Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-08-05
WAsHINeroN NEWS AND GOSSIP.

uPox THE HuDsoS-A MEAN BoAr-THE SUBURBS
OF New YoRk-VILLA RESIDENCES ON NORTH
/ RIvER-BENNBT's GROUNDS AT WASHINGTON
I HEIGHTs-THE CATHOLIC CoNvkNT-THE AL
ROAD FROM THE RIvER-TOw-BoATs AND rHKTR
CONvOYs-WEsT PoINT-NEwBvRsH-Pou L
; KKEPsIE. &c. &c. ~
Editorial Correspondence Of The Star. L.
mo. IA On THE HuDsoS j uly 90, 1852 Il
embarked at a. IN. this morningfor Saratoga,
via the Hudson River and Albany. The steamer, l
the Armenia, though fast. is small, and for |
North River passenger boat is meanly fitted up.
She is uncomfortably crowded and her arrange l
mens for feeding the passengers are not only the
meanest ever saw on a steamboat anywhere, but |
swindling is at the bottom of them from beginning
to end. So am far from amiable this morning.
Somehow or other mans temper is intimately
Connected with his stomach. 1t may be my own
peculiar weakness; but self love Of course leads
meas it would lead any one-to charge the
shortcoming to the frailty Of human nature at
large. Having time to growl, dismiss my
misfortune in being taken in by the flaming hand
bills of the day line by water to Albany, to turn
my mind to pleasurable reflections.
The first six miles Of the way up the river was
past commercial New York, and the next twelve
past suburban New York. l know not which
most to admire and wonder at-the extent and
variety Of the citys business evident around the
upper North River piers, devoted for the most
part to river and bay and other inland commerce.
to the receipt Of produce for city consumption,
and the shipment Of the city's manufactures,
nanv If which conducted on its North River
frontln huge buildings-or, on the other hand. the
extent variety, and splendor Of the citys suburbs
No other city In the world is surrounded by
such villas as New York, perhaps, because no
other city possesses the advantage of having with
| in reach so many suitable locations for them
They are the residences of its merchant princes,
IN every business, and set perched in conspicuous
positions from Yorkville up to Tarrytown, where
ever nature has afforded man an opportunity of
displaying taste and skill in buiding--that is on
the North River between the points name, 1t
has been, or is being done. Nature has done
more for the North River in the way Of scenery.
than for any other in the United States. From
opposite the foot Of Courtandt street to Albany,
she has made every foot Of the way Oh either side
but succession Of picturesque views each differ
ent from the other; strikisgly different. am not
writing guide-boOk, and therefore, must content
myself with jotting down impressions made on
my mind, rather than descriptions Of what | see.
| To essay to describe what one views Oh the Hud-
son River, would require volumes of paper rather
than sheets, and type inexhaustible; so I eschew
4 WY 'oSh' iNs thcEC polIts VI S1lk-
ing as that they make impressions on the bcholder
never to be effaced. The thousand villas each
vieing to be most fantastic, or otherwise striking
than the other, come first on the way up. The
new Catholic Convent stands in their midst with
presence which, were it in Europe, would be
considered as fine as that Of any building on the
Kline IL was not long since portion of Edwin
FORESTS Font Hill property. The Washington
| Heights property and mansion Of the Editor of
/ the New York Herald, are next on the way
Jealousy on the part of some of his city cotempo-
| raries has induced extensive ridcule and misrep-
resentation Of his evidently heavy expenditures
there. He has certainly carved out of the wild
ness OF Nature one Of the most beautiful locations
for gentleman mansion ever saw. and has So
embellished it INTELLECTUALLY 10 attract univer-
sal attention from persons of cultivated tastes pass
Ing on the river His estate there covers hrty acres
in extent-a principa in value as lands sell SO
high near New York on the North YER Fort
Washington, Spueytendeuyvil creek. the Harlem
River, and many other points renowned I'm Revo-
lutonary and later history. are in that immediate
vicinity on the New York side; while the Pailis-
AIDES standing erect with their perpendicular basal
, ush-looking faces hundreds of feet high there
commence to frown down upon the river on the
Jersey side at that point
The Hudson River railroad skirts the base of
the heights, and every few minutes I see trains
passing to and fro upon it, 1t is built very nearly
on the waters level and Is constructed apparently
on 4 rock foundation out into the water for its
whole length so far as we have sailed this morn
ing-sone sixty miles. Ever and anon it dives
into deep rOck-cut or a short tunnel and rs
whole it is seen to great advantage from the bosom
Of the placid Hudson. Downward bound boats
have been passing US in considerable numbers
laden To their 1,
passengers.
Perhaps 1900 of New York's business men
sleep nightly, more especially at this season out
OF the city's limits They are American born
almost exclusively and therefore il is that they ap-
Preciate the advantages Of comparative individual
isolation incident TO country residence. They
nock down to business by thousands by every
early morning conveyance to the city. This
class make the passengers Of the steamers passing
Us every lew minutes now. Their freights are
Hive stock and other supplies for city CONSERVATION
and expectation All of them appear TO he very
fine vessels The tow-boats with their conyovs-
some Of them having half dozen large ones in
tow-also attract attention. One NAV obtai n some
Idea OF the commerce Of the river from view Of
these floating caravans carrying thousands of live
stock, bales, Packages. and all other conceivable
things in which the commerce (produce) of the
of every description seeking coast market by the
Erie canal come down the river in preference to
the railroad, except light goods that will pay for
sPeedier transportation So at all times thousands
Oh thousand, of tons Of such freight are floating
past the voyager up the Hudson.
The boat is actually making nearly twenty miles
per hour-her usual speed, l understand, in such
fine weather and but for inconvenience resulting
from the jarnming Of the crowd naught would
now mar the pleasure Of the voyage. We have
rapidly passed village upon village, both sides
Of the river, and been met by steamer after steamer
laying to " on it to put passengers on the Arme-
MA and take others Off. Her forte is speed and
she does not stop mere frequently than can be
avoided. At about fifty miles above New York
we enter the Highlands, and there grandeur COM
mences to be the chief feature Of the scene All
who have read anything, Of course know the
prominent features of the Highlands Of the Hud
son, each III which is SO remarkably dissinilar
from tie others as that the boat passes them the
voyaser who has never before sailed here is prone
10 utter involuntary exclamations of surprise. T
have Often coursed thus among them vet alu,,ys