colonists. With these events the military history of the lake 
 ceases. 
 
 Ticonderoga and the Boad to Lake Champlain. 
 
 But while we have thus been reminiscently engaged, the 
 train has been waiting for us on the dock beside us, to convey 
 us to Lake Champlain. Up to the fall of 1874, the trip was 
 made on Baldwin's stages, and one of the events of the jour- 
 ney was the oration delivered by the proprietor, who always 
 accompanied them, on reaching the ruins of old Fort Ti. 
 But now, a branch railroad from the New York and Canada, 
 which IS slowly eating its way through the lime-stone cliffs 
 on the west shore of Lake Champlain, and which passes by a 
 tunnel underneath the promontory on which stand the ruins 
 of the old fort, conveys us in a few moments from the land- 
 ing, a few rods above the old dock at the foot of Lake George, 
 along the outlet to the shore of Lake Champlain, beneath 
 Mount Defiance. 
 
 The outlet of Lake George is by a small river or large 
 creek, which describes almost a horse shoe curve, and falls 
 240 feet in its course of four miles. The Indians called it 
 Cheonderoga or " Sounding Water," from its perpetual music, 
 and the present name Ticonderoga is but a colonial corruption 
 
TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 1 43 
 
 thereof. The French settlers called it Carillon, meaning a 
 chime, from the same cause. The course of the creek is bro- 
 ken by two considerable falls, and bj almost continuous 
 rapids. Our road follows the left bank of the stream quite 
 closely for a fevs^ rods, then crosses the creek and passes 
 through the little village of Ticonderoga which lies near the 
 lower falls. Then we continue along the stream, round by a 
 sweeping curve to the right the base of the hill, which expands 
 into the lofty eminence known as Mount Defiance, and bring 
 up at the dock on Lake Champlain. Just across the bay into 
 which the " outlet" widens, stands the Ticonderoga of history. 
 We may if we choose, ascend Mount Defiance, and from its 
 summit gain a wide and interesting view of the points so re. 
 nowned in the old wars which were waged in this vicinity. 
 
 Historical and Descriptive. 
 
 Ticonderoga as we have seen, is an elevated point of land, 
 with water on three sides, and is well adapted for defense. 
 The first fortification was built in 1691 by Colonel Philip 
 Schuyler, when he was on his way to attack the French at 
 Laprairie. In 1755, the French works begun 25 years before 
 at Crown Point being still weak and insufficient, Montcalm 
 decided to build a new fort at Carillon, and up to 1759 the 
 construction of works on this peninsula was actively pushed 
 by the French. In the last named year they were evacuated 
 and partially blown up, and Colonel Eyre planned a new 
 work, but it was never completed, and in 1773 the fort was in 
 a ruinous condition. May 10, 1775, Ethan Allen, Benedict 
 Arnold, and 85 Vermont and Massachusetts men surprised 
 and captured the fort, which they held till July. In that 
 month, the British having erected batteries on Mount Defi- 
 ance, General St. Clair was forced to evacuate the position, 
 and Ticonderoga again passed into the hands of the British. 
 In 1777, after Burgoyne's defeat, it was dismantled, and though 
 the British again occupied the position in 1780, it never be- 
 came of value as a fortress. After the Revolution, the work 
 
144 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 were allowed to crumble and decay, and now the fortifications 
 built at such fabulous expense are but a collection of pictu- 
 resque ruins. The illustration conveys a better impression 
 than can any description of their appearance. The outlines 
 of the walls and ramparts can be traced, the walls of the offi- 
 cers' quarters are still comparatively sound, and a vaulted 
 chamber, variously called the bakery or the powder-magazine, 
 is still accessible. But when it is remembered that up to a 
 few years ago, the cut stone and brick of the fortifications 
 and barracks were carried away by the vessel-load, to build 
 new villages on the shores of Lake Champlain, it is easy to 
 see that only the most vivid imagination can reconstruct any 
 considerable portion of " Old Fort Ti." 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 The Journey down Lake Cliamplain. 
 
 OR beauty of scenerj, Lake 
 Champlain is little, if at all, 
 inferior to Lake George. 
 Everything is on a larger 
 scale, and though there is 
 nothing to compare with the 
 lovely views through the 
 Narrows or among the isl- 
 ands of the smaller lake, 
 there is more of grandeur 
 and expansiveness, and the 
 combinations of mountain 
 SiET and water view afforded at 
 various points on Lake 
 Champlain are among the 
 finest of American natural 
 pictures. 
 
 •;r :-^ ' t', '' 7 This lake, discovered and 
 
 named in 1609 by Samuel de Champlain, lies between the 
 States of Vermont and New York, and has a length of 130 
 miles from Whitehall at the southern extremity, to its north- 
 ern outlet. It varies in breadth from half a mile to ten miles, 
 and in depth ;rom 50 to 280 feet. Among the rivers that flow 
 into it ^re the Chazy, Saranac, Ausable, and Boquet on the 
 7 
 
146 TOLTJilSTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 west; the Winooski andMissisquoi on the east. The lake dis- 
 charges into the St. Lawrence River, through a river known bj 
 various names, as the Sorel, St. Johns, or more generally the 
 Richelieu. The first forty miles of the passage northward 
 from Whitehall is more like a ride upon a river than a lake, 
 as in this portion it often narrows to less than half a mile in 
 width, and in some places to fifty or sixty rods. The boat 
 glides over the even surface of the lake; the woods, hillsides, 
 and farmhouses are in full view; a fresh, balmy air floats from 
 the pastures and hilltops to the waters of the lake ; there is 
 none of the monotony of a sea voyage, none of the pitching 
 and tossing experienced on the great western lakes, but per- 
 fect comfort, easy motion, reviving air, constant changes of 
 view, and most enchanting scenery. All these make a sail 
 from Whitehall to Ticonderoga more like the motions of 
 fairies wafted through realms of beauty, than the ordinary lo- 
 comotion of mortal men. South Bay is on the west side of 
 the lake, about one mile from Whit-ehall Landing; and near 
 here, at a bend in the lake, known as the "Elbow," is "Put's 
 Rock," where Major Putnam with a small body of men opened 
 fire upon five hundred Indians who were in their canoes upon 
 the lake, a few days before Putnam was taken prisoner at 
 Fort Ann. Arriving opposite the outlet of Lake George, we 
 shall see on our left and towering above us. Mount Defiance, 
 still crowned with the remains of the works erected by Bur- 
 goyne in 1777, and beyond, across the mouth of the creek, the 
 promontory and ruins of Ticonderoga. On the other shore 
 of the lake, to our right, stands Mount Independence, 
 where, in 1777, St. Clair had works connected by a pontoon 
 bridge with the main position at Ticonderoga. In a moment 
 we land at the little pier beneath Mount Defiance, and receive 
 on board the passengers from Lake George. Proceeding 
 north from Ticonderoga, the Lake gradually spreads out and 
 becomes wider, and the scenery increases in grandeur. To 
 the right we have constantly before us the green hills of Ver- 
 mont, surmounted_,by the"J.o[ty bulk of Mount Mansfield; to 
 
TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 1 47 
 
 the left, the rugged shores of New York, with the purple 
 peaks of the Adirondacks in the distance, and before us the 
 blue waters of the lake, studded with emerald isles. Twelve 
 miles above Ticonderoga the lake narrows again, the shores 
 of Addison closing in on the right, while Crown Point pro- 
 jects from the left, leaving only half a mile of clear water be- 
 tween. But on rounding Crown Point, the great Bulwagga 
 Baj widens to the left, at the head of which is Port Henry, a 
 landing place for the steamers, whence the Crown Point of 
 history is visited. 
 
 Crown Point and Its History. 
 
 The importance of this point to the control of the lake was 
 early recognized by the French, and in 1731 the first work, 
 a pentagonal star-fort, with bastioned angles, was erected here 
 and named Fort St. Frederic, in honor of Frederic Maurepas, 
 the premier of France. The outer wall of limestone enclosed 
 barracks, a church, and a bomb-proof tower. The French 
 designed to establish here a province to be attached to the 
 Canadian domain, with Point de la Couronne as its capital. 
 In 1759, after Lord Amherst captured Ticonderoga, the French 
 peaceably abandoned Fort St. Frederic, which had become un- 
 tenable, and Amherst began here the construction of a first- 
 class fortress, which eventually cost the British government 
 ten millions of dollars. By a fire in 1773, the works were 
 seriously damaged, and two years later, with their armament 
 of 114 guns, they fell into the hands of Warner and his 
 " Green Mountain Boys." The next year, the Americans, re- 
 treating from the disastrous attack on Quebec, wintered here, 
 and in 1777 Burgoyne made this his depot of supplies. The 
 peninsula is a mile wide, and is a solid mass of limestone, 
 thinly covered with earth, and the remains of the works still 
 extant, show that they must have been of wonderful extent 
 and strength. The ramparts were half a mile in extent, 25 
 feet high and of the same thickness, with bastions, ditches, 
 curtains and glacis outside, and enclosed a broad parade and 
 
148 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 massive stone barracks, whose walls still stand. A covered 
 way led from the northeast angle to the edge of the lake, 
 where a well ninety feet deep and eight in diameter is cut in 
 the solid rock. The ruined ramparts are now covered with 
 thorn apple bushes, of a kind peculiar to this spot alone, and 
 said to have been brought from France, which in their season 
 are aflame with crimson fruit. The ruins of the old French 
 Fort, St. Frederic, stand on the steep precipice overlooking 
 the lake, and 200 yards northeast of the newer British works. 
 Near at hand are the remains of the French settlement, which 
 history and tradition inform us, was at one time a village of 
 1500 inhabitants, with stores, paved streets, gardens and vine- 
 yards. 
 
 Opposite Crown Point is Chimney Point, where the French, 
 in 163 1, made their first settlement in this vicinity, just 100 
 years before they began to fortify Crown Point. They named 
 it Point de la Chevelure. Fort Henry, at the mouth of 
 Bulwagga Bay, north from Crown Point, is noted for its ex- 
 pensive iron works, the supplies of which come from the vast 
 deposits of magnetic ore in the mountains to the northwest. 
 
 Down the Lake to Burlington. 
 
 From this point northward, we keep the green shores in 
 view on either hand, with the mountain ranges for back- 
 ground, and soon turn into Northwest Bay, on the New York 
 shore, where we land at the little town of Westport, whence 
 stages run to Elizabethtown, Keene and the Saranac Lakes. 
 Vergennes is soon visible on the east side of the lake, seven 
 miles from the mouth of Otter Creek, which here empties into 
 the lake. This town has special advantages for shipbuilding ; 
 and here the flotilla was built and equipped, which captured 
 the British fleet at Plattsburg. Thirty miles north of Crown 
 Point, on the west of the lake, is a geological curiosity known 
 as Split Rock. Near the light-house a point runs out into the 
 lake, at the end of which there is an island of half an acre or 
 more in extent, separated from the main land by a fissure 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. I49 
 
 fifteen feet wide. The water flows through this fissure ; and 
 in it soundings have been made five hundred feet without 
 finding bottom. Several theories have been broached to 
 account for this formation, but none of them are perfectly 
 conclusive. Just above Split Rock, is Essex, a pleasant vil- 
 lage on the west shore. At this point the lake grows wider, 
 giving greater room for navigation ; and eight or ten miles 
 above Split Rock the lake is five miles wide. At the town of 
 Willsborough,- eight miles north of Split Rock, is the mouth 
 of Boquet River, a stream which rises in the Adirondack 
 Mountains, and is the outlet of some of the most attractive 
 ponds found in that range. Our course bears hence to the 
 eastward, and soon we see Shelburne Bay, on the Vermont 
 shore, the winter qviarters and ship-jard of the Champlain 
 steamboats. And just here is a favorable point to say some- 
 thing about these steamers. One would scarcely expect to 
 find on this little inland sea, boats comparing favorably as to 
 size, speed and luxury, with the floating palaces of the Hudson 
 River, or Long Island Sound ; yet such is the case. The boats 
 Vermont, Adirondack and Champlain, with their handsome 
 saloons, their sumptuous tables, their uniformed oflScers and 
 crews, their broad expanse of open deck with armies of cane- 
 seat chairs, their comfortable and nicely furnished state 
 rooms, and their elegantly carpeted and richly furnished 
 saloons, would do no discredit to either of the celebrated 
 routes named above. As we stand across the widening lake 
 to the eastern shore, we see Rock Dunder, a sharp cone, 
 thirty feet high, rising abruptly out of the water. It is related 
 that in the war of 1812, a British man-of-war fiercely can- 
 nonaded it, suspecting it to be a Yankee infernal machine. 
 Near the middle of the lake are the Four Brothers islands, 
 called by the French Isles des Qiiatres Vents, and soon we 
 see the houses and spires of Burlington, at the head of the 
 bay of the same name, on the eastern shore. A lighthouse on 
 Juniper Island, and a breakwater that protects the shipping in 
 the harbor, are the objects that are passed in approaching 
 
150 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 the landing, and the first thing that particularly attracts our 
 attention is the immense quantity of lumber piled in huge 
 masses along the wharves. 
 
 The City of Burlington. 
 
 Burlington is the largest and wealthiest city in Vermont, 
 and is often called the Qj.ieen City. Its location, on a long 
 sloping hill, whose foot is laved by Lake Champlain, gives it 
 a magnificent outlook upon the beautiful water, stretching 
 ten miles in width, and beyond the range of vision north and 
 south. From the west windows of almost any building — so 
 regular is the rise of the ground — a fine view is gained, but 
 the best is perhaps from the dome of the University of Ver- 
 mont. This institution, one mile from the shores of the bay, 
 is 370 feet above its level. The three halls of the University 
 have been united in one building, surmounted by a tin cov- 
 ered dome. The panorama presented to the eye from this 
 point is truly wonderful. Lake Champlain, the Green Moun- 
 tains and the Adirondacks being in sight, and over sixty 
 mountain peaks distinctly visible. Beautiful drives stretch 
 away in every direction; and ihe billowy mountain ridges, 
 swelling into countless pointed waves, and scooped into tleep 
 hollows, abound on every side. But a short distance further 
 inland, in the rural cemeterj^ overlooking the Winooski, or 
 Onion River, is the grave of Ethan Allen. The marble obe- 
 lisk, supporting a heroic size statue of Allen, dedicated July 
 4, 1873, bears the inscription : 
 
 THE 
 
 CORPOREAL PART 
 
 OF 
 
 GENERAL ETHAN ALLEN 
 
 RESTS BENEATH THIS STONE. 
 
 THE I2TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 1 789, 
 
 AGED 50 YEARS. 
 
 HIS SPIRIT TRIED THE MERCIES OP HIS GOD, 
 
 IN WHOM ALONE HE BELIEVED AND STRONGLY TRUSTED. 
 
152 TOURISTS' HANDBOOk. 
 
 A short distance be^yond, in a deep valley, are the falls of 
 the Winooski, utilized for the propulsion of flouring mills, 
 around which a lively village has sprung up. These falls are 
 very romantic and striking, and in high water quite majestic 
 in their proportions. Mount Mansfield, 4279 feet high, lies 20 
 miles to the northeast of Burlington ; and Camel's Hump, 
 4183 fee', the same distance to the southeast. Conveyances 
 may be obtained at Burlington for both these mountains. 
 High Bridge, Howard's Summit, and Point Rock Institute 
 are the places of interest which all travellers who can spare 
 the time wa.it to see. For this purpose many stop over 
 night, and get a few hours in the morning to drive about the 
 city and the suburbs. Excellent accommodations for guests 
 are found at the American Hotel, managed by Mr. H. H. 
 Howe, and at the Van Ness House, kept by Barber & Co., a 
 new brick structure of considerable capacity and first class in 
 its accommodations. 
 
 A Magnificent Lake View. 
 
 The view across the lake at sunset from either of these 
 houses is worth a journey to Burlington in itself. The sun 
 sinking below the misty peaks of the Adirondacks in 
 the hazy distance, sheds a golden refulgence across 
 the sparkling expanse of intervening water. . The green 
 islets on the bosom of the lake are illumined till they gleam 
 like emeralds in the warm glow; and as the sunlight fades 
 out and the darkness slowly settles down, the scene is bathed 
 in an ever-changing radiance, turning from gold to crimson, 
 from crimson to purple, from purple to violet, and from violet 
 to the bluish-black of the early evening. And then the 
 stars come out, one by one, till the firmament above is sprink- 
 led as with silvery dust, and every particle of this shining 
 dust is duplicated in the liquid mirror below. Then the 
 moon rising over the great ridge to the east blazons a broad 
 pathway of frosted silver across the lake, and turns each pro- 
 jecting rock, each lone dead tree into a silver milestone to 
 
TOURISTS' HANbBdOK. 1 53 
 
 mark the waj. Such a scene witnessed once, can never be 
 forgotten, and its memory is worth a summer of ordinary 
 sight-seeing. The city is neatly built and regularly laid out, 
 with several fine churches, an imposing city hall, fronting on 
 a little green near the centre, a custom house and post office 
 building, and an elegant court house but a block or two 
 away. The lumber mills are the city's chief source of wealth. 
 Some 50,000,000 feet are annually exported, and the business 
 is constantly increasing. 
 
 Across the Lake to Plattsburg. 
 
 Leaving the wharf at Burlington, we steam nearly straight 
 across the lake to Port Kent. South Hero — the largest island 
 in the lake, and which with North Hero comprises the county 
 of Grand Isle, Vermont — is seen right ahead, and passing 
 west of this inland, Valcour Island appears upon the left. Just 
 south of Valcour Island was the first naval engagement of the 
 Revolutionary war, on the nth of October, 1776, between 
 the American fleet, commanded by Benedict Arnold, and the 
 British under Gov. Carleton and Capt. Pringle. Valcour 
 Island is one of the largest and handsomest of the islands in 
 Lake Champlain, excepting North and South Hero Islands, 
 which are like continents almost in their extent, being laid 
 out in farms of large extent, and having one or two consider- 
 able villages within their limits. Valcour is lofty, wooded to 
 the water's edge, and surrounded on all sides by deep water. 
 On the westerly side is a handsome stone lighthouse, recently 
 built by the United States government, as an aid to the navi- 
 gation of the lake. The experiment of founding a free-love 
 community was tried in 1874 on Valcour Island, and quite a 
 number of colonists went into the scheme, but as is usually the 
 case with such experiments, internal dissensions and quarrels 
 over the property involved, broke up the arrangement. Port 
 Kent is a small village whence considerable iron ore is shipped 
 and whence stages run to Keeseville, the Adi ondacks and 
 the Ausable Chasm. After leaving Port Kent, we pass 
 
154 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 through the narrow but deep channel between Valcour Island 
 and the west shore of the lake. The wreck of the Roval 
 Savage, sunk in the engagement mentioned above, still lies 
 in the water of the Island, and is frequently visited by parties 
 of the youth of the neighboring shore, who dive to the sunken 
 Lulk for " relics." North of Valcour is Ciab Island, on which 
 the Americans had a small battery in the battle of Plattsburg, 
 andwiiere the sailors killed in the fight were buried. Passing 
 this island, we turn to the left and enter Cumberland Bay, a 
 noble expanse of water, nearly land-locked by Cumberland 
 Head, which projects far out into the lake and encloses the 
 bay on the north and northeast. On its extreme point is a 
 lighthouse, and at the head of the bay and mouth of the 
 Saranac river which empties here, is the town of Plattsburg. 
 A long mole or breakwater, with a small lighthouse on either 
 end, protects the open side of tne harbor, and within vessels 
 can safely lie at any time. 
 
 The Lower End of the Lake. 
 
 Leaving Plattsbuig and its neighboring attractions for 
 future mention, we will continue down the lake. It seems 
 odd to any one but a " native" to speak of going north as 
 " down the lake," yet as Nature has willed that Champlain 
 should discharge its waters into the St. Lawrence, north is 
 '' down " and we must submit to it. We round Cumberland 
 Head on our left as we leave the harbor, and pass between 
 the west shore and Grand Isle. Fifteen miles north, Isle La 
 Motte, on which the French in 1665 built a fort, rises on our 
 right, and to the east of this, the peninsula known as Alburgh 
 Tongue makes down from the nortti on the eastern shore, 
 enclosing a large and beautiful expanse or arm of the lake, 
 known as Missisquoi Bay. The large island of North Hero 
 lies directly in its entrance, leaving only a channel on either 
 side. Ten miles further north, or twenty-five from Platts- 
 burg and 130 from Whitehall, we reach Rouse's Point, the end 
 of our steamboat voyage. Rouse's Point is a small and un- 
 
TOURISTS' HAND-BOOK. I55 
 
 attractive village, noted only as a railroad centre and as the 
 frontier post, where Uncle Sam's custom officers inspect the 
 baggage of tourists coming from Her Brittanic Majesty's 
 dominions. Here the waters of the lake are discharged 
 through the broad Richelieu or St. Johns river, seventy miles 
 long, which empties into the St. Lawrence below Montreal. 
 Who Rouse was, or why he located his point here, history 
 does not inform us. It does tell us, however, that the 
 fortification — in an unfini.shed and decidedly demoralized 
 condition, a mile north of the village — is Fort Montgomery, 
 and was built to command the Richelieu river, with 164 guns. 
 After work had progressed on it for some time, it was found to 
 stand on British soil, and only a generous change of boundary 
 g ive it to the United States. The Western Division ofthe Cen- 
 tral Verinont Railroad, diverging westward from the main 
 line at St. Albans, Vt., and running thence to Ogdensburgh, 
 here crosses the river on a pile bridge a mile long, with a 
 floating draw 300 feet in length. The water is very clear 
 here, and from the car windows droves of fish can be seen 
 inquisitively smelling of the bridge piles, and apparently 
 waiting to be hooked from the windows of the house on the 
 bridge, buiit for the accommodation ofthe draw tenders. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 Plattsburgh and the Ausable Chasm. 
 
 USABLE is a word frequently 
 heard in and about Platts- 
 burgh The river of that 
 name, taking its rise among 
 the Adirondacks empties into 
 the lake a few miles below 
 the town, and the famous 
 chasm — also called "Walled 
 B mks of the Ausable" — is 
 one of the most noted objects 
 of interest in its vicinity. 
 That it is worthy tenfold the 
 \li fame it now enjoys, this nar- 
 rative will soon make evid- 
 ent. But fiist we must look 
 about Plattsburgh a little, 
 and make preparations for a trip to the chasm. The town 
 proper is noted for two things, one in the past, the other in 
 the pre-ent. The first is the batth- which in 1814 did so much 
 towards settling our last open disagreement with the British 
 lion ; the other is Fouquet's Hotel, which has done and is 
 still doing so much for the comfort of visitors to this section. 
 Taking the subjects in chronological order, we will read up a 
 little on the history of the famous battle of Plattsburgh. The 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 157 
 
 British, in the war of 1812, looked upon Lake Champlain as 
 one of the easiest as well as most direct routes for their inva- 
 sion of the States from their Canadian possession. In 
 the former assumption thej were somewhat "out," as the 
 sequel shows. The Americans had resolved to contest the 
 supremacy of the lake, and both sides put forth their utmost 
 energies during the Summer of 1814 in preparation. There 
 was the greatest despatch in getting vessels ready for defence. 
 The Saratoga, which carried twenty-six guns, being the larg- 
 est American vessel on the lake, was built at Vergennes, and 
 launched on the twentieth day after the first tree in her frame 
 was brought from the forest. Capt. McDonough, the com- 
 mander of the American fleet, anchored in Cumberland Bay on 
 the 3d of September, and waited for the fleet of the enemy. 
 His flotilla consisted of the Saratoga, the Eagle of twenty 
 guns, the Ticonderoga of seventeen, the Preble of seven, and 
 ten gunbcats. On the morning of the 8th, the British fleet 
 rounded CiK.berland Head and advanced to the attack. Com- 
 modore Downie was in command, and his vessels Were the 
 Confiance of thirty-eight guns, the Linnet of sixteen, the 
 Chub and Finch of eleven guns each, and twelve gunboats. 
 The total strength of the Americans were 86 guns and 852 
 men, while the invaders numbered 95 guns andio95 men. As 
 • the hostile fleet approached, McOonough knelt on the deck of 
 the Saratoga, surrounded by his officers and men, and invoked 
 the aid of the God of battles ; then gave the signal to begin 
 the action. The Saratoga and Eagle opened, when Downie's 
 flagship, the Confiance, closing in upon the Saratoga, swept 
 her decks with a tremendous broadside, and the Linnet by an 
 advantage of positio,n was enabled to rake her from stem to 
 stern. But the brave McDonough kept up his fire till his 
 whole starboard battery was disabled, when, by a skillful 
 manoeuvre, he turned about and opened such a terrific fire from 
 his port battery that he compelled both his antagonists to 
 strike their flags. Meantime, the Eagle had captured the Chub, 
 the Ticonderoga had disabled the Finch, and after 2^ hours of 
 
158 TOURISTS' HA XD BO OK. 
 
 steady cannonading, the whole British fleet had surrendered. 
 Commodore Downie had been killed and McDonough had 
 been disabled bj two severe wounds. Sir George Prevost, 
 meanwhile had attacked the land position of the Americans 
 across the peninsula, between the Saranac and the lake, with 
 14,000 veteran British troops, and had vainly attempted to 
 storm the rude earth-works by fording the river in three 
 coluinns. The defeat of the naval forces, and fears of being 
 surrounded by the rapidly gathering militia of New York and 
 Vermont, led Prevost to precipitately retreat in the night, 
 leaving his stores and wounded behind. His loss in this en- 
 gagement was 2000; that of the Americans less than 150. 
 General Macomb, who commanded the Americans, had but 
 1500 regulars, 700 New York and 2500 Vermont militia. The 
 exultation of the Yankees over their victory was immense ; 
 McDonough and Macomb were loaded with honors and sub- 
 stantial rewards, while the chagrin of the British found vent 
 in the degradation of Prevost, which Downie, being dead, did 
 not partake. The scenes of the land and naval engagements 
 are still pointed out to visitors to Plattsburgh, and the site of 
 the American batteries are still visible. 
 
 So much for the memories of the past. Now for the real- 
 ities of the present. 
 
 Fouquet's Hotel and its Attractions. 
 
 Fouquet's Hotel is the present feature, par excellence, of 
 Plattsburgh and has given it more celebrity than any other 
 one feature. No person visiting the Adirondacks — which in 
 recent years have become no less a fashionable resort than a 
 sanitarium and a paradise for the sportman — fails to stop at 
 Fouquet's going or coming, to test the wonders of its cm'si'ne, 
 the luxury of its cool, fragrant bedrooms and sleep-wooing 
 beds, and to revel in the balmy enchantments of its delight- 
 ful flower-garden. From Fouquet's, by teams, which can be 
 had on application, from the stables, sight-seers are conveyed 
 to all points of interest in and about Plattsburg. This house 
 
o 
 
 o 
 
l6o TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 has been known to the travelling public for more than seventy 
 years. The family of Mr. Fouquet has met with great suc- 
 cess in hotel keeping, having an appreciative sense of what 
 travellers want, and providing accordingly. In June, 1864, 
 the house standing on the site of the present beautiful struc- 
 ture was burned, and the present hotel was erected a year or 
 two later. The late proprietor, Mr. Louis M. Fouquet — p.t 
 son of Mr. D. L. Fouquet and grandson of Mr. John L. 
 Fouquet, who in 1798 opened the first public house on this 
 site — was a gentleman by instinct and practice ; a man of intel- 
 lect and culture, a poet, an artist, and a lover of all that is 
 beautiful in nature ; to which he added a never-failing thought- 
 fulness of the needs and wishes of his guests, and a personal 
 interest in their comfort. He died May 26, 1875, and the 
 house was purchased by Apollos A. Smith & Co., now kept 
 by Messrs. Smith & Martin, well-known to Adironack visitors 
 by their management of " Paul Smith's." 
 
 The present house accommodates 150 guests, its rooms are 
 large, well ventilated, refitted and re-furnished, while the 
 table is famed for its exquisite cookery and its perfect attend- 
 ance. The house has always been the favorite resort of the 
 United States officers stationed at the port, and MacDonough, 
 Worth, Wool, Bonneville, Magruder, Hooker, Kearney, 
 Richetts and "Stonewall" Jackson, have quartered here 
 during their service at Plattsburgh. 
 
 The grounds and fragrant flower garden afford a most agree- 
 able retreat. The broad piazzas on two sides of the house, 
 and the promenade upon the roof, give a wide view of the 
 lake, battle-ground, the scene of the naval engagement, the 
 village, the surrounding country', and the mountains on every 
 side. The house, by its beautiful and spacious grounds, fur- 
 nishes safe and pleasant accommodations for ladies and chil- 
 dren through the summer. There are large brick stables on 
 the grounds, intended for the accommodation of guests who 
 bring their own horses and carriages, as well as to furnish 
 teams for rides and excursions. 
 
t62 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 The Town of Plattsburgh. 
 The Plattsburgh of the present daj is a thriving town whose 
 business prosperity is due to its saw-mills on the Saranac 
 river at the rapids near its month, and to its extensive lake 
 commerce. It has about 6,000 inhabitants and is the capital 
 of Clinton county. The court house and other county build- 
 ings stand on Margaret street, near the little park at the centre, 
 and near by, on the same street, are Trinity Church and the 
 Custom House. There are several handsome churches, and 
 many of the streets leading from the bay over the high plateau 
 back of the business centre, are lined with handsome trees and 
 spacious grounds, while elegant residences lookout from their 
 environment of trees. The United States barracks, a frontier 
 post of considerable importance, and during the war a receiv- 
 ing depot for troops, are on a sandy bluff a mile south of 
 the village, and the bugle call which announces " reveille," 
 "retreat," and "tattoo," is one of the familiar sounds of 
 Plattsburgh. There are several very pleasant and inter- 
 esting drives in the vicinity of Plattsburgh. That around 
 Cumberland Head affords splendid views of the lake and the 
 scene of the battle of 1814. Another is to the town of Danne- 
 mora, sixteen miles northwest of Plattsburgh, in which is 
 situated the Clinton Prison, as it is called. Here is an eleva- 
 tion 1,700 feet high; but the ascent is so gradual that in 
 riding up from Plattsburgh it is scarcely observed to rise at 
 all. This is visited chiefly for the beautiful view that is 
 afforded of the surrounding country, — the Green Mountains 
 in the east, Lake Champlain stretching to the southeast, 
 the winding course of the Saranac to the south, and the 
 high Adirondack peaks to the westward. Five miles beyond, 
 in the town of Dannemora, is Chazy Lake, a little gem, set in 
 the most picturesque and beautiful surrounding. This lake is 
 about four miles long by two wide, and is a favorite resort of 
 the sportsman as well as the admirer of natural scenery. This 
 lake is nowhere surpassed as a place for fishing. Trout 
 weighing twenty pounds have been taken from it. The road 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 1 63 
 
 to the lake was built with great cai'e, at the expense of the 
 State, and is in good condition. Near Chazj Lake stands 
 Lion Mountain, sometimes called on the maps Lynn Moun- 
 tain ; Bradley Pond is two miles "v\'«st of Chazy Lake, and west 
 of this there is a path running three miles farther to the Upper 
 Chateaugay Lake. West of the Upper Chateaugay Lake is 
 Ragged Lake, six miles long and half a mile wide. 
 From the town to the mouth of the Ausable, and back along 
 the lake shore, is another favorite drive and one of the finest 
 on a clear morning that can anywhere be enjoyed. As this is 
 a part of the route to the Ausable Chasm, and as we have 
 been all this time getting ready for the trip hither, we will 
 suppose ourselves stepping from the verandah of Fouquet's 
 into one of Ransom's easy carriages, draw by a pair of spank- 
 ing bays, in the clear, cool early morning, bound for the 
 Chasin. 
 
 The Drive to Ausable Chasm. 
 
 Our course leads us out through the southern part of the 
 town, across the sandy plain by the barracks, past the Catho- 
 lic cemetery with its odd monuments, in sight of the Sara- 
 nac river, with its amber waters churned into foam as it pours 
 over the rocky ledges, and millions of logs, floated down from 
 the Adirondack woods and ponds, stranded and waiting for 
 the next freshet to send them down to the booms above the 
 Plattsburgh saw mills. A little further on our road descends 
 to the shore of the lake, which it follows for several miles. 
 The panorama is both grand and beautiful. To the left is 
 the clear, blue lake, stretching away almost beyond the line 
 of vision, with the Vermont hills forming a low purple wall in 
 the background. Near at hand, the liquid expanse is broken 
 by Valcour Island, with its dense green foliage, and at our 
 feet lie occasional fishing boats, about which are fishermen 
 busy with their nets. Along the lake shore, at the outer 
 edge of the road, a line of poplars, tall and erect, set before 
 the war of 181 2, stand like sentinels watching the border. 
 
164 TOVRISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 To our right are smooth, rolling farm lands, with solid stone 
 houses and mammoth barns, telling of fertile acres and abun- 
 dant crops. In the distance the Adirondack peaks pierce the 
 clouds, and their grim wall, softened by the distance to a 
 most unsubstantial looking blue, shuts in the scene Before 
 us Mount Trembleau stands like a grim giant to bar our way, 
 and across the lake a great mass like a lion couchant indicates 
 and justifies the name of Lion Mountain which it bears. At 
 intervals of a few miles, old landings project mto the lake, 
 where, before the days of the railroad, sailing vessels and 
 steamers landed, and whence plank roads led back into the 
 country, but which are now obsolete, and whose docks and 
 storehouses are falling to pieces. We ford the Ausable river 
 near its mouth, and opposite a lovely butternut grove, a 
 favo ite picnic resort in summer. The river is now but two 
 or three feet deep at this point, but in the Spring it tears and 
 roars along all over the surrounding bottom lands, as shown 
 by the floodwood and gravel deposited here and there on the 
 meadows We follow the general course of this stream two 
 or three miles up, till on rising a hill we see a turn in the 
 road to the right, a plash of falling water, a stone bridge, and 
 on the other side a gray stone house on which is painted 
 "Chism House." Here our driver pulls up, and informs us 
 that here is the head of the chasm, and that it extends a mile 
 or two close beside the road over which we have come. All 
 we have seen has been a dense thicket, mostly cedar — not a 
 sign of a glen or a stream. And no wonder. We might 
 have walked through this th'cket, and until we reached its 
 very brink, or perhaps stepped off into the narrow, vertical 
 crevice, we should not have seen the chasm. 
 
 The Chasm and its Wonders. 
 
 We drive up to a small wooden building called the Lodge, 
 which we enter, leaving our wrappings and "traps" in the 
 carriage to be regained at the lower end of the chasm, to 
 which our driver proceeds, while we make the underground 
 
(v^tHE route through the 
 Tlf I Chasm described in the 
 I adjoining pages, begins 
 at the " Upper Entrance " 
 near the bottom of the Map, 
 
 and continues upward to "The 
 Pool " near the upper right 
 hand corner. 
 
 OF THE 
 
 [Taken by permission from Stod- 
 dard's "Adirondacks."] 
 
1 66 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 trip on foot. We paj half a dollar a piece for a ticket of ad- 
 mission, are shown to the head of a flight of stairs on the 
 chasm side of the house, and start on our journey. There 
 are lOO steps in this almost perpendicular staircase, and we 
 descend with a good deal of trepidation, and stand on the 
 solid rock at the bottom with a sense of relief Here we find 
 ourselves looking at two prodigious perpendicular walls, 75 
 feet high, one on either hand. Almost at our feet, the shelf 
 of smooth rock on which we stand gives place to vacancy. 
 Stepping to the edge we look and see the river roaring over 
 its rocky bed a few feet below us. We proceed up stream a 
 few rods, and turning a corner of the rocky wall we are face 
 to face with and at the foot of a cataract very like the Ameri- 
 can fall at Niagara, in all save grandeur. It is the Birming- 
 ham Fall, sixty feet high divided in the centre by a tower of 
 solid rock on which rests the pier of the bridge which we have 
 seen from above, and which spans the river just at the verge of 
 the fall. We gaze at the foamy cataract for a few moments and 
 then begin our journey down stream, through the wonderful 
 glen. For the first few minutes we proceed on the right bank 
 of the stream, along the same rocky shelf or ledge to which 
 we first descended (past the foot of the stairs, and the Horse- 
 shoe Falls, where the river tumbles over a semi- circular ledge 
 some ten feet in height, and then makes an abrupt turn to the 
 right) and then cross the stream on a wooden foot bridge 
 resting upon the ledges on either side and a rocky islet in 
 mid-stream, whence we gain a splendid view of the Birming- 
 ham and Horse-shoe Falls. 
 
 From this point, we climb by a most trying flight of stairs, 
 to the summit of a lofty projection of the left bank of the river, 
 which bars further progress along the ledge, then crossing the 
 point on the top of the earth, we descend on the other side, by 
 another flight of steps. This projecting tower bears the name 
 of Jacob's Ladder. A minute description of the rest of the 
 trip through this wonderful glen, would be merely a chronicle 
 of steps ascended and steps descended, some 700 in all ; of 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 1 67 
 
 long galleries of plank anchored to the rockj wall traversed, 
 bj which we continue our journey where the ledge of rock 
 ceases to give a foothold ; of one long stretch where the 
 waters in the Spring freshets have cut a passageway in the 
 stonj sides of the chasm, barelv wide and high enough to 
 permit of our crawling like inserts, while the honeycombed 
 depressions in the rock, filled with the cards and address en- 
 velopes of previous visitors, give the spot the fitting name of 
 " The Post Office," and last and most delightful feature of all, 
 a glide down stream in a little boat, through the famous 
 Flume. 
 
 To generalize the tour, it is only necessary to say that the 
 chasm is a rift in the massive rock — of Potsdam sand-stone, 
 — from ten to fifty feet wide, and from sixty to 200 feet deep. 
 Through the bottom, the Ausable makes its way, now pouring 
 noisily over a little fall, now gliding rapidly over a ledge, now 
 expanding into a placid pool, and now surging through a nar- 
 row gateway, where the eternal walls seems disposed to close, 
 and forbid entirely the passage of the stream. The Flume, 
 already mentioned, is a long, smooth stretch of water, between 
 walls almost as smooth and straight as if carved and polished 
 by the stone-cutter's art. Here the gorge is very narrow ; so 
 narrow that you can almost touch the walls on either hand, 
 and the water so deep as to appear perfectly black. Through 
 this gloomy pass, recalling somehow, reveries of Venetian 
 canals, the Bridge of Sighs and the passage of black gondolas 
 with prisoners for the gloomy subaqueous dungeons of the 
 Doges, we smoothly drift in the small batteau to the lower 
 end, where the walls expand ; the grateful sunlight, so long 
 excluded, pours down upon the water, the banks recede and 
 slope gently to the river's brink in a little sandy beach, and 
 the broadening stream roars and plashes over a little rapid 
 just below. We land on the beach, and a flight of stairs as- 
 cends to the top of the bank, where our carriage waits. At 
 the head of the stairs is a small house, where mild refresh- 
 mentSj^as ginger pop and soda, are dispensed, and where ex- 
 
1 68 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 cellent photographs and stereoscopic views of the marvellous 
 Chasm are for sale, at prices fullj as low as are charged for 
 similar articles in Boston or New York. A few of the chief 
 objects of interest on our waj down the Chasm, are Jacob's 
 Ladder, a bold, projecting tower, around which the river 
 makes a sort of goosenecl^ curve ; the Leaning Tower, the 
 Tower of Babel, the Pyramid, Point of Rocks, Point Surprise, 
 the Sentinel and the Broken Needle, all loftj columnar forms ; 
 Mystic Gorge and half a hundred of other nameless rifts or 
 lateral fissures, branching off at right angles to the main cleft, 
 into its solid walls; Cathedral Rocks, between which a flight 
 of 2IO steps rises to the bank above; 
 
 Cathedral Rocks. 
 
 Table Rock, a broad fiat plateau of stone at the foot of 
 Cathedral Rocks, and no end of attractions dignified by the 
 name of his Satanic Majesty — the Devil's Oven, the Devil's 
 Slide, the Devil's Chimney, the Devil's Punchbowl, the 
 Devil's Pulpit, and Hell Gate. The Devil's Oven is merely a 
 large cave in the side of the Chasm, a little below Jacob's 
 Ladder and on the opposite side. It has been formed evi- 
 dently by the gradual disintegration of the layers of soft rock, 
 which have crumbled into little cubical blocks and fallen 
 down, so that there is quite a sloping pyramid of them leading 
 up to the entrance of the oven. His Slide is one of the 
 transverse fissures, which extends in a regular slope from the 
 bottom of the glen up to daylight above ; his Pulpit and his 
 Chimney are projections of rock from the top of the cliffs, 
 resembling the objects named ; and his Punchbowl is a deep 
 pool formed by a turn in the great cleft through which the 
 river runs, and instead of punch it holds the clearest and 
 purest of water. Why all these notable objects should be 
 surrendered to the custody of the Prince of Darkness it is 
 hard to say, unless it be to deter the visitor from any contem- 
 plated wickedness by the fear of drowning in the Punchbowl 
 or roasting in the Oven. But travel where you will, the most 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 169 
 
 wonderful and grand objects in nature are named, with won- 
 derful unanimity, after the Devil. Until within a few years, 
 the Ausable Chasm, though a local wonder, was little known 
 to the outside world, and few visits were paid to it. About 
 1868, the stairs at the Cathedral Rocks were built, and visitors 
 
 CATHEDRAL ROCKS. 
 
 who had hitherto scrambled down as best they could near the 
 Devil's Oven, were provided with a safe and comfortable 
 means of entering the Chasm. In 1873, a party of Philadel- 
 phia capitalists purchased the land on the ri^ht bank of the 
 glen, built the lodge, the stairways, galleries and bridges, and 
 8 
 
lyo 
 
 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 put in the boat. They also built in the summer of 1874 a new- 
 hotel on the high ground overlooking the lake, the river above 
 the Falls and the surrounding country. It is called the Lake 
 View House, and is a handsome three-story structure, with a 
 tall tower, large, airy, well furnished rooms lighted by gas, 
 and all the requisites of a first-class summer hotel. With the 
 present facilities, the Ausable Chasm is one of the most 
 accessible and easily visited places, and certainly none will 
 better repay the tourist for a day's time and a few dollars 
 expense. 
 
' ^ 
 
 Fo I 
 
 Plao 
 
 This fold-out is being d 
 
 f 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Adirondack Region. 
 
 LATTSBURGH is the most convenient 
 point from which to penetrate the Adirondack 
 region from this direction though as we have 
 seen before, Port Kent, Essex, Westport, on 
 Lake Champlain, and vari- 
 ous points on the Adiron- 
 dack Raih^oad are taken as 
 points of departure by tour- 
 ists bound for the hunting 
 ^Ipand fishing paradise of the 
 • North "oods." During 
 the last few years these 
 woods have been invested 
 and infested with great 
 nunibers of people fitly 
 called '' Miu'ray's Fools," 
 who have rushed hither imagining that it was the thing to do, 
 without the slightest intelligent idea as to the nature of the 
 country or what is required for the proper enjoyment of the 
 resort. They have come hither attired in watering place 
 style, the men with most elegant guns, rods and flies, expect- 
 ing to shoot deer and catch trout from the piazza of a hotel, 
 and to wear their silk hats, white trousers, primrose kids and 
 patent-leather boots while doing it; the ladies with beruffled 
 and befrilled silk and muslin costumes and Saratoga trunks , 
 
172 
 
 TOUmSTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 bent on making a sensation — which thej generally do. These 
 sillj people have brought the Adirondacks into disrepute 
 by their piteous lamentations on their return to civilization 
 of the discomforts thej have .endured and the disappointments 
 thej have suffered ; but thej have mostly given up trying to 
 be woodsmen and wood nymphs, and have abandoned the 
 Adirondacks to those who can appreciate and enjoy them; 
 the experienced and sensible lovers of Nature in her wildest 
 moods, and of the free life of the forest. The range of moun- 
 tains known as the Adirondacks extends from the north-east 
 corner of New Yoi-k State, in a south south-westerly direc- 
 tion, occupying portions of Clinton, Essex, Frankliii, and 
 Hamilton Counties. It finds its greatest elevations in the 
 western part of Essex County, which contains the highest 
 peaks of the Northern Appalachian Chain, Mount Washington 
 alone excepted The sources of some of the streams which 
 flow in dift'erent directions are often connected with each 
 other, many of the lakes and ponds lying on the same plane. 
 Most of these bodies of water vary in height above the sea- 
 level from 1500 feet to 1731 feet, the latter being the elevation 
 of Raquette Lake. The mountains are well covered with trees, 
 — birch, beech, maple, ash, hemlock, spruce, fir, ^cedar, and 
 white pine, in the higher lands, and along the courses of the 
 streams almost impenetrable thickets of tamarack, hemlock, 
 and cedar. The pine affords the most valuable timber, which 
 is run down the various streams in the time of the spring- 
 freshets. Masses of magnetic iron ore of enormous extent 
 have been found, which have led to the establishing of smelt- 
 ing works. The tour usually made by the casual visitor em- 
 braces the St. Regis and Saranac Lakes, with Paul Smith's 
 and Martin's as the central points. The St. Eegis lakes are 
 the northermost of the chain which lies to the west of the 
 mountain range. Taking an early breakfast at Fouquet's we 
 take the train on the Whitehall and Plattsburgh Kailroad, 
 from the depot near the hotel, and proceed southwest twenty 
 miles to Ausable Station,, on the river of the same name, 
 
TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK 1 73 
 
 whence Concord coaches convej us three miles over a plank 
 road to Ausable Forks, an iron raining and smelting village, 
 with two small taverns, a telegraph office and a few stores. 
 Here the north branch of the Ausable River, fed by Lake 
 Placid and other ponds, joins the south branch flowing up 
 from the Ausable Ponds, and the shallow, brawling stream, 
 thence pursues a northeastern course till it passes through the 
 marvellous Chasm, and empties into Lake Champlain. From 
 Ausable Forks to Franklin Falls is 17 miles of hard mountain 
 staging, and at the last named place, passengers stop for din- 
 ner. The plank road ceases here, and the rest of the journey 
 is made in light mountain wagons, over roads which will 
 compare favorably with country roads elsewhere. Our course 
 is nearly due west, and we pass through the neat little post 
 village of Bloomingdale, eight miles from Franklin Falls, 
 whence we may take our choice of roads — to Smith's 10 miles, 
 to Martin's 10 miles, and to Cox's 15 miles. We will take the 
 first-named route, and after traversing what seems to us fully 
 thirty miles of road, much of it recently cut through the vir- 
 gin forest, but in very good condition, and accompanied all 
 the way by a telegraph line, we shall be deposited on the long 
 piazza at " Paul Smith's " tired enough to be contented with 
 the most uncomfortable quarters, and hungry enough to de- 
 vour without question the least inviting of fare. 
 
 Paul Smith's and Its Luxuries. 
 
 But our heroism will not be put to any very severe test. 
 Those who have paid previous visits here know, and all who 
 come here for the first time are lost in wonder at discovering 
 that rooms as airy and large, beds as comfortable, table linen 
 as snowy, silver as bright and viands incomparably better 
 than those of the fashionable watering-place hotels are here 
 to be found. A supper of lake trout, venison steak, wafiles 
 and honey, with excellent tea or coffee, in Paul Smith's cool, 
 airy dining room, and a night's sleep in one of his large, clean 
 chambers, are calculated to make the vayfaring man feel at 
 
174 TOUBISTS' HANDBOOK, 
 
 peace with himself and with all mankind. ApoUos A. Smith, 
 whom everybody calls " Pol " or " Paul " for short, is one of 
 the oldest and best known of Adirondack landlords. He 
 settled here in I861 on the shores of the Lower St. Riges, 
 and soon his quiet cottage became locally famous as a resting- 
 place and headquarters for sportsmen who penetrated the 
 North Woods. The region grew famous, and Paul, having 
 that born instinct which alone can make a successful hotel- 
 keeper, enlarged his borders from time to time till now he 
 has a fine three-story house with accommodations for 100 
 guests, large stables for his own horses and those of guests 
 who come in their own turnouts, and a big boat house on the 
 sandy lake beach, a few rods from the house. In this last 
 building a hundred of the light, graceful and staunch boats in 
 universal use on these waters are " pigeon-holed," with sterns 
 to the water, reminding one of the scene in " Lucrezia 
 Borgia," where that estimable lady displays her facilities in 
 the amateur undertaking business. These boats are all ident- 
 ical in size and build, are numbered from i up, and resemble 
 very much the famous Whitehall boats, except that they are 
 lighter. From the boat house to the water's edge a sloping 
 platform of plank enables the rower to slide his boat out of 
 water. About the boat house and the stables, will be seen a 
 number of men in rough serviceable garb, many of them 
 young, and all straight as Indians and almost as brown ; with 
 athletic frames, brawny hands and open, frank countenances ; 
 these are the guides. They may be engaged for the service 
 of parties desiring to camp in the woods or on the ponds in 
 the vicinity, for fishing and hunting purposes, or to convey 
 parties down the lakes to Martin's, Bartlett's, Cox's or else- 
 where. A finer set of fellows one need not seek, if he but 
 respect their stvirdy independence and follow out the Golden 
 Rule in his treatment of them. By far the pleasantest way 
 of reaching the points envmierated above, is by boat through 
 the lakes, though the stages make daily trips. To gain the 
 best idea of this wonderful region we will take to the boats. 
 
TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 175 
 
 A Boat T, ip Through, the Lake. 
 
 We will take with us only a light travelling bag each, with 
 a change of clothing and toilet articles. We shall have pro- 
 vided ourselves with some old clothes, the ladies with flannel 
 or waterproof travelling suits; the men with tweed or other 
 stout clothing, flannel shirts, and all with thick boots or shoes. 
 Thus equipped, with the addition of the necessary guns and fish- 
 ing tackle, we are ready to set out. The guides will provide 
 boats and oars, yokes to cany the boats over the portages, 
 and the necessary strength and experience for managing them. 
 Setting out from Paul Smith's, we pull across the lower St. 
 Regis, southwardly, to its outlet, abroad, deep creek, through 
 which we glide, amid the fragrance-laden waterlilies, which 
 almost impede our p.- ogress, so plenfeiful are they; past the 
 pine-crowned points and the tamarack-skirted lowlands, out 
 into Spitfire pond, whose waves are gaily dancing in the 
 morning light, to the rustling music of a fresh breeze. Cross- 
 ing this small but sprightly body of water, our boats glide 
 through a narrow creek to the St. Regis Lake, a beautiful 
 sheet, which gives its name to this entire northern chain. 
 When we touch its southern shore, our guides leap out and 
 drag the boats a--hore. There is a " carry" or portage of a mile 
 and a half, by a crcioked trail, through a dense wood. Formerly 
 the guides carried the boats by means of the yokes, which 
 resemble those used by majile sugar makers to carry the 
 buckets of sap, but now the boats are dragged by horse-power, 
 on a kind ot big sled or jumper, by which means " old San- 
 guemaire," a French half-breed, living on the southern side 
 of the carry, earns an honest livelihood, We trudge through 
 the wo' ds, perhaps bagging a squirrel or two by the way, and 
 again launch our skiff's on the wuters of Big Clear Lake, and 
 pull southward across its dancing waters. Soon we drift into 
 its outlet, a broad quiet creek, now deep and sluggish, by 
 reason of a mill dam below, which soon compels our guides 
 to shoulder and carry the boats around it. As they march off 
 
176 TOURISTS^ HANJDBOOiC. 
 
 in single file, with the boats on their backs, bottom up, they 
 look oddlj like huge mud turtles. Launching again, below 
 the mill, we soon emerge from the winding stream, into the 
 upper Saranac Lake, the largest and finest of the chain. We 
 pull across its clear and lively waters to the western shore, 
 where near the head, stands Cox's Upper Saranac Lake House, 
 a fine new structure, with rooms for 100 guests, and a table 
 supplied with the best of forest cheer. Here we shall find it 
 convenient and expedient to dine, before attacking the eight 
 mile pull down the Upper Saranac Lake. We start afresh 
 after dinner, and traverse the length of the beautiful lake. ; past 
 shores of bold, precipitous rock, fringed with evergreens; past 
 sailing loons, whose slim necks alone emerge from the waves, 
 and at which we fire and don't hit, ; past bays and creeks, and all 
 the beauties of lake anc> mountain scenery, and emerge into 
 the Saranac river, the outlet of this lake, and soon reach Bart- 
 lett's Sportman's Home, a long, rambling house, chiefiy piazza, 
 where a smoking supper and a night's rest awaits us. The 
 river falls some 60 feet here, so in the morning our boats 
 are carried around and we again start down the Saranac 
 River, and float out upon Round Lake, a lovely sheet of 
 water, smooth and clear as glass in the early morning, but 
 apt to be fretted by winds later in the day. Our course 
 changes here, and we pull across this lake, some four miles, 
 in a northerly direction, and again follow the course of the 
 Saranac river, 3 miles to the Lower lake of the same name. On 
 the way we shoot arapidofeightfeetfall, if we are brave enough 
 to stay in our boats and try it ; if not, we walk around and 
 see the guides do it. If we choose to stop and "drop a line" 
 here, we shall be quite likely to catch some fine trout in these 
 rapids. As we enter the Lower Saranac Lake, Ampersand 
 Mountain looms on our right, south of the lake, and Saranac 
 mountain on our left, West ; straight ahead, but afar off, old 
 Whiteface towers aloft, and in the distance, to our right, we 
 get occasional glimpses of Mounts Seward and Marcy. Amper- 
 sand mountain may be ascended, if we care for a three hours' 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. ^^>, 
 
 climb, and the view from its summit (embracing the lakes we 
 have traversed, as well as Long Lake, to the South, and the 
 Tupper Lakes to the West, the mountain peaks far and near 
 the Saranac valley, and the beautiful and sequestered Amper- 
 sand Pond, to the south of the mountain) is worthy the ex- 
 ertion. We are now passing a frowning wall of rock, rising 
 150 feet perpendicularly out of the water, and wooded at the 
 top, and soon we see a guideboard bearing the words "Jacob's 
 Well." Here is a splendid living spring of pure sweet water, 
 very refreshing to our throats, after our lively rowing. Hence 
 we lay our course down the lake, six miles in length, to 
 Martin's. This lake is diversified, and most beautifully, too, 
 by over 50 islands, of which Eagle Island is the largest. We 
 skim lightly by the rocky headlands, and the tree-studded 
 islets, and in due time we draw alongside the little wharf in 
 a beautiful bay at the northeastern extremity of the lake, and 
 directly in front of Martin's Saranac Lake House. Here we 
 meet cordial welcome from William F. Martin, one of the very 
 best fellows in this wilderness, and who, by his enterprise and 
 courtesy has reared, from the beginning made in 1S49, ^ house 
 of three stories, accommodating 200 guests, and just as com- 
 fortable and well kept as any other hotel in this vale of tears. 
 Martin is a thorough woodsman and a genial host, and it is a 
 treat to sit on his piazza of an evening, looking out across the 
 lake, and listening to hi^ stories of the early days of hotel 
 keeping in the Adirondacks, 
 
 Martin's, as has been stated, is about the same distance from 
 Plattsburg as Paul Smith's — 37 miles — and is frequently 
 taken as the point of departure for the tour of the lakes, instead 
 of Smith's ; in which case the route we have passed over will be 
 reversed. The tourists who propose to visit Tupper, Long and 
 Raquette Lakes, Mounts Seward and Marcy, and the Indian 
 Pass, generally make Martin's their rendezvous, and start 
 thence with their guides and supplies up the Saranac Lake. 
 Martin's being on the regular stage road and having mail and 
 telegraphic facilities, the same as those at Smith's, is in 
 every way a desirable headquarters. 
 8* 
 
1^8 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 A "Visit to the Soutliern Lakes. 
 
 A reference to the map will show in the southwestern por- 
 tion of the Adirondack region, a cluster of large lakes con- 
 nected by the Raquette river. These are the Tupper Lakes, 
 Big and Little, Long Lake, Forked Lake, Raquette Lake and 
 a little chain of small ponds leading from the last named and 
 terminating in Blue Mountain Lake. The tour of all these 
 lakes is made from Martin's by two routes, one leading west 
 to the Tupper Lakes, and the other south to the Raquette, 
 Long and Forked Lake chain. Taking the western route 
 first, we proceed up the lake and across Round Lake to 
 Bartlett's ; thence two miles west to the old " Sweeney Caiy " • 
 now operated by the Daniels Brothers, who haul our boats 
 across a neck of land three miles wide, and lavmch them in 
 the Raquette river. Eleven miles of tortuous gliding bring 
 us to the ovitlet of Big Tupper Lake, where Martin Moody, an 
 old guide, has built a house with accommodations for fifty 
 guests, and has a large congregation of sportsmen each sum- 
 mer. 
 
 Big Tupper Lake. 
 
 This is a beautiful sheet of water, surrounded by ridges of 
 mountains and by primeval forests ; stretching away seven 
 miles to the south and spreading ovit from one to three miles 
 wide, dotted with islands, bordered by beautiful bays with 
 green valleys rising from their heads, and with all the placid 
 serenity that marks the quiet of this great wilderness. On 
 Bluff Island, in the northeastern part of the lake, is a precipice 
 overhanging the water, known as the Devil's Pulpit; and at 
 the head of the lake, Bog river makes its way to the lower 
 level by a fall resembling a sheet of silver, over a rocky ledge. 
 From Big Tupper, a seldom ti-aversed route leads south, 
 through Round Pond, to Little Tupper Lake, which is six 
 miles long, with high, rocky shores, numerous islands and 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 1 79 
 
 beautiful scenery. The Wolf Pond route, so called, passss 
 from the outlet of Big Tupper, by a sweeping curve to the 
 northeast, to Cox's on Upper Saranac Lake, thirty miles dis- 
 tant, by way of a chain of small ponds. From the same 
 point a twenty mile trip, including eight miles of carries^ 
 brings us to Cranberry Lake, one of the largest of the whole 
 region, being fifteen miles long and discharging through the 
 Oswegatchie river, and another trip of fifteen miles brings to 
 the most desolate and lonesome (but most prolific in game) 
 of these waters, Mud Lake. It is seven miles south of Cran- 
 berry Lake, and is but four miles in circumference. Still 
 another route is through Little Tupper and a chain of ponds to 
 Long Lake. The usual route to Long, Forked and Raquette 
 lakes, however, lies south from Martin's via Saranac and 
 Round lakes to Bartlett's, thence by the Indian Carry of 
 one mile to the Stony Creek ponds, three in number, con- 
 nected by narrow passages, and thence through Stony Creek, 
 a narrow, tortuous stream, for three miles to its outlet into the 
 Raquette river, twenty miles above Tupper Lake. A striking 
 panorama of woodland scenery is presented as we ascend the 
 river to Raquette's Falls, six miles, where is a carry of a mile 
 and a quarter, and where stands "Mother Johnson's, "renowned 
 for pancakes, and noted in every tourist's description. The 
 old lady herself, after entertaining thousands of guests during 
 her stay in the quaint old log cabin, and gaining a fame 
 excelled by no one in the region, died in the early spring of 
 1871^, and her body was tenderly carried by the guides some 
 thirty miles down the Raquette and laid to rest. 
 
 Long Lake and Its Scenery. 
 
 Six miles more pulling bring us to the foot or northern ex- 
 tremity of Long Lake, which is simply a widening of the 
 Raquette river, or else the river is simply the thread on which 
 Long Lake is strung. It is a handsome body of water, four- 
 teen miles long and a mile wide at its widest point. It has 
 
l80 rOliUlSTS' HAND BOO IC. 
 
 several islands, one of which supports a small inn, owned by 
 John Davies, who also keeps the famous "Aunt Pollj" 
 tavern at Newcomb, thirteen miles southeast. He maintains 
 communication between the two houses, bj a romantic forest 
 route, through five small ponds and Catlin Lake, a body of 
 water three miles long, and famous for its camping grounds. 
 Long Lake is surrounded by mountains. Owl's Head, Mount 
 Kempshall, Buck Mountain and Blueberry Mountain, and on 
 the east bank, three and a half miles from the head or south- 
 ern end, is Long Lake Village, or " Gouge ville," where is 
 Kellogg's famous hostelry, and where several families of noted 
 guides reside. There is a little church, a school-house, a 
 store and post-office here, and many visitors to the Raquette 
 region make their headquarters at Kellogg's. Round Island 
 lies about midway of the lake, and is a beautiful little gem of 
 living green. Little Tupper Lake is reached from Kellogg's 
 by a tedious route of lo or 12 miles, which passes through 
 Slim and Mud Ponds, and consumes a whole day. Owl's 
 Head Mountain is ascended by the aid of guides, and a fine 
 view is obtained from its summit. Near Kellogg's is a float- 
 ing bridge across the lake, and beneath a portion of it is 
 passage for boats. Four miles from the village, the head of 
 the lake is reached, and here the Raquette river enters it, over 
 rapids necessitating a half-mile carry. Then it is fair paddling 
 again for a mile up stream to Buttermilk Falls, which are 
 generally considered the original of Murray's Phantom Falls. 
 The descent is about 20 feet, over a rugged ledge, with bould- 
 ers which churn the water into a froth. A short carry here, 
 then a mile and a half of boating, another carry of a mile 
 and a half, and we reach Forked Lake. This expansion of 
 the Raquette river is an irregular and very romantic pond, 
 three miles long, with wooded shores and some fii)^ scenery. 
 ]t boasts an attachment, Little Forked Lake, through which, 
 and a string of ponds with intervening carries, a twelve-mile 
 route to Little Tupper lies. This whole country is so filled 
 with lakes and ponds that you can go anywhere you choose 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. l8l 
 
 with a boat, alternately carrying the boat and having the boat 
 carry you. 
 
 Kaquette Lake and its Tributaries. 
 
 Erom this body of water a half-mile portage brings us to 
 Raquette Lake, twelve miles long and from one to five miles 
 wide ; one of the most beautiful of the Adirondack waters, 
 and destined to be the favorite, when hotels and other pro- 
 ducts of civilization shall shed their ameliorating illumination 
 upon its dark waters, so to speak. Meantime, only enthusi- 
 astic sportsmen and hardy tourists find their way hither. 
 Gary's Hotel, a rude and small house, is the only hotel on the 
 lake, and nearly every one who coines hither camps out. 
 Beach's Island, a beautifully wooded and symmetrical islet; 
 Murray's Island, the camping ground of the celebrated preach- 
 er, and the numerous points which project from the shores 
 are used for camping. The old State road from Crown Point 
 to Carthage, which was formerly a travelled way through this 
 region, passes Gary's, and it is only 14 miles to Long Lake 
 Village, but of late years it is seldom used, and has degener- 
 ated into a mere trail. The lake is surrounded by pictur- 
 esque mountains, and is deeply embayed on nearly every 
 side ; IVCarryatt's Baj^, Eagle Bay, North Bay and South Bay 
 being the principal arms of the lake. Little Tupper Lake is 
 accessible from Raquette also, by an i§ mile route embracing 
 Beach's and Salmon Lakes and two or three carries. Shallow 
 Lake, reached by an inlet from the west shore, and a group of 
 neighboring ponds are famous retreats for trout. 
 
 The John Brown Tract. 
 
 A pull of four miles up the Brown Tract Inlet, from the 
 south-west point of Raquette Lake, and a carry of a mile and 
 a half bring us to the upper or eighth of the Fulton chain of 
 lakes, which extend southwesterly into the "John Brown 
 Tract," so-called. The ardent hunter, wlio has not yet gained 
 enough experience of the lakes and mountains, follows this 
 
1 82 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 route, which brings him into the Eighth Lake first, passes bj 
 portage to the Seventh, and can go directly by boating into 
 the Sixth. The Sixth and Fifth are quite small ; and there is 
 a portage between Sixth and Fifth, and also one between 
 Fifth and Fourth. Fourth Lake is the largest of the chain, 
 and has .a number of islands in it. The shores are high, and 
 rise in rapid ascents. Hemlock grows down to the edge of 
 the water; and in the undisturbed repose of the waters the 
 fringes of foliage are clearly reflected. In the centre of the 
 lake is a beautiful group of rocks known as Elba. There is a 
 passage for boats into Third Lake, close by which Bald Motin- 
 tain frowns down ; and the passage continues open to Second 
 Lake. Second is hardly distinguishable from First, there be. 
 ing a mere sand-bar separating them. The Adirondack Kail- 
 road will pass just north of these lakes. 
 
 The southwestern part of the Adirondack region, known as 
 the John Brown Tract, reaches into Lewis and Hamilton 
 counties, but is mostly included in Herkimer county. In 
 area it is about twenty miles square, and is supposed by many 
 to take its name from the hero of North Elba, but such is not 
 the fact. John Brown was a merchant of Providence, R. I., 
 and coming hither in 1792, bought this tract, which he divided 
 into eight townships named Industry, Enterprise, Persever- 
 ance, Unanimity, Frugality, Sobriety, Economy and Regular- 
 ity. In 1812, Brown's nephew, Charles Herreshoff, tried to 
 found colonies in these model townships, and incurred great 
 expenses for clearings, mills, etc. A large number of people 
 from the seaboard attempted a permanent settlement, but 
 many discouragements appeared to thwart them; work upon 
 the tract was abandoned ; Herreshofl;' suicided after a seven 
 years' struggle with fate, and the solitude of the unbroken 
 wilderness again resumed its sway. This section is only 
 visited by hunters and fishermen, and they succeed in their 
 designs upon the game and the fish. 
 
 The Eckford Chain of Lakes. 
 
 But after this long digression, we must get back to Raquette 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 1 83 
 
 Lake, whence, bj the Marion river, the principal feeder of the 
 lake, we make our way through Utowanna and Eagle Lakes, to 
 Blue Mountain Lake, the gem of the southern Adirondack 
 waters. Austin's Hotel, between Eagle and Blue Mountain 
 lakes, is a favorite resort of sportsmen, and " Ned Buntline" 
 (E. Z. C. Judson), has a lodge on the shore of the former. 
 These pretty lakelets, the Eckford chain, as thej are some- 
 times called, are the headwaters of the Raquette, and 'Mount 
 Emmons, or Blue Mountain, which overlooks the lake bear- 
 ing its name, is ascended by a trail on its western slope. It 
 is 3,595 feet high, and its summit having been cleared of trees 
 during the State survey of 1873, a magnificent panorama is 
 spread out before the visitor who stands on its top. Blue 
 Mountain Lake, by the route we have come, is fifty-five miles 
 from Kellogg's, but as we have described a deep loop in onr 
 journey, only five miles separates us from Kellogg's now. 
 The mountain divide and South Pond, with a mile's portage 
 are the obstacles. The mountain trail is arduous, but the 
 guides often attempt it in preference to going back. 
 
 The Southern Adirondacks. 
 
 From Long Lake Village a weekly mail stage or private 
 conveyance may be taken for a trip to the deserted Adirondack 
 iron works. Mount Marcy and the Indian Pass. The State 
 military road, previously mentioned, runs due east almost for 
 forty-two miles, along a route alternating mountain, forest 
 and lake scenery, and is sufficiently rough to give any one 
 a wolfish appetite every five miles, to Root's, a famous 
 resort for sportmen, with accommodations for forty or fifty 
 guests. Thence the roads diverge ; one to Ticonderoga, 
 twenty-three miles southeast, passing Paradox Lake and 
 Long Pond ; another to Crown Point, eighteen miles north- 
 eabt; a third south to Schroon Lake, nine miles, and the 
 fourth north to Elizabethtown, twenty-two miles. But we 
 stop nineteen miles short of Root's, at Tahawus or Lower 
 Works. Here the Hudson or North river, a narrow creek at 
 
184 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 this point, was utilized to furnish power for the iron works, 
 and the dam which once spanned it flooded the valley up to 
 Lake Sanford, five miles above, and barges plied between the 
 Lower and the Upper Works. The road north to the Upper 
 Works or Adirondack, is picturesque and full of interest. The 
 distance is eleven miles, five of which are along the shores of 
 the mountain-walled Lake Sanford. Reaching Adirondack, 
 a scene rarely to be witnessed in America is presented — a 
 ruined village — and it was formerly a manufacturing village, 
 too. The tall chimneys, the furnaces, the old school-house, 
 the chuixh and the dwellings of the workmen, all are aban- 
 doned. Only Moore's, a small and modest house of resort, is 
 occupied. The history of this place is brief. In 1826, an In- 
 dian discovered immense deposits of iron, and a dam of almost 
 pui-e ore across the river at this place, and reported his find to 
 Messrs. Henderson, McMartin and Mclntire who had iron 
 works at North Elba. They secured the whole territory, built 
 forges, furnaces and a road to Lake Champlain and began 
 operations. A busy and thriving village sprung into exist- 
 ence, but the venture proved unsuccessful, the cost of getting 
 the iron to market being too heavy, and Mr. Henderson, the 
 head of the firm, being accidently killed in 1845, the Upper 
 Works were in 1848 abandoned, and the Lower Works soon 
 after, since which time the villages have gone to decay. Only 
 the names of the three unfortunate speculators are perpetu- 
 ated in Mounts Henderson, McMartin and Mclntire, and 
 Lake Henderson. The Preston Ponds lie two miles north- 
 west, and six miles further in the same direction is the grand 
 peak of Mount Seward, 4,348 feet high. Mount Marcy (called 
 by the Indians Tahawus, the Cloud Piercer or Sky Splitter), 
 the monarch of this region, towers to the height of 5,333 feet, 
 to the northeast, and is ascended by a trail which necessitates 
 twelve miles of arduous climbing. The ascent can only be 
 made by strong and indomitable climbers, by the aid of 
 guides. Six miles from Adirondack, Lake Golden, a moun- 
 tain embosomed pond, 2,851 feet above the tide is reached, 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK 185 
 
 and from it foams and dashes the Opalescent river. Far up 
 the gorge of the same name is seen Gray Peak, on which is 
 Summit- Water, a clean pond 4,293 feet above the sea, whence 
 flows the sti earn which afterwards becomes the mighty Hud- 
 son. One mile beyond Lake Colden is Avalanche Lake, sur- 
 rounded by mountain peaks, and soon the slopes of Tahawus 
 tower above us. A steady climb brings us to the summit, 
 whence the descent may be made to Keeene on the east side 
 of the mountains. 
 
 The Adirondack, or ladian Pass. 
 
 Contin'iing our journey northwardly from Adirondack, we 
 pass thr. ugh the celebrated Adirondack or Indian Pass, a 
 great gorge between Mount Wallface on the left and Mount 
 Mclntire on the right. Its highest point is 2901 feet above 
 the sea level, and for a mile old Wallface rises in an almos* 
 perpendicular precipice over 1300 feet high. The scene is 
 one of v^rild and savage magnificence. The path is rugged 
 and arduous, many times crossing the mountain torrent that 
 makes its way through the pass Great jagged masses of 
 rock obstruct the way, and the climb upward to the ridge, or 
 "divide," is enough to tax the stoutest legs and wear out the 
 stoutest boots. The scene from the divide is thus graphically 
 sketched by Stoddard : 
 
 " At last we near the summit and stand on Lookout Point; 
 close by rises that grand wall a thousand feet up and extend- 
 ing three hundred feet below us ; reaching out north and 
 south, maje tic, solemn and impi^essive in its nearness; a 
 long line of gr-eat fragments have fallen, yea'r by year, from 
 the cliff ab ve, and now lie at its "foot; around on everj^ side 
 huge ca\^erns yawn and mighty rocks rear their heads, where 
 He who rules the earthquake cast them centuries ago. Along 
 back, down the gorge we look, to where, five miles away, and 
 1300 feet below us, is Lake Henderson, a shining drop in the 
 bottom of a great emerald bowl." 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 1 87 
 
 Here we leave the head waters of the Hudson behind, and 
 descending bj a route similar to that bj which we have 
 climbed from Adirondack, we follow the course of the Ausa- 
 ble, which takes its rise in this same notch, and passing 
 through a dense forest, we reach, after five miles of tramping 
 from the divide, the little hamlet of North Elba. 
 
 Near this point is the farm of old John Brown, of Ossawot- 
 tomie, the hero of Kansas and of Harper's Ferry, and the 
 huge bowlder bj which he is buried, can be seen from the 
 road. The farm is now the property of an association formed 
 by Miss Kate Field. From this point the road runs northwest 
 nine miles to Blood's, a tavern of some repute in the Saranac 
 valley, and one mile further, reaches Martin's. East from 
 North Elba two miles, is Scott's tavern, twelve miles further, 
 over a most romantic route through a mountain pass, is 
 Keene, and ten miles further is Elizabeth town, a beautiful 
 village eight miles northwest of Westport, on the Boquet 
 River, and encircled by mountain peaks. 
 
 ElizabetMown and its Objects of Interest. 
 
 This town, which lies in the centre of Essex County, is also 
 reached by stage from Point of Rocks on the Ausable River. 
 This is a favorite resort of quiet people, artists, ladies, and 
 families who do not wish to get far from the base of home 
 supplies. The hotels there are numerous, elegant, and well 
 furnished, and naturally are well filled in the summer. There 
 are two high summits on the west, of which the southermost 
 (called the giant of the Valley) is one of the highest 
 of the range. There is a perpendicular precipice on the 
 north side of this, nearly 700 feet high. Five miles to the 
 northwest is Hurricane Peak, a pyramid of naked rocks, 
 graceful in shape, rising from a densely wooded base. Cobble 
 Hill, one mile west of the village, has a precipice 200 
 feet high on the east side of it. The valley of the Bo- 
 quet runs eight miles south-west from Elizabethtown. At 
 the head of this valley, the Boquet has a fall of 100 feet, 
 
iS8 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 through a narrow gorge, over an inclined plane of rough 
 and broken rocks. Black Pond is one mile long and half a 
 mile wide ; it is six miles south-east of the village, and well 
 stored with fish. On the south-east of the town is a hill 
 200 feet high, covering 40 acres, supposed to be nearly 
 Ij a solid mass of iron ore. In the south-west the Ausable 
 Ponds maj be visited from Elizabethtown. These ponds, two 
 in number, — the Upper and Lower, — are in the south part 
 of the town of Keene, in the midst of scenery bold and wild. 
 Hurricane Mountain and Skylight are easily reached from 
 Ausable Ponds. Deep gorges, lovely little ponds, and wild 
 cascades are found in the vicinity. About one-eighth of a 
 mile west of the road leading from Keene Flats to Ausable 
 Ponds, are the falls of the Ausable River, known as Russell's 
 Falls. Here the water darts through a crooked passage 
 one-third of a mile long, , in which space it makes a de- 
 scent of 150 feet, between rocky banks that rise to the 
 height of 200 feet. Two miles farther up the Ausable, 
 are similar falls, known as Beaver Meadow Falls. Rain- 
 bow Falls are one-eighth of a mile north-west of the 
 Lower Ausable Pond, and have 125 feet of perpendicular 
 descent. Roaring Brook Falls, four miles east of Rainow, 
 bow, consist of two separate falls, — one over a vertical 
 precipice into a deep gorge, the other 250 feet along a groove 
 worn into the solid rock. Chapel Pond, the source of Roar- 
 ing Brook, is about a mile east of Roaring Brook Falls, in 
 a deep ravine between the Ausable and Boquet Rivers. 
 
 Lake Placid and the "Wilmington Pass. 
 
 From North Elba nearly every sojourner pays a visit to 
 Lake Placid, one of the loveliest of mountain lakes, lying 
 high vip among the peaks which circle it on every side. It 
 lies two miles north of the village, and is five miles long by 
 two wide. Three islands nearly divide it midway, and Mount 
 Whiteface overlooks it on the northeast. Sugar Loaf towers 
 on the west in dark, stern ridges, and tall peaks stand senti- 
 
I go TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 nels on the east. Near its southern shore stand the large 
 boarding houses of Nash and Brewster, with acconiinodations 
 for froin 60 to 80 guests, and fishern:ien find in its clear depths 
 ample rewards for " dropping a line." 
 
 The Wilmington Pass or Notch is the local title of the nar- 
 row vallej through which the Ausable pours the waters of its 
 west fork, which takes its rise in Lake Placid, and through 
 which the carriage road from Wilmington to North Elba, 
 twelve miles, has been constructed with immense labor and 
 at great expense. The i^cenerj in the pass is of wild and 
 savage magnificence. The carriage-road is cut into the bank 
 on tht^ right side of the Ausable River ; and above it tower, 
 hundreds of feet, the rugged and perj)endicular rocks. Across 
 the river looms up old White face, its cloud-capped peak 4200 
 feet above the sea, and i s sides clothed with evergreen for a 
 great part of its heiglit Midway of the notch are the cele- 
 brated Wilmington Falls, one i.undred feet high, pouring over 
 a precipice of eternal rock in a feathery cloud; witli a roar 
 like that of Niagara. A difFicuit and peril .us climb down 
 the walls of the gorge to the foot of the fa Is, is rewarded by 
 a sight of their savage magnificence which is indescribably 
 grand. A short distLince below is the Flume, where the 
 waters, compressed into a r. arrow space b tween high and 
 smoothly worn walls of rock, rush with lightning rapidity 
 down a steep incline; and all the way, the road, clinging to 
 the mountain side, presents at each turn some new exhibition 
 of Nature's power. Emerging from the pass, the peaceful, 
 broad, and fertile valley of the Ausable stretches away for 
 miles in the distance ; and at our feet lies the little village of 
 Wilmington. The Whiteface Mountain House, a cozy, home- 
 like structure, with facilities for entertaining half a hundred 
 guests, is the only hostelry and here nearly every one stops 
 who proposes to ascend old Whiteface. 
 
 The Ascent of Whiteface.! 
 
 From this House, a carriage road ascends the mountain on 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 191 
 
 its northeast side two miles ; then a rugged bridle path is 
 traversed on horseback four miles to the summit. Three 
 quarters of a mile from the top is a rude hut, where quarters 
 maj be had for the night, if one desire to see the sunrise from 
 the peak. The mountain is 4918 feet high, and is named 
 from the fact that a landslide years ago laid bare its whitish- 
 graj rocks near the summit. The ascent is attended with a 
 good deal of difliculty, but is perfectly safe and often made by 
 ladies, who find the Turkish costume specially convenient, as 
 they have to follow the fashion of the men, and ride on both 
 sides of the animal. The view from the summit is of sur- 
 passing grandeur, overlooking a vast territory broken by 
 mountain peaks, among which shine the glassy surfaces of 
 over sixty lakes and ponds. The Giant of the Valley, Marcy, 
 Wallface, Mclntire, Sugar Loaf and Seward are easily dis- 
 tinguished ; Lake Placid nestles close to the mountain's foot, 
 and afar off to the west can be seen the Saranac Lakes. To 
 the east is the broad expanse of Lake Champlain, and beyond, 
 in the dim distance, the outlines of the Green Mountains 
 appear. 
 
 From Wilmington, we resume our journey northeast 
 through Jay and Ausable Forks, to Ausable station, where 
 we board the train for Plattsbui-gh. Or we may drive 24 
 miles over the plank-road to Port Kent, where we take the 
 steamer for Plattsburgh. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Routes to Montreal. 
 
 ROM several points on our route thus far, the 
 tourist who desires to visit Montreal, a'nd the 
 Canadian resorts, will find direct communi- 
 cation. From Boston i here are several routes 
 of nearly equal directness and advantages. 
 We may journey to Rutland, as already de- 
 scribed, and thence via Burlington. ISt. Albans, 
 and St. John's to Montreal, or from Bellows 
 Falls through White River Junction, Mont- 
 pelier, Essex Junction, St. Albans, and St. 
 John's to Montreal, or we may take the 
 Boston, Lowell and Nashua Railroad, through Lowell, Nashua 
 and Manchester to Concord, N. IL, or the Boston and Maine 
 Railroad via Lawrence and Manchester to Conco d ; and from 
 the last named city, several divergent routes, all leading 
 to Montreal, lie before us. 
 
 Via Lowell and Manchester. 
 
 Taking the morning train from the n:iagnificent Passenger 
 Station of the Boston, Lowell and Nashua Railroad, on Cause- 
 way street, we are soon rolling out of the city, across one of 
 
 the n;:any spile bridges that " spile " the beauty of the Charles 
 
TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 1 93 
 
 River near the city, while thej serve to connect Boston with 
 the continent north and to increase its material prosperity. 
 We pass the Bunker Hill district, with its cosej and homelike 
 State Prison at our right; Somerville, with its several small 
 and scattered villages, and its imposing McLean Insane Hos- 
 pital ; Medford, famous for New England rum, for the Mystic 
 Racing Park near the railroad, and for Tufts College, the 
 handsome buildings of which are in plain sight, on the lofty 
 hill overlooking the track on the K'ft; Winchester, famous 
 for its tanneries ; East Woburn, North Woburn, Wilmington, 
 Billerica and North Billerica, and cross the Concord river to 
 Lowell. This great spindle city, 26 miles from Boston, is 
 known wherever cotton cloth is worn. The va-t power of the 
 Merrimack river, which here descends t^t, feet, over what were 
 formerly known as Pawtucket Falls, is utilized by the canal, 
 originally built for navigation, which connects with the Con- 
 cord river below. Along this canal and upon the Merrimack 
 and Concord rivers, stand long lines of huge factories, com- 
 prising the mills of the Lawrence, Tremont, Suffolk, Merri- 
 mack, Boott, Massachusetts, Middlesex, Prescott, Appleton, 
 Hamilton and other corporations, besides the print and carpet 
 factories. There are about 70 mills in all, employing about 
 I, OCX) women and half as many men, and some idea of the 
 vast production may be gained from the fact that the Merri- 
 mack Mills alone turn out 12,000 miles of cotton cloth per 
 annum. The operatives are mostly Irish, Nova Scotians and 
 French Canadians. Bc-sides the mills, a vast number of other 
 profitable industries aid the wealth of the city. From Lowell, 
 our route lies along the Merrimack river. Middlesex, at the 
 head of the Old Middlesex canal, to Boston, completed in 
 1808 at a cost of $528,000, but abandoned since the era of 
 railways, is passed; then North Chelmsford and Tyngsboro'; 
 then we cross the New Hampshire line to the city of Nashua, 
 40 miles from Boston, which stands on both sides the Nashua 
 river, a tributary of the Merrimack and the source of power 
 for the various mills. Nashua is a city of over 10,000 in- 
 9 
 
194 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 habitants, which has grown since 1823, when the Nashua 
 Manufacturing Company was chartered. Following the river 
 Merrimack still, but over the line of the Concord Railroad, 
 passing various rural stations, we reach Manchester, the 
 largest citj in the State, 57 miles from Boston, at the Amos- 
 keag Falls of the Merrimack. The Blodget canal, around the 
 falls, utilizing the power for the propulsion of various manu- 
 factoiies. The citj has about 25,000 inhabitants and is very 
 attractive in appearance, the streets being wide and hand- 
 somely shaded ; several public squares are laid out and the 
 houses are neat and many of them elegant. The falls, which 
 have a descent of 47 feet, present a striking sight in high 
 water. Lake Massabesic, four miles east of the city, is a 
 favorate summer resort. Continuing our northward journey, 
 we pass several little stations and enter the capitol of the 
 State, the city of Concord, 75 miles from Boston, a beautiful 
 town of some 15,000 inhabitants. The city stands on the 
 west side of the river, to which the principal streets run 
 parallel. The State Capitol fronts a small park off Main 
 street, and is a stately structure of granite quarried near by. 
 The City Hall, Court House, and State Insane Asylum, 
 founded in 1842, are the principal public buildings. At Con- 
 cord, the visitor who desires to make a stay of a few days, will 
 find a pleasant stopping place at the Eagle Hotel,* John A. 
 White, proprietor. This house has been enlarged, refitted 
 and refurnished, and is a first-class establishment. Its loca- 
 tion, opposite the Capitol, gives it the advantage in point of 
 site over most other houses. 
 
 Via Lawrence and Manchester. 
 
 By the Boston and Maine line, leaving the commodious 
 brick station in Haymarket square, Boston, our route is 
 northward, across the Charles river, through one edge of the 
 Bunker Hill District, Somerville, Maiden, Melrose, Stoneham, 
 Greenwood, Wakefield, Wilmington, Ballardvale, Andover, 
 (the seat of Phillips Academy, the Abbot Female Seminary, 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 1 95 
 
 and the famous Congregational Theological Seminary), and 
 South Lawrence, -across the Merrimack and into Lawrence, 
 25 miles fi'om Boston, one of the great mill cities of the 
 country, and one of the three capitals of Essex Country. It 
 has about 30,000 inhabitants, and both by situation and the 
 wise foresight displayed in its building and ornamentation, is 
 one of the handsoinest of manufacturing towns. In 1844, the 
 Essex Company founded this place and built a massive stone 
 dam, giving 28 feet fall, across the river. A canal, a mile long 
 and 400 feet from the river, carries the water along the line of 
 great mills, which stand on the strip of land between the river 
 and the canal, which last thus separates the mills from the 
 city. The corporation boarding houses are surrounded by a 
 wide green, which gives them plenty of air and light, and a 
 pleasant outlook. The streets are broad, handsomely shaded, 
 and lined by many costly and elegant buildings, among which 
 the City Hall, the Oliver High School, the County buildings, 
 the Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, 
 and several other churches, are the most notable. The Common 
 is a handsome large green, in the centre of the city, on which 
 front several of the finest buildings, and which is shaded with 
 beautiful trees. The principal factories are the Pemberton, 
 Everett, Washington, Pacific, Atlantic, Arlington, Lawrence 
 Woolen Company's and Russell Paper Company's Mills, em- 
 ploying io,noo hands, and manufacturing millions of dollars' 
 worth of goods annually. The valuation of Lawrence is 
 about $20,000,000. The fearful accident in the Pemberton 
 Mills, January 10, i860, when the thin and insufficient walls were 
 shaken down by the motion of the machinery, and the ruins 
 took fire, burning to death many of the imprisoned operatives, 
 is still fresh in the memory. By this terrible disaster 325 
 persons were killed and wounded. 
 
 From Lawrence, our route lies northwest, leaving the Bos- 
 ton and Maine for the Manchester and Lawrence Railroad, 
 which conveys us in 70 minutes over the 26 miles of inter- 
 vening distance. We pass by the way, Methuen, a flourishing 
 
196 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 village at the falls of the Spicket river, where hats, shoes, 
 cottons, etc., are manufactured, and cross the New Hamp- 
 shire line, into the quiet farming town of Salem ; thence 
 through Windham, Drury and Londonderry (settled by Irish 
 Presbj^terians and named after their former home ; renowned 
 for patriotism in the Revolution, and for the number of com- 
 manders in the continental army who were born here), we 
 come to Manchester, whence our route to Concord is the same 
 as already described. 
 
 From Concord to Montreal. 
 
 From Concord the principal lines are the Boston and Mon- 
 treal Air Line, by the Boston, Concord and Montreal Rail- 
 road, through Weirs and Plymouth to Wells River, thence by 
 Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railway to Newport, Vt., 
 thence by South Eastern Railroad to St. John's, thence by Grand 
 Trunk Railway to Montreal; the Central Vermont line, via 
 White River Junction, Montpelier and St. Albans; or by the 
 Northern Railroad to White River Junction, Connecticut and 
 Passumpsic Rivers Railroad to Wells River, Montpelier and 
 Wells River Railroad to Montpelier, thence by the Central 
 Vermont line; or by Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad, 
 through Weirs, Wells River, Littleton and Lancaster (with 
 views of the White Mountains) to Northumberland, and 
 thence by Grand Trunk Railway through Richmond Junction 
 and St. Lambert to Montreal. This last is the longest and 
 most tedious of the routes, but gives one an opportunity to 
 see a good deal of the mountains and the country generally. 
 
 The Air Line Route. 
 
 By the first mentioned or Air Line route, we cross the 
 Merrimack River, and pass through Canterbury, 82 miles 
 from Boston, where is the seat of a flourishing Shaker 
 community, whose good works (in the form of apple sauce 
 and garden seeds), are known the country over; through 
 Tilton (the seat of the New Hampshire Seminary and Female 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. I97 
 
 College), to the shores of the beautiful Lake Winnepiseogee 
 along which we skirt. Laconia has extensive manufactories 
 of cloths, hosiery and railroad cars, and is extensively popu- 
 lated in the Summer by people from the cities, who find ac- 
 commodations at the Willard House, and the various board- 
 ing houses and farm houses in the vicinity. Laconia is 
 situated on the shores of Great Bay, also called Lake Winni- 
 squam, a picturesque and extensive sheet of water, and is the 
 point of departure for the ascent of Mount Belknap, four 
 miles distant. This mountain, commanding from its summit 
 a view of nearly the entire lake, is in sight from the car win- 
 dows for several miles. Lake Village, on the shore of San- 
 bornton Bay, is a thriving place, with several lumber and 
 paper mills. A small steamer runs in Summer between this 
 "port" and Alton Bay. We now skirt the shores of Long 
 Bay, and stop at Weirs, 105 miles from Boston, where we gain 
 a magnificent view up the Lake, and where if we choose, we 
 may take the steamer for Alton Bay, Wohboro and Centre 
 Harbor. 
 
 A Tour of Lake Winnipiseogee. 
 
 Winnipiseogee, (spelt also Winnepesaukee), is an Indian 
 word, variously interpreted to mean, "The Smile of the 
 Great Spirit," and Pleasant Water in a High Place." Which- 
 ever be the correct version, either is applicable to this pure, 
 clear, and wonderfully beautiful mountain lake. Edward 
 Everett wrote of this trip to a friend : — 
 
 " I have been something of a traveller in our own country 
 — though less than I could wish — and in Europe have seen 
 all that is most attractive, from the Highlands of Scotland to 
 the Golden Horn of Constantinople ; from the summit of the 
 Hartz Mountains to the Fountain of Vaucluse, but my eye 
 has yet to rest on a lovelier scene than that which smiles 
 around you as you sail from Weir's Landing to Centre 
 Harbor." 
 
 Starr King wrote : — 
 
 " Looking up to the broken sides of the Ossipee Mountains 
 that are rooted in the lake, over which huge shadows loiter ; 
 
198 TOURISTS' SAND BOOK. 
 
 or back to the twin Belknap Hills, which appeal to softer sen- 
 sibilities with their verdured symmetry; or farther down vipon 
 the charming succession of mounds that hem the shores near 
 Wolfboro'; or northward, where distant Chocorua lifts his 
 bleached head, so tenderly touched now with gray and gold, 
 to defy the hottest sunlight, as he has defied for ages the 
 lightning and the storm, — does it not seem as though the 
 passage in the Psalms is fulfilled before our eyes, — ' Out of 
 the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.' " 
 
 This magnificent lake, the liquid gem of the Switzerland of 
 America, is 25 miles long by 7 miles wide, at the widest, and 
 contains 69 square miles. It is situated in Carroll and Bel- 
 knap Counties, New Hampshire, and bordered by eight town- 
 ships. Its shores are very irregular, expanding on every 
 side into deeply indented bays, while some 300 islands break 
 its surface. Long Island, far out in the lake, nearly opposite 
 Weirs, and Diamond Island, severalmiles southeast, have small 
 hotels, which are much visited by excursion parties. Taking 
 the steamer Lady of the Lake, or Mount Washington, at 
 Weirs, our course lies through a tortuous water path, between 
 green and romantic islands, out upon the sparkling bosom of 
 the lake. We turn to the left and gain a magnificent view, 
 which fills every heart with rapture. Far away before us 
 loom the Sandwich Mountains, in a long rank of sentinel 
 peaks, the Ossipee Mountains furthest to our right, and grim 
 Chocorua towering above and beyond them ; then White- 
 face, and to our left, Red Hill. We steam up the beautiful 
 Northwest bay, betw< en shores clothed in green, and fringed 
 with trees, to Centre Harbor, a village of half a thousand per- 
 manent inhabitants, and as many more transient visitors in 
 the season, where the Senter House, a large and pleasant 
 hotel, and several smaller hostelries provide for the wants of 
 the guests. From Centre Harbor there are several pleasant 
 drives; to Red Hill, four miles of carriage road and two miles 
 of bridle path to the summit, 2,000 feet high, whence the view 
 is grand enough to repay ten times the exertion of climbing 
 hither. Far away, on the northwestern horizon, rises the 
 sharp, rocky cone of Chocorua ; towards the north, the Sand- 
 
Tourists' handbooi^. 199 
 
 wich range, with Bald Knob and Whiteface as its western 
 outposts ; to the north and northwest, the Squam Mountains ; 
 to the west Squam Lake, with its placid waters and its silvery 
 beaches ; to the southwest, 30 miles awaj, is Mount Kearsarge ; 
 to the south stretches the winding shore of the lake, with its 
 beautiful islands, and beyond rise the twin peaks of Mount 
 Belknap ; while far awaj^to the southwest, stretches one of the 
 loveliest water panoramas on earth, backed by the domes of 
 Copple Crown and Tumble-Down-Dick. 
 
 Down the Lake to "Wclfboro'. 
 
 Leaving Centre Harbor for the trip down the lake, we steer 
 southeast, leaving the Ossipee Mountains on our left, and 
 threading our way through a labyrinth of islands for several 
 miles. Emerging at length into the clear water of the centre 
 of the lake, we cast our eyes to the eastward, where forty 
 miles away Mount Washington's majestic peak, throned on 
 the hills, towers above his satellites. Further on we gain 
 shifting views of one after another of the magnificent peaks, 
 while on the southern border of the lake. Mount Belknap 
 rises before us as we advance. A sail of twenty miles brings 
 us to Wolfboro, on the bay of the same name, a village of 
 some thousands of inhabitants, with several hotels, banks and 
 stores, lumber mills and a railroad station. Here the Wolf- 
 boro Branch of the Eastern Railroad has its terminus, and 
 hence, if we choose, we can take the Pullman cars and speedily 
 be transported through a charming country to Portsmouth, 
 N.H., and thence to Boston, 106 miles, in less than five hours. 
 
 But we are not ready for so speedy a return, and can afford 
 to enjoy for a time the delights of Wolfboro. The village is 
 beautifully located on the lakeside slopes of two gently rising 
 hills, separated by a millstream, and from almost every point 
 fine views across the lake, with the majestic peaks of Belknap 
 for a background, can be had. The Pavilion Hotel has a 
 most sightly location, and during the season its broad veran- 
 dahs and cool pai-lors are alive with city folk. Just by its 
 
20O TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 side, embowered in trees, stands the Belvufe, a quiet and home- 
 like little house, much favored by modest and quiet people, 
 and across the street, overlooking the lake, the steamboat 
 landing and the railway station, and within a few rods of each, 
 stands the Glendon House, a new and spacious hotels with all 
 the modern improvements. From either house boats are fur- 
 nished for sailing -und fishing on the lake, and teams for the 
 many beautiful and romantic drives, as well as for the ascent 
 of Copple Crown Mountain, 5 miles distant and 2100 feet 
 high. From its summit the lake is visible for nearly its 
 entire length, while Mounts Belknap, Ossipee, Chocorua, and 
 Washington are the principal peaks in sight. In a clear day 
 a view of the ocean is obtained. "Tumble-down Dick" is a 
 neighboring and somewhat smaller mountain of singular for- 
 mation, and is also often ascended. The Devil's Den, a nar- 
 row, black cave, among the rocks of a lofty hill a few miles 
 away, is visited by active climbers, and there are many de- 
 lightful short drives in the vicinity. But the great joys of 
 the place are the sails and rows upon the lake, and picnic par- 
 ties upon some of the many islands within easy distance. An 
 apt poetical description, by Nathan D. Urner, of the pleasures 
 of picnicing, tells the story of a day's sport in this line : 
 
 A leafy island, bowered by tall trees, 
 
 A cove of silver, hushed from the far breakers ; 
 A shallop, slanting shoreward with the breeze. 
 Brimful of merrymakers. 
 
 The grating keel, the boat-stake nicelj missed. 
 
 Young fellows laughing at each other's error; 
 Hoops disarranged, curls flustered from their twist, 
 The girls in pretty terror. 
 
 The shore : — bright ankles glancing up the sward, 
 
 The strong arms and luncheon coming blithely after; 
 The nook selected, and the breathing hard. 
 The jest and ringing laughter. 
 
 The rushing swing beneath the rustling limb, 
 
 The youngsters pushing and the lasses soaring; 
 Romping and frolic by the fountain's brim, 
 Croquet and battledoring. 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 20I 
 
 Garlands of wild flowers shading manj a brow, 
 
 And garnered posies of wee blooms prized highly; 
 Strayed couples missed, and soft conjectures how 
 Tliej slipped away so slyly. 
 
 The snowy cloth upon the emerald sod, 
 
 With platters few, but viands in profusion; 
 Ham and cold chicken — feasting for a god, 
 With fear of no intrusion. 
 
 Cool bottles dripping from the icy spring, 
 
 Old Sherry bubbling and bright Champagne popping; 
 Youth and high joyance, in a jocund ring, 
 Both thirst and hunger stopping. 
 
 Blanche, with her beauty heightened by a blush, 
 Which hints some secret of her recent ramble ; 
 Maud, all the prettier for heated flush. 
 Her skirt torn by a bramble. 
 
 Helen and Annie flirting with their beaux; 
 
 Belle with her apron stuffed with dewy cresses ; 
 Harry, the rascal, struggling for the rose 
 In Edith's raven tresses. 
 
 Back to the cove : — a group of twelve or more. 
 All homeward bent on tasks of love and duty; 
 A shallop, slowly gliding from the shore, 
 
 Freighted with health and beauty. 
 
 Near Wolfboro, in a fine grove overlooking the Lake, the 
 adventists have a noted camp-ground, and hither many of the 
 sect yearly resort, to hear the prophecies expounded and to 
 prepare for their speedy and final departure from this sub- 
 lunary sphere. From Wolfboro, by the branch railroad to 
 the Junction, 12 miles distant, and thence by the Conway 
 Division of the Eastern Railroad, passengers can speedily 
 reach North Conway and thence the White Mountains. 
 
 To Alton Bay and Back to "Weirs. 
 
 Our route lies in the opposite direction. We resume our 
 steamboat travel, steering nearly due South, into Alton Bay. 
 9* 
 
20^ TOUniSTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 This inlet, or frith, is of surpassing beauty, bordered by lofty 
 bluffs, crowned by lofty trees, and the narrow water-way seem- 
 ino-, at times, to end abruptly before us, when rounding a bold 
 point, we see it expanding in another direction. We follow 
 it thus for four or five miles, to its head, where the railway 
 station of the Boston and Maine, and the Bay View Hotel 
 confront us. Alton Bay is one of the principal approaches 
 to the lake, by the Boston and Maine, wh ch forms a White 
 Mountain route, by the aid of the steamer, to Centre Harbor, 
 and stages thence to the mountain. Returning to Weirs, we 
 resume our seats in the cars, for the prosecution of our jour- 
 ne3' northward. But before we leave the lovely lake, let us 
 read John G. Whittier's beautiful description of an evening 
 upon its fair waters. 
 
 Summer by the Lakeside. 
 
 Yon mountain's side is black with night, 
 
 Whi e, broad-orbed, o'er its gleaming crown 
 
 The moon slow rounding into sight, 
 On the hushed inland sea looks down. 
 
 How start to light the clustering isles. 
 
 Each silver hemmed ! How sharply show 
 
 The shadows of their rocky piles, 
 And tree-tops in the waves below ! 
 
 How far and strange the mountains seem, 
 Dim-looming through the pale, still light! 
 
 The vague, vast grouping of a dream, 
 They stretch into the solemn night. 
 
 Beneath, lake, wood, and peopled vale, 
 
 Hushed by that presence, grand and grave, 
 
 Are silent, save the cricket's wail, 
 And low response of leaf and wave. 
 
 Fair scenes ! whereto the Day and Night 
 
 Make rival love, I leave ye soon, 
 What time before the eastern light 
 
 The pale ghost of the setting moon 
 
TOURISTS' BAND BO OK. 
 
 Shall hide behind jon rocky spines, 
 And the joung Archer, Morn, shall b reak 
 
 His arrows on the mountain pines, 
 And, golden-sandalled, walk the Lake ! 
 
 Farewell ! Around this smiling bay 
 Gay-hearted Health, and Life in bloom, 
 
 With lighter steps than mine, may stray 
 In radiant summers yet to come. 
 
 But none shall more regretful leave 
 These waters and these hills than I; 
 
 Or, distant, fonder dream how eve 
 Or dawn is painting wave and sky ; 
 
 How rising moons shine sad and mild 
 On wooded isle and silvering bay; 
 
 Or setting suns beyond the piled 
 And purpled mountains lead the day; 
 
 Nor laughing girl, nor bearding boy. 
 
 Nor full-pulsed manhood, lingering here, 
 
 Shall add to life's abounding joy. 
 The charmed repose to suftering dear. 
 
 Still waits kind Nature to impart 
 Her choicest gift to such as gain 
 
 An entrance to her loving heart 
 
 Through the sharp discipline of pain. 
 
 Forever from the hand that takes 
 Oue blessing from us others fall ; 
 
 And, soon or late, our Father makes 
 His perfect recompense to all ! 
 
 O, watched by Silence and the Night, 
 And folded in the strong embrace 
 
 Of the great mountains, with the light 
 Of the sweet heavens upon thy face, 
 
 Lake of the Northlands ! Keep thy dower 
 
 Of beauty still, and while above 
 Thy solemn. mountains speak of power, 
 
 Be thou the mirror of God's love ! 
 
 203 
 
204 
 
 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 The Pemigewasset Valley, and Plymouth. 
 
 Next we pass Meredith, a pleasant village on the west shore 
 of the lake, with which we now part company, and proceed 
 northwest, through Ashland, the point of departure for the 
 
 beautiful Squam Lake, three miles east, cross the Pemige- 
 wasset river near Bridgewater, and " round to at the wharf, — 
 
TOlfRISTS' HANDBOOK, 205 
 
 no, beg pardon, the depot platform, — at Plymouth, 123 miles 
 from Boston, just in time to hear the bell ringing for dinner 
 at the Pemigewasset House close bj. It is a singular and in- 
 structive coincidence, that at whatever time the train arrives, 
 it is always dinner-time at the Pemigewasset, and as a fine 
 table is set and thirty minutes are allowed for dinner, it is also 
 a fortunate circumstance for travellers that it is so. The hotel 
 has accommodations for about 300 guests, and is a favorite 
 resort of tired pilgrims seeking rest among the lovely scenes 
 in this vicinity. 
 
 Plymouth is one of the most beautiful, flourishing and at- 
 tractive of mountain villages, and the inducements which it 
 holds out to visitors are equalled by those of very few Sum- 
 mer resorts in the country. The ascent of Mount Prospect, 
 with its splendid overlook, the drives and rambles along the 
 romantic Pemigewasset, with its broad and fertile intervales, 
 the trips to the mountains, to the fine Livermore Falls. 2 
 miles north of the village, to Squam Lake, six miles east, and 
 to Newfound Lake, nine miles southwest, and the stage ride 
 to the Profile House, in the Franconia Notch, White Moun- 
 tains, 20 miles distant, aie the principal features to be '' taken 
 in " during a stay here. 
 
 From Plymouth we continue our journey through Rumney 
 and Wentworth to Warren, a place much frequented by visit- 
 ojsin Summer. The Moosilauke House furnishes comfort- 
 ble accommodations, and the Summit House on the top of 
 Mount Moosilauke, nine miles from the village by a good car- 
 riage road, (fare $4), also offers '' the comforts of a home" to 
 wayfarers, who choose to view the landscape o'er from the 
 mountain top. The hight of Moosilauke is 4600 feet, and 
 standing isolated as it does, the view from its summit is grand 
 and extended. Hurricane Bi'ook, near Warren, has many 
 picturesque cascades, and there are manj' beautiful walks and 
 drives in the vicinity. Passing through Haverhill, the county 
 seat of Grafton county, we emerge from the mountain region 
 upon the rich and fertile intervales of the Connecticut river, 
 
2o6 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK, 
 
 which we soon cross and draw up at the Wells River station, 
 165 miles from Boston. 
 
 The Grand Trunk Route. 
 
 Hence the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad, which 
 runs parlor cars all the waj to the White Mountains, continues 
 northeasterly, recrossing the Connecticut to Northumber- 
 land, 219 miles from Boston, where it joins the Grand Trunk 
 on its way from Portland to Montreal. From this junction, 
 the Grand Trunk runs in a general northern direction, through 
 the northwestern corner of New Hampshire, and the unin- 
 teresting and sparsely settled Canadian townships to Rich- 
 mond Junction, whence branches diverge respectively to 
 Quebec, Three Rivers and Montreal, the latter portion run- 
 ning almost due west, and traversing 76 miles in about three 
 hours. Midway is St. Hyacinthe, a pleasant French Cana- 
 dian city, with a fine cathedral, and a college said to be fully 
 equal to any in Canada. The rest of the trip is through a 
 fertile district of tillage land, occupied by inhabitants who 
 preserve the manners, customs, religion and language of their 
 French ancestors to a remarkable degree. 
 
 From Wells River, via Newport, Vt. 
 
 But the " Air Line" so-called, proceeds along the banks of 
 the Connecticut river, almost due north, over the Connecti- 
 cut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad, to St. Johnsbury, 204 
 miles rom Boston. This is a busy and handsome town of 
 some 5000 inhabitants, picturesquely located at the falls of the 
 PaJ^sumpsic. The manufactory of Fairbanks scales is the 
 principal industry, and gives employment to 500 or 600 men. 
 Some 50,000 scales of various kinds are yearly made. There 
 are also manufactories of mowing and threshing machines 
 and other agricultural implements. St. Johnsbury is the 
 shire town of Caledonia county, and has a fine court house on 
 the hill, and in front a Soldiers' Monument — a pedestal sur- 
 mounted by a statue of America, by Mead — and near at hard 
 
TOURISTS' handbook:. 
 
 207 
 
 the Athenaeum, with a library of some 10,000 volumes. Be- 
 yond St. Johnsbury our route takes us through the towns of 
 Lyndon, in which are the Great Falls of the Passumpsic, and 
 Burke, whence carriages may be taken for Willoughby Lake, 
 six miles north. This lake is one of the most wonderful and 
 interesting natural objects in the State or indeed in the 
 country, being situated between two immense mountains, 
 whose bases meet far below its waters. The Lake is six miles 
 long two wide and of unknown depth, a lOO-fathom line fail- 
 ing to reach bottom. Mount Hor, 1500 feet above the water 
 and 2700 above the sea level, stands on the west, and Mount 
 Pisgah, Willoughby or Annanance (as it is variously named) 
 2638 feet above the Lake, on the east shore. The latter moun- 
 tain IS ascended by a pleasant walk of two miles up its forest 
 clothed slope, and a vast and panoramic view is obtained from 
 the summit, stretching out over the White Mountains on the 
 Southeast ; Owl's Head and Jay Peak in Canada, on the North- 
 west; Mounts Mansfield, Camel's Hump and Killington on the 
 Southwest; Lake Memphremagog to the North, while the 
 Connecticut Valley stretches far away to the South. The 
 western face of the mountain is a perpendicular cliff of gran- 
 ite, 600 feet high and two miles long. Rare flowers and plants 
 are found at the " Flower Garden " at the foot of the cliff, and 
 elsewhere on Mount Annanance. The Lake abounds in trout 
 and muscalonge. The Willoughby Lake House furnishes 
 accommodations for visitors, and hence carriages can be had 
 for trips to other places of interests. Barton, 234 miles from 
 Boston, is a place of considerable attraction to the tourist. 
 Crystal Lake, with a house of the same name, is a lovely 
 sheet of water near the railroad. 
 
 Lake Memphremagog and its Beauties. 
 We have now crossed the dividing ridge and are in the St. 
 Lawrence water shed ; a ride of fifteen miles more brings us 
 to Newport, on the southern extremity of Lake Memphre- 
 magog, where we shall find it both pleasant and profitable to 
 " tie up " for a time at the Mcmpremagog House. 
 
208 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 This fine hotel (kept for several years by Mr. W. F. Bow- 
 man, a gentleman of long experience in the business, and one 
 who never fails to enjoj the friendship and esteem of his 
 guests, through his unvarying courtesy, efficiency and thought^ 
 fulness), has just been greatly enlarged and improved, and 
 now affords accominodatlon for several hundred guests, with 
 all the luxuries and conveniencies of a palace. Its delightful 
 location and healthful surroundings make it a most desirable 
 summer residence. Water, gas, steam, bathing-rooms, 
 billiard-halls, bowling alleys, a livery stable, pleasure boats, 
 and a populous village, with everything that ministers to the 
 traveller's occasional necessities, contribute to make the 
 Meniphremagog all that can be desired. One who has ever 
 enjoyed the gorgeous sunset views from the broad piazzas, or 
 sat on a moonlight evening while the band played, and watched 
 the steamers and boats on the lake ; one who has climbed Pros- 
 pect Hill, roamed along the Clyde and Coventry Falls, within 
 easy drive of the house, and then with sharpened appetite 
 feasted on the speckled trout, the luscious berries, and other 
 dainties of the mountain and the lake with which the tables 
 here are loaded, — will need no urgency to bring him again to 
 Lake Meniphremagog. Jay Peak, in the towns of Jay and 
 Westfield, thirteen miles west of Newport, is visited from here ; 
 and the ascent is effected by carriage road, — a magnificent 
 view of the Green Mountains, the Lake, the White Mount- 
 tains, Lake Champlain, and the Adirondacks, repaying the 
 tourist for the trip. Its height is 4018 feet. The magnificent 
 body of water known as Lake Memphremagog, often likened 
 by tourists to Loch Lomond, Lake Geneva, or Lake George, 
 is 35 miles long and from 2 to 5 miles wide. Its rocky shores 
 are indented with beautiful bays, while wooded headlands jut 
 boldly out, and picturesque islands dot its surface here and 
 there. Newport is a delightful village, upon a hillside sloping 
 down to the clear water. 
 
TO URIS TS^' HANDBOOK. 209 
 
 A Trip down the Lake. 
 
 This is one of the most delightful excursions that can be 
 made. The "Ladj of the Lake," a beautiful iron steamer, 
 leaves the village everj morning for Magog, a Canadian vil- 
 lage at the northern outlet, and returns the same day. Indian 
 Point, the Twin Sisters, Province Island, Tea Table Island, 
 Fitch's Bay, and Whetstone Island are passed ; and soon the 
 steamer approaches " Owl's Head," a conical, symmetrical 
 peak, rising 3,000 feet above the lake, whose waters lave its 
 foot. A short sail past Round Island, a gracefully rounded 
 and dense'y wooded islet, brings you to a landing almost at 
 the foot of Owl's Head, where is located the Mountain House, 
 a famous spot with those who delight in fishing; the deep, 
 cool waters of the lake abounding in muscalonge and lake 
 trout. The ascent of Owl's Head is made from this point, if 
 one tarries long enough. Skinner's Island and Cave are near 
 by, to the eastward of the Mountain House, and are famous as 
 the haunt during the war of 1812 of Uriah Skinner, " the bold 
 smuggler of Magog," of whom a poetic legend exists. In the 
 cave, it is said, he took refuge from pursuit and there died. 
 Continuing northward, Mount Elephantis (sugar Loaf) and 
 the Hog's Back are seen ; and we pass Long Island, on whose 
 southern shore is the famous " Balance Rock," a huge mass 
 of granite, poised on a narrow point at the water's edge. This 
 island is the summer home of several wealthy Canadians, 
 whose beautiful residences crown its wooded heights. Round- 
 ing the bold Gibraltar Point, Mount Orford comes in full view, 
 — the loftiest peak of Lower Canada, rising 3300 feet, and 
 distant five miles from the little hamlet of Magog, where the 
 boat stops a short time. From Magog, John Norton's stage- 
 line conveys the visitor who desires to Sherbrooke, on the 
 Grand Trunk Railway, a ride of sixteen miles around the 
 base of Mount Orford. At Sherbrooke, the Magog House, 
 under the management of Mr. H. S Helpburn, will be found 
 a very desirable resort. It is one of the best kept houses in 
 Canada ; and the finest fishing can be had in the vicinity. 
 
^10 TO URIS TS' HA NDBOOK. 
 
 The famous Lakes Massawippi and Meguntic are but a short 
 distance from the house, and many visitors come hither to 
 capture the trout, pickerel, bass, mullet, pike, muscalonge 
 and other fine fish with which thej swarm. From Sher- 
 brooke, proceeding north to Richmond Junction and thence 
 northeast to Point Levi on the shore of the St. Lawrence, but 
 a short ferrj ride separates us from Quebec ; or, proceeding 
 west as already described, we can reach Montreal. By far the 
 shortest route, however, from here, is that by the Southeastern 
 Railroad from Newport, via Richford and St. John's to Mon- 
 treal. Our route lies in a northwesterly direction through 
 the corner of Vermont into the realms of Queen Victoria. 
 At Richford a connection is made with the Eastern Division 
 of the Central Vermont for St. Albans, and at West Farnham, 
 65 miles from Newport, with the Northern Division of the 
 same road, to Waterloo, 29 miles east. Fifteen miles further 
 we come to St. John's, where we pass to the track of the 
 Grand Trunk Railway, and cross the fertile township of La 
 Prairie to St. Lainbert, and thence by the magnificent Victo- 
 ria Bridge, into Montreal. The cost of this gigantic structure 
 was originally estimated at £1,450,000; but this sum has 
 since been reduced, and the present calculation of its cost is 
 about £1,250,000. In it 250,000 tons of stone and 7,500 tons 
 of iron, have been used. The iron superstructure is sup- 
 ported by 24 piers and two abutments. The centre span is 
 330 feet: there are 12 spans each side of the centre, of 242 
 feet each. The extreme length, including abutments, is 7,000 
 feet. The height above summer water level in the centre 
 opening is 60 feet, descending to either end at the rate of one 
 in 130. The contents of the masonry is 3,000,000 cubic feet. 
 The weight of iron in the tubes is 8,000 tons. The following 
 are the dimensions of the tubes through which the trains 
 pass in the middle spun, viz., 22 feet high, 16 feet wide; at 
 the extreme ends, 19 feet high, and 16 wide. The total length 
 from the river bank is 10,284 feet, or about 50 yards less than 
 two English miles. About ten minutes is spent in this dark 
 
TO Uris ts^ ha NDBOOK. 2 1 1 
 
 pa'^sage, and then we emerge upon a lofty causeway, over- 
 looking the majestic St. Lawrence and the city of Montreal, 
 which we soon enter and in a few minutes draw up in the 
 Bonaventure street station, a grim and dingy shed, unworthy 
 the beautiful city and the wealthy and extensive Grand Trunk 
 Railway. 
 
 The Central Vermont Route. 
 
 From Concord to Montreal one of the most direct and 
 favorite routes, especially for passengers desiring to stop at 
 any of the Vermont watering places by the way, is that by the 
 Northern Railroad to White River Junction, and thence via 
 Montpelier and St. Albans to St. John's. The road passes 
 north from Concord, along the right bank of the Merrimack, 
 by the manufacturing village of Fisherville, then crosses at 
 the confluence of the Contoocock River to Dustin's Island, 
 and thence to ti e left bank. On the island (which is noted as 
 the spot where Hannah Dustin, who was captured by the In- 
 dians, at the sacking of Haverhill, Mass., slew a number of 
 her savage guards and escaped) a granite monument to her 
 was dedicated, with imposing ceremonies, in the Summer of 
 1874, on the spot of the slaughter. From this point we tra- 
 verse the rich lands of Boscawen and Franklin, (the birthplace 
 of Daniel Webster, in 17S2, and now a thriving factory vil- 
 lage, whence a branch runs 18 miles up the Pemigewasset 
 Valley to Bristol) through the Andovers to Potter Place, 
 whence stages run to Mount Kearsarge, four miles south. 
 From its 2461 feet of elevation a fine view of the Green Moun- 
 tains. Lake Winipiseogee and the White Mountains is ob- 
 tained. The Kearsarge House, near the railway station, has 
 good accommodations for the visitor. Thence we proceed to 
 White River Junction, 144 miles from Boston, where we cross 
 the Connecticut River on an open bridge, affording a fine view 
 up and down, and draw up alongside the broad platform of the 
 station. At this Junction the Central Vermont Railroad to St. 
 Albans, Connecticut Valley Railroad from Bellows Falls and 
 
212 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 places south, the Passumpsic and Connecticut Rivers Railroad 
 to Newport, Vt., and the road over which we have just 
 passed, all centre. The Junction House at this place has 
 long been a favorite with the travelling public. It offers 
 special conveniences for those who are travelling between 
 Canada and Boston or New York. Through trains arrive here 
 at all hours of the daj and night, making sometimes a long 
 stop. This house, which is but a few steps from the station, 
 and is everyway a first-rate hotel, gives to all travellers needed 
 rest and refreshment. There is also a large dining hall, well 
 supplied, in the station, and as all trains stop long enough for 
 a good honest dinner, the passenger is sure of good fare either 
 at the station or hotel. Both are kept by the Messrs. A. T. & 
 O. F. Barron, the famous hosts of the Crawford and Twin 
 Mountain Houses, in the White Mountains. We now ascend 
 the valley of the picturesque White River, for about 25 miles, 
 to Roxbury, the summit of the pass, 1,000 feet above the sea 
 level, by which we cross the Green Mountain chain. Here 
 are quarries of splendid verd. antique marble, and just across 
 a bridge, 400 feet long and 70 high, is the town of North- 
 field, renowned for slate quarries, and the Norwich Military 
 Institute. Ten miles further, or 207 from Boston, is Mont- 
 pelier Junction, whence a branch of a mile leads to the village, 
 the Capital of Vermont Montpelier is a pleasant and attractive 
 place, on the Winooski or Onion River, which makes its way 
 hence to Lake Champlain, at Burlington. The village is 
 situated on a «ort of plateau surrounded by hills, and is neatly 
 and compactly built. The State House, a fine edifice, of light 
 granite, fronts on a beautiful common, and standing on a con- 
 siderable elevation, is reached by terraces and steps of granite. 
 It contains Larkin G. Mead's inarble statue of Ethan Allen, and 
 trophies of Vermont valor in the several wars of the nation, 
 among them 2 cannon captured from the Hessians, at Ben- 
 nington. The State House is surmounted with a dome 124 feet 
 high, crowned with a marble statue of Ceres. The country 
 about Montpelier abounds in pleasant drives. Beyond the 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 213 
 
 Junction, the main line passes through Middlesex to Water- 
 burj, the point of departure for Mount Mansfield and Camel's 
 Hump. The latter is eight miles south, and can be visited 
 from Waterburj. On the way, 3 miles from the station, are 
 the romantic Bolton Fall". Stowe, 10 miles north of Water- 
 burj, is the objective point for visitors to Mount Mansfield, 
 and a drive of 8 miles from Stowe brings one to the summit, 
 4348 feet above the sea level. 
 
 Stowe and Mount Mansfield. 
 
 Stowe is often called "The Saratoga of Vermont," from the 
 number of summer visitors who flock hither, each season. 
 Here is located the famous Mount Mansfield Hotel, accom- 
 modating 400 guests, with large airj rooms, in suites or pri- 
 vate pariors, brilliantly lighted w.th gas, supplied with liverj 
 stables, bowling alleys, croquet grou ids, cafe, theatre, and 
 billiard halls. A telegraph ofiice is near bj; and the table is 
 spread with the choicest delicacies of the season. A good road 
 has been built to the top of the mountain, over which visitors 
 can be taken with safety, without change of carriages. The 
 summit is broken into 3 peaks, called the forehead, the nose, 
 and the chin, from a fancied resemblance in their outline, to a 
 human face turned upward. The Smuggler's Notch is a deep 
 rocky pass between the Nose and Mt. Sterling, and was used in 
 the war of 181 2, for smuggling goods between Central Vermont 
 and Canada. A small hotel stands in the Notch, near a great 
 spring, the source of the Waterbury river. Many other places 
 of interest are found near Stowe, and its popularity as a Sum- 
 mer resort is well deserved. Continuing our journey, the 
 country growing more open and fertile, and the Winooski 
 River being often in view, with its many falls and rHpids, 
 Essex junction is reached, 240 miles from Boston, whence a 
 branch runs eight miles w> st, to Burlington, there connecting 
 with the Rutland Division (;f the railroad. We follow the 
 Winooski River closely, pact the famous falls and gorges, 
 and is a romantic bit of travel. The main line continues north 
 
214 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 from Essex, crossing the Lamoille river on a bridge 450 feet 
 long, and stops at St. Albans, 264 miles from Boston. In Mil- 
 ton are the great falls of the Lamoille, 100 feet high, affording 
 power for extensive lumber mils. Several fine views of the 
 lake are gained during the last few m les. 
 
 St. Albans and its Advantages. 
 
 St. Albans is blessed with one of the most sightly locations 
 in the world, and with the central offices and works of the 
 Central Vermont Railroad, two advantages not lightly to be 
 despised. It has also much history of warlike prowess to 
 recount. It stands on a sort of table land three miles from 
 Lake Champlain, which is spread out before the eye of any 
 one who will drive about town and ascend Bellevue or Aldis 
 Hills, and such a pro pect is rarely gained. Steamers cross 
 the lake daily from St. Abans Bay, the nearest point on the 
 shore, to Plattsburgh, N. Y. St. Albans has about 6000 in- 
 habitants and one first-class hotel, the Weldon i louse. The 
 great railway station of brick, with its commodious offices and 
 its many tracks, is one of the finest in New England, and the 
 great car shops nearby furnish employment for several hun- 
 dred men. This is the great butter and cheese market of New 
 England, and St. Albans quotations rule the country in dairy 
 products. In 1864, the famous raid of 22 armed Confederates 
 from Canada occiu-red, resulting in the plundering of the 
 banks of $208,000 in cash, the shooting of several citizens, 
 one fatally, and a safe retreat into Canada. In June, 1S66, a 
 Fenian army assembled here, made a raid across the line, re- 
 tired, and was disarmed by United States troops. In April, 
 1870, the same thing was repeated in every detail. Thus, 
 though there has been little actual fighting here, St. Albans 
 has been the scene of some very extensive wars on a small 
 scale. 
 
 The Vermont Mineral Springs. 
 
 Ten miles from St. Albans, the Eastern Division of the 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 215 
 
 railroad — to Richford as previously noted — passes through 
 Sheldon Springs, where are the famous Missisquoi, Sheldon, 
 Vermont, Continental and Central Springs. The Missisquoi 
 Falls, 119 feet high, are near the Sheldon Spring, which is a 
 mile from the Missisquoi, and the Central Spring is two miles 
 east. Near the Missisquoi stands the Missisquoi House, a 
 large and first-class summer hotel; near the Sheldon Spring 
 is Congress Hall, another fine house ; and near the Central 
 Spring are many hotels and boarding houses, going to make 
 up Sheldon Village. The waters of these springs are cele- 
 brated for their cures of cutaneous disorders — dyspepsia and 
 liver complaints, cancer, etc. They are extensively bottled, 
 and also used for bathing. 
 
 On the main line north from St. Albans, a ride of nine 
 miles past Swanton Junction and East Swanton, brings us to 
 Highgate Springs, (where the Franklin House accom- 
 modates some 200 guests in the season). Two miles south- 
 east, Highgate Falls on the Missisquoi river has another 
 spring — the Champlain — and two hotels, the Champlain 
 and Green Mountain. John G. Saxe, the poet, was born 
 here, and this is the border town of Vermont, the train soon 
 crossing the line into Her Majesty's Dominion of Canada, a 
 fact which fails to impress us if we don't happen to know 
 where it occurs. We now traverse several Canadian town- 
 ships on the banks of the Richelieu, with the isolated peaks 
 of Belcfiil and Rougemont visible on the right, and soon reach 
 St. Alexandre, 307 miles from Boston, where we cross the 
 Richelieu to St. Johns, whence we proceed to Montreal as 
 already described. 
 
 Another route from St. Albans diverges from that last 
 mentioned at Swanton Junction, whence we pass Alburgh 
 Springs, 16 miles from St. Albans and 291 from Boston. 
 Here are famous mineral waters used in cutaneous disorders, 
 and a fine hotel, the Alburgh Springs House. There are fine 
 drives on the lake shore, and excellent boating and fishing. 
 Passing Alburgh and West Alburgh, our train crosses the 
 
2l6 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 outlet of Lake Champlain on a long trestle bridge, to Rouse's 
 Point, N. Y., whence the Western Division of the Central 
 Vermont, over which we have just come, continues northwest 
 to Ogdensburgh on the St. Lawrence, 141 miles from St. Al- 
 bans and 406 from Boston. The Champlain Division of the 
 Grand Trunk Railway conveys us hence, along the left bank 
 of the Richelieu, 23 miles to St. John's. 
 
 Yet another Route. 
 
 At White River Junction, if we choose, instead of proceed- 
 ing northwest by the Central Vermont, we may follow the 
 Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad through Nor- 
 wich, whence stages run to Hanover, about a mile southeast, 
 the seat of Dartmouth College, to Wells River, 184 miles from 
 Boston, whence the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad, 
 opened in 1874, makes close connections for Montpelier, 38 
 miles distant. The line passes by a sweeping curve, up 
 through Ryegate, Groton, Peacham, Marshfield and Plain- 
 field to the capital, where we connect with the Central Ver- 
 mont for St. Albans, by the route already described. 
 
 From Rutland to Montreal. 
 
 If it be desired to proceed direct from Rutland to Montreal, 
 the Rutland Division of the Central Vermont, by M'^hich onr 
 route lay froin Bellows Falls, will be adhered to, and we shall 
 continue north to Burlington, 234 miles from Boston, 68 from 
 Rutland. This route is very direct, and carries one through 
 several places of considerable interest. At Sutherland Falls, 
 a splendid view is presented from the car windows. A deep 
 gorge, curtained by tall trees which almost obscure the vision 
 of the falling waters, flashing through the rifts in the foliage 
 as the branches are swayed in the wind, opens on the one 
 side ; while to the other it spreads out into a lovely intervale, 
 with sinooth, green meadows and siniling farms, while an 
 amphitheatre of majestic mountains forms the background. 
 As we journej' onward, we see all along green and fertile 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 2iy 
 
 meadows, mirror-like streams, and the grand array of moun- 
 tains. Sixteen miles north of Rutland is Brandon. This 
 town contains two singular caverns in limestone, eighteen feet 
 square, entered hy going down twenty feet from the surface. 
 There is a marble quarry in the place; and minerals of differ- 
 ent kinds abound. One of the notable curiosities and won- 
 ders of Brandon is to be found in the works of the Brandon 
 Manufacturing Company. Howe's standard scales are made 
 here, and have made their name familiar with all the dealers 
 in goods sold by weight. At this place the Brandon House 
 affords pleasant accommodations to those desiring to spend a 
 few days in the vicinity and visit the numerous points of in- 
 terest, or to those whose business brings them hither, of 
 whom rhany every year avail themselves of its comfortable, 
 homelike arrangements. At Pittsford, midway between 
 Brandon and Rutland, is located a fine medicinal spring, its 
 qualities being similar to those of the famous Clarendon 
 Spring at Saratoga ; and there is, besides, the best of trout- 
 fishing in the immediate vicinity. The drives are delightful; 
 and the marble quarries, like those of Rutland and Brandon, 
 are of great interest to strangers. For their comfort the Otter 
 Creek House affords a pleasant stopping-place. 
 
 Nine miles from Brandon by stage, and eight miles from 
 Middlebury, is Lake Dunmore, a sheet of water nine miles 
 long and three wide. It is surrounded by a pleasant variety 
 of high bluffs, and green, sloping hillsides. The bracing 
 mountain air and the fishing in the vicinity have made this 
 quite a popular resort. The Lake Dunmore House is fitted 
 up with special reference to the wants of visitors at the lake, 
 and is well adapted to its purpose. Middlebury, fifteen miles 
 north of Brandon, is on the Otter Creek, and has on every 
 side most beautiful wild mountain scenery. White and va- 
 riegated marble is found near by, and is exported in large 
 quantities. This place is the seat of Middlebury College. 
 Good fare and rest for travellers is furnished at the Addison 
 House. From this centre the distance is short to Lakes 
 lo 
 
2l8 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 George, Dunmore and Champlain, Grand View Mountain, 
 and Belden Falls. Soon the road approaches the shore of 
 Lake Champlain, and we catch fleeting glimpses, through the 
 openings in the trees, of its glittering, sheeny surface. 
 Stretching awaj in the distance, its dancing waves, capped 
 occasionally by a flitting sail, seem the embodiment of liquid 
 life ; while in the distance, looming hazy and only half sub- 
 stantial in their purple bloom, we see the peaks of the Adiron- 
 dacks, far beyond the clear expanse of waters. 
 
 Vergennes, fourteen miles north of Middlebury, at the head 
 of navigation on Otter Creek, is the oldest city of Vermont. 
 There is an United States arsenal there; and much of the 
 ship-building for Lake Champlain has been done at the place. 
 Otter Creek is here 500 feet wide, and is navigable for the 
 largest craft on the lake. At Vergennes, also, many visitors 
 stop for a few days to enjoy the view of the falls, the sail 
 down Otter Creek and upon Lake Champlain, and the de- 
 lightful drives in the neighborhood. For all such tourists 
 the Stevens House affords a desirable stopping-place. A 
 steamer connects Vergennes with Port Henry on the west 
 side of Lake Champlain, landing at Fort Cassin, Basin Har- 
 bor, and Westport, thus giving one of the direct routes to the 
 Adirondack Mountains. The Otter Creek Falls, at Vergennes, 
 are divided by an island, on both sides of which the water 
 makes a descent of 35 feet. At Ferrisburg a dam, with its 
 flashing sheet of water, forms the foreground of as delightful 
 a scene as a painter would wish to put on canvas ; while to 
 the left, across the meadows, opens a picture of a quiet brook, 
 and the neatly-kept grounds and cottage of some thrifty far- 
 mer. Near Shelburne we get a lovely view of Lake Cham- 
 plain ; and a little above, the cars pass very near to the water 
 side, and we see the field of liquid azure stretching away from 
 our very feet, with its emerald isles nestled cosily on the 
 broad bosom of the lake. The purple peaks of the Adiron- 
 dacks are in full view; and, with the soft haze which covers 
 their rugged sides, they seem the enchanted mountains of our 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 219 
 
 dreams. Soon the bright picture fades ; the shores of the 
 lake recede ; and the train dashes through tracts of woodland 
 obscuring the view, and giving onlj transient glimpses of the 
 scenes we have so admired, and 3i miles from Vergennes, we 
 emerge upon the verj shore of the lake, between immense 
 piles of lumber, skirt a long row of wharves and 'stop in the 
 large station at Burlington. Thence our route to Essex 
 Junction and St. Albans and so to Montreal has been already 
 described. 
 
 From Plattsburgh to Montreal. 
 
 From Plattsburgh there are three routes to Montreal, 
 neither of which requires long description. We majtake the 
 steamer to Rouse's Point and the railroad thence to St. 
 John's as already described ; or we may take the cars over the 
 New York and Canada Railroad, to Mooer's, through an in- 
 teresting country, newly cleared, flat and swampy, and thence 
 to Rouse's Point. Or, if novelty be dcbired and time be no 
 object, we may continue on the New York and Cunada to 
 Province Line, then change to the cars of the Grand Trunk 
 which here connects, and solemnly meander northward, past 
 the little Canadian villages — consisting chiefly of log cabins 
 and tin roofed churches — of Hemmingford, La Pigeoniere, 
 St. Remi and St. Isidore to the Indian Village of Caughna- 
 waga on the south bank of the St. Lawrence. Here a squalid 
 ferry-boat is taken for the transit across the river to Lachine, 
 where we disembark, and in due time — it rnay be five min- 
 utes or it may be an hour — take another train for Montreal, 
 8 miles distant. The trip embraces only 63 miles from Platts- 
 burgh, but it consumes four hours. At each of the stations 
 the trains stops ten minutes or so, while the conductor and 
 other train hands and such of the passengers as can talk 
 the French Canadian ^a^fow " go ashore " and swap jokes with 
 the loungers about the little depots. The loungers embrace 
 pretty much the entire able-bodied population of each village, 
 and they turnout en masse and stroU^down to the station 
 
220 
 
 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 when the train comes, for their daily feast of gossip. This 
 cannot be called an enlivening journey, but if one have a taste 
 for the odd things of travel and plenty of time, it is w^orth 
 trying. As " all roads lead to Rome " so each of the routes 
 described will bring the wayfarer to Montreal, if that be the 
 object of desire. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 Niagara Falls. 
 
 lAGARA [Falls can be^ 
 easily reached from 
 Saratoga, by resuming 
 the cars of the Rens- 
 selaer and Saratoga 
 Railroad, via Ballstorf 
 to Schenectady, 23 miles 
 southwest, and 252 miles 
 from Boston. Schenec- 
 tady is noted as the seat 
 of Union College, which 
 stands on the heights, 
 overlooking the city. 
 The buildings consist of 
 two large halls, with a 
 beautiful stone library 
 between, and the Uni- 
 versity bears a high 
 reputation. Schenectady 
 stands on abroad plain, 
 near the Mohawk, and is a city of 12,000 inhabitants ; its iron 
 works are the chief industries. Here we transfer ourselves to 
 the dingy and comfortless wooden shed, dignified with the 
 name of depot, and wait the arrival of the train over the New 
 York Central Railroad, from Albany, bound for Niagara. For 
 
2 22 ■ ' TOURISTS'' HANDBOOK. 
 
 nearly loo miles the road follows the valley of the Mohawk; 
 and much of the time the river is in sight. At Fonda, 279 
 miles from Boston, a road diverges to Johnstown and Glovers- 
 Yille, 10 miles north, the principal manufactories of buckskin 
 gloves and mittens in the country. At Little Falls, 309 miles 
 from Boston, the Mohawk descends 45 feet, furnishing power 
 for many factories. This town and Herkimer, seven miles 
 further, are famous for the shipment of the rich cheese pro- 
 duced in the fertile country hereabout. Ilion, two miles 
 beyond Herkimer, is a town of some 4000 inhabitants, where 
 the famous Remington Arms Factory employs 1000 men. 
 Twelve miles further the train crost^es the Mohawk, on an 
 iron bridge, and enters Utica, 330 miles from Boston, a city of 
 30,000 inhabitants, and the business centre of a rich and exten- 
 sive farming country. The Erie Canal passes through Utica, 
 and is joined by the Chenango Canal to Binghamton, 97 miles 
 South. Utica is the seat of the Lunatic Asylum, and several 
 well reputed educational institutions, and is a beautiful and 
 pleasant place of residence. The Black River and Utica Rail- 
 road runs northwest to the St. Lawrence, at Clayton, and other 
 railroad connections are made Southward to Norwich and 
 Binghamton. By the Black River road, an excursion is 
 made in 40 minvites to Trenton Falls, 17 miles North, on the 
 West Canada Creek, a tributary of the Mohawk. The water 
 descends 200 feet, by five cascades, plunging down into a deep 
 chasm in the limestone rock, with perpendicular walls, from 
 70 to 200 feet high. Tiie water is of a dark amber hue, and 
 the various colors given out as it flashes over the rocks, and 
 is lighted by the sun's rays, are very novel and beautiful. 
 The Sherman, High, Milldam, Alhambra, and Prospect Falls 
 are successively reached by ascending the canon from Moore's 
 Trenton Falls House, and vary in height from a few feet to 
 80 (the High Falls.) The Alhambra, near the fall of the same 
 name, is a broad stone platform, walled by the gorge. Rome, 
 344 miles from Boston, is quite a railroad centre for this region. 
 It is a city of 11,000 inhabitants, with a United States Arsenal 
 
TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 223 
 
 for its principal object of note, and the Rome, Watertown and 
 Ogdensburgh Railroad, sweeping in a bold curve which follows 
 the general outline of Lake Ontario, and the upper St. Law- 
 rence, through Watertown, to Ogdensburgh and Potsdam, 
 with branches to Sackett's Harbor, as its great artery of trade 
 and travel. From Rome, we proceed southwest, by Verona, 
 whose springs, saturated with muriate of soda and sulphuretted 
 hydrogen gas, are strongly medicinal, and resemble the Eng- 
 lish Harrowgate springs, to Oneida, a village of 4,000 popula- 
 tion, near the lake of the same, which we skirt on the South, 
 at a few miles distance. Here the New York and Oswego 
 Midland Railroad crosses the New York Central, running 
 northwest to Oswego, on Lake Ontario, 57 miles. Near 
 Oneida is the celebrated Free Love Commuity. Chittenango, 
 II miles from Oneida, is the location of several medicinal 
 springs, similar to the White Sulphur of Virginia. Kirkville 
 and Manlius are passed, near which are other sulphuretted 
 waters, and we arrive at Syracuse, 383 miles from Boston, the 
 great salt manufactory of the country. Syracuse is a city of 
 55,000 inhabitants, located very near the geographical and 
 railroad centre of the State, and hence is the meeting place 
 of many conventions. Besides the New York Central, rail- 
 roads run to Oswego and Sandy Creek on the north and 
 northeast, to Burlington south, and to Norwich southeast. 
 There are here many fine buildings, the Court House of Onon- 
 daga county, the Penitentiary, three Orphan Asylums, the 
 State Idiot Asylum, City Hall, Syracuse University, two Con- 
 vents and many churches being the chief. 
 
 The gray and imposing Renwick Castle near the University 
 is seen over the trees, and produces a fine effect. The great 
 curiosity, as well as the principal source of wealth of Syra- 
 cuse, is the salt manufactory, which lies near Onondaga Lake, 
 a little northwest of the city. Here great natural salt springs 
 or wells yield in unlimited quantities a brine so strong that 
 35 gallons yield a bushel of salt. Some 5000 laborers, 40,000 
 solar vats and 20 kettles are employed, and 200,000 tons of 
 
224 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK^ 
 
 coal annually burned. The production since 1797, when the 
 State took control, has been some 230,000,000 bushels, and is 
 now at the rate of 8,000,000 to 9,000,000 bushels. Horse cars 
 convey the visitor to these works. Onondaga Lake, near 
 which the Indian tribe of the same name used to have its 
 fortress, is six miles long by one mile wide, and is traversed 
 by small ste^tmers and pleasure boats. From Syracuse to 
 Rochester, the New York Central has two routes, — the old, 
 through Auburn, Geneva and Canandaigua, passing near the 
 northern ends of the Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca 
 and Canandaigua Lakes, which look on the map like so many 
 sweet potatoes laid side by side, and at Canandaigua turns 
 riorthwest and proceeds to Rochester, making the distance 
 from Syracuse 102 miles; and the new or northern route, 
 which passes in nearly a straight line through Port Byron, 
 Lyons and Palmyra to Rochester, in 81 miles, or 464 from 
 Boston. The through trains take the latter course. There is 
 nothing of special interest to note until we reach Clyde, but 
 at the latter village, 36 miles from Syracuse, we enter the 
 paradise of mint juleps, the grand storehouse of peppermint 
 in its crude form. Here are thousands of acres of mint on 
 every side, one-third of all used in the country being grown 
 hereabouts. It is cut and distilled, yielding 20 pound'^ or so 
 of oil to the acre of herb. We now iollow the Erie Canal, 
 and catch frequent glimpses of the noble craft plowing the 
 waters, under the impetus afforded by the gentle mule on the 
 tow-path. To be the captain of one of these magnificent 
 floating palaces, with its freight of grain and hops and hap- 
 piness and hop-poles is indeed a proud ambition. Palmyra, 
 56 miles from Syracuse, is the place where Joseph Smith, the 
 Mormon prophet, pretended to find the golden plates of the 
 Book of Mormon. 
 
 Rochester and its Attractions. 
 
 Still following the Erie Canal, through a number of unim- 
 portant townships, we enter the beautiful outskirts of Roches- 
 
TOURISTS' HANJbBOOiC,- 225' 
 
 ter, cross the (jeiiessee River just above its famous falls, and 
 reach the railway station near the centre of the citj. Roch- 
 ester is a handsome city of 70,000 inhabitants, built on both 
 sides of the Genesee River, seven miles from its mouth at 
 Lake Ontario. It is the capitol of Monroe County, and the 
 fine county buildings are located here. The City Hall, the 
 University of Rochester, some 60 churches, several hospitals 
 and asylums, numerous schools and business blocks, are also 
 handsome and costly structures. The Powers Building is the 
 most notable thing in the architectural line which Rochester 
 has to show. It stands on the corner of Buffalo and State 
 streets, and is probably without an equal in this country as a 
 business structure. It fronts 175 feet on each street, and is 
 seven stories high besides the basement, which is of New 
 Hampshire granite, and a full story in height. The rest of 
 the block is of Ohio stone and iron. The whole is surmount- 
 ed by a square tower 30 by 24 feet, which rises five stories 
 higher, the tiled " sky floor " being 163 feet above the street. 
 The building is quadrangular in form, and tubular in con- 
 struction, having an open area in the centre for the purpose 
 of light. The ground floor contains a bank and fifteen stores, 
 and the upper stories contain 220 rooms, used for purposes of 
 business of all sorts, and for lodgings. Indeed, the block is a 
 city in itself, and a person could live, carry on business, at- 
 tend amusements, make calls, and view a good deal of the 
 country without ever leaving the building. The halls are a I 
 tiled with marble, the stairways are. of iron, and all the floors 
 are supported on iron girders and brick arches, the partitions 
 are of brick and the window fraines of iron. Each main wall 
 rests on the solid bed rock. The grand staircase cost $20,000, 
 and contains fifty tons of iron. 1 he entire building is heated 
 by steain. There are about 1000 tenants, and the building 
 would hold 80 000 people on its ten acres of flooring. Two 
 powerful elevators ascend the building, the car of one of 
 which is the finest in the country. The view from the top of 
 the tower, 400 feet above the level of the lake, is magnificent 
 10* 
 
2 26 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 in its breadth and variety. In a clear day the Canadiairl 
 shore is visible, and the commerce of the lake flitting bj adds 
 the element of life to the fair picture. 
 
 Another of the curiosities of Rochester is the great aqueduct 
 bj which the Erie Canal crosses the Genesee river. This was 
 considered an impossible undertaking when the canal was 
 projected, and its completion was deemed a wonderful triumph 
 of engineering skill. The aqueduct is of cut stone supported 
 on massive piers. The Genesee Valley Canal here joins the 
 Erie, after descending 978 feet by 97 locks, in its 125 miles of 
 length, from the Pennsylvania mountains. The Genesee 
 River, which flows through the' heart of the city, is bridged 
 by Main street, which is built so solidly that one would never 
 suspect a river flowed beneath, the buildings standing on 
 stone arches through which the water passes. The Genesee 
 and its famous falls have been the cause of Rochester's pros- 
 perity. The immense water power afforded by the falls has 
 been utilized for the propulsion of many flowing mills, the 
 wheat coming from the rich country near at hand. These 
 falls are but a short distance from the center of the city, and 
 are best seen from an enclosure, known as '' Falls Field," with 
 a small admission fee. The rivcT here pours over a ledge of 
 solid rock, 96 feet high, down into a walled gorge. The fall 
 is very picturesque and only less majestic than Niagara. Here 
 Sam Patch made his fatal leap. Nearly two miles below, the 
 middle falls, 25 feet high, are reached by horse cars, and a little 
 further on are the lower falls, 84 feet high, much the most 
 pictviresque of the three. Rochester is also famed for its nur- 
 series of fruit trees and shrubs, for its flower seed establishments 
 and for its beautiful streets, shaded by fine trees and bordered 
 by handsome residences. From Rochester railroads diverge 
 to Charlotte, seven miles North, where steamers touch on their 
 way between Oswego and Toronto ; to Buffalo. 69 miles Westat 
 the eastern extremity of Lake Erie, passing through the 
 prosperous village of Batavia, the capital of Genesee county; 
 to Cooming, 95 miles Southeast, the junction of the Erie Rail- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 22^ 
 
 Way; Southwe-t to Caledonia, where the Canandaigua and 
 
 Niagara Fall Railroad is joined, and West 77 miles to Niagara 
 
 Falls. 
 
 Kocliester to the Suspension Bridge. 
 
 From Rochester our route lies in a generally almost due 
 westerly direction, passing through Medina (near which are 
 the Oak Orchard Acid Springs), and Lockport, where the 
 Erie Canal descends from the " Erie Level" to the "Genesee 
 Level," 66 feet, by ten double locks of solid cut stone. 
 These locks may be seen from the train, and give their name 
 to the city. When viewed in the evening, with the long lines 
 of lights on either side the canal and on the boats in the locks 
 at the different levels, the scene is romantic and fairy-like. 
 The canal also furnishes a large surplus of water which is used 
 for driving flouring mills and factories. Here we cross the 
 canal, with which we henceforth part company. From Lock- 
 port, a branch railroad runs southwest to Buffalo, 26 miles. 
 Nineteen miles further brings us to Suspension Bridge, where 
 the first view of the mighty falls is gained, and whence a ride 
 of two miles along the eastern or right bank of the river, 
 brings us to the village of Niagara Falls. 
 
 Kiagara Village and its Hotels. 
 
 If we are to see the American side first, and the points 
 accessible therefrom, we will continue on to the station 
 above, in the village directly beside the Falls. There are 
 several hotels near the station. The Monteagle House will 
 compare favorably with any which the tourist will visit at any 
 place. It has a fine location which affords a view of the two 
 Suspension Bridges, two miles of the River, the entire 
 Falls and the Whirlpool. The rooms are large, airy, and 
 handsomely furnished, many of them overlooking the 
 Rapids, Goat Island, and the Falls; the table is unex- 
 ceptionable, being supplied with all the substantials and 
 luxuries of the season ; the attendance is excellent, the 
 prices reasonable, and everything about the house is home- 
 
^28 . tOtJRISTS' HANDBOOta. 
 
 like and enjoyable. The proximity of the house to the mighty 
 rapids (by many considered the most pleasing feature of 
 Niagara), the views of Goat, Bath and other islands, and the 
 ease with which one can visit every point of interest, have 
 made this house justly a favorite. As for many years, the Mon- 
 teagle House is under the management of Alexander and 
 Terrill, which is sufficient guarantee of its continued popular- 
 ity. The International, Spencer and other houses are in the 
 village of Niagara Falls, and the Clifton House on the Cana- 
 dian shore. 
 
 The Tour of the Islands. 
 
 The bridge to Bath Island has been mentioned. It is a sub- 
 stantial iron structure, crossing the river in the midst of 
 the Rapids to Bath Island, on which there is a paper mill and 
 several small buildings. A similar but smaller bridge crosses 
 to Goat Island. The payment oi 50 cents enables one to make 
 the entire tour of the islands, or f i pays for a season ticket. 
 Goat Island is one of the wonders of Niagara. It would be a 
 most charming and picturesque island anywhere, with its 
 noble growth of forest trees, its sylvan dells, its fertile, sunny 
 openings, and its delightful shade. But here, surrounded by 
 the mighty river rushing onward to its stupendous plunge, 
 the island seems to gain additional beauty; and new wonders 
 develop themselves at every visit. At the upper end is the 
 vast expanse of the Rapids; on either side the marvellous 
 Falls, separated by the island itself, which, on its lower end, 
 between the Falls, is a bare precipice of rock, rising sheer 
 from the bed ot the river over 150 feet in height. Froiu Goat 
 Island a small bridge crosses over the Central Fall, a lovely 
 sheet of water, to Luna Island, — a tiny islet perched on the 
 very verge of the precipice, and laved on either side by the 
 Central and American Falls. At nearly the opposite extrem- 
 ity of Goat Island, a bridge is thrown across a small portion 
 of the Rapids, to the first of thiee little islands, densely 
 wooded, and known as the Three Sisters, other bridges con- 
 
tOURISfS' HANbBOOk: 2^9 
 
 hecHng with the two remaining islets. From these a splendid 
 view of the mighty rapids down to the edge of the great 
 Canadian Fall, and the outline of its bold sweep, are gained. 
 At the edge almost of this tremendons cataract another small 
 foot-bridge is thrown across a slender channel of water, to a 
 rockj prominence in the very edge of the Fall itself. Here 
 stood Terrapin Tower, a circular structure of stone 45 
 feet high, famous for many years, from the top of which 
 visitors could see the entire Falls, and even peer into the 
 depths of the foaming abyss below. But in 1873, being deemed 
 unsafe, it was blown up, and a new and more substantial 
 structure is to take its place. Even the view of the Rapids 
 from this point, or indeed from any point on the islands, 
 would repay a visit. The river, with its mighty volume of 
 water, pours over the rocky bottom, which has a rapid descent, 
 — over 50 feet in three-quarters of a mile, — causing a succes- 
 sion of small cascades, boiling whirpools, and rushing chan- 
 nels. 
 
 The Biddle Stairs, and Cave of the "Winds. 
 
 On the face of the vertical precipice between the falls, a 
 wooden tower, encasing a spiral staircase, leads down to the 
 bank of broken rock and debris, which has evidently fallen 
 from the cliffs above, and forms a narrow dyke, sloping to the 
 waters of the river. At the foot of these "Biddle Stairs" a 
 person can emerge and walk for some distance beneath the 
 cliif, almost to the foot of the great Canadian Fall, and, by a 
 succession of wooden foot-bridges guarded by railings, into the 
 " Cave of the Winds," as the space between the overhanging 
 precipice and the sheet of water forming the Central Fall is 
 called. In this cave the visitor, clad in rubber clothing, and 
 wearing canvas overshoes to prevent slipping, is drenched 
 with the spray which the currents of air, drawn in by the 
 motion of the water, and meeting in the centre, are constantly 
 whirling in every direction, while the tremendous roar of the 
 vast body of water, beating on the rocks below, makes every 
 
CENTRAL FALLS, (Cave of tlie Winds. 
 
 inds.) 
 
TOURISTS' handbook: 23 1 
 
 other sound inaudible, and nearly deafens the tourist. From a 
 visit to the " Cave of the Winds" a person can gain an idea 
 of the immense volume of water constantly pouring over the 
 Falls, this Central Fall being but a slender rivulet compared 
 with the lofty American Fall, itself small in comparison with 
 the great Canadian Fall. Near theBiddle Stairs is shown the 
 spot where Sam Patch is said to have leaped from a projecting 
 staging, down into the deep water below the Fall, and to have 
 come out in safety. Goat Island is visited by thousands every 
 year, the circuit of the island being made by carriages, and an 
 opportunity given for the occupants to dismount at each point 
 of interest. 
 
 Prospect Park and its Attractions. 
 
 Returning to the American shore from the tour of the 
 islands, we proceed down the river bank a short distance to a 
 lofty gateway inscribed "Prospect Park." Here 25 cents 
 admits a foot passenger. Of this Prospect Park much non- 
 sense has been written in the past year or two, about "fen- 
 cing in the Falls," etc., and much denunciation of the owners 
 of the land for their greed. No doubt the State of New York, 
 years ago, ought to have reserved the lands lying along the 
 Falls, as a part of the public domain, and made of them a free 
 pleasure park; but the State did nothing of the kind. It sold 
 grants of land to the settlers ; and they have had to do the 
 best they could. When Niagara first became a famous water- 
 ing place, there were no improvements. Goat Island was 
 almost inaccessible. There were no means of visiting the 
 spots where now the most enjoyment is found. By degrees the 
 islands have been opened to visitors, the ferry across the river 
 established, the suspension bridges constructed. But Prospect 
 Point — the projection of land directly abreast the American 
 Fall, and from which one could toss a chip or even dip his hand 
 into the very cataract — remained unimproved. It was a rough, 
 rocky, scrubby cliff, covered with loose stones and gnarly trees, 
 with no wall or railing even at the brink, to prevent the un- 
 
232 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 warj from falling over; infested bj peddlers, Indians, and 
 vagabonds, and having no conveniences for the visitors. The 
 land could not be made productive to the ow^ners ; for the hosts 
 of visitors would constantly overrun it. So the owners asso- 
 ciated themselves, and at the expense of several thousand 
 dollars, have enclosed the Point, built a solid and safe wall 
 along the edge of the precipice and on the side towards the 
 Fall, so that visitors, even children, can sit with perfect safety 
 directly over the rushing torrent, and gaze into its foamj 
 depths ; built a safe and rapid inclined railway (in a tunnel 
 through the solid rock) to the water's edge below the fall, 
 built summer houses, cleared and beautified the grounds, 
 supplied them with seats, etc. 
 
 Across the River to the Canadian Fall. 
 
 A small fee pays for the descent of the inclined railway, 
 and the ferry passage across the river to the Canadian shore. 
 On this trip, which is made in a barge, one has a magnificent 
 view of the whole of the falls at once, looking up from the 
 river below them, which is here not broad but very deep, sO' 
 deep in fact that the water appears a dai^k green. Reaching 
 the Canadian shore, one can ascend a road to the bank above,, 
 or can scramble (if he be so minded, and have thick boots) 
 over the stones along the water's edge to the foot of the great 
 Canadian Fall, and ascetid the stoi e stairs jubt below Table 
 Rock. Then, having viewed the falls from the Canadian . 
 side, a short walk down the river brings us to the '■ New Sus- 
 pension Bridge" (for carriag s and foot passengers -j-iIv} 
 which crosses* 1800 feet below the American Fall i.nd by\\hich 
 we can return to this side. The towers of this bridge on the 
 Canadian side are 120 feet high, and on the American side 
 106 feet. 
 
 Near Table Rock stands a small museum, from the roof of 
 which a fine general overlook of the falls is gained, and where 
 a collection of curiosities, insignificant enough beside the 
 great curiosity of the world, the falls, is shown. Here guides 
 
TOlfRIStS' ttAHDBOO^. ^33 
 
 and rubber suits maj be procured for a trip under the edge of 
 Horse-shoe Fall. Either tower of the Suspension Bridge maj 
 be ascended ; that on the American side bj stairs, that on the 
 Canadian side by an elevator, and from either a majestic view 
 of the Falls and the deep narrow gorge below is gained. Near 
 the bridge, on the American side, is the beautiful Bridal Veil 
 Fall, an artificial sheet of water, pouring over the perpendicu- 
 lar cliff, at the lower end of the hydraulic canal, which fur- 
 nishes the power for some shops and for the hotels, and 
 returns it to the river here. 
 
 The Great Suspension Bridge, and the View Thence. 
 
 But the Suspension Bridge, known the world over as one of 
 the greatest achievements of engineering skill, is two iniles 
 below the Falls. Its length is 800 feet, and its height above 
 the water 26S feet. The towers are 66 feet high ; and each of 
 the four main cables supporting the bridge is nine inches in 
 diameter, and composed of 800 wires. There is a carriage 
 and foot way 28 feet below the railroad track. Its cost 
 was $500,000. Over it run, or rather crawl the trains of the 
 Great Western Railway, for Hamilton and the far West. One 
 mile below the Suspension Bridge the river widens, and gives 
 a sudden turn, so that the waters are forced along in an im- 
 mense seething, heaving whirlpool. A mile below the Whirl- 
 pool is tlie Devil's Hole, 150 feet deep, and two acres in extent. 
 The carriage road runs right up to the margin of the abyss, 
 so that without leaving a carriage one may look down into it. 
 From the Suspension Bridge a splendid view of the entire 
 Falls is gained. It is like a panorama or a bird's-eye view, so 
 complete, yet so reduced by distance ; and many think it the 
 finest view that can be anywhere gained of the great wonder, 
 Niagara, At the Suspension Bridge, the waters of the river 
 are compressed into a narrow gorge, with high perpendicular 
 cliffs for banks. From their top one can look down 240 feet 
 to the surface of the water. The bottom of the stream is pro- 
 bably as much farther down ; at any rate, the water from its 
 
^34 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 immense depth, looks as darklj green as the ocean itself. 
 Just below, the river narrows to 400 feet, one-tenth its width 
 at the Falls, and here the water, from being so closely com- 
 pressed, rushes through the gorge in the most terrible rapids, 
 which toss and heave white masses in the center of the river 
 to the height of 30 or 40 feet. A vertical railway leads to the 
 water's edge at these famous Whirlpool Rapids. On the 
 American side, at the Suspension Bridge, is Niagara City, 
 (mostly on paper at present) nicely laid out in squares, with 
 a large and pleasant hotel, the Monteagle. On the Canadian 
 side is the village of Clifton. 
 
 Niagara Swindles, So-called. 
 
 Much denunciation has been wasted on Niagara hotel-keep- 
 ers, Niagara hackmen, and Niagara swindles generally; and 
 it is mainly based on ignorance or injustice. The hotel 
 charges are no higher than at any other prominent summer 
 resort; there are no more "extras; " the fees for seeing the 
 wonders are — as we have seen — very reasonable, considering 
 the attractions; and the charges of the hack-drivers are quite 
 moderate, if one be not over-flush with his money at the out- 
 set. The hackmen are all licensed by the corporation of the 
 village; and any complaint of over-charge or incivility, will 
 secure the revocation of a license. For $2 (and the gate- fees) 
 a good carriage can be had to take one around the islands and 
 through Prospect Park ; for $5 two persons can ride all the 
 forenoon. Of course there are petty swindles in the shops 
 for the sale of "Table-rock jewelry," Indian bead-work, 
 feather fans, etc. ; but no one is obliged to buy them. And ex- 
 cellent stereoscopic views of the Falls, which are decidedy the 
 prettiest and most useful mementoes to bring away, can be 
 bought as cheaply as the same class of goods in New York or 
 Boston. Of course t' e class of persons who go to Niagara 
 merely to say that they have been there, and have seen all the 
 sights can also generally have it to say that they were out- 
 rageously swindled while there ; but a sensible person, who 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. ^35 
 
 goes to see the great wonders, fullj and judiciously, can get 
 a dollar's worth for every dollar he expends, as well as in New 
 York or Boston. The neighborhood is full of historic associa- 
 tions connected with the late war with Great Britain. Fort 
 Erie, Chippewa, Lundy's Lane, and many other scenes of 
 hard-fought battles, are near. Lewiston and Queenstown are 
 on opposite sides of the river, seven miles below the Falls, at 
 the head of navigation on Lake Ontario. 
 
 Daniel "Webster's Famous Description. 
 
 Daniel Webster's description of Niagara Falls, written In 
 
 1825, and found in vol. ii., p. 385, of his correspondence, has 
 
 been often quoted ; and some passages from it are worthy of 
 
 reproduction here, though many things which he describes 
 
 are changed since 1825: — 
 
 "Lake Erie is 330 feet higher than Lake Ontario; but, in 
 decending the river from Lake Erie, one perceives no very 
 great descent, although the current is all the way rapid, till 
 we get nearly down to the Falls. A little below the village of 
 Black Rock, perhaps about five miles from Lake Erie, the 
 river divides into two channels, forming a large island in the 
 centre called Grand Isle, about 12 miles long, and in some 
 places six or seven broad. This island terminates, and the 
 two channels unite again, just at the head of what is called 
 the Rapids, a mile or a mile and a half above the great Falls. 
 These rapids are a succession of cascades spreading over the 
 whole river, of difterent and various heights and appear- 
 ances, rendering the whole breadth of the stream, (which is 
 here not less than two miles) white with foam. They would 
 form a fine object, if there were nothing near to call the at- 
 tention another way. Midway of these rapids is Goat Island, 
 which divides the river into two unequal parts, about one- 
 third in breadth being on the eastern or American side, and 
 two-thirds on the British. The island runs down to the very 
 brink of the Falls, and there terminates in a perpendicular 
 precipice (a wall of rock), which is part of the same great 
 declivity over which the river pours. This island thus divides 
 the river, so that it falls over the precipice in two sheets. The 
 length of the fall on the American side is estimated at 380 
 yards ; the distance across the end of Goat Island 330 j^ards ; 
 the length of the fall on the British side 700 yards. The fall 
 
2^6 
 
 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 is thought to be the highest on the American side, being there 
 165 feet, and on the British side 150. Vastly 'he greatest portion 
 of water (three-fourths, or even more) runs on the British side. 
 As jou descend the river from Lake Erie and approach the 
 Falls, the river seems to fall away from your feet, and to pitch 
 right down into the earth. Many miles before you reach the 
 Falls you see the mist or spray rising like a cloud; but this 
 does not seem to be rising from the earth into the air as much 
 as from the centre of the earth to the surface : it appears to 
 be coming from the ground. From the bottom of the Falls 
 to Lewiston, seven miles, the whole channel of the river is 
 one great trough, 100 or 150 feet deep, with sides of perpen- 
 dicular rock. This has given currency to the opinion that the 
 Falls were once seven miles lower down than they now are, 
 and that the force of the water in time has worn away the 
 rocks, and forced the Falls back to their present position. As 
 we stood to-day at noon, on the projecting point at Table 
 Rock, we looked over into the abyss ; and, far beneath our 
 feet, arched over this tremendous aggregate of water, we saw 
 a perfect and radiant rainbow. This ornament of heaven 
 does not seein out of place in being half way up the sheet 
 of the glorious cataract; it looked as if the skies them- 
 selves paid homage to this stupendous work of nature. 
 From Table Rock, or a little further down, a winding stair- 
 case is constructed, down which we descend fi*om the level 
 of Table Rock, 95 feet. This brings us to the bottom of 
 the perpendicular rock; and from this place we descend 
 50 or 60 feet further, over large fragments of rock, and other 
 substance, down to the edge of the river. If at the bottom 
 of the staircase (instead of descending further) we choose to 
 turn to the right and go up the stream, keeping close at the 
 foot of Table Rock or the perpendicular bank, we soon get to 
 the foot of the fall, and approach the end of the falling mass. 
 It is easy to get in behind for a liitle distance between the fal- 
 ling water and the rock over which it is precipitated. This 
 cannot be done, however, without being entirely wet. From 
 within this cavern there issues a wind, occasionally very strong, 
 and bringing with it such showers and torrents of spiay, that 
 we are soon as wet as if we had come over the Falls with the 
 water. As near to the fall in this place as you can well come, 
 is perhaps the spot on which the mind is most deeply iinpressed 
 with the whole scene. Over our heads hangs a fearful rock, 
 projecting like an unsupported piazza. Before us is a hurly- 
 burly of waters too deep to be fathomed, too irregular to be 
 described, shrouded in too much mist to be clearly seen ; water, 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 237 
 
 vapor, foam, and atmosphere are all mixed up together is sub- 
 lime confusion. Bj our side, down comes this world of green 
 and white waters, and pours into the invisible abyss. A 
 steady, unvarying, low-toned roar thunders incessantly upon 
 our ears. As we look up we think some sudden disaster has 
 opened the seas, and that all their floods are coining dov/n 
 upon us at once ; but we soon recollect that what we see is not 
 a sudden or violent exhibition, but the perinanent and uniform 
 character of the object which we contemplate. There the 
 grand spectacle has stood for centuries — from the creation, as 
 far as we know, without change From the beginning it has 
 shaken as it now does the earth and the air; and its unvarying 
 thunder existed before there were human ears to hear it. Re- 
 flections like these on the duration and permanency of this 
 grand object naturally arise, and contribute much to the deep 
 feeling which the whole scene produces. We cannot help be- 
 ing struck with a sense of the insignificance of man and all 
 his works, compared with what is before us." 
 
 Excursions from Niagara. 
 
 From Niagara, trips may be made by carriage to the battle- 
 fields of Lundy's Lane and Chippewa, and to the Burning 
 Spring, (which is kept in constant ebullition by a stream of 
 sulphuretted hydrogen gas, which ignites and burns with an 
 intermittent blue flame and the odor of aged eggs^, all on the 
 Canada side. By rail, one may proceed to the Suspension 
 Bridge, two miles, or to Lewiston seven miles down the 
 river on the American shore, and back, a rapid and inexpen- 
 sive excursion. 
 
 Lake Ontario and the Upper St. Lawrence. 
 
 A most delightful trip is that from Niagara down Lake On- 
 tario and the Upper St. Lawrence, to Montreal. Two routes 
 may be chosen — one by rail to Kingston or Prescott, thence 
 by steamer down the St. Lawrence ; the other by boat across 
 Lake Ontario, and down tlie river. Those who desire, or 
 are compelled by urgency of time, can make an all-rail trip 
 from Toronto to Montreal ; but they will lose the charming 
 scenery of the St. Lawrence and the Thousand Islands. In 
 either case we visit Toronto ; and to get there take a seven- 
 
238 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 mile railroad ride down the Niagara River, overlooking the 
 stream much of the way, to Lewiston, which is situated at 
 the head of navigation on the lower Niagara, and is a pleasant, 
 well built village. Queenston is a village of about 200 in- 
 habitants on the Canadian side, nearly opposite Lewiston, 
 and was the scene of a battle in the war of 181 2. Near this 
 point the river becomes more tranquil, the shores less broken 
 and wild, and the scenery changes from rugged grandeur to 
 beauty. On Queenston Heights, the scene of the battle, 
 stands Brock's monument, erected in honor of the British 
 general who so gallantly defended the place. 
 
 Taking the little steamer "City of Toronto" at Lewiston, 
 we are soon steaming down the Niagara river, on both banks 
 of which are points of historic interest, dating from the days 
 of the '' Old French War," as well as the last war between the 
 United States and Great Britain. Fort Niagara stands at the 
 river's mouth, on the American side. There are m^ny inter- 
 esting associations connected with the spot, as, during the 
 earliest part of the past century, it was a scene of many severe 
 conflicts between the whites and the Indians, and subse 
 quently between the English and the French. The village 
 adjacent to the Fort is called Youngstown, in honor of its 
 founder, the late John Young, Esq. Niagara is one of the 
 oldest towns in Upper Canada, and was formerly the capital 
 of the province. 
 
 Across the Lake to Toronto. 
 
 Leaving Niagara, we steam across the western end of Lake 
 Ontario, and soon arrive at Toronto, the capital city of Upper 
 Canada, which is situated on an arm of Lake Ontario, 36 
 miles from the mouth of Niagara river. Toronto Bay is a 
 beautiful inlet separated from the main body of Lake Ontario, 
 except at its entrance, by a long, narrow, sandy beach. The 
 southwestern extremity is called Gibraltar Point. The popu- 
 lation in 1817 was 1,200, but at the present time it amounts to 
 about 60,000. Among the principal buildings of Toronto are 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 239 
 
 Trinity College, University of Toronto, and St. James Cathe- 
 dral. One of the ecclesiastical edifices deserves especial 
 notice* — the Chuixh of the Holy Trinity, a handsome 
 structure, erected by a donation of £5,000 from some liberal 
 person from England, on condition that the whole of the 
 seats should be free. The Elgin Association, for improving 
 the moral and religious condition of the colored popula- 
 tion, is among the most useful institutions of the place. 
 That stupendous undertaking, the Grand Trunk Railway of 
 Canada, passes through Toronto, and promises a splendid 
 future for Toronto and its sister cities. 
 
 Down Lake Ontario to the St. Lawrence. 
 
 From Toronto, where we transfer ourselves to a much 
 larger and finer steamer, — the "Corinthian," " Corsican," 
 •'Spartan," "Algerian," or "Bohemian," of the Canadian 
 Transportation Company, — we proceed eastward, straight 
 down Lake Ontario, keeping within a few miles of the north- 
 ern shore. On this side. Port Hope, a pretty town containing 
 about 2200 inhabitants, is located in the valley of a small 
 stream emptying into the lake, with a fine range of hills ris- 
 ing to the westward. Coburg lies seven miles below Port 
 Hope. It contains 4000 inhabitants, seven churches, two 
 banks, and the largest cloth-factory in the province. It is 
 also the seat of Victoria College and a theological insti- 
 tute. Kingston, the original capital of Canada, is at the 
 mouth of the Cataraqui River, and just at the foot of Lake 
 Ontario, whence runs the St. Lawrence. As early as 1672, 
 the French under De Courcelles began a settlement here, and 
 built a fort, which was named Fort Frontenac, in honor of the 
 French count of that name. In 1762 the English took pos- 
 session, and called the place Kingston. It is one of the im- 
 portant military posts of Canada, and has about 11,000 
 inhabitants. The harbor is very fine. The land projects out 
 on the east side of the bay, forming Point Frederic or Navy 
 Point, east of which is a deep basin called Haldimand Cove, 
 
240 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK, 
 
 where are found the rojal dock yard, and much of the ship- 
 ping of the navj. The citj is built chiefly of blue limestone ; 
 and wells of mineral water have been found by boring to dif- 
 ferent depths, from 75 to 1145 feet. Among the noticeable 
 buildings here, are the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the build- 
 ings of Queen's College (Presbyterian), Eegispole's College 
 (Roman Catholic"), and the Provincial Penitentiary. The 
 extremity of the Rideau Canal, which connects Lake On- 
 tario with the Rideau River — one of the tributaries of the 
 Ottawa — is near Kingston, and adds much to the business of 
 the place. On the American side of the lake are Charlotte, 
 Oswego and Sackett's Harbor. 
 
 The Thousand Islands. 
 
 About six miles below Kingston the river widens, and em- 
 bosoms the loveliest group of islands imaginable, — the far- 
 famed Thousand Islands. They are in an expansion of the 
 St. Lawrence, at the outlet of Lake Ontario ; and the broad 
 river in which they lie partakes so much of the character of 
 a lake, that it is often called ''The Lake of the Thousand 
 Isles." For 40 miles down ihe river this beautiful scene con- 
 tinues, the boat which leaves Kingston at early dawn gliding 
 among no less than 1800 of these "emerald gems in the ring 
 of the wave " of all sizes, from the islet a few yards square to 
 miles in length, and covered with a heavy growth of trees. 
 This group is constantly attracting the attention of sportsmen 
 and pleasure- seekers. Fish so large as to make angling tire- 
 some, and wild-fowl of all kinds, are everywhere abundant. 
 President Grant has been a guest here of Mr. George M. Pullr 
 man. President of the Pullman Palace Car Company, who 
 owns a villa on one of these islands. These islands, too, have 
 been the scene of most exciting romance. From their great 
 number, and the labyrinth-like channels among them, they 
 aftbrded an admirable retreat for the insurgents in the last 
 Canadian insurrection, and for the American sympthiziirs with 
 them. Among these was one man, who from his daring and 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 241 
 
 ability, became an object of anxious pursuit to the Canadian 
 authorities ; and he found a safe asylum in these watery in- 
 tricacies, through the devotedness and courage of his daughter, 
 whose inimitable management of her canoe was such that, 
 through hosts of pursurers, she baffled their efforts at capture, 
 while she supplied him with provisions in these solitary re- 
 treats, rowing him from one place of concealment to another, 
 under shadow of the night. But, in truth, all the islands, 
 which are so numerously studded through the whole chain of 
 those magnificent lakes, abound with materials for romance 
 and poetry. Opposite the Thousand Isles, on the American 
 side of the river, is Clayton, "well known as a lumber station. 
 Here the rafts are made up for their long voyage down the 
 St. Lawrence, and look like floating villages with the huts that 
 are built on them for the protection of the raftsmen. Alexan- 
 dria Bay is the next port after leaving Clayton. It is built upon 
 a massive pile of rocks ; and its situation is romantic and highly 
 picturesque. It is a place of resort for sportmen, and during the 
 past two or three seasons has become a popular and fashion- 
 able watering-place. Here the Thousand Island House, a fine 
 hotel, built in 1873, furnishes palatial accommodations for 600 
 guests. The verandah connecting with the long hall of the 
 first floor, gives a promenade 624 feet in length, the verandah 
 portion being 374 feet and the hall 250 feet. The whole house 
 is supplied with water, and lighted with gas. The view over 
 the islands from the lofty tower is exceedingly fine. Alexan- 
 dria Bay is 30 miles from Cape Vincent, and 36 miles from 
 Ogdensburgh, both northern termini of the Rome, Water- 
 town and Ogdensburgh Railroad. From both places, steamers 
 ply to the bay. Some two or three miles below the village, 
 is a position from whence 100 islands can be seen at one view. 
 This place also is celebrated for its fishing and shooting. 
 The beauty of the islands in this vicinity, for several miles 
 up and down the river, can hardly be imagined without a 
 personal visit. Here many of those splendid fish, the mus- 
 calonge, are killed : they are of large size, many of them 
 11 
 
242 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 weighing 40 or even 70 pounds each. Thej are taken with 
 trolling lines; and it requires a skilful angler to land one 
 safely. Sportsmen consider the taking of these fish equal to 
 salmon-fishing. During the past few seasons many of these 
 beautiful islands have been bought bj wealthy people for 
 Suminer residences. Hart's island, directly opposite, and very 
 near to the village, is said to be the spot where Thomas 
 Moore, the Irish poet, wrote early in the century his famous 
 
 Canadian Boat Song. 
 
 Faintly, as tolls the evening chime. 
 
 Our voices keep tune, and our oars keep time ; 
 
 Soon as the woods on shore look dim. 
 
 We '11 sing at St. Ann's our parting hymn. 
 
 Row, brothers, row, the streain runs fast. 
 
 The rapids are near and the daylight's past. 
 
 Why should we yet our sails unfurl? 
 There is not a breath the blue wave to curl ! 
 But, when the wind blows oft' the shore, 
 Oh ! sweetly we '11 rest on our weary oar. 
 Blow, breezes, blow, the stream runs fast, 
 The rapids are near and the daylight's past! 
 
 Utawa's tide! this trembling moon. 
 Shall see us float over thy surges soon : 
 Saint of this green isle ! hear our prayers, 
 Oh ! grant us cool heavens and favoring airs. 
 Blow, breezes, blow, the stream runs fast. 
 The rapids are near and the daylight's past! 
 
 On the Canada side, fifteen miles below Alexandria, is 
 Brockville, one of the most attractive towns on the river, 
 named in honor of Gen. Brock, who fell at Queenston in 
 1812. Here is the Junction of the Grand Trunk Railroad 
 with Brockville and Ottawa Railroad, which extends north- 
 ward to the Ottawa River. 
 
 Ogdensburg and its Railway Facilities. 
 
 On the American side of the river is Ogdensburg, a town of 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 243 
 
 about 9,000 population. This is the western terminus of the 
 Ogdensburg and Lake Chaniplain Raih'oad (now under con- 
 trol of the Central Vermont), which connects Ogdensburg 
 with Rouse's Point on Lake Champlain, and so opens the 
 route to Boston and New York. The Central Vermont Com- 
 pany has here a freight and pas&enger station 305 feet by 84, 
 and numerous other buildings for business on a grand scale. 
 The extensive elevators of the Central Vermont line are 
 located here, at which vessels laden with grain on the lakes 
 discharge their cargoes. Opposite Ogdensburg is Prescott; 
 and a mile below is Windmill Point, where the ruins of an 
 old windmill are seen, in which Von Schultz took refuge with 
 the Polish patriots in 1837. Five miles below, at the first 
 rapids of the St. Lawrence, is Chimney Island, where the 
 remains of an old French fortification are seen. 
 
 Excursion to Ottawa. 
 
 At Prescott, passengers can take the cars for Ottawa, and 
 then descend the Ottawa river to Montreal. The distance 
 from Prescott to Ottawa, over the St. Lawrence and Ottawa 
 Railroad is 51 miles, Ottawa is the capital of the new do- 
 minion of Canada, and is situated on the Ottawa river, a 
 stream 800 miles long, which enters the St. Lawrence on 
 both sides of the island of Montreal, 130 miles below the city 
 of Ottawa. The city is divided into three parts — Lower, 
 Central and Upper Town. The Government Buildings, 
 when completed, will be among the finest on the American 
 continent. These buildings, with the government offices and 
 Queen's Printing-house, occupy three sides of a square on the 
 summit of Barrack Hill, which rises almost perpendicularly 
 from the river to the height of 350 feet. Rideau Falls, in the 
 eastern part of the city, two in number, are very attractive, 
 but are far surpassed by the Chaudiere Falls in the western 
 portion of the city. They are 40 feet high and over 200 feet 
 wide. A suspension bridge just below the falls crosses the 
 river, and gives a splendid view of the falls, the caldron below 
 
244 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 them, and the rapids. The lumber shoots which are built 
 here for running down the lumber, and save it from breaking 
 to pieces in going over the falls, are objects of exciting in- 
 terest. The passage may be made from Ot'awa to Montreal 
 by steamer down the Ottawa river. Picturesque and thickly 
 wooded banks rise on each side much of the way. Two miles 
 below Ottawa is the mouth of the Gatineau, a stream more 
 than 400 miles long, which drains a vast unexplored region. 
 
 The Rapids of the St. Lawrence. 
 
 But a most exciting as well as one of the most delightful 
 portions of our trip, is at hand, — the passage of the rapids of 
 the St. Lawrence. At Chimney Island, previously mentioned, 
 the first of these rapids, and one of the sinallest and mildest, 
 — the Galop Rapid — is reached. Next comes the Long Sault, 
 a continuous rapid of nine miles, divided in the centre by an 
 island. The usual passage for steamers is on the south side. 
 The passage is very narrow; and such is the velocity of 
 the current, that a raft it is said, will drift the nine miles in 
 forty minutes. This is the most exciting part of the whole 
 passage of the St. Lawrence. The rapids of the " Long Sault." 
 rush along at the rate of something like 20 miles an hour. 
 When the vessel enters within their influence, the steam is 
 shut off", and she is carried onwards by the force of the stream 
 alone. The surging waters present all the angry appearance 
 of the ocean in a storm; the noble boat strains and labors; 
 but, unlike the ordinary pitching and tossing at sea, this going 
 down hill hy water produces a highly novel sensation, and is, 
 in fact, a service of some danger, the iinminence of which is 
 enhanced to the imagination by the tremendous roar of the 
 headlong boiling current. Great nerve and force and pre- 
 cision are here required in piloting, so as the keep the vessel's 
 head straight with the course of the rapid; for if she diverges 
 in the least, presenting her side to the current, or " broached 
 to," as the nautical phrase is, she would be instantly run 
 aground. Hence the necessity of enormous power over her 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 245 
 
 rudder; and for this purpose the mode of steering affords 
 great facility ; for the wheel that governs the rudder is placed 
 ahead, and by means of chain and pulley sways it. But, in 
 descending the rapids, a tiller is placed astern to the rudder 
 itself, so that the tiller can be manned as well as the wheel. 
 Some idea may be entertained of the peril of descending a 
 rapid, when it requires four men at the wheel and two at the 
 tiller, to insure safe steering. Here is the region of the dar- 
 ing raftsmen, at whose hands are demanded infinite courage 
 and skill. There is, however, but little danger to life, as it fre- 
 quently happens that a steamer strikes and sinks ; but a few 
 minutes puts her safely in shoal water. The Canadian 
 Navigation Company has never lost any lives by accidents of 
 this kind in descending the rapids. Of course it is impossible 
 for steainers to ascend these rapids ; so canals are constructed 
 around them, with locks, by which the boats are enabled to 
 make the return passage. The splendid boats of the Canadian 
 Navigation Company leave the foot of Lake Ontario in the 
 morning, and reach Montreal at night. The Government is 
 about to deepen the channel through all the rapids to 10 feet. 
 Cornwall, at the lower end of the rapids, is near the boundary 
 line between the United States and Canada. St. Regis is an 
 old Indian village, and lies a little below Cornwall, on the 
 opposite side of the river. It contains a Catholic Church, 
 which was built about the year 1700. While the building 
 was in progress, the Indians were told by their priest that a bell 
 was indispensable in their house of worship, and they were 
 ordered to collect furs sufficient to purchase one. The furs 
 were collected, the. money was sent to France, and the bell 
 was bought and shipped for Canada. But the vessel which 
 contained it was captured by an English cruiser, and taken 
 into Salem, Mass. The bell was afterwards purchased for the 
 church at Deerfield. The priest of St. Regis having heard of 
 its destination, excited the Indians to a general crusade, for 
 its lecovery. They joined the expedition fitted out by the 
 governor, against the New England Colonists, and proceeded 
 
246 TOZfBISTS' BAND BOOK. 
 
 through the then long, trackless wilderness, to Deerfield, 
 which they attacked in the night. The inhabitants un- 
 suspicious of danger, were aroused from sleep only to meet 
 the tomahawk and scalping-knife of the savage. Fortj- 
 seven were killed, and 112 taken captive; among whom were 
 Mr. Williams, the pastor, and his family. Mrs. Williams being 
 feeble at the time and not able to travel with her husband and 
 family, was killed by the Indians. Mr. Williams and part of 
 his surviving family afterwards returned to Deerfield, but the 
 others remained with the Indians, and became connected with 
 the tribe. The Indians having recovei'ed the bell, carried it 
 slung to a pole, through the forest; and it now hangs in the 
 church steeple at St. Regis. 
 
 Lake St. Francis 
 
 is the name given to the St. Lawrence for a distance of 40 
 miles, between Cornwall and Coteau du Lac, where it widens 
 considerably, and is interspersed with a large number of 
 islands. At Coteau du Lac the river grows narrower again; 
 and the Coteau Rapids (two miles long), the Cedars (three 
 miles), the Split Rock, and Cascade Rapids are passed, the 
 river descending 82^ feet in 11 miles. There is a canal 11 
 miles long around these rapids, at the lower end of which is 
 the village of Beauharnois. In the expedition of Gen Am- 
 herst, a detachment of 300 men, that were sent to attack Mon- 
 treal, were lost in the rapids near this place. The passage 
 through these rapids is very exciting. There is a peculiar 
 motion of the vessel, Avhich in descending seems like settling 
 down, as she glides from one ledge to another. In passing 
 the rapids of the Split Rock, a person unacquainted with the 
 navigation of these rapids will almost involuntarily hold his 
 breath until this ledge of rocks, which is distinctly seen from 
 the deck of the steamer, is passed. Near Beauharnois, on 
 the north bank, a branch of the Ottawa enters into the St. 
 Lawrence. The river again widens into a lake called St. 
 Louis. From this place a view is had of Montreal Mountain, 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 24-f 
 
 nearly thirty miles distant. In this lake is Nun's Island, 
 which is beautifully cultivated, and belongs to the Grey Nun- 
 nery at Montreal. There are many islands in the vicinity of 
 Montreal belonging to the different nunneries, and from which 
 they derive large revenues. At Lachine, nine miles above 
 Montreal, the celebrated Lachine Rapids, short, but the rough- 
 est and most dangerous on the river, begin. The descent is 
 44^ feet in eight miles. Here the passengers crowd forward, 
 and peer anxiously ahead and on every side, for the first 
 glimpse of the long-expected, half-feared rapids. Just at the 
 head of these rapids, a little Indian village, Caughnawaga, is 
 seen on the right bank of the river. Here steain is shut off, 
 and the boat comes nearly to a stand-still. A birch canoe 
 puts out from the shore, with two men in it. It comes along- 
 side ; and a brawny, dark-skinned old man, in a picturesque 
 garb, comes aboard. It is old Baptiste, the Indian pilot, who 
 has for over 40 years piloted steamers through these rapids. 
 He takes his place at the wheel, rings the bell to go ahead, 
 and, aided by four or five powerful men, he steers the boat 
 through the foaming, boiling surges, and past the ugly ledges 
 that threaten to wreck her. The rapids safely passed, we 
 shoot under the Victoria Bridge, and are soon moored to the 
 magnificent pier at Montreal. These extensive piers, quays 
 and walls of gray limestone, which border the entire river 
 front, are among the finest in the world, and we gain a fair 
 view of them as we land from the steamer. Passengers for 
 Quebec and other points down the river are transferred direct 
 to one of the fine steamers about starting, and then our 
 steamer is warped into the locks at the foot of the Lachine 
 canal, raised to the upper level, admitted to the basin, and we 
 land on the broad quay, where a host of cabs, ornnibuses and 
 other vehicles are in waiting to convey us to our hotel. 
 
Chapter xl 
 
 Montreal and Its Environs. 
 
 ONTREAL, the Queen city of Canada, is 
 built upon the island of the same name, 
 formed bj the confluence of the t^vo 
 mouths of the Ottawa river with the St. 
 Lawrence, which is here a mile and a 
 half wide. The island of Montreal con- 
 tains 197 square miles, and from its ferti- 
 lity and beauty is called "the garden of 
 Canada." The city takes its name from 
 the mountain which towers behind it, 
 and which Jacques Cartier, in 1535, 
 named Mount Royal. At that time the site of the city was 
 occupied by a walled Indian Village called Hochelaga. In 
 1603, Champlain brought hither a small colony of Frenchmen 
 who settled here. In 1642, M. de Maissonneuve and his asso- 
 ciates having bought the island, and dedicated it to the Holy 
 Family, landed here and named the city, "Ville Marie de 
 Montreal." It has now a population of about 150,000, is one 
 of the principal commercial cities of the Dominion, and by 
 far the most attractive on the scores of natural beauty and 
 elegance of its buildings. The streets are straight, intersect 
 generally at right angles, and present all the characteristics 
 of streets in the great American cities. Along McGill, Great 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 249 
 
 St. James, and Notre Dame streets, the principal retail busi- 
 ness thoroughfares, are many fine stores which make attrac- 
 tive displays of goods, while on Dorchester, St. Catherine 
 and Sherbrooke streets, (the latter the Beacon street or Fifth 
 avenue of Montreal), are numbers of princely residences. 
 No city affords more comfortable, handy and cheap facilities 
 for seeing the sights than Montreal. Hundreds of light, com- 
 modious and attractive one-horse hacks, which convey four 
 persons with ease and speed, stand on the streets waiting for 
 fares, and the prices charged by the hour or the trip are very 
 reasonable. If a driver, who can talk English and who is dis- 
 posed to point out places of interest, be secured, which can 
 easily be done, a drive about the city, for half a day, will be 
 found most delightful as well as instructive. But before 
 minutely considering the objects of interest, we shall desire 
 to find out a good hotel for our stopping place, and we cannot 
 do better than to take the omnibus of the Ottawa Hotel, or to 
 call a cab and tell the driver to land us there. This house 
 having been enlarged and improved, will now accommodate 
 over 350 guests. The Ottawa Hotel covers the entire space 
 of ground between St. JamQS and Notre Dame streets, and has 
 two beautiful fronts. The house has been thoroughly refitted 
 and furnished with every regard to comfort and luxury; has 
 hot and cold water with baths and closets on each floor. The 
 aim has been to make this the inost unexceptionable first-class 
 hotel in Montreal. Messrs. Browne & Perley, the proprietors, 
 have had long experience in first-class hotels in the United 
 States and Canada ; and guests can be sure of every attention 
 and comfort. The St. Lawrence Hall, corner of St. James 
 and St. Francois Xavier streets, is a large hotel much affected 
 by English tourists, and the St. James, on the street of the 
 same name, fronting Victoria square, is a quiet and coinfort- 
 able house. But the Ottawa will be most satisfactory to 
 Americans, being kept in the style of hotels in " the States," 
 and provided with all modern conveniences. 
 
 II' 
 
^^O TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 Public Squares and Buildings. 
 
 Victoria square, in the center of the city, at the intersection 
 of McGill and St. James streets, is a prettj enclosure with a 
 fountain in the center, and fronting- St. James street, stands a 
 bronze statue of Her Majestj^ This admirable work of 
 art, was erected on the 21st of November, 1872, and pre- 
 sented to the Citj' by His Excellency the Governor General. 
 The cost of the statue, including that of the pedestal, — the 
 gift of the Corporation, — was $13,000. The Place d'Armes, 
 a prettj little garden enclosed with an iron fence, fills a square 
 between St. James and Notre Dame streets, and upon it, (on 
 the latter street), fronts the magnificent cathedral of Notre 
 Dame. The Champ de Mars, on Craig street, at the end of 
 St. James, is a famous promenade for citizens and strangers, 
 being the general parade and review ground of the military, 
 and is frequently enlivened during the summer evenings by 
 music from the fine bands of the regiments. Viger Square 
 near the Champ de Mars, is beautifully laid out into a garden, 
 Avith conservator}', fountains. The Place Jacques Cartier, a 
 broad, steep street, running from Notre Dame to the Bonsecour 
 pier, is surmounted at its highest point by a tall column 
 known as the Nelson monument, which was originally quite 
 pretentious, but is now in a rather dilapidated condition. 
 Among the public buildings worthy of especial note, are the 
 new Court House, on Notre Dame Street, and directly oppo- 
 site to Nelson's Monument, of elegant cut stone, in the Gre- 
 cian-Ionic style ; the Post-Ofiiice, on St. James Street, a beau- 
 tiful cut-stone building; the Merchants' Exchange, on St. 
 Sacrament Street; the Mechanics' Institute, a very fine build- 
 incr, situated on St. James Street, of cut stone, three stories 
 high, built in the Italian stj'le ; the Mercantile Librarj^ Asso- 
 ciation Building, Bonaventure Street; the Bank of Montreal, 
 Place d'Armes, St. James Street, opposite the Cathedral, an 
 elegant cut-stone building of the Corinthian order; the City 
 Bank, next to the above, in the Grecian style of cut stone; 
 the bank of British North America, St. James Street, next to 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 25 1 
 
 the Post Office, a handsome building of cut stone, in the 
 Composite style of architecture ; Molson's Bank, St. James 
 Street, a handsome structure ; the Bonsecours Market, on St. 
 Paul and Water Streets, a magnificent edifice in the Grecian- 
 Doric style, cost about $300,000, and contains the various 
 offices of the city; the McGill College, an institution of very 
 high repute, founded by the Hon. James McGill, who be- 
 queathed a valuable estate and £10,000 for its endowment; 
 the Old Government House, Notre Dame Street, now occu- 
 pied as the Normal School ; the Barracks ; the Custom House, 
 St. Paul Street; Hotel-Dieu Hospital, Sherbrooke Street; 
 and many others. The Lachine Canal is among the public 
 works of which the city may feel proud. 
 
 Churches and Religious Institutions. 
 
 Of these there are many and notable. The French Cathe- 
 dral of Notre Dame, fronting on the Place d' Armes is per- 
 haps the one which first attracts the visitor. It is the largest 
 on this continent, seating 10,000 persons. It is 255 feet long 
 by 144 wide and has two towers on its front, each 220 feet 
 high. From the top of one of these towers, to ascend which 
 a fee of 25 cents entitles the visitor, a magnificent view is 
 gained of the city, the river, spanned by the Victoria bridge, 
 and alive with shipping, the islands and the American shore. 
 In this tower hangs the bell " Gros Bourdon," the largest in 
 America, weighing 15 tons, and in the other tower is a fine 
 chime of bells. The Church of the Gesu, or Jesuit church, 
 on Bleury street, is famed for the magnificence of its interior 
 decorations, especially its frescoes, portraits of saints and 
 altar-pieces. The nave is 75 feet high and the roof is sus- 
 tained by rich composite columns. St. Patrick's church on 
 Lagauchetiere street, is 240 by 90 feet, with a spire 225 feet 
 high. Christ Church Cathedral (English) a splendid Gothic 
 church on Catherine street, is cruciform, with a stone spire 
 224 feet high from the centre of the cross. It is of Caen and 
 Montreal stone, and is lighted by stained glass windows, sev- 
 
252 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 eral of which are very beautiful memorial offerings. The roof 
 is sustained bj elegantly carved Caen stone pillars. In the 
 vestry is a bust of Bishop Fulford and a painting of the Rev. 
 John Bethune, for many years rector. In the enclosure out- 
 side, is a fine monument to Bishop Fulford. Adjoining is a 
 chapter-house and library. There are besides almost innu- 
 merable churches — Episcopal, Catholic and Presbyterian 
 •predominating, all of stone and all costly and handsome. On 
 Dorchester street, an immense new Catholic cathedral, to be 
 a copy ot St. Peter's at Rome, but smaller, is slowly building, 
 and near by is the Bishop's Palace. Of the nunneries, that 
 of the Grey Nuns on Guy street, near Dorchester, is most 
 visited. It is customary to be here a few minutes before noon 
 and take seats in the chapel, where, af the stroke of 12 the 
 nuns enter in procession, kneel and chant the prescribed 
 prayers, in a subdued, sing-song tone of voice that is unspeak- 
 ably depressing. Afterwards, visitors are conducted over the 
 immense building, along acres of halls with floors scoured to 
 the whiteness of snow, into the departments of the paupers, 
 imbeciles and foundlings, through the artificial flower rooms, 
 the laundry and other departments. 
 
 The Drive Around the Mountain. 
 
 By far the most delightful excursion is that around Mount 
 Royal, over a splendid macadamized road, making a trip of 
 nine miles. Ascending on the east side and passing around 
 to the north and west, a magnificent view is gained of the 
 valley of the Ottawa, the hamlet of Charleroi with its convent 
 and church, with other villages nestling in the fertile valley, 
 and the beautiful villas here and there dotting the mountain 
 side. On the back side of the mountain are several tanneries, 
 around which quite a little French hamlet has sprung up, and 
 near by is the Half- Way House, where your driver will not, 
 probably, refuse to take a glass of '"alf and 'alf," or " shandy 
 gaff" at your expense. [N. B. — If you ever " take anything," 
 yourself, you will find it good.] On the way towards town 
 
TOURISTS' HAND BOO It. 253 
 
 on the west side, the entrance to Mount Royal Cemetery, the 
 French burying ground, is passed, and it is often visited by 
 strangers. The sight of a procession of hearses, which have 
 come here with as many funerals, racing on their way back to 
 town, seems odd to any one but a native, yet it is often seen. 
 The hearses for children are here very handsome — snow 
 white with figures of angels at the corners and profusely orna- 
 mented. A little further down, the carriage stops and you 
 step out upon a broud platform, whence the ovitlook upon the 
 broad St. Lawrence, with Nun's Island rising far away in 
 the distance, is very fine. To the south, lie the blue hills of 
 Vermont, and at our very feet nestle the imposing buildings 
 of Montreal. Returning to the city, it will be worth while to 
 drive through Sherbrooke street and admire them any beauti- 
 ful residences with their extensive grounds. Those of Mr. 
 Brydges, Mr. Redpatii and Sir Hugh Allan, (the last far up 
 the mountain side and reached by a long private avenue), are 
 among the finest in this vicinity. Still further down town, 
 Dorchester street has many splendid mansions, — that of Mr. 
 Harrison Stevens, the owner of the Ottawa Hotel property, 
 being perhaps the finest. The house is completely surrounded 
 by a lovely park, with dense folliage, shady walks, clumps 
 and mounds of flowers, statuary, fountains, etc. On the 
 corner of University street is the St. James Club, a large and 
 elegant establishment. In the winter, when the mountain 
 roads are deeply covered with snow, and when the fences are 
 invisible beneath the icy crust, a favorite sport is '* snow- 
 shoeing." Clubs of young men with their snow shoes start 
 out of a moonlight evening for a tramp of a dozen or fifteen 
 miles, and return with tired limbs, flushed cheeks and pro- 
 digious appetites. Coasting down the mountain on sleds is 
 also a favorite Montreal amusement, as is skating. 
 
 Next in interest to the drive around the mountain is that on 
 the Lachine road, leading to the village of that name, nine 
 miles from the city. The road is directly along the banks of 
 the river, presenting scenery of unsurpassed beauty and 
 
254 TOURISTS' handbook:. 
 
 grandeur. It is a lovelj drive. If the proper hour is 
 selected, a view maj be had of the descent of the steamer 
 over the rapids. Another favorite drive in the immediate 
 vicinity is to Longue Pointe, being in an opposite direction 
 froin the last, and down the bank of the river. 
 
 The Kiver Commerce of Montreal. 
 
 An immense volumeof wealth pours Into Montreal, through 
 the St. Lawrence, that great funnel with its mouth to the 
 northeast, and its outlet in Lake Ontario. Besides the lines of 
 steamers above Montreal, there are the Richelieu Company's 
 steamers "Quebec" and "Montreal," for Quebec, daily; the 
 Union Steamboat Company's steamers "Abyssinian" and 
 " Athenian " for the same point ; the Ottawa River Navigation 
 Company's boats "Peerless," "Prince of Wales," "Q^ieen 
 Victoria," and "Princess," for Ottawa, twice daily; the Allan 
 Line Ocean Steamships for Quebec, Liverpool and Glasgow, 
 twice each week; the Dominion Line Steamships for Qiiebec 
 and Liverpool, weekly, and the Temperley Line of Steam- 
 ships for Qiiebec and London, every two weeks. The Grand 
 Trunk Railway radiating in every direction except north, 
 affords land communication with the western cities, Boston, 
 New York and Qiiebec. 
 
 Down the River to Quebec. 
 
 By far the most delightful voyage from Montreal is that down 
 the St. Lawrence to Qj.iebec, and if we wish a good night's 
 rest, and fine views of the river at either end of it, (the night's 
 rest, not the river,) and a sight of Qiiebec, by sunrise, we will 
 embark, in the afternoon, on either of the Richelieu or Union 
 steamers named above, and continue down the river, the first 
 place passed being Longueil, a small village on the. south bank 
 of the river, 3 miles below Montreal. Fifteen miles below 
 Montreal is Varennes, situated between the St. Lawrence and 
 Richelieu Rivers. It is connected with Montreal by a line of 
 steamers, and is attracting attention on account of its mineral 
 
TOZTRISTS^ HANDBOOK. 2^5 
 
 Springs. The first stopping place is at Sorel, forty-five miles 
 below Montreal, at the mouth of the Richelieu, having in the 
 vicinity good fishing, and snipe-shooting. Just below, the 
 river expands into Lake St. Peter, 25 miles long, and 9 miles 
 wide. Half way between Montreal and Quebec is the town of 
 Trois Rivieres, at the mouth of St. Maurice. This is one of 
 the oldest towns in Canada, is the residence of a Catholic 
 bishop, and has a cathedral and convent. Thirty miles from 
 Trois Rivieres is the mouth of the Shawenegan River ; and 
 a little above, on the St. Maurice River, are the Shawenegan 
 Falls, where the water leaps down 150 feet perpendicularly. 
 The last place at which steamers stop before reaching Quebec 
 is Batiscan. In passing down the St. Lawrence from Mon- 
 treal, the countrj^ upon its banks presents a sameness in its 
 general scenery, until we approach the vicinity of Quebec. 
 The villages and hamlets are decidedly French in character, 
 and are generally made up of small buildings, the better class 
 of which are painted white, or whitewashed, with red roofs. 
 Proininem in the distance appear the tin-covered spires of the 
 Catholic churches, which form the central figures of each of 
 the villages. As we near Qtiebec, we see the banks of the 
 north shore of the river become more bold and finally pre- 
 cipitous, and the houses nestle at the foot of the bluft's at the 
 edge. The rafts of timber afford a highly-interesting feature 
 on the river. On each a shed is built for the raftsmen, some 
 of whom rig out their huge, unwieldy craft with gay stream- 
 ers, which flutter from the tops of poles. Thus, when several 
 of these rafts are grappled together, forming, as it were, a 
 floating island of timber, half a mile wide and a inile long, 
 the sight is extremely picturesque. Myriads of these rafts 
 may be seen lying in the coves at Quebec, ready to be shipped 
 to the different parts of the world. In the early morning, we 
 look out upon a wall of rock rising above us on the left bank, 
 like a mountain range, and at its base acres of these rafts are 
 mooi-ed. Soon we round a lofty bluff* to the left; we catch a 
 glimpse of a mighty cliff, capped bj a noble fortress, and in a 
 
256 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 moment Qiiebec is before us. In five minutes more we land 
 on the quay. 
 
 Tlie City of Quebec and its History. 
 
 Quebec, the great historic fortress of North America, what 
 associations of romance and tradition throng the mind of the 
 visitor who first gazes upon " the walled city ! " Even in that 
 name, "walled city," there is something so mediaeval, so old- 
 worldish, that it seems more a dream than a reality that it is 
 before us. The first view of the historic city, in the radiance 
 of early morning, is most inspiring and brilliant. The bold, 
 massive headland of Cape Diamond juts a wall of eternal 
 rock into the river. Perched on its suminit is the gray old 
 citadel, frowning down upon the river and the town, which 
 latter clings to the sides of the mountain and clusters round 
 its base, as if ever vainly trying to creep to the top, and ever 
 slipping down. The roofs and steeples, sheathed in glittering 
 tin, shine in the sun as if of burnished gold, while the green 
 slopes of the glacis leading up to the citadel look like a velvet 
 curtain ready to be drawn over the dazzling show. With the 
 landing at the quay all the romance vanishes. You awake to 
 the fact of narrow, dirty streets, importunate cabmen and 
 shaky calashes, which make one seasick to look at, and nearly 
 shake one into an omelet to ride in. By a street only less 
 steep than the roofs of the houses, you are conveyed part way 
 up the clifi", to the " upper town," which hangs midway be- 
 tween the citadel and the river, and which only the most per- 
 sistent belaboring and a shocking waste of artistic profanity 
 (in French Canadian jbatots) can induce the liprses to sur- 
 mount. It is evident there is no S. for the P. of C to A. in 
 Quebec. You reach your hotel, the St. Louis, on the street of 
 the same name, or the Russell House on Garden street, both 
 kept by Willis Russell, Esq., and excellent houses; and after 
 a hearty breakfast, are ready for a tour of the city or a drive 
 into the environs. You will have plenty of offers of calashes, 
 coaches and cabs, but the best plan is to select a nice looking, 
 
TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK^ 2^7 
 
 English-speaking driver, with a clean one-horse hack, and 
 make a solemn compact with him to drive jou wherever jou 
 want to go and be as long as jou desire about it, for so much 
 an hour. You can make the terms easy and can afford a long 
 drive. 
 
 A Short Chapter of History. 
 
 The citj of Quebec was founded by Samuel de Champlain, 
 in 1608. In 1622 the population was reduced to fifty souls. In 
 June, 1759, the English army under General Wolfe landed 
 upon the Island of Orleans. On the 12th September took 
 place the celebrated battle of the Plains of Abraham, which 
 resulted in the death of Wolfe and Montcalm, and defeat of 
 the French army. A force of five thousand English troops 
 under Gen. Murray was left to garrison the fort, and in April 
 following was besieged by the Chevalier de Levis and his re- 
 organized French army. In a sortie of Murray, he lost 1000 
 men and 20 cannon, and had to retire again within the walls. 
 The coming of an English fleet raised the siege, and the 
 Treaty of Paris gave Quebec to England. On New Year's 
 Eve, December 31, 1775, Generals Montgomery and Arnold, 
 with a force of New England and Continential troops, at- 
 tempted to storm Quebec, but Montgomery fell at the head of 
 the forlorn hope, (a sign on the rock above points out the 
 spot) and Arnold's men were hemmed in and a part of them 
 captured. Since then the city has dwelt in peace, though its 
 magnificent fortifications have been preserved and stregth- 
 ened until within a few years, the home government has with- 
 drawn the regular troops, and the wall has been partially dis- 
 mantled. 
 
 The Walls and Fortifications. 
 
 Quebec is nearly triangular in form, built upon the crest 
 and around the base of Cape Diamond, a lofty headland ris- 
 ing from the intersection of the St. Charles and St. Lawrence 
 rivers, in an almost perpendicular clifi" from 100 to '200 feet 
 high. On the brow of this clift' the walls are built of solid 
 
25^ TOURISTS' HANJDBOOk. 
 
 hewn stone, bastioned and loopholed, and at the angles and 
 salient points, batteries of artillery are placed. Two sides of 
 the triangle of Cape Diamond are thus guarded. On the 
 landward side, far up above the citj proper, the triangle is 
 completed bj a line of wonderfully strong Avorks, consisting 
 of rainparts, ditches and outworks, while at the corner, near- 
 est the St. Lawrence and on the very apex of Cape Diamond, 
 350 feet above the river, stands the Citadel. Since the regu- 
 lars were withdrawn, a small body of Dominion artillery 
 garrisons the Citadel, and visitors are shown over it. From 
 the northerly bastion the view of the river, the new fortifica- 
 tions at Pointe Levis on the south shore ; of the city and 
 suburbs and the valley of the St. Charles, is magnificent. The 
 works of the citadel are the wonder of engineers and military 
 inen. Underneath the ramparts on which we stand are case- 
 mates, now used as barracks, and beneath them yet another tier; 
 at each angle is an Armstrong hundred pounder, and all around 
 heavy ordnance frowns through dark embrasure. The pro- 
 visions for the storage of ammunition and supplies are won- 
 derful, and the number of men which can here be accommo- 
 dated and utilized as a garrison seems incredible to anj^ but 
 militarj^ visitors, Outside the Citadel are the "old French 
 works," now in ruins, and a line of martello towers, four in 
 number. These extend across the peninsula, and are con- 
 nected by underground passages with the Citadel. Originally, 
 access from any direction to the " Upper Town," as the enclo- 
 sure inside the walls is called, was through five gates, — mas- 
 sive stone arches, with iron doors, protected by powerful 
 works and armaments. Of these, the St. Louis gate, near 
 the covered way communicating with the Citadel, was the 
 entrance from the Plains of Abraham, by the Grande Allee ; 
 the St. John's Gate, on the street of the same name, towards 
 the St. Charles, was the entrance way of the St. Foy road ; 
 the Palace Gate, on the street of the same name, led down 
 into the Lower Town near the St. Charles ; the Hope Gate, 
 on St. Famille street, 900 feet east of the Palace Gate, led to 
 
TOURISTS' HANiDBOOK: 259 
 
 the wharves of the harbor, and the Prescott Gate, on Moun- 
 tain street, barred the waj up from the Lower Town market 
 and the steamboat piers. All these gates, except the St. 
 John's, which was rebuilt in 1S67, have been removed on ac- 
 count of their obstruction of business. The walls have also 
 been lowered, and a portion of the armament removed. 
 The Public Buildings of Quebec. 
 The Parliament House, where sits the Provincial Legisla- 
 ture, is a large old building, overlooking the former site of 
 the Prescott Gate. On the ramparts in front of this building 
 is the Grand Batterj of (22) 32-pounders. But a short dis- 
 tance south, is the Durham Terrace, a broad, level platform 
 of wood, with an iron railing on the river side, which rests on 
 massive cut stone, on the very verge of the cliff. These foun- 
 dations were those of the Chateau St. Louis, the first building 
 in Quebec, of which Champlain laid the corner stone May 6, 
 1624. January 23, 1S34, the castle was burned, and bj Lord 
 Durham's order the ruins were cleared awaj and this terrace 
 built. It is the fashionable promenade, and in the evening 
 the views of the river are very fine. From the terrace we 
 may look down into the houses in the Lower Town, and 
 might alinost toss a stone into their back windows. The 
 Governor's Garden is near by. It is a rather neglected little 
 park, with gravel walks and a few benches. Its principal 
 feature is a plain, tall obelisk, known as the "Wolfe and 
 Montcalm's Monument," the foundation stone of which was 
 laid by Lord Dalhousie, with imposing ceremonies, on 
 Thursday, November 15, 1827. The monument is from a 
 design by Major Young of the Seventy-Ninth, and cost up- 
 wards of £700. Being 65 feet in height, it is a striking object 
 from the river, rising as it does clear from the garden. It 
 bears two inscriptions ; one of them by Dr. J. Charlton 
 Fisher, as follows : — 
 
 "Mortem Virtus Communem 
 Famam Historia, 
 Monumentum posteritas 
 Dedit." 
 
2.6o TOtlRISTS* HANDBOOK. 
 
 The Lower Governor's Garden is separated from the one 
 just described bj Rue des Carrieres, and has a masked battery 
 for its principal feature. The Place d'Armes is a neat little 
 garden, with a fountain, near the Durham Terrace, and the 
 Anglican Cathedral, a large, plain old structure of stone, in 
 which are the tomb of the Duke of Richmond, who died 
 while Governor General of Canada, in 1819, and the monu- 
 ment of Bishop Mountain. The church has a fine communion 
 service presented by George III, and a chime of bells, which 
 the " artist" in charge jangles most horribly on Sundays. It 
 contains many memorial tablets, mostly to British officers 
 who have died while on duty here. The Catholic Cathedral 
 of the Immaculate Conception fronts the Market Square near 
 by, and is a fine old structure with some valuable pictures, 
 among which one of Christ by Van Dyck is the finest. The 
 Seminary, founded by Bishop Laval, and the University which 
 bears his name, join the Cathedral on the northeast. The 
 University has a library of 50,000 volumes and a splendid 
 museum, and the Seminary has a quaint old chapel with some 
 fine paintings. There are about 400 students, who wear a 
 peculiar uniform. The market square is worth visiting on 
 market days, for the quaint, old country pictures it presents. 
 On the other side of the square are the Jesuit Barracks, so 
 called, originally built for a college in 1646, but since 1759 
 used as quarters for troops. On Garden street, near by, is 
 the Ursuline Convent, which with its gardens covers seven 
 acres. In the chapel rest the remains of Montcalm. 
 
 The Suburbs of Quebec. 
 Passing out through the St. John Gate, we traverse the 
 suburb of St. John, much the most modern and thriving look- 
 ing part of the city. It lies on the high ground outside the 
 walls, and contains many fine dwellings, stores and modern 
 churches. Steep streets lead down to the suburb of St. Rochs, 
 where are the Marine and General Hospitals, imposing and 
 extensive institutions. This part of the city was ravaged by 
 fire and almost annihilated some years ago. 
 
TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 26 1 
 
 Bj the Grande Allee, we traverse the historic Plains of 
 Abraham, a loftj plateau on the landward slope of Cape Dia- 
 mond, outside the citadel. At the time of the great battle 
 identified with the name, the whole heights, or plains as they 
 are indifferently called, extended from the walls to the woods 
 of Sillery and St. Foy, and were bounded on one side by the 
 St. Lawrence and on the other by the St. Charles. Since 
 then, great encroachments have been made ; the suburbs of 
 St. Louis and St. John occupy great portions ; and the name 
 Plains has for a numberof years been confined to an enclosed 
 place, which is now a race-course. Sic transitl Near by is the 
 jail, a substantial, cosey looking structure, and near that, the 
 Wolfe monument — a plain circular column, rising from a 
 square pedestal, and surmounted by a sword and helinet. On 
 the one side of the pedestal is an inscription, as follows : 
 
 HERE DIED 
 
 WOLFE 
 
 VICTORIOUS 
 
 Sept. 13 
 1759' 
 And on the other side 
 
 THIS PILLAR 
 WAS ERECTED BY THE 
 
 BRITISH ARMY ♦ 
 
 IN CANADA, 1849. 
 
 HIS EXCELLENCY 
 
 LIEUTENANT GENERAL 
 
 SIR BENJAMIN D'URBAIN 
 
 G. C. B., K. C. H., K. C. T. S., ETC. 
 
 COMMANDER OF THE FORCES. 
 
 TQ REPLACE THAT ERECTED BY 
 
 GOVERNOR GENERAL LORD AYLMER, G. C. B., 
 
 IN 1832, 
 
 WHICH WAS BROKEN AND DEFACED, 
 
 AND IS DEPOSITED BENEATH. 
 
 The Cap Rouge road, on which we now enter, is a pleasant 
 drive, bordered by fine villas. Spencer Wood, a magnificent 
 park, with concrete driveways half a mile long, lighted all the 
 way by street lamps, and with all the pomp of a feudal domain 
 
262 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 about it, is the residence of the Provincial Lieutenant Governor. 
 Knowing this, it is a disappointment to find that his mansion 
 is an old, yellow barrack, with no pretensions to beauty, out- 
 wardly, at least. Visitors often cross irom this point to 8t. Foy 
 road and return to the city by the St. John's Gate, 'passing on 
 the left the '* Monument aux Braves," a tall column, sur- 
 mounted by a statue of Bellona, presented by Prince Napo- 
 leon. This monument marks the scene of the second battle 
 of the Plains, where Murray was defeated by De Levis as 
 already described, and was erected in 1854 ^J ^^e French resi- 
 dents, over the remains of hundreds of their blood who fell 
 in that conflict. 
 
 The Indian village of Lorette, near the falls of the same 
 name, nine miles inland, is often visited ; so also are the 
 Chaudiere Falls, 350 feet wide and 150 feet high, 18 miles 
 from Pointe Levis, on the south side of the river. 
 
 The Falls of Montmorenci. 
 
 But the most interesting of the wonders near Qviebec, are 
 the Falls of Montmorenci, eight miles from the city by the 
 Beauport road. Crossing the St. Charles, we follow the bank 
 of the St. Lawrence at some distance, passing several hand- 
 some villas and chateux, and an old mansion house, now in 
 ruins, where Montcalm had his head-quarters at one time. 
 Beauport is a long village, on both sides the road, with no 
 particular beginning nor ending, and notable for its French- 
 ness in cottages, people and dialect; also for the crowds of 
 children who run beside your carriage, with bunches of flow- 
 ers which they expect you to accept — in return for small 
 siver coin. The Falls are seen by dismounting and traversing 
 a field a short distance to a pavilion, which brings us face to 
 face with the cataract. Here the Montmorenci river plunges 
 down a perpendicular precipice 250 feet high, into a tre- 
 mendous yawning gorge, with a roar that is heard for a 
 long distance. So abrupt is the fall that the water is beaten 
 into perfect foam, and looks more like a sheet of wool hung 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 263 
 
 on the face of the rock than a cataract of water. Just above 
 the Falls are the towers of a suspension bridge, which spanned 
 the river, but soon fell and pitched three persons into the 
 chasm below. They were killed. 
 
 Ste. Anne, 24 miles below Quebec, is visited by steamer if 
 one chooses to make the excursion. Its objects of interest 
 are several picturesque falls, lofty inountains and a pretty little 
 pilgrimage-church, where the relics of Ste. Anne are exhibited, 
 and whereby many wonderful cures of the sick are reported. 
 There are also many other excursions from Quebec, if we 
 have time and inclination. They will be suggested by the 
 driver. 
 
 The Lower St. Lawrence and the Saguenay. 
 
 The tour of the Lower St. Lawrence and the Saguenay is 
 made from Quebec by the steamers of the Saguenay Com- 
 pany, whose office is on St. Louis street, opposite the hotel, 
 Stevenson and Leve, agents. The clerk in charge, Mr. 
 Stocking, is an American and a white man, which is praise 
 enough. The boats leave every morning except Sunday and 
 Monday, and make the round trip in 48 hours. Or we may 
 take the Grand Trunk to the mouth of the river, and then go 
 up by steamer to Grand Bay (or Ha, Ha ! Bay, as it is also 
 called.) The Saguenay river is formed by a junction of two 
 outlets of the St. John Lake, a body of water covering 500 
 square miles, and lying in the wilderness 125 miles northwest 
 of Tadousac. Up towards the lake there are magnificent cas- 
 cades, where the water dashes along between banks of solid 
 rock from 100 to 1,000 feet high. Ha-ha Bay, which is 60 
 miles from its inouth, affords the first landing and anchorage 
 for steamers. The Saguenay boats. Union, St. Lawrence and 
 Saguenay, are small, but comfortable and well found boats, 
 and the fare is excellent. From Quebec to the mouth of the 
 Saguenay, the scenery of the lower St. Lawrence is magnifi- 
 cent. On a late summer's day, when the sun shines brightly, 
 owing to some peculiarly atmospheric condition, the land- 
 
264 TOURISTS^ HANDBOOK. 
 
 scape is overspread with a soft haze, and the view across the 
 glassy water, to the rolling hills and gentle slopes of the 
 southern bank strikingly resembles, in its mellow, dreamy 
 softness, an Italian landscape. On the north side of the 
 river, which the boat hugs most of the way, the scenery 
 is grand and rugged, a lofty, precipitous mountain range 
 extending all along; the cliffs, rising abruptly from the water's 
 edge, being generally densely wooded with evergreens, and 
 frequently threaded with sparkling waterfalls. At St. Paul's 
 Bay, we make a stop alongside a fishing schooner, anchored 
 in deep water — the shoals inshore prohibiting a nearear ap- 
 proach — exchange mails, land a passenger or two, and are 
 off again. At Eboulements and Murray Bay, stops are also 
 made. Then we dart across the river to Riviere du Loup, on 
 the south shore, where is a popular Canadian watering-place, 
 and which also serves as the landing for Cacouna, the New- 
 port of the Dominion. Here we meet the other boat of the 
 line, on her return trip from the Saguenay. Again, crossing 
 the river abruptly, we are soon alongside a little pier at 
 Tadousac, just within the mouth of the Saguenay, and the 
 captain gives us an hour's " leave on shore." If Cacouna be 
 the Newport, Tadousac is the Long Branch of the Dominion. 
 Here Lord Dufferin, the Governor-General, has a summer 
 home, emulating the Chief Magistrate of the States in the 
 choice of a summer capital, by the sounding sea. The St. 
 Lawrence, at this point, is quite a sea in size, and, as its 
 waters are salt, and the tides flow and ebb, " sea bathing" is 
 one of the advertised attractions. There is a fine hotel at the 
 head of a crescent-shaped bay on the St. Lawrence side of a 
 jutting point, and quite a group of Summer cottages on the 
 bluff above. 
 
 The Mysterious Hiver. 
 
 But we have come to see the Saguenay and not to revel in 
 the enjoyments of Tadousac, and soon we are speeding up 
 that mysterious river, just as the sun is sinking behind the 
 
12 
 
266 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 grand and gloomy cliffs which confine it. We have noticed, 
 even before our landing atTadousac, that the water has grown 
 as black as ink, almost, and we find it to rival Day & Martin, 
 as soon as we are fairly inside the point. This peculiarity, 
 they tell us, is due to the river's flowing through hemlock and 
 tamarack swamps. We observe that the churning of our pad- 
 dle wheels produces, not white froth, but something resem- 
 bling coffee cream. We have been prepared for a wild and 
 startling panorama, for fathomless waters and precipitous, 
 overhanging walls of rock, but the reality surpasses the de- 
 scription, and, when the moon comes out and throws her 
 silver radiance across the gloomy depths beneath us, and 
 tinges with pale splendor the bare, gray cliffs above, the effect 
 is strangely weird and unreal. The banks present a continual 
 succession of pictured rocks and towering precipices, " It is 
 as if the mountain range had been cleft asunder, leaving a 
 horrid gulf 60 miles long and 4000 feet deep through the gray 
 mica schist." Among the points of greatest note on the 
 Saguenay, may be named Statue Point, an immense perpen- 
 dicular rock below Ha-ha Bay, which rises 600 feet, with sides 
 as smooth as if polished by a skillful workman. " Statue 
 Point has a huge Gothic arch, opening into a vast cave, which 
 it is said, the foot of man never trod. Before the entrance to 
 this black aperture a gigantic rock, like the statue of some 
 dead Titan, once stood. A few years ago, during the winter, 
 it gave way; and the monstrous figure came crushing down 
 through the ice of the Saguenay, and left bare to view the en- 
 trance to the cavern it had guarded perhaps for ages." Be- 
 yond this is the vast Tableau Rock, a sheet of dark- colored 
 limestone, some 600 feet high by 300 wide, as straight and al- 
 most as smooth as a mirror. 
 
 Ha, Ha ! Bay 
 
 About midnight we arrive at Ha, Ha! Bay and take on 
 wood, which generally occupies the rest of the night, as the 
 French deck hands are not used to hurrying, and besides, the 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 267 
 
 passengers want to see the baj by early morning light. Ha, 
 Ha ! Baj is a broad expanse of smooth water, shut in on all 
 sides save one by rugged and almost inaccessible cliffs. This 
 bay is a pocket, opening from the right bank of the river, and 
 is said to be seven miles deep. At the bottom of the pocket 
 is a strip of low land, which has been impi^oved by the loca- 
 tion of two little hamlets, named respectively St Alphonse 
 and St. Alexis. The latter is the larger, but the landing is at 
 the former. Each is a cluster of little cabins, in the centre of 
 which is a small church. About a mile from the landing is a 
 salmon river, where in the season the salmon may be seen by 
 scores, leaping, like animated bars of silver, to the height of 
 several feet, in the attempt to surmount the falls. This sal- 
 mon river, like most in the Dominion, is rented out by Gov- 
 ernment, the lessee being a Mr. Price, who owns a vast lum- 
 ber territory, up this way, and seems to number nearly all the 
 inhabitants among his employes. About all the pay they get 
 comes in the form of provisions and clothing from his stores. 
 
 To the Head of TSTavigation and Back Again. 
 
 Starting on our way again we proceed out of the bay and up 
 the river, through a tortuous and difficult channel, to Chicou- 
 timi, the head of navigation. Above Ha, Ha ! Bay, the shores 
 of the river are less abrupt, frequent fertile slopes and green 
 valleys appear, and there are many habitations. Chicoutimi 
 is the metropolis of this region. Here is Mr. Price's lumber 
 entrepot, and here he has two of his stores. Large barques lie 
 at anchor in the channel, loading with the staple commodity 
 sawn at the mills on the Chicoutimi river, which here empties 
 into the Saguenay. Chicoutimi consists of a long, straggling 
 street, lined with small houses, mostly of logs, a barn-like 
 frame church, a nunnery, the residence of the priest and those 
 of Mr. Price and his brother ; the last three being quite com- 
 fortable houses. It is a most lonesome and desolate metro- 
 polis, and its most lonesome and desolate feature is the little 
 graveyard beside the church, with its wooden headboards, bear- 
 
268 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 ing French inscriptions in black paint. Upon the most sightly 
 prominence overlooking the river, are rising the walls of a 
 large stone building, which we are told is to be a Catholic col- 
 lege. Fancy a college in these wilds ! After an hour or two 
 spent in seeing the sights of Chicoutimi, we start on our return. 
 Its incidents are not worth record till about 2 p. m., when we 
 reach the wonder of the region, the great object which we 
 have borne in mind during the whole trip, but which we have 
 not before seen, as we passed it in the night on our up trip — 
 Eternity Bay. 
 
 The "Wonder of Wonders. 
 
 As we near this spot, the overhanging cliffs grow higher, 
 the whole panorama wilder, and by degrees our eyes are edu- 
 cated to a proper appreciation of the great marvel. We are 
 sailing in fathomless waters between walls of rock, towering 
 hundreds of feet above us, and gradually increasing to near 
 2,000 feet from the water's edge, when just in the highest part 
 the wall is cleft asunder, and a broad inlet makes into the 
 land. That is Eternity Bay. The steam is shut off, the 
 vessel's head turned to the right, and slowly she drifts into 
 the bay. To our right is a Titanic cliff, at first descending in 
 three gigantic steps to the water's edge, but, as we round the 
 point, its face becomes one sheer, perpendicular surface of 
 rock, veined and streaked with red and black, as if the solid 
 mountain had been split asunder, and the very heart of the 
 rock exposed. Its upper edge bears the shape of three domes, 
 set side by side, justifying the title of Cape Trinity. Here we 
 drift along, while the steamer's whistle is blown and a small 
 cannon fired, the blasts and the report coming back to us in 
 marvellously distinct echoes. A box of small stones is brought 
 out, and we try to throw a pebble across the apparently insig- 
 nificant expanse of water between us and the cliff, but in vain. 
 Such is the deception in distance, due to the overpowering 
 height of the cape, that the strongest arm fails to compass it. 
 We could remain here for hours, and every moment gain a 
 
TOURISTS* HANDBOOiC. 269 
 
 better appreciation of the majesty of the scene, but time fails, 
 and the steam is again applied, and the boat's head turned 
 riverward. As we pass out of the bay, Cape Eternity looms 
 above us, the twin sentinel of the wonder we have just left, 
 less rugged and harsh, but even more massive and higher by 
 100 feet. Its loftiest wall towers 1,800 feet perpendicularly 
 above the dark water of the river, which is here said to be a 
 mile and a quarter in depth. These are the marvels of our 
 journey, and they passed, nothing remains to excite our won- 
 der. The rest of our voyage is but a repetition of what we 
 have already seen. We reach the mouth of the river at night- 
 fall, and the next morning we again land at Quebec. 
 
 Other Trips from Quebec. 
 
 From Quebec, we may — if we desire a longer trip, and one 
 which will give us a view of the wild and majestic scenery of 
 the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the boundless expanse of the 
 North Atlantic — take passage by one of the splendid steam- 
 ships of the Quebec and Gulf Ports Steamship Company, of 
 which, also, Stevenson & Leve are agents, — the "Secret," 
 " Miramichi," or " Georgia," — for Shediac, Pictou, or Char- 
 lottetown. On the trip we shall see Perce, with its famous 
 arched rock rising from the waters, and affording a passage 
 for the waves; the Isle of Orleans ; Father Point; Chaleur, 
 Miramichi, and Gaspe Bays. From Shediac or Pictou we may 
 return to Boston by Intercolonial, European and North Amer- 
 ican, Maine Central and Eastern Railways, passing through 
 St. John, N. B., Bangor, Augusta and Portland, Me. A 
 more delightful winding up of a summer trip could not be 
 imagined. Or we may cross the St. Lawrence to Pointe 
 Levis, take the Grand Trunk Railway cars and, passing 
 through Richmond Junction, continue our journey to Port- 
 land, Me., and thence hjome; or to Newport, Vt., and thence 
 to the White Mountains or directly to Boston. Or we may 
 return to Montreal and thence take one of the already de- 
 scribed routes to Boston. 
 
IIP ®F flE Wilf 1 lOTIMII 1E§IW, 
 
 RAILROADS. 
 
 STAGE LINES. 
 
CHAPTER XIT. 
 The "White Mountains. 
 
 ^^^ F ROUTES to the White 
 Mountains there are 
 manj. We have already 
 in imagination traversed 
 several ; but we will now 
 approach " the Switzer- 
 land of America " from 
 the north, en route to our 
 Boston homes. From 
 G^uebec, as we have al- 
 ready said, the trip is 
 made via Newport, Vt, 
 but unless one wishes to 
 stay awhile at Lake Mem- 
 W' phremagog, this route is 
 not convenient, the con- 
 nections being uncertain 
 and far from "close." 
 From Montreal, there 
 are three routes from which to choose : one by the Grand 
 Trunk Railway from St. Lambert via Richmond Junction to 
 Littleton, 187, or Bethlehem, 199 miles from Boston; the 
 second, via South-eastern and Connecticut and Passumpsic 
 
:272 
 
 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 Rivers Railroads from St. John's, down through Newport to 
 Wells River, Vt., and thence up to Littleton or Bethlehem; 
 the third bj the main line, through St. Albans to Essex Junc- 
 tion, thence bj Central Vermont down to White River Junc- 
 tion, then up through Wells River to Littleton or Bethlehem. 
 Arrived at the railway terminus, — whichever of the two last- 
 named stations we choose as our point of approach to the 
 mountains, — we transfer ourselves to the six-horse stage- 
 
 THE PROFILE, OR "OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN." 
 
 coach which conveys us to the Profile House, in the very heart 
 of the Franconia Notch. This hotel stands on a plateau of 
 level ground in the midst of the great hills, and at the very 
 foot of Eagle Cliff, a towering crag, which seems to threaten 
 the house below, and takes its name from the fact that a few 
 years ago a pair of splendid eagles made it their home. The 
 view down the Notch, with its sentinel peaks on either hand, 
 is grand and imposing. Echo Lake is one of the noted feat- 
 
fOlJRiSTS' HANDBOOK. ' 273 
 
 ures of the Franconia Notch, a diminutive but very deep 
 pond, entirely environed by mountains. From its centre a 
 voice, the notes of a horn, or the discharge of a fire-arm, 
 will awake a perfect chorus of echoes many times repeated. 
 
 Profile or Cannon Mountain derives its names from the re- 
 semblance of a pile of rocks on its summit to a mounted 
 cannon, 2,000 feet above the road, double that height above 
 the sea level, and directly opposite Eagle Cliff, forming the 
 western side of the Notch ; and from the Profile on the 
 southern extremity of its crest. This " Great Stone Face," 
 immortalized in literature by Hawthorne, and familiar to all 
 visitors as the " Old Man of the Mountain," is eighty feet from 
 the point of the chin to the top of the forehead ; and it is 
 placed 1200 to 1500 feet above the road. Three masses of 
 rock form this profile, which is clearly cut and entirely dis- 
 tinct, with a high, stern forehead, prominent nose, lips just 
 parted, and a massive chin. At the foot of this mountain lies 
 the lovely little Profile Lake, called also the " Old Man's Wash 
 Bowl." Bald Mountain is ascended from the hotel by a car- 
 riage-road ; and from its summit a fine view is obtained. 
 Mount Lafayette is the giant of this range, towering 5,280 
 feet skyward, and pyramidal in form. Its ascent is long and 
 tedious, by a devious bridle-path ; but the view from its sum- 
 mit, taking in the whole mountain range and surrounding 
 country, compensates for the fatigue. Walker's Falls, in the 
 rear of the road, are a series of mountain cascades, leaping 
 like a ribbon of silver down through a contracted gorge. 
 The Basin is five miles south of the Notch, and lies near the 
 roadside. It is formed by the action of the water of the Pem- 
 igewasset, which pours over a rocky ledge into a hollow in 
 the solid granite. This hollow, by the incessant whirling of 
 the water and the pebbles which it carries with it, has been 
 worn into a perfect bowl, nearly circular, 45 feet in diameter, 
 and 18 feet deep. The clearness of the water is such that the 
 smallest objects on the bottom are clearly discerned, though 
 its great depth gives it a bright green tint. 
 12* 
 
274 
 
 TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 THE FLUME, FRANCONIA NOTCH. 
 
 The Flume is perhaps the most famous, and is certainly not 
 the least wonderful, of the curiosities in the Franconia Moun- 
 tains. Imagine a solid mass of granite, split to the depth of 
 fifty feet, and the perpendicular walls separated twenty feet,, 
 and you have an. idea of the Flume. Through it pours a little 
 brook; and a plank walk alongside enables the visitor to as- 
 cend its course several hundred feet. Near the upper end a 
 huge boulder, which evidently lay on the surface when the 
 rock was riven, has fallen into the chasm, until the sides, 
 gently sloping inward, have caught and hold it suspended in 
 mid-air. The Cascade, below the Flume, is a waterfall of 
 more than 600 feet descent, gliding over the polished rock 
 like a sheet of molten silver. The Pool is an enlarged edition 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 275 
 
 of the Basin. It is about 150 feet wide; and the water is 40 
 feet deep. It is cut from the solid granite bj the chisel of 
 Nature. From the top of the rocky wall which surrounds it, 
 its depth is about 150 feet. The Harvard Falls, also called 
 the Georgianna Falls, are the most remarkable cascades in 
 the vicinity. For nearly a mile they follow each other down 
 the mountain ; and the uppermost makes a flying leap of 150 
 feet sheer. Having thus "done" the wonders of the Fran- 
 conia region, the tourist may follow the valley of the Pemige- 
 wasset down to Plymouth, and thence by rail to Lake Winni- 
 piseogee, or may retrace his steps to Littleton or Bethlehem, 
 and thence by rail to Twin-Mountain station, at the very door 
 of the famous hotel of the same name, 203 miles from Boston. 
 
 The Twin Mountain House, 
 
 This first-class hotel, built in 1869-70, is pleasantly situated 
 on a rise of ground on the bank of the Ammonoosuc River, 
 commanding a fine view of the White and Franconia Moun- 
 tains. To the right rises Mount Lafayette in all its grandeur ; 
 while to the left, and distinctly visible, is the White Mountain 
 range; and towering above all is Mount Washington. Being 
 centrally located, parties can visit many points of interest, 
 and return the same day. Among these are the Crawford 
 House, with its White Mountain Notch, Mount Willard, the 
 Willey House, and numerous cascades, Mount Washington 
 and its railway, Profile House, Littleton, Waumbek House, 
 and Bethlehem. From this house it is but ten miles to the 
 Crawford House (five by rail, five by stage) ; ten miles to 
 the depot of the Mount Washington Railway, where cars are 
 taken for a trip over the famed rail line to the crowning sum- 
 mit ; 30 miles to the Glen House, and 28 miles to Gorham, by 
 the Cherry Mountain road. Parties visiting the mountains 
 should not fail of making the ascent of Mount Washington 
 by its railway, which is a triumph of mechanical skill and 
 engineering. Thousands of persons are annually carried up 
 this road with perfect ease and safety. Comfortably seated in 
 
TOURIST^' HANDBOOK. ■ 277 
 
 their cars, rising at the rate of one foot in three, new objects 
 of interest come before the eje. Villages, rivers, lakes, and 
 mountains continually burst upon the view until the summit 
 is reached, when the beholder stands upon the highest point 
 of land in this country east of the Mississippi. Parties de- 
 siring to descend the mountain on the east side, by the car- 
 riage road, will find carriages in readiness for the Glen House 
 and Gorham. Coaches run to and from the Twin-Mountain 
 House to all important points about the mountains, and to 
 the Mount Washington Railway. Leaving the house at 7.30 
 in the morning, you reach the summit at 12 m. ; returning, 
 leave the summit at 3, p.m., and reach the house at 6.30, p.m. 
 The Boston, Concord, and Montreal Railroad has built a spur- 
 track to this house, with an extension to the Fabyan House. 
 Passengers leaving Springfield, Boston, or Burlington, Vt., 
 in the morning, arrive at 6.20, p.m. ; and those leaving Wells 
 River in the morning arrive here at noon. Passengers can 
 take the cars at this house in the morning, and reach Boston, 
 New York, Newport, Burlington, or Montreal the same day. 
 For the pleasure of the guests, the proprietors have provided 
 billiards, bowling, pleasure-boats, croquet grounds, and a 
 good band during the season. Post and telegraph offices are 
 located in the house; and "horses and carriages, with ex- 
 perienced drivers, are furnished for parties when desired," 
 Those afflicted with " hay-fever," or " autumnal catarrh," will 
 find comfort in the fact that the larger number of those afflicted 
 with this disease, who have been here in years past, bear 
 testimony to partial, and in most cases entire relief from this 
 distressing malady. Messrs. A. T. and O. F. Barron are the 
 proprietors. One feature of the management of the Messrs. 
 Barron is worthy of note. A farm of twelve hundred acres 
 near White River Junction, and the old homestead farm at 
 Queechee, Vt., supply vegetables, milk, eggs and butter for 
 their houses, and guests may be sure of always getting the 
 freshest and best of farm and dairy products at their table. 
 
^\^\\ ^^- ^^x \ 
 
 P 117-1 1 
 
 ! 1 1 HI 
 
 'I'll ' '>,■•-■■• ■••'.■•> 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 279 
 
 The Crawford House. 
 
 The same firm are also proprietors of the famous Crawford 
 House, at the head of the White Mountain Notch, the head- 
 quarters of the region. This splendid hotel, newlj furnished, 
 and provided with all the appliances of a modern resort, is so 
 placed as to command from its spacious piazzas a grand vista 
 down the wondrous White Mountain Notch, and views of the 
 summit of Mount Willard, which is reached bj carriage road 
 from this point, and of the Elephant's Head, a singular mass 
 of rock, projecting from the mountain side, and so perfectly 
 forined that no one needs to be told what it is. A glistening 
 seam of white rock siinulates the tusk, while the massive head, 
 pendulous trunk, and huge ears are represented by dark gray 
 crags. From the Crawford House one may ascend Mount 
 Washington by bridle-path, carriage-road, or railway, spend 
 the night at the Mount Washington, Summit, or Tip Top 
 House, and descend next day on the other side to the Glen 
 House ; or he may take the stage coach, via Cherry Mountain, 
 over the Jefferson Hills, from which a wonderfully fine view 
 of Mount Washington, from a new standpoint, is gained. 
 Starr King's most enthusiastic descriptions were of this local- 
 ity. From Jefferson, a ride of 20 miles around the base of 
 Mount Madison brings us to the Glen House; or, if we pi'e- 
 fer to make the journey from the Crawford House by another 
 route, we take the stage-coach at the door, and are soon 
 rattling down through the world-famous White Mountain 
 Notch. 
 
 The White Mountain JXTotch. 
 
 This is a gorge, or rift, through the mountains, which 
 affords a water course for the Saco river. On either hand 
 the mountains tower to the height of 2,000 feet; and the car- 
 riage road is cut from the very mountain side, clinging as it 
 were to the verge of the steep declivity, while far below the 
 river brawls and babbles over its stony bed. In one place, 
 called the " Gateway," the Notch is but 22 feet wide. An ex- 
 
5§0 
 
 tOiJRISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 "GATE -OF THE NOTCH." 
 
 tension of the Portland and Ogdensburgh Railroad, up through 
 this Notch, opposite the carriage path, is in progress, and will 
 probably be open to travel during this season (1875.) On the 
 way down the Notch we pass the Flume, a narrow sluiceway, 
 worn into the solid rock of the mountain's side, down which 
 courses, with the swiftness of light, a mountain stream. A 
 little farther on we see the Silver Cascade. This is one of the 
 most charming waterfalls imaginable, and may be traced like 
 a thread of silver winding down over the glassy rock from 800 
 feet above the road. Still farther down, between Mount 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 2S1 
 
 Webster and the Willej Mountain, we see at the right of the 
 road the historic building, the Willey House. 
 
 Here, on the 28th of August, 1826, the Willej Family, nine 
 in number, alarmed bj the noise and sight of a terrific ava- 
 lanche coming straight down the mountain-side towards the 
 house, fled, but were overtaken and buried by the rushing 
 mass. A huge rock back of the house divided the earth-slide, 
 
 PEABODY RIVER AND MOUNT WASHINGTON. 
 
 and saved the house. It has been greatly enlarged, and is now 
 a place of entertainment. Spark4ing Cascade and Sylvan 
 Glade Cascade are pretty waterfalls below the Willey House. 
 
^82 TOUR IS fS' HANDBOOK. 
 
 Leaving the Saco Valley, below Sawyer's Rock, we turn to the 
 east, and cross the Ellis River, getting a view of the Goodrich 
 Falls, the most lofty and imposing cataract in the mountains. 
 A mile farther on Jackson is reached, where are some very 
 beautiful cascades on Wild- Cat Brook. The views of the 
 mountains are very grand from this point. From Jackson we 
 proceed nearly north, up the Ellis River, and through the 
 Pinkham Notch, passing by the way the beautiful Glen Ellis 
 Fall, where the water of the river pours down over a precipice 
 85 feet high, making a perfect arch of foamy spray; past the 
 lovely Crystal Cascade, about the same height, and aptly de- 
 scribed as an inverted plume ; past the Emerald Pool, with 
 its quiet beauty; Thompson's Falls, and the Garnet Pools, 
 and soon arrive at the Glen House. This is one of the largest 
 hotels in New England, having about 400 rooms, and is one 
 of the most complete and luxurious in all departments. 
 
 From this point teams are provided for trips to the Crystal 
 Cascade, Glen Ellis, Emerald and Garnet Pools, the Imp 
 Mountain, Tuckerman's Ravine, — with its gloomy depth and 
 masses of eternal snow, — West Branch, Mount Carter, and, 
 grandest of all, the ascent of Mount Washington. The road, 
 which was completed to the summit and opened for travel in 
 1861, is a smooth and well-built macadamized turnpike. The 
 average grade is 12 feet in 100. There is no diiliculty in the 
 ascent, and no more discomfort than in the same amount of 
 carriage-riding upon any of the mountain roads. The car- 
 riages are easy and comfortable, and have experienced drivers 
 capable of giving information. These carriages are accompa- 
 nied by baggage-wagons ; and at the summit of the Mountain 
 we may take the railroad down to the White Mountain Notch. 
 
 Climbing the Mountain. 
 
 Having passed through the forest that covers the base of the 
 mountain, the road emerges on the mountain side near the 
 "Ledge." Clay, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison are seen to 
 the best advantage from here ; and Starr King calls these moun- 
 
TOtlRISTS' HAND BO ok 2^2> 
 
 tains, seen from this point, "Nature's struggle against petri- 
 fication, the earth's crj for air ! " Rising from the Ledge, the 
 road overlooks the vallejof the Ellis and Peabodj Rivers, and 
 the Saco Vallej, famed in song. Plateau after plateau does the 
 road reach, each one, as we look up to it, seeming to be the 
 last. Finally, after about three hours' ride, we reach the sum- 
 mit, 6,300 feet above the level of the sea. 
 
 "The first efiiect upon standing on the summit of Mount 
 Washington is a bewildering of the senses at the extent and 
 lawlessness of the spectacle. It is as though we were looking 
 upon a chaos. The land is tossed into a tempest. But in a 
 few moments we become accustomed to this, and begin to feel 
 the joj of turning round and sweeping a horizon line that in 
 parts is drawn outside New England. The diameter of this 
 circle is 250 miles: and you are at the central point. As far 
 as you can see, in every direction, are mountains holding up 
 their faces to be kissed by the sun. There are lakes, rivers, 
 villages, and roads no broader than a ribbon, stretching away 
 so many miles that it makes one tired ; but the warm blue 
 mountains, chain upon chain, are over and above all. Upon 
 these things do you look down ; and you can look up — only 
 at heaven." 
 
 !N"orth Conway, and its Beauties. 
 
 From the Glen House, a splendid drive down the Pinkham 
 Notch and the Saco Valley brings us to North Conway, 
 long famed as a suminer resort and a favorite haunt of ar- 
 tists, — the most gifted pencils in the country having trans- 
 ferred its charming scenes to their canvas. North Conway 
 lies just at the portal to the mountains, whose snow-capped 
 peaks form the back-ground for the most delightful views. 
 The Conway Intervale stretches away on either hand, a broad 
 expanse of richest green, threaded by the sparkling Saco 
 River. The beautiful village, nestled at the foot of grand old 
 Kiarsarge, is a pleasing feature, with its neat white houses, 
 well-kept roads, and general air of thrift. The numerous 
 hotels and large boarding-houses are taxed to their utmost to 
 accommodate their crowds of summer visitors from the cities. 
 The principal hotel is the Kiarsarge House, kept for many 
 
284 
 
 Tourists' handbook. 
 
 seasons past bj Thompson & Sons. This long famous house 
 was greatly enlarged in 1872, and fitted up in unsurpassed 
 style. The Intervale House, kept by Mudgett & Son, is located 
 under the slope of Mount Pequaket, or Kiarsarge, is within a 
 
 ..,„,friiii luiiii iiiiii'i (^\j\&| 
 
 beautiful enclosure of hills and surrounded by attractive 
 points, easily reached by short walk* from the hotel The 
 buildings are comparatively new, and it will be found to be a 
 centre of attractions for those who tarry at this point. It has 
 about 100 sleeping rooms ; has been newly painted through- 
 
TOURISTS' HANDBOOK. 285 
 
 out, and partly new furnished ; has a nice hall for parties and 
 hops, etc. The house is within a few rods of the Intervale 
 Station of the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad, to which 
 the Eastern Road also runs its cars. The other hotels in the 
 village are the North Conwaj House, M. B. Mason, propri- 
 etor; the Sunset Pavilion, kept bj M. L.Mason; Mason's 
 Hotel, F. H. Mason, proprietor; McMillan House, bj J. 
 McMillan; the Washington House, J. M. Gibson, proprietor; 
 the Eastman House, kept by C. E. Evans. There are, 
 besides, many boarding-houses for summer guests. The 
 " Ledges," bold granite bluffs, nearly 1000 feet above the 
 Saco, with the deep chasm known as the Cathedral ; Di- 
 ana's Bath, filled with limpid water, sparkling like crystal ; 
 Artists' Falls, in a shadowy glen of picturesque loveli- 
 ness ; Echo Lake, at the foot of Mote Mountain, and the 
 "White Horse," — are a few of the objects of special in- 
 terest in the vicinity of North Gonway. The queenly Kiar- 
 sarge, a symmetrical paramid 2,367 feet high, is seen to the 
 north-east, and to the west. Mote Mountain, with Chocorua's 
 jagged peak in the distance ; while the curves of Rattlesnake 
 Ridge, and the imperial domes of Mount Washington and the 
 adjacent mountains, complete the framing of this valley, the 
 Mecca of thousands of pilgrims every year. Here is the beau- 
 tiful station of the Conway Division of the Eastern Railroad, 
 where we may take an express train direct for Boston, via 
 Great Falls and Portsmouth, with Pullman cars. The Port- 
 land and Ogdensburg Road also has a station near by, whence 
 those who desire may proceed to Portland and the East. 
 
THE EPILOGUE. 
 
 •^e/i^f^^f^ OTHING now remains to be said but the word 
 ^ f4fcj| ll "Farewell," — a word sad at all times, but how 
 ^'^^r^' inexpressibly mournful when the occasion is the 
 ^v^^ separation after a vacation journey, with all its 
 joys and vexations, sublime scenery, and dusty railroad rides, 
 romantic climbs and torn clothes, inspiration of Nature and 
 botheration of baggage, sweets of flirtation and bitters of bill- 
 paying — yet there is this consolation in our separation, that 
 next season our experience can be renewed, if we choose, for 
 the attractions described are perennial, our little book is 
 always ready and always reliable, and only our own choice is 
 needed to revisit some of the bright scenes that we have 
 enjoyed together by the way. 
 
 Having sipped the Saratoga waters together, sailed up and 
 down the lovely lakes together, climbed in and out of the 
 chasm .and over the Adirondack Mountains together, plunged 
 over the Falls of Niagara together (figuratively, as it were), 
 made the tour of the St. Lawrence, the Saguenay and the 
 White Hills together, it will be strange indeed, if we do not 
 find ourselves with each recurring season, taking as a part of 
 our vacation enjoyinent and recuperation, a trip to some of 
 the resorts which we have just visited. 
 
A Pleasant Excursion. 
 
 A very pleasant trip may be made from Boston by taking either of tiie 
 line steamers of 
 
 SANFORD'S INDEPENDENT LINE TO BANGOR. 
 
 THE CAMBRIDGE, CAPT. J. P. JOHNSON, OR THE KATAHDIN, GAPT. W. R. ROIX. 
 The boats of this line leave Boston alternately, 
 
 Every Monday, Tuesday, Tlinrsday and Priday, at 5 P. M. 
 
 The tourist desiring to visit that famous resort, Mount Desert, finds the 
 easiest and speediest connection, via Steamer Lewiston, at Rocliland. 
 
 " Mount Desert " is the name of an island of about a hundred square 
 miles in extent, which enjoys the highest reputation among the many 
 places of resort upon that coast. It has been described as the most extra- 
 ordinary island on the coast of Maine, and perhaps on the whole coast of 
 America. It is remarkable for its size, its bold and wild scenery, its pure 
 air, and is not without a curious history. The name formerly belonged to 
 a township which comprised the whole island; it is now retained by the 
 central portion ; the northerly portion is a township incorporated under 
 the name ot " Eden; " and the southerly portion under the name of" Tre- 
 mont." The appearance of the island wnen approached from the sea is 
 grand and romantic in the extreme. In the central and south-eastern 
 parts, the island maintains its native wildness, and game abounds in great 
 variety. The great attraction of the place is found in the combination of 
 the charms of ocean and mountain scenery, both of wliich may be enjoyed 
 here in the highest degree. Whether for trout fishing, or for deep-sea 
 fishing, the facilities oflered at Mount Desert are unsurpassed elsewhere. 
 The i)rincipal mountain upon the island has been accurately ascertained 
 by the United States Coast Survey to be 1480 feet above the level of the 
 sea. This is an extraordinary altitude for an eminence within a few miles 
 of the deepest waters of the ocean. It is a favorite place for the sojourn 
 of artists ; and it is said that whoever visits it once, is sure to return again 
 and again. The air is especially pure and bracing; it is strengthening to 
 invalids, and is breathed with exquisite pleasure by those in full health. 
 Many persons from the cities, after becoming acquainted with the beauties 
 of the island in repeated visits, have built houses there in order to make 
 it a place of permanent residence during the summer months. There are 
 several centres of attraction upon the island. The principal Post-office ad- 
 dress is "Bar Harbor." The island is practically almost inaccessible to 
 travellers by any land route. The best method of reaching it is by the 
 Steamers of Sanford's Independent Line from Boston to Bangor. One of 
 these Steamers leaves Boston at five o'clock in the afternoon, every Tues- 
 day and Friday; passengers tor Mount Desert are transferred at Rockland 
 to the Steamer Lewiston, by which they reach their destination without 
 delay. 
 
 The Wassaumkeag House, at Fort Point, on the Penobscot River, is 
 another favorite resort reached by this line, and visitors to Moosehead 
 Lake, Sebec, St. John, and other points " down East," will get rapidly 
 and comfortably to their destinations. The sea voyage gives just 
 enough variety to spice the otherwise rather monotonous existence of 
 travel, and the comforts to be found on board make the tourist feel at 
 home ail the way. 
 
FIRST-CLASS HOTELS. 
 
 American House .■ ". . . . St. Albans, Vt. 
 
 H. PiERCK & Son, Proprietors. 
 
 American House Montpelier, Vt. 
 
 Chbstick Clark, Proprietor. 
 
 American House Burlington, Vt. 
 
 H. H. Howe, Proprietor. 
 
 American House Fitchburg, Mass. 
 
 E. DeWolf & Co., Proprietors. 
 
 American Hotel Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 
 
 Wm. Bennett, Proprietor. 
 
 Bishop's Hotel Montpelier, Vt. 
 
 H. H. Bishop, Proprietor. 
 
 Berwick Hotel Rutland, Vt. 
 
 C. F. Richardson, Proprietor. 
 
 Brattleboro' House Brattleboro', Vt. 
 
 H. A. KiLBUUN, Manager. 
 
 Congress Hall Albany, N. Y. 
 
 Adam Blake, Proprietor. 
 
 Congress Hall Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 
 
 Hathorn & SouTHGATE, Proprietors. 
 
 Clarendon Hotel Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 
 
 C. E. Leland, Proprietor. 
 
 Columbian Hotel Saratoga Springs, N. Y, 
 
 D. A. Dodge, Proprietor. 
 
 Clifton House Niagara Falls, N. Y, 
 
 COLBURN & McOmber, Proprietors. 
 
 Crawford House Carroll, N. H. 
 
 A. T. & O. F. Barron, Proprietors.! > i**r ;F^ 
 
 Ft. William Henry Hotel. -Lake George (Caldwell), N.Y. 
 T. Roessle & Son, Proprietors. 
 
 1 
 
HOTELS— Continued. 
 
 FouquET's Hotel Plattsburg, N. Y. 
 
 Smith & Martin, Proprietors. 
 
 Grand Union Hotel Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 
 
 J. H. Bkislin & Co., Managers. 
 
 HoLDEN House Saratoga Springs, N. Y 
 
 C. H. HOLDEN, Proprietor. 
 
 International Hotel Niagara Falls, N. Y. 
 
 Mason's Hotel North Conway, N. H. 
 
 F. H. Mason, Proprietor. 
 
 Martin's Hotel Saranac Lake, Adirondacks, N. Y. 
 
 W. F. Maktin, Proprietor. 
 
 MoNTEAGLE HoTEL Niagara Falls, N. Y. 
 
 Alexander & Terrill, Proprietors. 
 
 Magog House Sherbrooke, P. Q^ 
 
 F. P. Buck, Proprietor. 
 
 Alarrin House Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 
 
 H. A. QuACKENBUSH & Co., Propriftors. 
 
 Ottawa Hotel '- Montreal, P. Q^ 
 
 Browne & Perley, Proprietors. 
 
 Pavilion Hotel Wolfeborough, N. H. 
 
 A. L. Howe, Proprietor. • 
 
 Pemigewasset House Plymouth, N. H. 
 
 C. M. Morse, Proprietor. 
 
 Russell House East Milton, Mass. 
 
 James M. Russell, Proprietor. 
 
 Rockwell House Glens Falls, N. Y. 
 
 Rockwell Brothers, Proprietors. 
 
 Stevens House Vergennes, Vt. 
 
 S. S. Gaines, Proprietor. 
 
 St. Regis Lake House.. St. Regis Lake, Adirondacks, N. Y. 
 Paul Smith, Proprietor. 
 
 St. Louis Hotel Quebec, P. Q^ 
 
 W. Russell & Son, Proprietors, 
 
 Twin Mountain House Carroll, N H. 
 
 A. T. & O. F. Barron, Proprietors. 
 
 United States Hotel Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 
 
 Hou. James M. Marvin, Proprietor. 
 
 Union Hotel Cuttingsville, Vt. 
 
 H. Todd, Proprietor. 
 
 Van Ness House Burlington, Vt. 
 
 Barber «fe Ferguson, Proprietors. 
 
 Weldon House St. Albans, Vt. 
 
 Thomas Lavender, Proprietor. 
 
 Waverly House Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 
 
 Major W. J. RiGGS, Proprietor. 
 
INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 Lake Shore and Michigan Sdfcithern Railway 
 
 Adriondack Company's Railrogid, 
 
 Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul Railway, 
 
 Michigan Central & Great Western Railway 
 
 Montreal & Boston Air Line, 
 
 St. Lawrence & Saguenay Line, . 
 
 Quebec & Gulf Ports Steamship Co., 
 
 Eastern & Maine Central Line, 
 
 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad 
 
 Congress and Empire Springs, 
 
 Ottawa Hotel, 
 
 Monteagle Hotel, . 
 
 St. Louis Hotel, 
 
 Eagle Hotel, . 
 
 Brattleboro House, 
 
 Bellevue House, 
 
 Magog House, 
 
 Congress Hall, k 
 
 RoUstone House, S 
 
 Boston Daily Globe, 
 
 Boston, Concord, Montreal & ^hite Mountains R R 
 
 Bray & Hayes, i 
 
 Boston Courier, ) 
 
 4 
 5 
 6 
 
 7 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 lO 
 
 II 
 
 12 
 
 r3 
 H 
 15 
 i6 
 
 17 
 i8 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 22" 
 23 
 
 24 
 
Lake M d Mieiip Mm Mway. 
 
 The Great DoubleTrack Route 
 
 From BOSTON and NEW YOUK 
 
 To CHICAG-O, via BUFFALO. 
 
 The only Line connecting with the 
 
 NEW YORK CENTRAL AND ERIE RAILWAYS 
 
 Running Through Cars without Transfer of Baggage. 
 
 M lift iii f f alii lii?i iiffik 
 
 DAILY FOR 
 
 CLEVELAND, TOLEDO, OH 10 AGO AND 8T. LOUIS, 
 
 WITHOUT CHANGE. 
 
 A Ziahe Shore Palace Sleeping Car runs between Niagara Falls 
 and Chicago, via East JSuffalo (daily, Sundays excepted), leaving Niagara 
 Falls ri-33 A. M., and accompanies the Chicago tram leaving East Buffalo, 12.15 
 P. M., arriving Chicago, 8.20 A. M. 
 
 Only one Change of Cars between BUFFALO and ST. JOSEPH, 
 
 KANSAS CITY, LEAVEN^WORTH, OMAHA 
 
 and ALL POINTS ^WEST and 
 
 SOUTHWEST. 
 
 SECURE TICKETS BY THIS FAVORITE ROUTE. 
 
 For Sale at all Frincipal OflBces in the East. 
 Sections secured in "Wagner Cars, Boston to Chicago, at the 
 Company's Ofllce, No. 210 Washington St., (Old State House,) 
 and on application to Wagner's Agents. 
 
 JAS. S. SMITH, Agent, J. A. BURCH, Gen'l Eastern Agent, 
 
 210 Washington St., Boston, Buffalo, JV. Y. 
 
 CHAS. PAINE, General Sup't, CLEVELAND, OHIO. 
 
 W. W. RUGGLES, Gen'l Trav. Agent for Mass. and Northern New England, 
 
 Boston, Mass. 
 W. A. CROMWELL, Gen'l Trav. Ag't for East^n New England and Provinces, 
 
 Boston, Massi 
 
 4 
 
ifjtttta^ ^<^tttpttg'$ Mafltntsi 
 
 PEOM SARATOGA SPEINGS, 
 
 TO 
 
 HADIiEY, (LUZERNE,) THURMAlSr, (Station for "WAR- 
 
 BENSBTJRG and LAKE GEORGE,) RIVERSIDE, 
 
 AND NORTH CREEK, 
 
 FORMING THE 
 
 MP ST DIRECT RAILROAD ROUTE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 Valley of the Uppei^ Wudson, 
 
 A.iid. the Wild.emess. 
 
 Express Trains leave Saratoga Springs on arrival of morning and 
 mid-day (N. Y. Special) trains from tlie south. 
 
 Connections are made at T/mrmatt nvitJi a First- Class Stage 
 Line to Lake George. 
 
 Tlie distance by Stage, (9 miles), Through Fare and Time being the 
 same as by the old route via Glen's Falls. This route affords 
 
 New and Far More Picturesque and Delightful Scenery 
 
 Than any other route from Saratoga. 
 
 Also, at Riverside with Stages for Chester, Pottersville, and 
 the Steamboat on Schroon Lake. 
 
 Also, at North Creek (from morning Train) with Stages for 
 Warburn's, {Indian Lak%) Jackson's, {Cedar River,) Wakeley's 
 {Cedar Fails,) and the new Hotel at Blue Mountain Lake, 29 miles 
 distant, the most desirable rendezvous and starting point from 
 which, to reach Raquettb Lake, and the Heart of The Great 
 Forest. 
 
 C. E. DVItKEE, C. S. BALIjAMD, 
 
 General Ticket Agent. Superintendent 
 
Mtm% Mllwiilie t St. 9iil 
 
 jA.IXm'XIV .A-S: 
 
 THE GREAT THROUGH LINE between 
 
 Chicago, New Yorl, Nesr England, llie Canalas, 
 
 -AND- 
 
 All iEastern and (Southern Points, 
 
 AND THE GREAT NORTHWEST. 
 
 Connecting in Chicago witli all Eastern and Soutliern Lines. 
 
 Chicago Depot :— Corner Canal and West Madison Sts. Horse 
 Cars and Stage Lines for all pa^s of tlie City constantly passing. 
 
 Chicago City Offices :— 61 and 63 Clark Street. 
 
 Milwaukee Depot :— Corner Reed and South Water Sts. Horse 
 Cars and Omnibus Lines running regularly therefrom to the principal 
 liarts of the City. 
 
 City Ticket Office :— 400 Ea^ Water St. cor. Wisconsin Street. 
 
 '-^^ 
 
 TSJE ONIjY THROW^m LIKE BETWEEN' 
 
 Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul and Minneapolis. 
 
 It traverses a finer country, with grander scenery, and passes 
 through more business centres and pleasure resorts, than any other 
 Northwestern Line. 
 
 The Only Haihvag Ly%e along the Valley of 
 THE XJI>I*EI1 3i:iSJSIlSlSII»I»I RIVER, 
 
 AND THE SHORE OF LAKE PEPIN, 
 
 Also via Madison, Prairie du Chiea, McGregor, Austin and Owatonna, 
 
 THROUGH PAUCE COACHES AND SLEEPING CARS OF IKE BEST, 
 
 A.NI> TKACIt PERFECT. 
 
 [[^"Connecting at St. Paul and Minneapolis, with the several lines 
 centering at those points. 
 
 St. Paul. Depot :— Corner of Jackson and Levee Streets. 
 
 City Office :— lis East Jackson Street, corner of Third Street. 
 
 A. V. H. CAKPENTEE, Gen. Pass, and Ticket Agent, Milwaukee- 
 
 BOSTON OFFICE: 1 Court St., E. I. HIIL, Agent, 
 
Ieslsrii|ailwa]fs, 
 
 BUFFALO, SUSFFJYSIOJY BRIDGE, 
 
 AND 
 
 
 '>'i»)/, 
 
 9® 
 
 4r Through Express Trains Daily to Chicago. 
 
 Pullman and Wagner's luxurious Drawing-Room, Hotel and Palace Sleeping 
 Cars run on all Through Express Trains over this Line, with 
 
 mvi @ii 6IAM1 m iiii Fi@i idif @i f ® iiiiiif- 
 
 THIS IS THE 
 
 SHORTEST, QUICKEST and MOST DESIRABLE LINE 
 
 BETWEEN THE 
 
 NEW ENGLAND STATES 
 
 AND 
 
 CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE, ST. PAUL, 
 
 AND THE PACIFIC COAST. 
 
 Passengers 'purchasing their tickets by this route are allowed to stop off and 
 
 resume their journey at pleasure, thus affording them an opportunity of 
 
 witnessing the Greatest Natural wonder in America, the 
 
 FALLS AND SOENEBY OF NIA&AEA. 
 
 Baggage diecked. TJarongh. to all Foints 'West. 
 Be sure and ask for Tickets via 
 
 The Great Western and Michigan Central Railways^ 
 
 Which are sold at all principal offices east of Suspension Bridge. 
 
 A. J. HARLOW, J. Q. A. BEAN, 
 
 Eastern Passenger Agent, Gen'l Eastern Agent, 
 
 201 Washington St., Bo ton, 349 Broadway, New York. 
 
 7 
 
THE GREAT NORTHERN ROUTE FOR T0UR/3TS 
 AND PLEASURE SEEKERS. 
 
 THE NEW 
 
 ©itiiil mi Bmim Am Mm 
 
 —COMPOSED OF THE— 
 
 Boston, Concord & Montreal R. E., Cencord to Wells River, 
 Passumpsic E. E., Wells Eiver to Newport, Vt., 
 
 South-Eastern Eailway, Newport to Sti Johns, P. Q. 
 
 Will run 2 FAST EXPRESS TRAINS, 
 
 Composed of NEW AND ELEGANT CARS provided with 
 all modern improvements, 
 
 Frcm BOSTON ('■o°e'^^!f^) to MONTREAL, 
 
 Where connection is made with Grand Trunk Railway for the West. 
 
 Entire Trains, with Pullman Cars attached, run from Boston to Montreal 
 without change, and only one change to Chicago. No route from Boston presents 
 such magnificent scenery, and Passengem by this Line travel through the Para- 
 dise of this Continent, 
 
 A continuous and most charming Panorama of River, Mountain. Valley and 
 Lake Scenery will entertain the traveler for a distance of 250 miles, including 
 the grand views of 
 
 ZAKE WINNIPESAJ7KEE, 
 
 TME WHITE MOVNTAIN KANQE, 
 PASSUMPSIC HirEB VAZLET, 
 CRTSTAL LAKE, 
 
 AND THE 
 
 MOMANTIC ZAKE MEMPHJtEMAGOG, 
 
 Trains stop 30 minutes for meals at the Pemigewasset House, Plymouth, 
 N. H., and the Memphremagog House, Newport, Vt. 
 
 General Office, 
 (Old Xumber 94.] 
 
 GUST. LEVE, Gen'l Agent. 
 
THE 
 
 LINE OF STEAMERS,' 
 
 PLYING BETWEEN 
 
 QUEBEC, 
 
 THE 
 
 E.IVEE. S.A.C3-TJEIsr.A."Y", 
 
 AND THE 
 
 "Watering Places of the lower St. Lawrence, 
 
 IS COMPOSED OF THE 
 
 First-Class Sea-Going Passenger Steamers, 
 
 ''SAGUJENA Y'/' 
 
 ''ST. LAWREN^CJE/' 
 
 CLTLCl ''UNION.'' 
 
 ACCOMMODATIONS FIRST-CLASS, .m 
 
 CHARGES MODERATE. 
 
 Tickets for sale at all Principal Ticket Offices in tlie States and 
 Canada; and at tlie Office of the Company, opposite St. Louis 
 Hotel, Quebec, or St. Andrews Wharf. 
 
 For further information apply to 
 
 STEVENSON & LEVE, General Agents, A. CABOURY, 
 
 BOSTON : 240 Washington Street. Secretary. 
 
 IIONTBEAL : 202 St, James Street. 
 
 9 
 
A GREAT ATTRACTION 
 
 To Tourists and Pleasure Travelers, 
 IS THE BOUIE OF THE 
 
 Quebec and Gulf Ports 
 
 STEAMSHIP CO. 
 
 Whose commodious Steamers proceed from Quebec down the 
 majestic River and Gulf of St. Lawrence, in sight of the grandest 
 scenery and many historical points, calling at numerous noted sea- 
 bathing resorts on the south sh(M-e of the Gulf, giving the sports- 
 man and angler a chance to visu the most far-famed rivers, bays 
 and inlets, which swarm with trout and salmon. 
 
 The Steamers connect at Point du Chene (Shediac) with the 
 Intercolonial Railroad for SN;. John, N. B., thence by cars and 
 steamers to 
 
 PORTLAJYB AJYI) BOSTOJY, 
 
 and at Pictou with Intercolonial Railroad for Halifax, N. S., 
 connecting there with Raflroad or Steamer lines for St. John, 
 Portland and Boston. This is the route to CHARLOTTE- 
 TOWN and PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. 
 
 From New York, Boston, or q^her points in New England, to 
 Montreal, Quebec, thence via GStilf Port Steamers to Shediac, N. B., 
 Charlottetown, P. E. I., Pictou, >^. S., St. John, N. B., Halifax, 
 N. S., passing through all points of interest in the maritime 
 provinces, and returning by either rail or steamer to Portland, 
 Boston and New York ; or vice versa. 
 
 For sale in New York, Boston, and principal points in New 
 England, at all Offices selling Excursion Tickets. 
 
 Ask Ticket Agent for Gulf Ports Steamer circular, which will 
 give you all the particular information, and map of route. 
 
 STEVENSON & LEVE, Passeng^ 'Ag'ts. W. MOORE, Manager. 
 
 GENERAL OPFICE, Opposit^e St. Louis Hotel, QUEBEO. 
 
 ]VIoiitreal, - - SOS St. Jaixies St. 
 
 BOSTON, - - - 240 {old i^emher, 94) Washington Street. 
 
 10 
 

 } 
 
 '/* 
 
 UMiu/n 
 
 '■*tchq"ubc"T"**^***' 
 
 U 
 
 
^ 
 
 ■i 
 
 Fo 
 
 Plac 
 
 This fold-out is being 
 
k^tef r\ ^ iit^iiie ^;er\tf ^1 
 
 RAILROAD LINE. 
 THE QEEAT THBOUQH BOUTE 
 
 TO TI€:E1 
 
 Ptate of Maine & Maritime Provinces, 
 
 SHORTEST and popular route via the Sea Shore, Hampton and 
 Rye Beaches, and Isles of Shoals, to Wolfboro, North Conway, 
 and White Mountains. 
 
 The only direct route to the RATsTGELEYS and MOOSEHEAD 
 LAKE, the GREAT FISHIWG R ESORTS. 
 
 CONNECTIONS are also made at Portland with the Grand 
 Trunk Railway, for Gorham, the Canadas, and the West, also with 
 all the Steamboat Lines to Mount Desert, the coast of Maine and 
 the Maritime Provinces. 
 
 NO CHANGE OF CARS 
 
 Between Boston and North Conway, or Boston and Bangor, and 
 but one to St. John, N. B. 
 
 PULLMAN PALACE CABS are in use on this Line. 
 
 No other line offers such facilities or possesses such advantages, 
 to the great pleasure resorts of New England. All the modern 
 improvements are in use on this road. 
 
 Can be secured by letter or telegraph, at the 
 
 Boston Oface, 280 "Washington Street- 
 
 Before purchasing Tickets refer to Maps, Advertisements, etc., 
 of this Company, to be obtained at the Ticket Offices in New York, 
 Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington,' Montreal, Quebec, and White 
 Mountains, also of the principal Ticket Agents in the United 
 States and Maritime Provinces. 
 
 CESAS. F. HATCH, Gen'i Ulaiiag-er. 
 
 GEO. BACHELDER, Sup't E. E. R. PATSON TUCKEE, Sup't M. 0. E. E. 
 CiEO. F. FIE:r.l>, Geu'l Pass. Ageut. 
 
 11 
 
THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT 
 
 AND IS PAID FOR AS SUCH, 
 
 BUT NOTWITHSTANDING 
 
 It is literally^true, as thousands can and will 
 testify, that the 
 
 OM@ag@, liflligloi mi ^mmj 
 
 Has the SMOOTHEST AND BEST TEACK, and the BEST AND MOST 
 
 COMPLETE EQUIPMENT of all roads m the West, and has 
 
 NO SUPEEIOE. in any part of the country. 
 
 /t is the Favorite witii tiie Traveling Public. 
 
 It is the only line to 
 
 0-A.i_.i:FOE.isri^ 
 
 Running the justly Celebrated and most Comfortable 
 
 DTNTNQ C, A RR =^ - 
 
 And offers the very best route to all points in 
 
 KANSAS, C01.0RAI>0, 
 
 NEW MEXI«!0, IOWA, 
 
 IVI:BRASKA, miSSOVKI AND TEXAS. 
 
 No Passenger will ever regret having chosen this Route. 
 
 TICKETS via this Line POE SALE AT ALL THE TICKET OFFICES IN THE EAST. 
 
 COMPANY'S OFFICES: 
 317 Broadway, New York. 222 'Washington St., Boston. 
 
 D. W. HITCHCOCK, E. P. RIPLEY, 
 
 Gen'l Pass. Agent, CHICAGO. Gen'l Eastern Pass. Agent, BOSTON. 
 
 12 
 
THE 
 
 CONGRESS and EMPIRE 
 
 SPRING \VATERS, 
 
 Si'e tl^e Se^t Sr\ti-Siliou^ l^eir\edie^ ki\owi\. 
 
 They are purely natural mineral waters, cathartic, alterative aud 
 slightly stimulating and tonic iu their effects, without producing the 
 debility that usually attends a course of medicine. 
 
 They are used with marked success in Affections of the Liver aud 
 Kidneys ; and for Dyspepsia, Gout, Chronic Constipation, and Cuta- 
 neous Diseases they are unrivalled. 
 
 They are especially beneficial as general preservatives of the tone of 
 the stomach and purity of the blood, and are i)owerful preventatives 
 of Fevers and Bilious Complaints. 
 
 These waters should be taken in the morning before breakfast— one 
 pint being the usual draught— and their use may be continued daily 
 for months, with the most agreeable results, and without reaction, or 
 any necessity of increasing the quantity taken. 
 
 Congress Water being the most popular of the Saratoga waters, 
 is largely counterfeited. Every genuine bottle has the letter *'C," 
 with the name of the undersigned Proprietors, and the words Con- 
 gress Water raised upon the glass. 
 
 The genuine Empire Water may be similarly distinguished, the 
 letter **E,** and words Empire Water, being substituted for those 
 above named. 
 
 Purchasers should require these brands and marks. 
 
 ^^ None Genuine sold on draught. 
 
 Orders by mail receive prompt attention. Address 
 CONGRESS & EMPIRE SPRIN€t CO., 
 
 94 CHAMBERS STREET, 
 Or, SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. T. NEW rORK. 
 
 13 
 
OTTAWA HOTEL, 
 
 ]>i:0]VTi:tE^3L.. 
 
 C. S. BROWN£, J. Q. PERLEY, Proprietors. 
 
 THIS well known and popular Hotel is situated on St. 
 James Street, the principal business street of the city, and is 
 near the Post Office, Banks, Theatre, and all the Public Build- 
 ings, and has ample accommodation for 400 guests. 
 
 The Ottawa Hotel covers the entire space of ground run- 
 ning between St. James and Notre Dame Streets, and has two 
 beautiful fronts. The House has been thoroughly Refitted and 
 Furnished with every regard to comfort and Luxury — has hot and 
 cold water, with baths and closets on each floor. The aim has 
 been to make this the 
 
 Most Unexceptional First-Class Hotel In Montreal. 
 
 The proprietors respectfully assure their patrons that no 
 exertions will be spared to make this Hotel 
 
 A Comfortiiljle Home for ih Traveling Public. 
 
 Carriages, with attentive drivers, may be had at all times 
 by application at the office. 
 
 Coaches will be found at the Railway Depot and Steamboat 
 Landings, on the arrival of the several Trains and Steamers. 
 
 Montreal Telegraph Office in the House. 
 
 14 
 
Monteagle House, 
 
 SUSPENSION EH, NmU N. \ 
 
 This House is now open for the reception of its patrons and 
 the traveling public, under an entire new management. Having 
 been refitted and entirely renovated it commands the attention of 
 parties visiting Niagara. The rooms command a fine, uninterrupt- 
 ed view of Niagara Falls, the two Suspension Bridges, Whirlpool, 
 and Whirlpool Rapids. In connection with the house are Mineral 
 Sulpher Springs and Bfeths, making it desirable for those requiring 
 tonic and cutaneous treatment. 
 
 Free OmziibvLS to and from all trains. 
 Terms, .$3.00 per day. 
 
 Special inducements to partifjp remaining any length of time. 
 Parties intending to stop at th&^ Monteagle, should have their bag- 
 gage checked to Suspension Bridge. 
 
 ALEXANDER & TEEHILL, Proprietors. 
 
 IS 
 
CT. LOUIS HOTEL 
 
 8T, LOUIS STREET, 
 
 :Q, TJ IE B E O 
 
 WILLIS HXJSSELL, - - - - Proprietor. 
 
 This Hotel, wliicli is um-ivalled for size, style and locality, in Que- 
 bec, is open through the year for pleasure and business travel. 
 
 It is eligibly situated near to, and surrounded by the most delight- 
 ful and fashionable promenades,— the Governor'ts Garden, the Citadel, 
 the Esplanade, the Place d' Amies, and Durham Terrace— which fur- 
 nish the splendid views and magniflceut scenery for which Quebec is 
 so justly celebrated, and which is unsurpassed in any part of the 
 world. 
 
 The proprietor, in returning thanks for the very liberal patronage 
 hitherto enjoyed, informs the public that this hotel has been enlarged 
 and refitted, and can now accommodate five hundred visitors ; and 
 assures them that nothing will be wanting on his part that will con- 
 duce to the comfort and enjoyment of his guests. 
 
 16 
 
OI»FOSITE3 THE C^FITOIL. GMiOTJNIDS* 
 CONCOKD, NEW HAMPSHIEE. 
 
 Enlarged, Refitted., and Hefurnished. 
 
 TOURISTS 
 
 Wishing to make a stop on the way to or from tlie Mountains will 
 find accommodations equal to any in New England. 
 
 Free Carriages to and from the Depot, 
 
 JOSX- S. Wai¥l{, Pfopfietof 
 
 17 
 
V*- RT?iTTri?RnRn VT ^-C. 
 
 BRATTLEBORO, VT. 
 
 H. A. KILBURN, MANAGER. 
 
 18 
 
BELLEVUE HOUSE 
 
 H. BEAN, - - - - Proprietor. 
 
 The Bellevue was constructed last season, and opened for the accommodation 
 of the public Dec. ist, 1873. It has all of the modern improvements, lighted by 
 gas, large pleasant rooms, and for neatness and conveniences is unsurpassed by 
 any house in the State. Being situated at the head of Lake Memphremagog, 
 and at the junction of the S. E. Railway with the C. & P. R. & M. V. R. R., 
 makes it a very desirable and accessable point both for commercial and pleasure 
 travellers. 
 
 The management, grateful to the public for the favors extended to him for the 
 past ten years, solicits a continuance of their patronage, with the assurance that 
 the Bellevue shall be second to none in its comforts and accommodations. 
 
 BATES PEE DAY:— For Commercial Travollsrs, $2.00; for Pleasure Visiters, $2.50, 
 j^p*Livery furnished for guesjg at reasonable rates. 
 
 Newport, June ist, i8fs. 
 
 19 
 
A/TAGOG HOUSp 
 
 iVJL SHERBROOKE, P. Q. ±_^ 
 
 At Newport, Vt., the traveller can take the elegant Steamer 
 
 '' LADY OF THE LAKE," 
 
 9APT. FOGG, 
 
 To Magog, and from that point, John Norton's Stage Line to 
 Sherbrooke, where they will find the 
 
 MAGOG HOUSE, 
 
 Under the management of Mr. H. S. Helpburn, one of the best 
 kept Houses in Canada. 
 
 Excellent Fishing in the Vicinity. 
 
 The far famed Lakes 
 
 MASSAWIPPI AND MEGANTIC 
 
 Are but a short distance from the House. 
 
 The Steamer, the Stage Line, and the House are under the con- 
 trol of men who from long experience are well qualified to antici- 
 pate and satisfy the wishes of travellers. 
 
 20 
 
Congress halL 
 
 ALBANY, jsr. IT, 
 
 Situated on Capitol Hill, adjoining the New Capitol, and State 
 
 Library; fronting on the City Parks, and in the 
 
 immediate vicinity of all the State 
 
 Buildings. 
 
 WITH ALL THE MODERN IMPKOVEMENTS. 
 
 Pleasure seekers will find this the most pleasant Hotel to stop 
 at in the City. 
 
 ADAM BLAIi:E, Proprietor. 
 
 FIRST-CLASS HOTEL 
 
 CVi 
 
 oi 
 
 OUSE, 
 
 OLLSTONE 
 
 FITCHBURG, MASS. 
 Wm. F. Day, - - Proprietor. 
 
 Formerly of Fitchburg Hotel and 
 American House. 
 
 Guests conveyed to and from the Deoots free of charge. 
 
 21 
 
BosTonsr 
 
 DAILY GLOBE. 
 
 FOLDED, PASTED AND CUT 
 
 LIKE J^ BOOK. 
 
 PRICE THREE CENTS. 
 
 22 
 
So^toii, Cor^c^of d, ^oi\tf Cell 
 
 AND 
 
 WHITE MNTAIKS 1 1 
 
 Now open to the Fabyan House, White Mountains, and to 
 Northumberland on the Grand Trunk Railway. 
 
 TAe Shortest^ Quickest and Best Route 
 
 TO THE 
 
 White and Franconia'Mountains, Montreal and Quebec. 
 
 This is the only line running Day Palace Cars and Express Trains 
 between Boston, Providence, Worcester, New London, Ston- 
 ington, and the White and Franconia Mountains. This 
 Line passing as it does up the valley of the Merrimac 
 and Connecticut Rivers, through the Cities of 
 Lowell, Lawrence, Nashua, Manchester, and 
 Concord, and along the borders of Lake 
 Winnepesaukee for 30 miles, termi- 
 nating at the foot of Mt. Wash- 
 ington, passing River, Lake, and 
 Mountain scenery unequalled in New 
 England, and in the immediate vicinity of the 
 principal Hotels and summer Boarding Houses 
 in the Northern part of the State, makes it 
 the popular travellers route for 
 Tourists visiting the 
 
 Lake and Mountain Scenery of New HampsMre. 
 
 For further information regarding time, connections, tickets, &c., 
 see the principal R. R. Guides, or apply to 
 
 No. 5 State Street, or 240 Washington Street, Boston, 
 
 And the principal Offices on the Line. 
 
 J. A. DOD&E, Sup't, Plymouth, N. H. 
 
 23 
 
BRAY & HAYES, 
 
 99 and 101 Broad Street, Boston, 
 
 l^nipDttijt^ mi €mn\mm ^fli^nte, 
 
 S. Eae & Co.'s Italian Oils. Keen's English Mustard. 
 
 French Prunes, Sardines, Salad Oil, Olives, Mushrooms, Truffles, 
 French Peas, Capers, China Preserved Ginger, &c.. True Castile 
 Soap, White and Mottled, Fine Toilet Soaps, English Pickles, 
 Sauces and Catsups, Worcestershire Sauce, Mustard (tins and bot- 
 tles), India Soy, and Currie Powder, Potted Ham, Anchovies, &c. 
 Liebie's Food for Infants, Groats and Barley for Infants, London 
 and Dublin Porter, and Scotch Ale, Scotch Oatmeal (lbs. and bbls). 
 Cox's Gelatine ; French Gelatine, Marmalades, Jellies, &c., Edin- 
 burg Albert Biscuit, London Biscuits (tins and bbls.), Liebig's 
 Extract of Beef, Italian Macaroni, &c., Chamois Skins, &c. 
 
 DAY & MARTIN'S LONDON BLACKINQ. MAI'S ENGLISH WASHING POWDBB. 
 CBOSSE & ELACEWELL'S ENGLISH PICKLES AND CONDIMENTS. 
 
 1824. 
 
 1875. 
 
 _ This widely known paper has been estabhshed for half a century, and it is be- 
 lieved it has maintained, during this long period, a reputation unsurpassed by any 
 other in the United States. Within the past year, and since its enlargement and 
 the introduction of several new and special features, The Courier has made ex- 
 traordinary advances in public favor, and its subscribers and readers have in- 
 creased to an extent which its proprietors believe altogether unparalleled, for so 
 short a time, in the records of a newspaper enterprise in New England. The 
 Courier is a paper to be read, and its proprietors have ample means of knowing 
 that it is carefully perused by great numbers of all classes of persons throughout 
 the range of its circulation, and is much sought for by many leading minds in all 
 departments of life. 
 
 It is obvious how important a medium of advertising such a paper must be, a 
 fact of which we exhibit plenty of evidence that the intelligent public is conscious; 
 and taking advantage of this opportunity to thank their numerous advertisers for 
 past favors, the proprietors of The Courier would respectfully solicit from their 
 friends and the public the patronage which they may think justly due to this long- 
 established and well-known paper. The favor with which it is received warrants 
 us in every effort to promote its circulation, and full reliance may be felt, that it 
 will maintain its character, and all pains will constantly be taken to make the 
 paper in every respect useful and entertaining. 
 
 TEEMS— One copy by mail, one year, $2.75 ; by carrier, one year, $3-00. 
 
 Payment to be made invariably In advance, 
 
 JOSEPH F. TRAVERS, Publisher, 
 
 299 Washington Street, ----- BOSTON. 
 
 24 
 
OPEN FOB, GUESTS FROM JUNE 1st UNTIL NOVEMBEE 1st. 
 
 Beatitiftilly situated ott an eminence overlooking the village and 
 Seneca Lake, and but five minutes' walk front the won- 
 derful world-reno%uned Watkins Glen, one of the most 
 romantic spots on the American Contiitent. 
 
 This House is replete with every comfort and luxury demanded by the modern 
 tourist, and will accommodate 150 guests. It challenges comparifon with any 
 Slimmer resort hotel in the country— large rooms, high ceilings and thorough ven- 
 tilation — pure spring water and gas throughout— hot and cold baths — telegraph 
 office in the house — extensive grounds with groves and evergreen forest trees, 
 and scenic attractions unsurpassed in the country, 
 
 J. M. BETTMAN, Manager. 
 

 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 014 107 526 3 C^