The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-06-03
Tna IreehnnKen DueIling.around.


Few strangers came to New York
ebfafed dueliiug-ground on the roman.
tic, bank, of the Hudson, about two
mi1es above the Hoboken Ferry. Il
was e grassy ledge, or shelf, about
twenty feet above the water, and only
sufficiently large for the fatal encoun-
the old duelllng days, being about two
wards wide, by twelve in length. From
This celebrated spot there was a natural
and almost regular flight of steps to the
edge of the rocky shore where a land
Ing was effected. This singularly-iso
lated and secluded spot was reched by
small boats, being inaccessible to foot
passengers along the shore, except at
very low tide. No path led to 1t from
the picturesque heights of Weehawken,
whose beauties have been sung by Hal.
leck, and are familiar to all New York
ers: but the ground was sometimes
reached from above by adventurous
persons who descended the steep, rough
and wooded clevity.
rut year we revisited the ancient duel
playground; but, alas, it had been
swept out of existence by that villain
QUE alteration miscalled Improvement"
Nothing remains to mark the spot but
Weather-beaten stone on which the
name Hamilton has been almost oblite.
rated by the winds and rains OF hea-
ven. In place of the narrow ledge,
there is now broad track, over which
the trains of the West-Side Railroad
will soon be laundering northward to
Fort Lee and farther on, awakening
the echoes from tho picturesque Wee.
hawken heights and the lofty High
lands of the Hudson.
Let me hope, pray you wrote Fitz.
Greene Halleck to lady.friend at Fort
Lee, a few years ago, that while live,
YOU will not allow any person, whom
I refrain from naming (the same person
who entered, of old, the only paradise
on earth to be compared to Fort Lee, in
the shape of ratLlesnake, and played
the very devil there), to come, in the
shape of a railroad locomotive, scream
ing his way through your garden, up
to crystal palace on the top of the
Palisades, at the rate Of forty miles an
hour" The poets prayer was realized;
he did not live to witness this much
needed Improvement, and to have his
heart saddened by what he would have
cherished scene so indelibly impressed
upon his memory.
The venerable cedar tree against
which Hamilton leaned, as he gazed
sadly, for the last time, on the distant
city which held all that was dear to
him in this world, has been cut down
and thrown into the river, and the
place changed beyond all recognition.
Looking around for the memorials of
past days, we at length discovered the
granite block inscribed with the name
of Hamilton; but the other was not to
be found, nor the numerous rocks,
which we had seen on our former visit,
decorated with the names or initials of
persons who had made pilgrimages to
the place.
a gang of laborers were at work near
the spot, and to their foreman we adj
dressed an inquiry about the granite
block inscribed "Burr, 1904" The
conversation ran as follows:
W7fter.-Have you seen large stone
here similar to this one marked Ham
ilton?
F0Ten1dn.-Yes.
Wr1ter.-Was it marked with the
name of Burr. and dated 1904 ?
FOTenlun.-Ees.
W1iter.-Do you know where it is?
Foremdn.-Yes.
Writer.-Can you point 1t out to me2
FOrenlGn.-Well. l guess not, seeing
it's underground. It's been used as
covering stone in q culvert just above
here.
WTiteT.-Could you not have made
use OF another stone, and allowed the
interesting memorial to remain?
B0remGn.-Why, yes; and told the
boss he'd better lay it alongside of the
'tother stone; but he said that Burr was
a mean cuss, anyhow, and not of much
account, ana he guessed 1t would be
more useful doing duty as covering
stone then perpetuating his memory"
-AppletO1tS' Journal.