New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-06-09
THE TRIBUNE
A Visit to SyIvanin.

~ r. vi. III tHC gnu StcdinDOdt iIlo" ioI III
mont and were thence taken over the Erie Rail
mad to Middletown IA miles from this city by
little past P. NJ. Next morning we proceeded
n Milford, Pa. ga miles by private convey
ancc. arriving at noon; and in the afternoon
npshed on ~ miles to Decker's tavern, on the
turnpike West from Milford to Owego, through
The Northern part of Pike County. The Sylvia
40 settlement is two miles North Of Deckers, on
the County Road to the mouth Of the Lacka-
rsyen, where it crosses the Halfway brook, a
branch Of the shoholy. (The proper way to visit
this section of Pennsylvania is to start in the
nmaine boat for Picrmont, and thus by noon
pach MiddIetown, where stage starts for Mil
ird in the afternoon. arriving at or P. NJ.
Here the morning stage from New Y ork direct
Il. Morrisown arrives about midnight, and passes
on West soon after; so that by either route the
whole distance is traverscd in less than twenty
bur hours but the route via Railroad is the ca
Eer and cleaper.)
The country west of Middlctown, after leaving
The valley of the Waikiki and rising the Mount
Hope ridge, is of pretty uniform character
rolling, rocky, and not prcpossessing in appear
snce, bearing general resemblance TO New
Hampshire. There is very little grain upon the
ground, and that mainly rye Of inferior quality
and feeble promise. The Delaware, which is
crossed at Carpenters Point, just below the
mouth of the Minsink, or at Port Jervis, Just
above it, is a shallow and rapid stream, hemmcd
in by high bluffs, which advance and reccdc on
either side, and forced to content itself with very
circuous channel. From Port Jervs the sylvia
vania settlement is some eight or ten miles west
in straight line, while the only Travelled route TO
it by Milford % miles. Rugged nights and
deep ravines, with the valley of the Shoholy, oc-
cupy the intervening space. The narrow and r-
regular valley of the Delaware is in parts fertile,
but is oltener overrun and rendered sterile by the
nversand spread over it during the high freshcts
Of that capricious stream.
After rising the hills from the Delaware valley
at Milford, the land lies better than on this side,
and the soil is usually Of fair quality, but rocky
snd uninviting. Nearly the whole region was
some century since vast pine forest, which has
been wasted away by three generations of lumber
ing and single making until little of it remains.
As this vanished, growth of young hardwood,
mostly oak and chestnut, sprung up in its stead
but this has generally been kept down or killed
out by the evil practice of the hunters, who set
fires around or on three sides of large circuit, to
drive IN the deer and other game to a selected
swamp or narrow valley, where the deadly rifle
awaits them One hunter at Milford casually
observed last Tuesday, that he had in this way
killed nine deer without moving step. This
practice, however, is not merely murderous to the
game destructive to the young wood, and dan
gerous to the fences lumber, &c. but is injurious
TO the land itself, the vegetable mould being en-
tHely consumed by these inccssant burnings,
which kill and strip the bushes, often leaving but
dead brush and naked stone above the ground for
a considerable distance, and giving the country
an unreasonably sterile and dcsolate appearance.
The lands purchased by the Sylvania Associa-
ton have been lumbcr-riddled and burn: over and
over with the rest, but are less rocky and OF more
inviting appearance than those which border the
turnpike. eve speak of those we have seen, be-
ing the eight hundred acres skirting and sloping
10 the Halfway brook. whereon the settlement is
made) Under the prcposscssions created by the
general aspect of the County, we at first pro-
nounccd the location an injudicious one, y more
mature observation, however, wrought change
IN our opinion The advantages of the location
are these:
l. The soil is strong and deep loan, appa-
Ten'y mellow and of good quality, though sourcd
BY burning over, and needing lime, &c to render
teminently fertile
:. 1t is very easily cleared of every thing like
Food, and leaves very few or no stulnps TO mar It's
utility or beauty.
). The stone upon it may be as easily removed
as heavy growth of timber, and at the convc-
nlence OF the members. Meantime, the land is
Producing and being subdued by cultivation; or
1t can be entirely cleared OF at once, as tim5ercd
'snd can only be at great expense.
l. When fenced with stone, it is fenced for
ages, So OF building, should this material be
used
>. Timber exists in sufficient quantities, wood
u abundance, in spots where the fire could not
Aal H. and lumber of all kinds is cheap.
T. The products Of Agricultural and Manutac-
'ofms industry are here in demand, and bear
good price.
. The water-powe of the Association is ey-
cecnt 1t is formed by moderate, easily
Iaamed and manageable. stream, which may be
used ''re times in its passage through the Do.
main
s Il is but five miles from the Delaware and
hudson Canal, two from the Turnpike, 80 from
Aew,Yoyk, and on practicable road,
J. Last, not least, the location is an emincntly
healthy one. 1t il probably five hundred feet