Bethel to Upton, Ma.
1907
July 22
  The stage road from Bethel to Upton - by means of
which one may most quickly and easily reach Lake
Umbagog from the southward - is nearly thirty miles in
length. It runs for the greater part of the way through
open, farming country and at first (for a distance of
some five miles) down the left bank of the Androscoggin
River. After passing the little village of Newry it takes
advantage of the comparatively gradual and easy ascent
to Grafton Notch afforded by the valley of Bear River
which it follows quite to its source. The farms in this
valley are largely either sandy or rocky and hence not
very productive but they include some fertile intervales 
which yield good hay crops. Most of the open ground
is confined to the river bottom which is abruptly bordered
on both sides by a succession of high hills and low
mountains, ledgy and even precipitous in places but
nearly everywhere covered with virgin soil of sufficient
depth and richness to support dense forests made up
chiefly of second-growth deciduous trees. These clothe
practically all the slopes which face the valley - save where
there are hill pastures sprinkled with boulders or with
grazing sheep - with a rich, velvety tapestry of foliage very
pleasing to the eye in summer and fairly dazzling it in
autumn by the brilliant and varied hues of the myriad
ripening leaves. As the stage horses plod wearily up
the stiff grades that lead to the foot of Graftons Notch
the traveller notices that the farms become increasingly
sterile, their buildings more and more pathetically
small and dilapidated. The mountains draw nearer
and nearer together on either hand until at the
entrance to the Notch they leave barely sufficient room for