The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-09-21
McGREG0R, IOWA. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 81, 1854
NEW YoRK. Sent. 1864.

| ......... New YoRK, Sept. 1864.
DEAR TINES: Tell DIV eller in Gotham
that you have but lately arrived in the city,
and you will be asked at once if you have
seen the Park, and should you answer in
the negative, the next question will be in
regard to the time it will suit your conven-
fence to visit this great resort. In the
mind Of yorker" nothing can surpass
the magnifcence, beauty Of design, variety
in scenery, durability, and. usefulness Of
this great Central Park, and he shows a
great and commendable zeal in afford;ng
all his country cousins an opportunity to
witness, in part, the wonders that have
been wrought here at slight expense to
the city purse. Suppose you have expressed
your entire willingness to '.see tho show, +"
your city friend will be ready, or 6nd some
one who is ready, to escort you by the
nearest and most direct route to some en-.
trance to the Park. Suppose we stroll up
9TH Avenue, or ride up on the 9th Avenue
cars, we will reach the Park at seth Street,
and at once receive some impressions rela
tive to the extent Of this work. We are
told that $50 acres of land, once the most
broken and by far the widest part of the
island, lies before us, containing more
natural and artificial beauty than has ever
been compressed into like space on this
continent. Being on foot, we will take a
foot path composed of hard rolled gravel
walk, the drive being off to one side and
made up Of a most carefully prepared road,
. splendid track for fast travelling. Exten-
sive plats Of ground covered with short,
clean grass that you are not allowed to
walk upon, 6ne trees some times in clean
groves, some times single, mounds round
and regular, and mounds os every shape,
and strange plants and flowers are to be
seen on either hand. At one place we see
a fine enclosure containing foreign sheep,
at another American Elk, and at another
still flock of American Eagles, not in their
glory surely, for they appear to be spirit
less bird here, with sadly disarranged toll
cts, caused altogether, suppose, by their
confinement in so small prison. Our
walk is crooked one, the drives just as
tortuous; but the walks and drives never
intersect; you may pass over or under
hundred splendid stone or iron bridges, no
two alike in design or finish, and your
walk crosses the drive in just as many diff.
ferent places, but never on the same level
In fact, there is no place where you can
step out Of the walk into the drive without
violating the ordinance against walking
on the grass. So horsemen aud pede-
strains are effeciually separated, though
to one at distance they appear to be
ningling in inextricable confusions.
If our walk is on Wednesday or Saturday
afternoon, Dodsworth's celebrated ban will
cause us to while away an hour or more
near the music stand or on the lake listen
ing to their splendid music. The pleas.
antest part of the Park is around the lake.
Passing from the music stand to the lake,
we go down flight Of broad granite steps,
under magnificent stone arch, contain ng
inches for statuary, and on, to fountain,
that all stop to admire. 1t is here we may
hire boat and ride around the lake at an
expense of 20 cents an hour. Here may
be seen the white and black swans, and a
never ending variety Of ducks and other
waterfowls. Next comes the ramble, or it
might be called the lovers retreat, contain.
ing about 20 acres Of woodland, mostly
,hickets of small trees, among which
entwine perfect lybyrinthian system of
paths, leading around rocks, waterfalls. into
caves, and, unless you are with guide,
into such puzzle that you will hardly get
out into day light again unless you follow
the crowd. Out of the ramble, going
north, We come to the observatory, from
which splendid view can be obtaned.-
One Of the most notable features of the
Park is the great reservoirs, one containing
80 acres, the larger one 96 acres of water,
36 feet deep, reposing in stone basins
wholly made up Of superb masonry. The
City of New York is supplied from these
and several smaller reservoirs with water.
About o'clock. P. NJ, the 5th Avenue
Swells begin to fill up the drives with their
splendid equipages, AMI many fine horses
are to be seen. A couple of hours drive
finish up the days recreation and we return
hslne, accepting an invitation on the way
to spend the morrow at Green wood. rs
N.