New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-07-12
Dandy turned Farmer-Trout Fishing, &c.
Correspondence of The Tribune.
The BAcKwoop.. June 9

not wilder region III oul country 'hdh l"0
Northern parts of Warren and Hamilton coun-
ties. An alinos; unbroken Wilderness stretches
away from the Adirondack mountains, and such
wilderness! 1t is not merely an uncultlvated
country. but succession of ragged mountains
darkened with pine and hemlock-ploughed up
with ravines and rendered barren by rocks and
swamps An oyerwrought brain has driven me
into these soliiudes for TEST and qulet-my only
companions being my rife and fishing rod. We
talk in New-Yo rk Of going into " the country"
But let Saratoga be exchanged for " Long Lake.
Nahant for indian Lake." and New Rochelle
for the gloomy shore OF Jessup's river, and our
fashionabcs would get an entirely different idea
OF the % country
Well, it is lonely at irst-after being accus-
toned to the din and struggle of Broadway and
Wastreet to sit as now do, with WIDE forest
climbing the steep mountains to bound my vision
and the little clearing around me fairly black
with stumps, coming up even to the door OF the
log house All day long, and not the SOUND OF
single wheel, but in the place OF 1t the cawing
of crows, the scream of the wood pecker ano
the roar Of a torrent Gashing over the rocks IN
the sullen forest below. The very stuinps have
t. forlorn look, and it seems perfect waste OF
time and music for the birds to sing, having no
one to listen to them, $50 accustomed do we be-
come to the "qud pro quo" system,) but II
one is not entirely spoiled he soon attunes him.
self the the harmony of nature and a new
life is born within him. To most OF us, life has
as the Germans would say an " Einesetigkeit,'
"a one sidedness.) The " Felseitgkeit," (the many
sidedness) few experience. All, Ii IS this " Elm
sci.iekcil," that renders all reform difficult;
and bgotTy and prejudice so irresistible Men
ciust experience the 4" Fieleseitigkelt," TO know
it, but circumstances chain them to the " one
sided" view, and SD We go stumbling on in the
old paths, or like an old mill horse round and
round in the same circle stereotypcing anew the
groans and complaints of our fathers. Here
,,an will toll for fotty years and die poor, while
in the city u successful speculation often ensures
life of idleness and luxury. Industry then is
not always the sure road to wealth, But | will
not weary you with complaints of the state OF
aociety, | will only say that it is poor argument
which meets our complaints, rom the pulpit and
press, viz. later all happiness is about equally
divided" This maxim Is believed, because 1t Is
tho converse of a true proposition, which s, one
man is about as miserable as another" That IS,
lne laws of Nature, and Heaven arc such tina;
he who sccumulatcs TO live a life of dencss is
niadc az miserable as the man he impovershes in
order to do it. Thus it is true that happiness is
pretty equally divided because the misery the
present structure of society works IS pretty
equally dlvleed."
These thoughts work in me here in the woods
as lean on my rifle, and look on that sturdy
backwoodsman making the forest ring with ms
axe us he devotes himself to life of toll and
ignorance. All, our religion but half performs
it's work. 1t simply turns the oild animal into
domestic one, but leaves him an animal still. 1t
does not remould society 20 that the poor Can be
intelligent, refined, and spiritual. 1t leaves man
still to toll toll for the mere animal nature. Re
!gion was designed to 60 more than this.
Ny first landing was at the house of an old
friend, who, when [ last knew him called
| New-York dandy. Designed by his friends for
profession, he broke away from his studies and
entered upon a mercantile life. In The crash Of
1887, he went down with the multitude Land
scattered here and there over tho country, was
al that was left him to fall back upon. lie re-
| solved to turn farmer | could hardly believe
nv eyes, when | saw what rock and mountain
farm nc was on As / came up TO the door, he
was engaged in filing straw bed for his baby
queer occupation this, for Il ci.deydnf dandy
! The next morning as he drove oft to the woods
| with his oxen, one would never have dreamed he
had once sauntered up and down Broadway
| His wife, refined and intelligent woman al first
sunk under this change, but rallying her good
sense, she has adapted herself to her situation,
and now makes butter, &c. like a good house
wife, My friend seemed happy, bu; thong mt 1t
must be assumed and SO | asked hlm how tins
compared with New. ork. :" ain happier here, v
he replied, 81 prefer this life 10 that of the city
| The delicate young merchant is spreading into the
srosd shoudeIed workingman. | confess | ad-
,nircd him, and the second day told him would
help him work, and the next day he should
pl2v with me. So l dotted my coat and
went into the field with him. What an appetite
had for dinner, plain as it was, and how slept
that night, tried this often afterwards, and
can sincerely recommend it to my fashionable
dvspeptic acquaintences in New-fork
But letter on working is dull and 80 we'll on
to our play-day. With our fishing rods we en-
tered the dark hemlock forest that overhangs the
trout brook and were soon IN the midst OF
rare sport. By the way pay no regard to the
distinction sportsmen make between the " red
fly, the black fly, the miller, sc The red
heckic is the best for our latitude all seasons OF
the year Well, follow me IN fancy down the
stream, packing the bright spotted trout Away
into my basket, until we come to this overhang-
ing precipice Here the stream has bored It's
way under the mountain and disappears from
sight to appear again farther on. This PTeciplce