Wachusett Mountain and Princeton.
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��A'ater generally upon the top of it, of ^vo or three rods square ; and where there is any earth it is covered with olueberry bushes for acres round." The small pond and blueberry bushes are visible at present, or were a year or two ago at any rate, but the area of bare rock has increased somewhat as time went on, though the top is not as bare as is that of its New Hampshire brother, Monadnock, nor are its sides so craggy and precipitous.
The people of Princeton have always kept abreast of the times. From the first they were ardent supporters of the measures of the Revolution, and foremost among them in patriotic spirit was the Honorable Moses Gill, pre- viously mentioned in this paper, who, on account of his devotion to the good cause, was called by Samuel Adams "The Duke of Princeton." Their strong adherence to the " state rights" principle led the people of the town to vote against the adoption of the Constitution of the United States ; but when it was adopted they abided by it, and when the Union was men- aced in the recent RebeUion they nobly responded to the call of the nation with one hundred and twenty- seven men and nearly twenty thousand dollars in money — exceeding in both items the demand made upon them. Nor is their record in the pursuits of peace less honorable, for in dairy products and in the rearing of fine cattle they have earned an enviable and well-deserved reputation. As a community it is cultured and industrious, and has ever been in full syronathy with
��progress in education, religion, and social relations.
But few towns in Massachusetts offer to summer visitors as many attractions as does Princeton. The air is clear and bracing, the landscape charming, and the pleasant, shady woodroads afford opportunities for drives through most picturesque scenery. Near at hand is the lake, and above it towers Wachusett. It has been proposed to run a railroad up to and around the mountain, but thus far, fortunately, nothing has come of it. A fine road of easy ascent winds up the mountain, and on the summit is a good hotel which is annually patronized by thou- sands of transient visitors.
The view from here is magnificent on a clear day. The misty blue of the Atlantic, the silver thread of the Con- necticut, Mounts Tom and Holyoke, and cloud - clapped Monadnock, the cities of Worcester and Fitchburg — all these and many other beautiful objects are spread out before the spectator. But it cannot be described — it must be seen to be appreciated ; and the throngs of visitors that flit through the town every summer afford abundant evidence that the love of the beautiful and grand in nature still lives in the hearts of the people.
Brief is the sketch of this beautiful mountain town, which is neither large nor possessed of very eventful history : but in its quiet seclusion dwell peace and prosperity, and its worthy inhabi- tants are most deeply attached to the beautiful heritage handed down to them by their ancestors.
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