but little before
it spreads over an immense extent of country, and is not wholly
drawn oflf until the stream is reduced nearly to its common level.
This of course is a protection to all the falls below. Similar flats
above the falls at Vergenncs, extending far up the Lemon Fair,
furnish a similar security to that power. The waters on some of
these falls are but partially used, and on several not at all.
At Middlebury, there is on the cast side a cotton factory in full
operation, and a large grist or flouring mill. On the west arc a
woollen factory, a grist mill, saw mill, pail factory, a plaining ma-
chine and other machinery for working wood, besides another wool-
len factory not now in operation. At the Paper Mill falls, three
quarters of a mile fartherdown there are on the east side, a paper
mill, oil mill, saw mill, carding machine and trip hammer shop :
and on the east side a furnace and machine shop. Belden's falls a
mile and a half further north, is a very valuable water power, on
which there are no works. A mile or two further, and four miles
from Middlebury, is Painter's falls in a similar condition. One or
two miles further down the stream is the Quaker Village falls,
where are a grist mill, two saw mills and some other works, and on
the rapids, just above, there was, if not now, a saw mill.
Philip C. Tucker, Esq., at our request, has obligingly furnished
us the following account of the falls at Vergennes and the works on
it. " The falls of Great Otter Creek