National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-04
The ADIRoNDAC2s.
Rev, ". H.H. Murray's Lec.u'

.
BAs was announced, Rev..W. H. H, Murray OF
Park street church, Boston, gave last night the
last Of the course of lectures and concerts at the
Congregational church. The storm and the sad
condition of the streets prevented the attendance
Of such an audience as the reputation OF the lee
turer had seemed to promise. 1t is here Que 70
the managers Of that course OF entertainments
TO say that their efforts to present winter SERIES
which should afford high order OF entertain
ments, has TO the public been eminentiy success
tuI, as, it is understood, has been the result 70
the management. But, like the sages OF OLD,
they kept their good wine until the last. But
few public speakers are able to render dlscrlp-
tive lecture entertaining to an audience. In this
capacity Mr.. Murray has shown himself 70
possess unusual ability.
scenery, interspersed with his peculiar style OF
quiet humor, held his audience in the closest and
most sympathetie attenti9n: ms mPiese hLiI
spent his summers there for many years, enables
him to present picture OF that wonderful region
on the minds OF his hearers. He began by de-
Eeribing the Adirondack Mountains as q mountain
wall dividing the valley on the east from what is
known as the wilderness on the west.
This wilderness in the centre Of that vast Guilt
waited country Of New York and Vermont
bounded BY the valley of Lake ChamplsIn on the
for q hundred miles north and south, and 30
many miles east and west, large proportion OF
which is uninhabited unbroken and untraversed
wilderness, in which are found not less than
twelve hundred crystal lakes resting two thou
sand feet above the level Of the sea, fed by and
connected with network OF streams and rivers,
by which tourists can trayeres through the wilder
ness in boats, as do the gondoliers Of Venice the
streets Of that city. These lakes and rivers lie
hidden among hundreds Of independent mountain
peaks, many Of them rising more than three thou
sand feet above the waters Of the lakes and more
than i've thousand feet above the sea level.
The lecturer described most gracefully the
wOndrous beauty Of this remarkable region, and
especially its pure, exhilarating and health-re-
storing atmosphere, which he regarded, for GER
q the most
alive of that Of any region on the globe; and he
reasoned that 1t must be from its elevated posi-
ton, its complete natural drainage BY the net:
works of rivers, and from the rarity and purity Of
the air, blowing in steady, regular currents over
the country, keeping the temperature at uni
fOrmity OF about $50 for weeks and months Of the
summer season.
The speaker illustrated by most thrilling and
humorous sketches the proper and improper ways
mountains. His manner Of treating his theme
was most graphic, not to describe scenery and in
cidents, but to carry his audience in their i'm
aginations To the very spots which he visited,
and TO enable them to see and examine those
scenes and incidents as he has seen and examined
them. His criticisms upon the criticisms Of news
paper correspondents was humOrously sarcastic
and truthful. But perhaps the best received
portion Of the lecture was the account OF the as
cent by his party Of Mount NV hiteface, on horse
back. His attempts TO ride his dimlnutive pony
conTulsed the audience with appreciative miTth.
The lecture ended with Sunday on the sum
NIT Of the mountains five thousand feet toward
heaven. The sun rising; the cloudless sky in the
morning; the gathering storm at monday; the
rolling and booming Of the thunder; the flashing
Of the lightning; the roaring Of the storm hve
the deep, dark cloud chains beneath them; the
mist rising above the storm and envelOping them
in a halo Of prismatic light, when they 'held the
and the setting sun, all presenteda most exquisite
picture OF artistic beauty, which will long be re-
impress them with the strong, fascinating powers
Of the speaker.