The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-04
SUNDAY ON HARLEM RIVER.

How People TOiled Out To The Northern
Suburbs Observation-Disclosures For
PIeasure-The HUNT for Fresh Air
Varieties Of the Routes by Land md
Water.
Probably not less than twenty-five thousand per-
sons fed the city yesterday to escape the heat and
betook themselves to the pleasant hillsdes, shady
groves and COOL sparkling waters OF the Harlem
River region. Early in the morning, before the
c0pper-faced day god had assembled high into the
vault OF the heavens the atmosphere gave
abundant premonition of the coming intense heat
and sultriness, and almost every one who breads
The heat and could get out Of town made up his
mind to patroniZe one or other Of the scores OF
excursion routes that are to be enjoyed on Sum
day, and of them oil doubtless none were more
generally selected than the various routes leading
to the northern extremity OF the island and to
Westminster county. Morrisana, Mott Haven,
fremont. High Bridge, Kingsbridge, Manhattan
vile, were all available by land and water routes,
and the crowds that wended their way to these
suburban resorts were devoted in their Pilgrim
age, and seemed rs patient OF afiliction, as the
pious hordes that journey through the deserts to
the shrine OF the great Prophet. They endured
meekly SO that they might reach their Mecca.
THE MOST DEMOCRATIC ROUTE,
and by far the most penitental and pilgrim-like,
was, OF course, the Third and Eighth avenue horse
car routes. Just imagine what one had to endure
yesterday In ride OF SIX or seven miles, boxed up
In cars, under a burning sun, surrounded by fat
perspiring German matrODs and wilted crying ba-
bics. Each passenger made the other sweat lear
fully and mems collars, starch ed shirt bosoms and
cuffs, and women's frills tucks and Elusive grena
dine bodices went down fiat and stuck fast. wet
and nabby, to their woarers' necks and
much for little fresh air at the
S while aeS s Next in oraer Of popaay en
gendered Of course BY inexpensiyeness was
A nan,, Iiarf foo uraO f nj
opposition manifested by the two companies. One
line has its city terminus at Fulton ferry and the
two glib .tongued fellows at the Fulton pier, who
gratuitously warn intending excursionists OF
they run by patrenIzing this line and notify them
that those boats never reach Harlem, but usually
blow up near Hell Gate. Just walk up two blocks,
ladies and gentlemen, to Peck slip, and you
will find palace steamer that Will leave In
ten minutes. This old steam raft won't leave for
an hour; walk up the dock, gentlemen, just walk
up; save time and be happy. on, be happyl", Up
at the Peck slip piers you can have the same KIND
OF recommendation for the Fulton sup hue, anu
that other concern. CThe facts are tnat one line
Is as good as the other, and darned sight better)
But these routes by all odds the PLEASANT
comes. The steamers are all comfortable and very
swift and the trip up the East River past
THE FORESTS OF SHIPPING,
the walls of the cities here on either nand ana
there Tue wooded slopes OF Astoria ana Ui ne up
its we'll kept roads and lawns and Its superb
edifceS-pcturesque enough, all or them, until
one remembers that the whole island Is the abode
OF the wretchedness OF human kind, the sin-steepeu
and the afflicted; the eddyiug and swlrng current
oil He'll Gate and then the wooded slopes OF WARDS
and Randalps islands, relieved by the handsome
eleemosynary structures, that give these places
their only n0toriety, and then Harlem
and the Harlem River are reached. The
last and most aristocratc OF these routes
Is buggy-wise, Or at least with team and turn
out" OF some SORT through the Central Park,
BloOmingdae road and Harlem lane But beautiful
and exhiiaratng as Is this style and route OF travel
1t was not patronlzed to great extent yesterday.
THE WEATHER WAS TOO HOT
TO make horsefesh travel fast, and IL was tedious
and browning to drive slowly. Arrived at Harlem
the worst OF the days work was done, save the
return to the city; but that could in most cases.
be ACCOMPLISHED In the cool of the evening. The
little steamer that plies on Harlem River, with her
wheezy engines and flexible decks, was crowded all
day CARVING her pleasure-seeking freghts up to
High Bridge and kingsbrdge, and the picturesque
little river with It's Rhine-like banks 0Ck-towering
here aud iohlage-clad there, never looked more
attractive. Harlem seemed to be
THE GREAT DISTRIBUTING POINT
whence people sought the various pleasure parks,
lager beer pavilions and gardens, or the walks
and wooded groves OF the river banks, All went
merrily as marriage bell until the waning OF Inc
efternoon when shower or two OF ram leil rom
! thin veil OF cloud and cooled the parcned eartn
or course 1t created a scampering everywhere ana
boots became muddy and skirts were oedraggleu.
but whom 1t was over everybody was pleased mat
It had come for II made existence more t0.eraDlo.