The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-08-02
NUMBER 5.
A Beecher in Solitude.
From the New York World.

From the New York W orld.
KINGSTON, July 3. About three years ago Rev
James Beecher a brother of Rev Thos X. o
Eimlra, and half brother of Henry Ward finding
! mat his usual summer vacation of six weeks spent
III the Wllds Of Maine, the Adrondacks or along
the Northern Pacific was costing him too much
cohcllded TO accept the invitation OF some Pough
| heepsle gentlemen who had a club room on the
Wlllememoc in the wilds of Clsterjcountv. where
as subsequent calculations showed he could spend
| SIX weeks at the limited cost Of S17 80 when his
vacation had ordinarily cost him $3.50
The party reached the club house on the Willie
memoc, but Beecher was dissatisfied. 1t was rough
and picturesque and also wild but it was not wild
enough for him, who had seen some of the grand
est and most romantic scenery of the world So
lhe camp equlpage and utensils were strapped to
backs and the party tramped over the mountains
on an entirely new route until they reached lake
which has been chrstened Bcecher Lake When
Bcecher stood on the shore Of that lake he felt
tilit all his longlngs satisfied he had wished
| TO stand III primitive forest and commune with
| the Wlld and picturesque scenery of tumbled ma
ture; but never before had he found it in such
| perfection as in the midst Of the solitude of which
| beecher Lake forms the gem its clear crystal wa
| 1ers unSollcd by any running tributary, but fed
| from beneath by the pureSt Of springs.
The lake lies i'll the center of an amphithcatre
! OF magnificent proportions. the highest peaks of
the tatSklllS crcllng II almost complctelv there
| beng only one break through which the surplus
water tlnds ITS way into Beaverkl Il tributary of
| the Delaware.
Mr.. Beecher spent his six weeks on this lake
camping out, and then returned to his charge OF
| the congregational Church at poughkecpsie: but
| SO enamored was he Of the perfect Wilderness he
had found that he res gned his paStorac. which
was paying him $500 d year and buvIue a square
mile Of land, in the center Of which was the al
most uurivalled trout lake thal now bears his
name he prepared to settle down His first stru
was to build house and buying. lumber at the
mills Of the nearest settlement nine miles below
ne mad 1t hauled to the spot 1t was a work of
great magnitude there was DO road and the
route was cut through the forest The labor of
hauling was 50 severe that the lumDer doubled i'll
cost before it reached the lake
Mr.. Beechcr, who has chest of fine tools set
to work Immediately and built his hous... com
plotting it entirely alone 1t is story and half
high, and contains 4 kitchen, sitting room, paror
and bedrooms, with yeranda fronting the lake
finished III rustic style and very pretty. The >ta-
Wart clergyman cut many OF the trees himself
swinging the axe with Il stroke powerful as any
ordained ecclcsiastics. He is fine workman with
saw, chlscl hammer or plane and the house il
finished in the best manner
Here on the border Of this beautiful lake Beech
cr fixed his home The whistles of the Midland
Railroad, twenty five miles away, can be heard on
its shore: but ii is primitive can be found on
the continent 1t is situated in the town Of Hard
enburg, and a mall comes every day to Turnwood
the mail route running from Molstun on the Mid
land Railroad, 10 Margarctvlle ON the Ulster and
Delaware. of which mail route inhabitants tell a
laie and chuckle as they Tell il. it only by
great persistence that they induced the depart
ment to establish Il ronte, they agreeing to carry
the mail because they wanted it so badly. for
500 per annum. The route runs over mountain
after mountain. One Of them is 50 precipitous
that it is called the 'cat ladder" Men make their
way over it with hands and feet. but there has
been found Il horse that does manage TO crawl over
1t with the bag tightly strapped upon his back At
the last mail LETTING Illinois " had