The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-08-26
lie DAILY DISPATCH
LETTERS FROM TIE NoPTH
Srp.uno. HUDSON RIVER,

anofds :, striking evidence of the nrosner;tv of
mat city. In this the Northern c;t;as d;fra,
widely from those of the Sontbor,, c.s..AY -
s,sh. Q, .ne steeple of st. Paul S, and of the
oapitoi' there can be found hundreds of aoras
" tue poorest and bleakest land in v;ro;n;.
COWS that look like anatomical sraa;s
waste their strength in vainly seek;ns saa-.
ana insufficient food on the hills raas In In
ara Grove; whilst perfumes not H.
OF "Araby the blest," are waited fro,,, .Av'e ~
in1hospitable and barren region of ..Horsau 80 'he
Yen. Inc land near the Aims House sno
Golgotha, and beyond Screamersviilss uSges.s Sg
sedge alone fiourishes luxuriantlv oya,. r proom
Iace OF exhausted fields. The nrosnar;tE s.e sur
hichmond is not felt an inch bevond H. ~ OF
y, tue corporation. Here it is very d;sfa.nltIs
for miles around New York the conntr, e!l.
spite OF great natural disadvantages. has b,ean ~
converted into almost a paradise Of heant,.l
as as entered the bay the number and mag.
:it nacenee OF the country residences struck mo
with surprise. They could be seen na.r n ti,e i,e
coast ana high up among the hills embovar
ed IN hne groves Of beautiful forest trees and
rare shrueDery: They exhibit every variety
OF archltectural taste and design Some am.
bltIous gentlemen have succeeded in ambod,,
ing in one edifice specimens of every 3d.,
OF architecture from the Saracenic' to tha
Egyptian, whilst others have been satisfied 70
incorporate the Gothic with the Etruscan
The genius OF the lamented DOWNING is an
parent IN all the more recent buildings. and
his own exquisite taste has saved MANY
wealthy grocer and ship chandler from the
pltiless contempt of the refined and educated.
These houses are, of course, owned by the
successful merchants, brokers and bankers
of New York
They are imposing aristocratic structures.
but it would be dangerous to look too keenIy
into the claims of their owners to aristocracy.
There are forty castles upon the Hudson. to
one old Gothic shattered tower npon the
Rhine, but grim iron gloved barons, with ge-
theological trees rooted in Saxon soil had no.
thing to do with their erection They are the
property of men who have in nine cases out
of ten, made their own fortunes, and if they
had grandfathers, they can give no very dis
tinct account of them. If one of them ever
imprudently ventures to climb the tree ge-
nealoglcal, upon one branch of it he would
discover halter, and upon another bit of
cobbiers wax Hence they are not addicted
to any such feats of agility. An old Virginia
gentleman at such work is as active as a
squirrel; but the plethoric bulls and bears
don't like 1T. Hence nearly all of those su-
perb country houses that cover the banks of
long to men of no ancestral wealth. Smith
speculated Judiciously in tar and then built
yOnder Italian villa. BROWN managed five
hundred thousand barrels of mackerel admi-
rably, married a fashionable woman, and then
caused that pretty house on the left to be
erected. A popular ship p-chandler had the
white and green mushroom architectural
monstrosity in that valley put up, then closed
the greasy shop on Market street, and took
his family to Saratoga.
1t is amusing as in my case, to voyage I'D
the Hudson with a shrewd New Yorker, to
give you scraps of former history concerning
the owner of every ediice you pass. A score
owe their fortunes to soap and tar, and heaven
knows how many to the fluctuations of stock
in Wall street. But these people deserve
credit for spending their money so well, and
if they do not, in consequence of the force of
long habits enjoy the splendOrs of their new
houses, and the ways of their fashionable
friends, they are educating their children, and
they will enjoy both with vengeance.
A magnificent Gothic castle, superior to
any thing of the sort have ever seen in this
country, attracted my attention. 1t looked
as If it had been taken from some tall cliff on
the Rhine and placed by magic ON the banks
ofthe Hudson. 1t really had the look of an
tiqulty which the moss and wear of centuries
imparts to such edifices. Upon enquiry
found that it belonged to the Snowman, BAR
NUN, the exhibitor of tom THUMB" and the
Bearded Woman" and l know not how
many other strange and wonderful things
He has, learn, very appropriately christen-
ed this architectural advertisement on the
banks of the Hudson, 'Humbug Castle
thus paying deserved and graceful tribute
to the gullibility of the American village
One of the most beautiful and attractive
spots near New York, is Hoboken. 1t is
rarely visited by ystrangers but it is a charm
ing retreat from the hustle and din of Broad
way. The grounds are beautifully laid off,
and the walks, shaded by fine trees, extend
for about two miles along the bank of the
river. AS there are no large Parks in New
York-for the Park and Battery, although
pretty are utterly inadequate to the wants of
a city of half million of people-thousand
resort to Hob0ken to enjoy the fresh air of
the country, and a fine view of the Hudson
At the early hour at which we passed Hobo
ken this morning, its pleasant grounds were
sprinkled over with children and their nurses,
catching the fresh air OF the river and ocean,
for Hoboken is near enough to the bay for
visitors to enjoy the breezes of the Atlantic,
as well as those that are waited from the re-
gion of the Palisades.
BY the way, you must excuse depression
from my voyage up the Hudson, whilst I
mention an incident connected with Hoboken
HOBoKEH, now so quiet and pleasant-the
resort of the young the gentle and the fair
was once the 'bloody ground of New York
1t was the favorite resort of irrascible gen.
tlemen, who in the cool gray of the morning,
whilst the dew was fresh upon the green
sward and the trees vocal with the music of
feathered songsters, took infinite pleasure in
putting balls into the bodies of their antago-
mist at the dangerous distance of ten short
PAGES. Many worthy gentleman having dis
creetly made his viii, arranged his papers
and designated his executor, has been borne
from sweet and beautiful HOboken in car
riage, to be transferred after a few hours, to
the tomb of his family; for duelling was once
of frequent occurrence in New York, and the
Yankee gentleman did not in that day act
upon the christian spirit of offering both
cheeks to the hand that proposed slapping
but one Satisfaction, when HAMILTON fell
before the pistol of BURR, was not sought in
the Court of Common Pleas as at present
Wounded honor was not fifty years ago, heal
ed by pouitice of bank notes, prescribed by
committee of twelve gentlemen.
One of the most interesting and remarkable
affairs of the eighteenth century took place
at Hoboken many years age The eircum-
stances are thus detailed IN "Milligen's
History Of Duelling."
gentleman, named PRICK, was at the
Theatre with lady Of great personal attrae-
tions, when British officer, in an adjoining
hoy took the liberty of turning round and