Springfield Weekly Republican

From the White Mountains

The "Heated Term" at the Profile House—Prime Trout Fishing—The Season Opening Well—Progress of the Railway up Mt Washington.

Correspondence of The Republican

Profile House, Franconia Notch, July 6.

Nothing can be more enjoyable than a ride up the valley of the Connecticut from Springfield to this place, with bright skies and a moderate temperature; but with the mercury at 100 in the shade and not a breath of air stirring, you can easily imagine the state of one's feelings as he comes out of the cars at Littleton. He tries hard, in the way of consolation, to think of all the hot places he has seen or read of, but nothing short of the old fashioned notion of a certain supposed locality can begin to compare with it, and if the traveler doesn't begin to think that he is paying dear for the whistle, he is made up of sterner stuff than generally falls to the lot of ordinary mortals. At various points the state of the thermometer was anxiously inquired for until ninety-eight degrees was announced. A very forlorn and somewhat disgusted individual added, "it might as well be a hundred," and at Bradford he got it plump up to the mark and no discount. That consoled his feelings, and he settled down with the belief that we were going to have a "spell of weather." At Littleton the mercury stood at 92, and at Franconia village, the place that we frequently see quoted in the winter weather records with mercury at 45 below zero, it indicated 98. Five miles further, in the spacious reception room of the Profile House, in this deep and narrow valley, at no time had it gone above 78! Consoling, indeed, after having been pretty thoroughly roasted for the previous six or eight hours. During Saturday it went no higher, and on Sunday it gained only one degree, reaching 79, a pleasant summer temperature.

For the last day or two I have dismissed all thoughts of the weather and reveled in the great beauties of nature that are here presented in such wild and fantastic forms, made familiar as household words in the poetic descriptions of that good and saintly man, Starr King, who, more than all others, has spread the fame of this wonderful region. The Profile House stands nearly two thousand feet above the sea, and rising from either side of it to nearly two thousand feet more, are great mountains, whose walls of living green and craggy summits present a varied and picturesque scene. A hundred rods down the Notch is the "old man of the mountain," the most remarkable scene in nature that is found on the continent. It requires no stretch of the imagination to see in it the unmistakable representation of the human face. The Titanic features of the "old man" stand boldly out from the mountain side, outlined on the deep blue sky beyond. Beneath is the green forest and Profile Lake, the latter a half mile long and a quarter wide. Here the Pemigewasset takes its rise, and borne along into the Merrimac, it "contributes," as Starr King appropriately remarks, "to the power that moves the wheels of Nashua and Lowell and supplies a thousand operatives with bread. Ah, how much joy it has fed in human hearts!"

A few rods above the Profile House is Echo lake, somewhat larger than Profile Lake, upon whose fair bosom it is indeed refreshing to take a sail after a day's climbing among the mountains. These are among the attractions at the entrance to the Notch. Further down, along the Pemigewasset are the Basin and the Pool, both interesting localities. But, perhaps, with the exception of the "Great Stone Face," the Flume is the most interesting object in the Franconia mountains. It is six miles south of the hotel, just east of the road to Plymouth. The public carriage takes you down the Notch through the overhanging forest to the old Flume House, now tenantless, excepting the family who sell "maple cakes, raisins, lemonade," and something else, at the bar. Turning to the left and crossing the Pemigewasset you come to the smooth granite, down which the little stream from out the Flume has flowed through countless years, leaving its mark upon the rocky bed beneath. A few minutes' walk brings you at last to the flume itself, a singularly formed aperture in the granite rocks, ten feet wide, five hundred in length and perhaps fifty in height. Near the upper end and over you hangs the great boulder, which, at some day, came tumbling down from Mt Lafayette and at last lodged here. When, and how, are matters of speculation—they are beyond the knowledge of man.

Mt Lafayette is ascended from the Profile House by ponies, to reach the summit of which requires a ride of five miles, two of them down the Notch road. The ascent is easier than that of Mt Washington and the view from it is equally fine, though not quite so extensive. The valley of the Connecticut and the Green Mountain range are more clearly seen, while that in other directions is not materially different. Ascutney, Monadnock, Kearsarge, Mt Washington and the spire-like Chocorua are prominent points in the landscape, while Winnepesaukee, with its numerous islands, adds beauty to the same.

Besides the places named above there are falls and cascades in the neighborhood, though not so easily accessible, that are well worth visiting, and many days could be spent in searching out great natural beauties that are not found by those who "do" the mountains as they would eat a dinner.

Trout fishing in Profile and Echo lakes is among the sports of those who spend the season here. For several years Mr Prime of the Journal of Commerce, Mr Handy, a New York banker, and Mr Carver, a Philadelphia merchant, have fished in these waters, and they have caught some remarkable specimens, one trout weighing three and a quarter pounds. The strife between them, as to who will catch the largest, runs high, and already some of the party are on the ground with hook and line. The record is kept on the Profile House, a diagram of each being penciled upon the clapboards. Already the proprietors of the hotel are alarmed lest they shall be compelled to erect another house upon which to continue the record. An inveterate punster who mistook the checkered appearance of the Profile House for a fish market, has been here and inscribed a horrible pun: So long as trout are considered a Prime necessity a Handy fisherman is desirable, whose great success makes the services of a Carver a necessity. It is unnecessary to say that this is the punster's "last;" he "died in the attempt."

The travel to the White Mountain region opens good and the prospect is that there will be the usual number of visitors. The Profile, Crawford and the Glen houses have all been open for several weeks, and while there is as yet no rush, there has been a fair number of guests at each.

Work on the railway to the summit of Mt Washington continues and the road will be completed this year, though not in season for the season's travel. It will, however, be used as far as finished, to take the visitors up the mountain.

The stage lines are all running and the roads were never better.

H. M. B.