106 OCEAN TO OCEAN ON HORSEBACK: 



galloper! out to the turnpike and headed for Hussell, 

 the evening objective. 



Considerable rain fell during the day and the roads 

 at this time thi-ough Western Massachusetts were in 

 a wretched condition. With clothing thoroughly 

 soaked and mud anywhere from ankle to knee deep, 

 the trip from Springfield to Russell was anything but 

 what I had pictured when planning my overland tour 

 in the saddle. Some consolation was found, however, 

 in recalling similar experiences in the army and I 

 resolved to allow nothing to depress or turn me from 

 my original purpose. A halt was made for dinner 

 during this day's ride, at a country inn or tavern ten 

 miles west of Springfield. 



Notwithstanding the fact that I did not leave 

 Springfield until nearly ten o'clock in the morning, 

 and that I was out of the saddle over an hour on 

 account of dinner, and com})elled to face a pelting 

 storm throughout the dav, J did well to advance 

 eighteen miles by four o'clock, the time of dismount- 

 ing at the Russell House. 



Russell is one of the most beautiful of the numerous 

 villages of Hampden County, and is picturesquely 

 situated among the Berkshire Hills in the western 

 part of the State. It stands on the banks of the 

 Westfield. River, upon which it relies for water-power 

 in the manufacture of paper, its only industry. It 

 has direct communication with Eastern and Western 

 Massachusetts through the Boston and Albany Rail- 

 way, and while it is not likely that it will ever come to 

 anything pretentious, it will always be, in appearance 

 at least, a rugged and romantic-looking little village. 



