The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-27
Why Should Not Pond ParlOrs Become
Generally Fashionable?
The Possible Effect Upon the
Feminine Toilet.
Petrie, Fairy and Black
berry Islands.
Yachting. Especially the Pretty Little
Yacht TriAer.


How the Mahopacans Boat and Bowl and
Have Their Being.
LAKE MAHoPAC, July 20, 1878.
DO not tell me that all watering places are the
same. l tell you they are not Here is Lake
Mahopac, stretching itself serenely and cheerfully
within sight OF two three excellent hotels, and
just asdiferent from other watering places In It's
surrounding attractions and in its whole temper
and spirit as can well be imagined. Lake Mahopac
n not loud, not boisterous not demonstrative and
selEassertive like Long Branch; not exclusive ike
Newport; not pr0sy and monotonous like the
Water Gap; not pretentious and hot like West
Point. You might almost call IL fairy spot, were
such an epithet not too gushing for o corre
spondents cool and practical pen. Within
nfty miles Of New York city and 1000
feet above its level. it unites as many
Of the charms Of watering place life
~ can readily be conceived. confess
70 being under the fascination Of the pretty
place. Imagine q broad, Deep soping lawn
Swallowed with silver naples and graded to the
edge OF springfield sheet Of water, nine miles n
Circumference and gemmed with three OF four
islands, Imagine groups Of children OF all ages
playing on the sward adolescence deep in the in
trtcacies Of croquet, and tiny female children,
masses of ils, ribbons and embroidered skirts, ex-
haustlng the varieties Of gambol. Imagine shore
ffnged with rowboats one Of which every now and
then is called into use, and, propelled away from
tn fellows makes the circuit of this small fresh
water ocean. Imagine an occasional yacht career
ing in and out among the islands like horse that
has never known the bride. quickened by the
spur Of his own impulses. Add to these piazza
made picturesque with varied groups; old ladies
Knitting and gosspng, young ones reading
'Middlemarchn and "Kenelm Chiningy;' invalids
not too sick to be graceful, reclining with not un-
happy patience in easy chairs and gentlemen with
the rrepressble cigar seeking in tobacco that enjoy
ment which destiny denies them elsewhere. Mingle
with these the clink ofthe billiard balls and bowling
alley, the mild splash Of fancy drinks In process OF
mixing, the softened catter of the adjacent dining
room, the whirl Of the frequent carriage and less
frequent stage, the happy sigh Of the wind las
though Natures heart were too full for utterance)
- It shakes the silver of the maple leaves. and the
fun light mellowed by the shadows and finding I'M
checked expression on the expanse OF the lake.
To be poetical no longer, Lake Mahopac Is the
pnly place which have yet visited that deserves
20 be called success in all the best senses Of that
term. The hotels are fall; but not too
crowded for comfort The amusements are various,
but the rush to enjoy them does not defeat It's own
purpose. The hop ia Of frequent occurrence, but
win md at most entertainments Of the kind. The
happy medium appears to be struck between duh
sxclusiveness and loud heterogeneity. Most Of the
visitors are resident for the Summer, and the
number OF transient guests Is small. The principal
hotels are the Gregory House, Of which Mr.. RAM
NY still remains proprietor; the Lake House and
Tnompson's. OF these the Gregory is, perhaps the
most pleasantly situated. Its smooth-shaven
lawn slopes gently down to the very edge OF the
lake, and ia sbundantly shaded pleasure house
directly overlooks the water, and numerous boats
embroider the edge of the banks like bugles to
ueeve. Some picnic grounds are within
easy distance, and have been much
visited during the season. All the
hotels are however, comfortably full and
M have had sufficient number Of transient visit
nrs to prove that Lake Mahopac is gaming in popus
larty. All that the place seems to need Is one or
two more hotels and q so Of cottages. This
necessity will, probably, be supplied within the
the railroad from Croton Falls increased energy
has been seen In this respect
THE COTTAGES AND THE PEOPLE
The place was formerly reached in part by stage
and, therefore, offered less inducements than IL
now does for those who desired to DC within Iap1a
railroad Several trains start daily from the depot
Ut Forty-second street and Fourth avenue, and con-
Vey the traveller TO GOldens Bridge, where Q
iasts about two hours, and though the country
sive the reward at the end Of the route Is worth
having. Tne cottage element, though not as large
date is still on the increase. Here it is that MIR.
Peter B. Sweeny built for himself little villa in
one Of the choicest hooks Of the lakes environ,
OF having given fashionable interment to q large
number OF his fellow beings, has an extremely spa
was to this neigh6orhood that poor. extrava.
liter the Spring season was over, and his
organ and his pocket needed repose. HIS organ
iortNnately, was never happy as long as he had a
penny about him. He was one OF those reckless
creatures who never learn anything IN suffering
income OF prosperous opera singer. squander
money with the generosity and indiscretion OF a
prince-nay, with much more generosity, LOT 90
NOT know that your princes are particularly ad-
dicted to that virtue. But OF all the cottages In
the place perhaps Mr.. Billiards. is the most curious
and unique. Seen from the lake it precisely re-
pembles one OF those toy Swiss cottages that you
sc comoous aRd elegant But is peculiar sa
ture Is its pondparor sort OF aquatic voluptuous-
ness which many OF the readers OF the HERALD Will
not fail to admire. pond-parlorl What Is that
you will say9 Will explain. Looking at Mr. Bal.
iard's cottage from the lake you perceive tnat
York residences to the basement is occupied by
water. The parlor or drawing room is immedi-
ately above, and the curiosity is that large,
rallied circular space in the middle of this room
enables one to descend by pair OF stairs to the
0eW 9e ina
swim, fish and step into the boat. don't know
whether Mr. Ballard is In the habit OF mingnng the
TWO things, but one can fancy reception and q
fishing party going on at the same time. should
hardly be surprised to learn that some OF his lair
guests have invented toilet for the occasion, and
that some fine morning more than one of them
may be seen, dressed with fautless taste, occupy
ing o Jdsteuu In the snug little parlor, rod in
hand and eye intent, and giving the lie to DR..
Johnson's declaration that o nshingrod had a
worm at one end and q fool at the other rather
like the idea myself-not DR.. Johnsons, but Mr..
Ballard's. IL is something to have discovered
between fish ana fashion q closer prQpinquity than
thof 0f Wlara MO- oto bar
wits TO work to invent new mode she is pretty
certain to evolve something stunning, provided