Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 November 1876 — The Bridal-Path Descent from Mount Washington. [ARTICLE]

The Bridal-Path Descent from Mount Washington.

Twkntt-fivb yeare ago the Crawford path was the favorite means for ascending the mountain; but; since the construction of the Glen carriage-road, in 1&61, *nd later, 1869, the completion of the railway up the mountain, .it has been limited to the few adventurous parties who, without a guide, have dared to traverse the trail on foot- It is quite dangerous, however, on account of the heavy fogs, or clouds, which prevail, and make it very difficult to keep the trail. In 1874, a young man from Pennsylvania started up the path alone, And was never seen again. Iff August of this year, however, the proprietors of the Crawford House repaired the way, making it passable for horses, as formerly. Since then several parties have successfully made the ascent, and a few have Also descended the same way. 3fost persons are quite satisfied with the trials of the ascent, and are content td come down mote luxuriously, by rail. But pur party are decided to take the same path in return; only two, young "students from Boston, choosing to walk, leaving their horses in care of the guide. My offer to take one of the animals off his hands is willingly accented, and we are all provided for a ride down the famous path. The start is made about two o’clock, hut not till the base of the upper cone of, MR Washington is reached do we deeip advisable to mount—so as to spare the - horses, and ourselves; -the roughness pf-the first-thousand feet down. Now for one,of th,e grandest rides on the Americas Cbntinent. Pof over four miles the descent is a little over feet, and, most of the way, right along a 'mountainridge over 4,000 feet above the sea-level. Ordinarily these same four miles that we are about to travel are through dense or varying clouds, and the glorious view is 4 completely lost; and fortunate is the toiler if he do not become lost too! But to-day is warm-and pleasant; the sun shines fiercely upon us; and our guide tells us that, out Of fifty times climbing the mountain, he never saw a day so warm at this height. Our path now passes over what is called the Flat. The riding is easy, and we can enjoy the view without watching our track. West of us is stretched out the Amonoosuc Valley, while near us, on the same side, arp the little Lakes of tbe Clpuds— two mountain lochs with Clear, crystal watfera, 3.000 feet above the sea—sources of the Amouoosuc, which falls 2,000 feet in the first three miles of its source. Eastward! thff lakte region -of Maine end New Hampshire houjnds, the horizon; while, almost at our horse's feet, opens the great chasm of Oakes’ Gulf, 3,000 feet deep, and whose side near us is an almost perpendicular precipice. Carefully and slowly we descetfd, our path leading over rough and rocky steps, where our horses carefully pick their way. Past the frowning crags of Monroe’s summit, seeming almost ready to fall on us, on one side; while on the other side is the edge of Oakes’ Gulf. “Careful! Careful, npw!” is our guide’s encouraging cry to the horses, and we let them pick their way down ragged steps and sliding ledges, taking their own time and manner. A single misstep and fall now would send us rolling into the gulf at our feel, and we should never live to tell the tale. But our horses are sure-footed, and carry us safely by, out on to the summit of Mount Franklm. Think of a horseback ride on the back of a mountain 4,900 feet high! That’s what we are doing for half a mile, while our view is indescribably grand. Soon as we reach the brow of the mountain we make an abrupt descent to the side of Mt. Pleasant, only 150 feet lower than Franklin. Along the east side of this mountain we continue our ride, which is made mostly in silence—there being too much anxiety concerning the safety of this rocky step, or the siipperyness of that ledge. Sometimes we find wooden cleats bolted into the solid rock, so as to furnish a foothold for the horses. Again we all think “ discretion the Letter part,” etc., and dismount, letting our horses get down themselves, while the guide, with whatever help lie needs, assists the ladies over the dangerous places. For there is a large spicing of danger in the whole ride, ana, uhdei- a less Efficient guide, we should run the risk of roiling down the mountain-sides, in by no means agreeable style!

Reaching the summit of Mt. Clinton, 4,320 feet high, we come to the most disagreeable part of our trip. W<e enter a trail, among stunted evergreens at first, which, gradually growing ~ higher as we go lower, shut out all view, and force us to give our entire attention to onr.palh. Now it is either deep mud or decaying corduroys, and we are forced to make frequent halts to let our horses plunge through deep miry places, or wait while a ■ ffew refractory corduroys are put in place, and the hurses make their own way. Our two ladies, however, nobly keep the saddle amid hll the dangers, ami ride over all {daces without flinching. Our last mile is made through the gloaming of the forest—the snn going down behind the hills jpst $s we enter it. Down ws go deeper into the darkness, hut by a smoother and smoother path, till the -barking of •dog* announces our approach, and we ride up to the steps of the Crawford House pt as the stars are shbwing dienteeives U the: twiyught-sky, J safe and topnd.— , White Mountain Jfotch (I V., Aft.) Cor . Chintffo Tribune. IH. :'.t -!-> —"■ ’W J» -n- ;!/i£J'!Ar^ ! It appears from a compilation recently made by an Edinburgh joumal, that oneseventlj of the land in the United Kingdom, excluding that contained in the metropolis, is held by 554 peers, add the aggregate of the land ao possessed is onetwelfth of that in the Kingdom. Qne peer has estates in each of the three great divisions of England, Ireland and. Scotland. and more than one-fourth have estates in twro of the three divisions. Nearly all those beers included in the 554 have respectable incomes, and several have upwards of f1,000,00© annually. —AH of the executors of file will of E. B.'Ward, the Detroit, (Sttesh.) millionaire, have resigned, it is understood because pated.