The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-07-07
SUMNER RESORTS.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF the HssAlu.
STONE RIpGz. Ulster County, New York, [
JnJy 1907

Jolly !. 1867. !
"stone Ridge, imagine hear the rcader e1cain,
"where that Is fashionable watering placer
Or what there about place entiile II to the
honor Of being mentioned in the HERALDW Wait,
gentle reader and viii explain. had been told before
visiting this vlsge that It 'he Jumping Of place."
sort OF ruima thule beyond which there was nothing,
and but for a strong motive that impelled me there
might have hesitated before veuturng such sup
posed precpIce Well, Stone Ridge itself only small
village Of few hundred Inhabitants and part Of the
town of Marbletown, in Ulster county. II is twelve
miles from Hudson river at Rendout or Kingston,
and reached by taking at the former place one
of the odme stage coaches which goes at the rate Of
four miles hour and which stops many times on the
way TO take up the mails we'll TO water the horse
and liquor the passengers 20 IL may be secn that th
part Of the country s in rather primitive condition as
regards iocomotion However, II is possible 10 hire
buggy and make better me But 1t is Of something else
am gong to write-of the beautiful and productive
country of the interesting localities around and Of the
people and their views OF things
Extending back from the Hudson and nearly at right
angles With it, are several va<vs through which flow
the Rondout, MarbIetown Or the Waikiki and their
little tributaries and which emry into the Hudson At
tho town OF Rondout. They - banked on the north by
the Catski and their spurs the nearest OF
which are only few miles of, and which up
above the with clearly defined outline in the dis
tance These rounded but irregular shaped masses loom
up with remarkable dstncness and beauty through the
clear atmosphere They arrest attention al every step,
and eye tires Of looking at the striking and
picturesque scenery To the westward the snawan-
gunk mountains not elevated or bold as the Caskil
but forming a beautiful background TO the valleys
named above. The whole Of this region is OF limestone
formation less compact, though not compact or
crysia!lzed enough for marble, and Is generally OF
saty and frable character There arc however, streaks
of congomerae through the mountains In which nodues
of hard quartz brm great part This is quarr'ed in
several places along tho Rondout for mlstones and
though these not equal to the European ourrones
in hardness they are found very good for grinding
This consiomerate lies in immediate contact with tho
Limestone The contact quite convensntly In
places For example, at High Falls, on the kondout,
there are extensive cement works. where about nve
thousand barrels day manufactured and here the
limestone from which the cement Is made hes sioe py
side with the rock that is used Tor grindngiL
The soil OF the valleys Is good as may DC UNDERSTOOD
from the nature of the limestone formation, and ncn
fields OF grain other products everywhere prove that
rye wheat and corn are tho Or ncipa crops Rye seems
to be most cultivated Hay is also favorite crop IL
truly delightful to behold At the present ms S.svs
with their waving fields Of rye and wheat ~ Iu pad anu
Just penns to golden Color !, ing Of
abundant Forty 70 fty bushels OF wheat ana
sixty seventy bushels Of rye an acre the promised
yield The fruit crop Will not lie 30 good
this year some former years The farms genersiy
OF moderate szeone or two hundred acresthousn
larger and others smaller In general they are
by the cultvatos; there s consequently, alarge
class Of we'll to do farmers, with few very rco ana no
ss have subSyded INTO
small farms Experienced farmers say II Is more pront-
able 70 cultivate small farms and u Is certainly better
for the community Looking over this beauful
country at the moral and social condion OF tue peope
aud their ccnten,ment al the abundant harvest prom
issd at the charming scenery aud AZ the ceauy every
where am forcibly reminded OF Rassslas' Happy VAL
The Delaware and Hudson canal passes through this
co lntry following OF the Rondoat, and has
no doubt contrib TO the general improvement
witness railroad also contemplated from Rondout on
tbs Hudson tap the Eric railroad and 10 penetrate
into the coal regions OF Pennsylvania seems 70 INC
that such road would pay through the ricn vsneys
have referred TO- and would certainly develop Inc pro-
ductIou of SO nne q region. -
For those love or who seek healthy ana
charming locality The summer season, there are Few
places more suitable or Interesting There are 20 many
delightful spots IN every portion OF our country that
apt 70 overlook some oil tnem abd those that are
near or convenient to U.S. Here for instance, few
miles from the Hudson, up in the Shawansunk mount
aims at place called Patz Point, Is most romantic
and beautiful spot little known beyond the
surrounding country and to the people OF Poagnkeepse
and other towns near who have been ID .ne naoa "
tory juttng the plain below With perpendicular
| wall OF rock nearly thousand feet high II " az I'M
mensc escarpment up which the wind PUSHES lurousy
! from the valley, and which makes one giddy and
shuddcr to look down There are, TOO immense over.
hanging or table rocks. ike the table rock AZ
Niagara, over which the intrepid tourist pros
.ass hmseit 70 get 1.,,s :, s - ,ru,y r,day
height The view OF the surrounding country Is cxten-
siye and magnificent The wonder TO al except ,ho
geologist, how perpendicular mountain IKE THIS bas
been formed remains It Is 10 those who under
the matter who have studied the limestone escarp
ments Of NIAGARA Falls and rver, and other similar
| uhenomena OF nature and who look at the immense
fractures Of rock weighing thousands or tons nj Paz
Point, viii appear plain. Butthere y another
remarkable feature Of natural scenery on tbs mountain
| or rather down in it. There "a beaAllY iak:, MO-
honk lake. about half mile in length and several han;
drcd yards wide enclosed all ronnd oy oeep veres'
wall Of rock The very deep Jew primitive IN
habitants liz Ing say there no BOTTOM ana ho.
black and cold Only the midday sun reaches this deeply
To row ON t to s In tho toat andcr the hizh shelving
rocks and 70 enjoy rspas hsre 70 The deep sco snsSs
| 10 a pleasure rarely to BE- enjoyed.
High Fais which s Stone Ridge, and the place
referred 10 whcro the cement manufactures arc also
we'll worth visit The Rondout here falls ledge
of rock hundred feet deep In . considerable
volume OF water and then forms siccesson OF beAnti
full cascades for distance Bes des, the locks OF
the Hudson and Delaware Canal through which boats
passing every i've minutes tho suspension bridge
over which the canal passcs and the large eemen. lac
tories objects OF ordinary interest ut this point
Nor should the visitor 70 that part OF the country
neglect TO Pompeys mile or two from High
Falls This cave has been formed by small stream.
which runs into the Rondou cutting through The rock
under ground Is n sc sc CO, owe,
10 dry weather There Is, however, water nj all tmes
and this leaps along aud falls In cascades in charming
among the rocks through the subteranean chan
mel Tue descent b by ladder % IN aperture through
the rock aud then tho explorer has 10 ind bis BY
torch candle light Tie IS not named after Pom.
pey the Great, but after Pompey, negro, who plum
dcred ,he inhabitants all round and made this his secret
hiding place. I would suggest this case Of Pompey 70
the writers OF the black bandits and blood and
thunder style . Aae subject by drawing little the
ina ipatlon, for . now son safionai novel.
And the farmers and country people generally begin
TO take practical common sense view Of our national
finances ana particularly with regard 10 the questions
OF currency and the national hanks They have accarcr
view indeed OF these matters than Mr. McCulloch and
most Of orr Congressman. III tho government force
specie paym'nts they say .fhc price Of produce and
greatly reduced, and money will DO scarce, while
taxes will not be reduced. The burden viii be much
greater. with Iess 10 bear H. We would not
meet the demands upon " from the general
and State governments, aud for the country debt
and local taxes We should have ~ mortgage farms
lot the government cell them for taxea As long
"a there Is plenty Of money and prices high
manage 70 pay heavy a. the burden h not otherwise"