The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-08-27
CHATAUQUA LAKE.


have heard Of Chatauqua Lake; heard
of it as a place of quiet beauty, summer
resort, or Sabbath School gatherings.
Two years ago, when first l came to
America, ChatauQua kept me for two
weeks rambling along its shores, and sail
ing leisureIy on its quiet waters. De
lightful days were these, though tinged
with loneliness. Now, after such short
absence, how everything is changed;
caused, perhaps, by the friends which
meet now wherever turn.
Chatauqua is. in Western New York,
only seven miles from Lake Erie. 1t is
said to be about seven hundred feet
higher than that lake, and the highest
navigable lake on the Continent, if not
in the world The lake is sabOut twenty
five miles long, by an average breadth
of three miles. Some parts, however,
are quite narrow-not more than eighty
yards wide. The shores are beautifully
wooded. The ground is gently slipping.
The green fields and patches of dark
woods show each other to good advan-
tage. The principal points of interest on
the lake are Fluvanna, Lake View, Grif-
fith's, Bemus Point, Mayville, and Fair
Point, where the great Sabbath School
meetings are beld. Four first-class steam
boats ply on the lake, one of them being
capable of carrying twelve hundred pas
sengers. There are, also, a number of
small steamers, private yachts, and
boats out of number. Yet there was
erowding and waiting during the days
the assembly Was in session.
The Indian romance by which Cha
tauqua received its name, has, to me. "A
shade of beauty, AyounS Indian squaw,
belonging to the tribe of Iroquois, away
back in the ages of the past, was in some
way parted from her husband and the
tribe. Il her loneliness she walked about
for days and weeks seeking her lost one,
of the search, when her heart grew cold
with despair, when all her food was done,
she lay down to die. Urged on by hun
ger, she dug some roots, kind she had
never seen before. These she devoured
greedily. Then she was seized with such
a tormenting thirst, which led her to the
lake, and in one of the corners where
the water was clear and shaded sine lay
down to drink. When she tasted the
water she disappeared forever. So they
called this Chatauqua, meaning the
1CateTS Of the lost one. Such, at least, is
the story which l have read somewhere,
in the long ago. Taking all things into
consideration know of no better place
to spend few weeks than Chatauqua.
and would advise my FindIay friends, es-
peeially the Sabbath School workers. to
make their arrangements next year for
spending at least two weeks there, in the
beginning of August. The expense is
not great when there, for all that is seen
and heard.
Fair Point is three miles from May
vile, the head of the lake, and is, as the
name indicates, a strip or point of land
covered with wood, running far into the
lake, forming, between this and May
vile, beautiful bay. Landing at the
pier, everything betokens free expendi-
ture and good deal Of taste. The land
ing place is the very Point. Here build
ings have been erected, for the issuing of
significant of Sabbath Schools. Along
the beach are bathing Places, and boats
for those who want to sail or fish, or get
away from the great crowd.
Securing your ticket, you are hurried
through the gateway by those behind,
and as you enter the q Ounds among the
hundreds already there, you see n snow
white statue, standing in stately grace.
with sickle and sheaf, bidding you vel
come to learn lessons of sowing and reap-
ing. Here the ground is laid out in cir
cles, half circles, and squares. When /
was last there, the grass was green and
long; there could lie for hours, reading;
there, too, wrote short poem, which
the editor Of the JEFFERsONIAN did not
care to publish.
Further on you come to 4 place en-
closed, and as you look through the
crowd which surrounds 1t, you see in
miniature, an ancient city, which you
recognize rs Jerusalem-the city Of sa-
cred song and story. There is the Val |
ley of JehOsophat, the Mosque of Omar,
the Garden of GetlIsemane, and over
looking all is the Mount of Olives. Near
to this enclosure are two sets Of crouuet,
which are in constant use. when the meet
ings are not in progress, so that ancient
times and modern pastimes are brought
into close proximity.
The next place OF Importance is the
Museum. THIS is the great Book En-
poriunl; very unlike any Other building
you ever saw. It's an Eastern house, Gf
1 dark gray appearance. You enter the
court yard, and TO the right are two
rooms, where the books are sold, and
.hese are crowded from morning until
night. To the left a crowd is waitingat
he foot of peculiar stair, each anxious
% see the euiosities ebose. There you
AN see all Kinds of odd things, from "A
living Turk to a dead Egyptian mummy.
Higher up still and you stand on the roof
If an Eastern house, with the canopy Of
rees over your head, SO yoa car pnder-
tand how the spies we're concealed and
low Peter could enjoy his afternoon
leep.
On leaving the Eastern iioIs..a, Ire
'urk, who sells Jordan wafer ~ four
cen cents per bottle, you enHge To Pal
stine, in miniature. There yog SEE the
liver Jordan, rising away .nong the
of Lebanon. The snowy
eaks Of IIerHon are covered with girls
t play. There is the "deep blue waves"
{ the ''Sea Of Galilee," and the muddy
'aters of the dead Sea-" Indeed,
-ithOut moving Mt all, you can see ''from
Ian to Be'rsheba." Why, then, so much
vpense and toll, when all is so convent