Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1878-07-18
Central ark, Etc.'
[Frem our Regnlar correspondent.]
,,s;,i.4,ssssgy My. .Yosx, qalx ieths 1878.

lFreus our Regslar Correspondent.
isJ.i tjssas;3 Nsvs lYoRk. lalx l2ths 1873.
,ss2tsaAgwilt be dqae."
Sorrow is the common heritage of hu-
mainly. None can escape it. Too soon
ID will the inevitsbl le day coiiie'when b SOL
onh sound like fseDe,atore will begin to
echo bstwsen ihsartsithat had been knit
t,gethtr by the hands OF some guardian
angel. Whsp she soul Is dark. and
whon the head il light enough to syim
n. thin airs WHEN the tliiiugh,s are tum-
nltu"u., and when the mind constantly
rsverts I" ono sad event then. o then !,
is, that the new scenes and the strange
T caa. Incident IN travel. prepare the way
f.r con,eutfneut snd cheerfulness in de-
gree sufficient to enable us TO repeat the
Lords prayer without one rebellious
emotion.
Well, New York is the same social tor
nado that it has ever been since the great
Ars of ls&i. The sad and the gay. the
busy aud the idle. the studious and the
ignorant, the aysriciouS and the luxu
rious. all i,daining the 'nails and the
mails. seem to taks sLe telegraph f"r the
m u of their counsel and imitation.
never had any conception of city until
I had reached this restless and over-
grown place. The din, the hustle, the
confusion and the delirium pervading
every inch Of this focus of the New
World, made mo open my eyes and
sigh for some situation on the silent
.ands Of Sahara. Soon, however, this
..feveri>h unrest" becomes contagious
and even pleasant. The most quiet
stranger quickly learns to float upon this
surging wave of modern civilization
No man of Z ste will visit New York
without trying to see her great Central
Park. lis the lungs Of the Metropolis,
and so handsomely and cunningly en-
bellished rs to suggest al idea of the
first Paradise where Adam and Eve
spent their honeymoon with the light o.
peri ct innocence upon their brows, and
the glow Of genuine happiness in their
hearts. The carriage ways, the bride
paths and the pedestrian pi iomenadss re-
veal many view OF enchanting lowell
ness, easy to imagine, but hard to de-
scribe This famous pleasure ground, on
January lst, 1874, had cost $l3,9o2, ,5l3.
Il comprises $50 acres, Of which l4S are
covered by the Croton reservoirs and over
IS acres by the waters Of the artificial
lakes The Park is divided into two
parts by tho new reservoir. The South
ern portion of the grounds has been
besutifed most, but the Northern sec
ton ix not without como pecuiisr attrac-
tions.
The Mall is a level, broad and shaded
walk, starting just East Of magniti-
cant marble arch, and extending North
ward for nearly aquarter OF a mile. 1t
passes under the carriage drive which IL
here upheld by stone terrace, itself an
elegant and costly structure. The Mall
has on each side double row OF Elm
trces To the South Of the Mall there II
point which commands view through
rhis long walk, across the terrace, the
lake, the higher ground of the ramble
beyond, and terminating where lofty
over has been erected at the edge Of The
reservoir. This vista is the glory OF the
landscape gardening in tho r"rsS, sHes II
is so ingeniously arranged as to make
one think the distance is several miles
instead Of about o quarter OF mile. In
obtaining this effect, great regard was
had to the proportions OF the Mail, ana
also to the color OF the foliage about the
heights OF the ramble. The statuary
makes these lovely prospects seem to BE-
haunted by thelmind, the beauty, tue
genius. the "Reminiscences. the civiliza'
ton and peculisrities Of every Land ana
cline. Here is Sir Walter Scott careless
lv leaning upon rock rnd lost III
thought; tn re il Shakespeare with co''S
xal brow and MI eagle eye; among th'
tall trees. the Indian hunter Is seen look
ing eagerly for his game; near one o.
the entrances to the Park, Alexander
Won Hum bolt seems to gaze Mt the uni
verse with untold affection; near the
Merchants gate. the statue OF Commerce
carries the imagination to every nation
ality beneath the sun; among the How
ering shru bbery. Robert Burns is think
ing o. Mary in Heaven; not far away
from the dusty drive, Daniel O'Conneli
mu,os with troubled brow over the
wrongs of Erin; the Falconer revives
some Of the scenes Of the middle ages;
and tho tigresa in bronze carrying FOOD
tn her cubs brings Hindoostan before
the eye of the mind.
The most romantic and the most sur
prising locality. that could find. Is "the
Cave" ut the Northwestern extremity OF
the Park. This is partly artificial and
partly natural. After going down steep
path. the visitor enters agloomy cavern;
turning TO the left and walking on. the
sunlight Is quickly regained at secluded
point upon th. Lake. Running up
tlight OF rough stone steps. he leaves the
cave by Another route, which leads under
O cranHe arch connecting brace OF vine-
covered cliffs. was so much pleased
with this ar-famsd cave that 1 had to
pass through It thg second time. The
Ramble i.a May labyrinth Of parallel
maths made cool, fragrant and umbrage-
an, by forest trees. glistening evergreens,
elinging vines and millions OF sweet
flowers. Bewildsrsd. and yet perfectly
at home communing with nature, y"n
begin To think all your pleasant dreams
nave been true prophets. But even here
there is nothing like perfect repose. You
hear the uproar of the distant city. and
to this ia added such chorus Of scrcech
ing, believing and roaring as to startle
YOU from some enhancing reverie TAX
ing the hint, you hasten to the Geological
Gardens to soc the monkey and the elo'
phant.