The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1868-07-09
UNDER THE SHADOW OF MOUNT
TAMMANY.
BY REV. THEO. l.. CUYLER.
DELAWARE WATER GAP, !
june 10Th, 1867. {

DELAWARE WATER GAP,
june 10Th, 1867.
| SEND you the first of my summer va
cation lettcrs-not from the Highlands Of
Scotland, as had hoped to do {; but from
the shadow of Mount Tammany, on the
Delaware. No mountain-pass in Scot
Land, ever sung by the great minstrel,
can surpass this gorge through which the
Delaware breaks its way to the ''great
wide sea-" Within four hours ride of N
Y. City Hall, l find myself in as wild a
forest region as if | were at Conway, or in
Cattskill Glove. This morning [ break
tasted on trout taken in the mountain
brooks and underneath the " Kdtdtinny
House" (from which [ write this epistle)
dashes the Caldeno Creek, and leaps down
in cascade of one hundred feet into the
River Celawarc, The lady who sits sew
ing on the piazza could toss her thimble
into the river, aud good marksman could
bring down crow from the pines on the
bluff of "Block head Mountain" on the
opposite shore.
| Last evening strollcd down into the
l"Watcr Gap" itself, where the Delwarc
forces itself through the gorge between
Mount Minsi, on the Pennsylvania shore,
and Mount Tammany on the Jersey side.
Sitting down by the riverside, gazed up
the bold bastions of old Tammany, which
rise sixteen hundred feet from the water;
and, as night-cap of vapor concealed the
summit, | might have imagined it to be as
lofty as an Alpine peak. All mountains
seem higher when the tops are wrapped
in mist, for the imagination runs them up
like obelisks in proportion to the breadth
of base. The clearing off of the fog dissi-
pates the dclusion in an instant. | wonder
whether certain regulations for intellect
ual greatness do not owe their apparent
altitude to the same cansc.
Fammany is rough, ragged "bully of
a" mountain, as well BELTS its name
Like the "ferce Democrcy" of your
city, it is named after Tdmanead, the "a
nous Delaware Indian chief, whose hunt
ing grounds were among these hills This
Tamanend was so chivalric and Christian
like savage that, after the Revolutionary
war, he was canonized by the name of
",St. Tdmmany." Social clubs or socic-
ties were instituted in his honor, and, with
bucks tails in their hats, used to parade
the streets on the first day of May and to
dine together in what they called "wig
wam," with much smoking of long pipes
and other Indian ceremonies. One OF
these organizations, the "Tammany So
ciety' of New York, soon became politi-
cal junta, and has grown into the most
formidable fraternity yet known in Amer
lea. Little did the stalwart chief who
once roamed these mountains imagine
that any of his savage successors would
ever quit them for the streets of New
York or, like Isaiah Rynders, would cx-
change the wampum and bear-skin leggins
for broadcloth pantaloons
There arc other scenic attractions here
besides Mount Tammany, with its rocky
brow and pine-trce plumes. The whole
reSin Is wilderness of beauty. Within
a ten minutes walk of this hotel are foam
ing cascades T; and "NIoss Cataracts" and
'Diana's Bath" in 4 tangible thickct,
and "Lake Lenape," shell-full Of
pcllucid water on the hilltop; and
Table Rock" from which one may
catch magnificent views of the Delaware
Valley for many green league. Tam
many is rough customer to climb, but
the view from his summit is the most far
reaching; it is worth a journey from New
York to greet the sunset from that
sublime observatory. The "Kittatinny
House" (so named from this mountain
range, which connects the Blue Ridge
with the Cattskills( is delightful and
spacious hotel, which will house comforta-
bly, two hundred guests. They worship
together on the Sabbath in the little
"Church Of the Mountain" few rods of
Its former pastor was my noble college
friend, Horatio Howell, who was bascly
murdered by rebel sharpshootcr, when
coming out of the door of hospital at
Gettysburg. Mr. Pierce is now the shep-
herd of this mountain flock. Part of the
hotel was built forty years ago, by the first
settler, one Dutot, funny Frcnchman,
who purchased bell to ring and cannon
to fire when the first steamboat and the
first locomotive should pass through this
wild gorge. The steamer never came :;
but, long after the enthusiastic Frenchman
was laid in his neglected grave, the ''Dela-
ware & Lackawanna Railroad Co." aroused
these solitudes with the whistle of their
steam ngine, on its winding way to the Val
ley OF Wyoming, Dutot's bell now rings
the school girls to prayers, on the Strouds-
burg Seminary; his field-piecc was burst
in firing Fourth Of July salute on the
top OF Mount Caroline. He dicd-like
old John Brown-belorc his day.
This picturesque region was once the
scene Of the labors of David Brainercd
the holy-hcartcd missionary to the Minis
ink Indians. lie had preaching station
at Aliens Ferry, seven miles below the
Water Gap. At Easton-then the "Forks
of the Dclaware"-hc spent many day
of weeping and prayer. Just one hund-
rcd and twenty five years ago, this preach
er of the wilderness passed along behind
yondcr hill, on his way to the Lehieh-l