Middletown transcript., 1869-10-02
ghetthes of Graret,
A RambIe I'm Westchester County, N. Y.

In the romantic and quiet town of North
Salem, which adjoins Ridge6eld, Fairfield
Co. c. several beautiful lakes lie among
the steep and wood-clad hills and noun
tains, where summer visitors flock in great
numbers to enjoy the mountain air, fish
ing, aud delightful sail on these clear
and cool waters.
The most noted and popular are the fol-
lowing: Lakes Wacca6uc and Pehquenna-
hauch, situated within an hours ride of
each other. The former lake is accessible
by the Golden Bridge station on the Har-
lem Rail Road, and the visitor on his ar
rival there finds comfortable and mode
rate priced hotel called the IVaccabuc
House, kept by r. Mead, an excellent
landlord, and an old resident, who owns
large farm adjoining the hotel grounds.
When the hotel is full all new comers are
sent to his family mansion within stones
throw of the former, where for those who
enjoy quietncss and would discard fashion
and gaiety, 1t is all that one could wish
The hops, on Saturday evenings, during
the season are stylish and fashionable
The ladies' dresses are as a rule elegant
and costly, and the opals, sapphires, and
diamonds sparkle and flash from the necks
of many beautiful ladies who grace the oc-
casion with their presence,
From observation, the ladies' partners
as a general thing were composed of cx-
quisites, of nice young men who know all
the variations of the eighteen sets of be-
wildering body-spinnings which were put
down on the dancing bill of fare, and of
the queer thick headed men, young and
old, who cannot for the life of them mas
ter the mysteries of the quadrille or Ian
GERS, but who generally make their way
through the ballroom, as through the
world, successfully.
Lake Waccabuc, formerly called Long
Pond, is connected with two other lakes
which lie to the eastward. A row or sail
of three miles through them all will not
soon be forgotten by the tourist
Lahe Pehquennohopch, about six miles
north of the former is easily reached from
Croton Falls depot, where stage marked
Wallis" will carry you to the new hotel
situated on the south side of Peach Pond
the old name known to residents before
fashion began to have sway.
This sheet of water is nearly oval, and
can be seen throughout its whole length
from the noble piazza of the hotel. This
rendezvous has not been as well patron
lied as the Waooabuc, from the fact that
it it is not as widely known, and the lack
of enterprise in its administration. The
old phrase "he knows how to keep ho-
tel" does not apply in this case.
"Still many worthy and stylish fami-
lies have stopped there during the past
season, and the large number of rosy and
gleeful children, bore the evidences of good
air and generous diet in their well devel-
oped frames and healthy countenances.
This section would be capital one for
your delicate inhabitants living between
the Delaware and Chesapeake bays, espe-
cially during tho months of July and Au-
gust. Here the young can exchange the
eneryating climate of the peninsula-par-
ticularly in the middle of the day-for the
bracing air peculiar to the upper part of
Westchester County, and Putnam Coun-
ty adjoining with the iron-watcr thrown
in; then to return early in September to
their seabordered homes,
If any of your readers doubt it, let them
Try it once, and return to their friends
with all the invigoration peculiar to trip
among the mineral springs of Virginia,
without the care and vexation attending
he southern journey, and at one quarter
If the expense.
Travellers can hic away to Lake 4lI,Ao-
,ac some 12 to IA miles distant if they
Wish to see more fashion and be more fash I
enable. This watering place cannot be
'utdone by the older fashionable resorts
n style and cquipage generally. {
While taking an airing from Salem to
CT. one of the old battle l
grounds of the revolution was pointed out, {
nd especially the spot where General
Wooster fell, over which spot a rude gran {
tie shaft has been raised by some friend,
ong since passed away.
Washington was often in this region,
nd also in Danbury, about the date of {
Aenl. Wooster's death, and house was {
hown where he was wont to tarry. OF !
curse many incidents are related by the /
ldest inhabitants concerning those reyolu-