New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-22
SUMMER LEISURE.
THE BEAUTIES OF LAKE GEORGE.

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their and hustle, the quiet village at the head
Of the lake-Lake George has settled down again to
the delightful, easy-golng life which is the chief
charm Of the place. IL cannot properly be called
watering place. If by that is meant a resort where
city people GO, they do most often when they 90
out OF town for their brief and feverish Summer
vacation. TO spend their time in Just such another
round of excitement and dressing as they have at
home all the Winter, keeping the same habits, and
playing the same farce with only a change
OF scene. The life at Lake George has nothing in
common with this. 1t Is quiet, it is Tor may bel
prominently lazy, il is just transformations as one
peases to make II. 1t Is above all others the place
for tired, wOrn-out people who have been working
hard al the rest of the year. and who want rest.
utter lack OF excitement, fresh. oracng mountain
air, an outdoor life and last but to most people,
not least inexpensive accommodations. When to
all thls is added some of the loveliest scenery in
America perhaps the loveliest lake scenery in the
world 10 is no wonder that its admirers drawn
from all sorts ard conditions Of men, love 1t with
surprising love- and come back here Summer after
Summer with unwavering constancy. 1t is DO place
for those who must have dress and show and noise
and excitement-what they are pleased to term
"sOciety' but for those who can understand and
enjoy the life IN the woods the lake. and can
appreciate the charm of nature in one of her very
l0yeest moods. Lake George presents far more at
fractions than any other place that know OF IN
this country.
There are two WAYS Of getting to the lake. In
both of them one leaves Troy by the Rensselaer,
and Saratoga Railroad. but 10 the first change of
cars is made at Fort Edward for short ride of five
miles or so to Glens Falls the Of large part
of Cooper's most famous novel, 8 the Last of the
M0hcans." At GieGs Fails the ears left, and
stages are taken for the drive of about miles to
the head Of the lake. by far the peasantest part OF
the journey for the last half of II is through very
beautiful thickly-wooded and billy country,
through all the scenes Of the disastrous battle of
Lake George I'm the French and Indian War, and
past the very Bloody Pond into which the Indians
threw the bleeding bodies OF their victims after the
battle from which it derived its ghastiy name The
other way Is by the cars 10 TconderOga, thence By
short ride to the foot of the lake and thence by the
steamer Horizon the whole length of the lake thirty
six miles, 10 the head OF the two WAYS Of ap-
preaching the lake. think that by Gien's Falls
altogether preferable, for the stage-ride ought not
TO be missed and 1t is pedsanter too than from the
lake partly because the prettler half of the ride is
that nearest the lake, and partly because the
beauty Of the lake bursts suddenly on one from a
hill Just above the Fort William Henry Hotel. The
other way. by rconderoEa, is, l think, peasanter
70 come back by for there is too much beauty III
each to miss either
There are several excellent hotels at the head OF
the lake. The largest OF these, the Fort William
Henry is most like the ordinary watcriug-place
hotel It's very large, handsome house, comfort
able and excellently kept. and with a superb view
down the lake. 4 couple of hundred yards beyond
this. on the west shore Of the lake, is the
Lake House, a long. low, old-fashIoued hostlery,
with the most hosptable OF hosts and kindliest of
Lostesses. with an air of hOmc-hke comfort which
is slngularly attractive and where in little while
one begins TO feel that he is a member OF a large
but very charming family. just across the lake,
half a mile or so of, are the Fort George and Crosby
side Hotels. famed for comfort and refinement.
But these are not all. All along both sides of the
lake are numberless small but comfortable hotels
and boarding houses. each with its little fleet Of
boats and its little family Of Summer visitors who
seem to dwell in delightful unity together, aud to
pass their time in delicious lotus-eatng sort of life
that is inexpressibly attractive to fresh from
the heat and turmoil of great city Their widest
excitement seems 20 be the arrival of the little
steamer which brings them their daily mail-they
greet il with shouts and cheers, and the firing Of
immature cannon. Their chief occupation seems to
he TO drift lazy about the surface of the lake,
10 paddle in and out among the lovely isets with
which IT is crowded.
But it must not be supposed that there is any
lack of amusements at the lake. True it is that
most of these are especially adapted TO those of a
contemplative turn Of mind, or who were, as some
body has ceverly put it, 4" born tired y; but there
are others of different sort. There are some pretty
drives, and a world Of beautiful rides OF if the
visitor is Of a more energetic turn of mind, and adj
dicted to pedestriansm, there no end of charm
ing walks, either along the lake, where he may
stick to the little paths. if he likes or scramble
through the forest, blazing" new roads for him
self: or there are walks TO the tops of the
neighhorng mountains from which views of
almost unrivalled beauty may be had. The
finest of these Is from Prospect Mountain, which is
Just back of the Fort William Henry. At the foot
Of the mountain. the lake uurolls its svery waters,
dotted with countless islands and with its encirc-
ling hills. Just opposite is Black Mountain, and off
on the horizon we can see the Adirondack Noun
tains the Green Mountains and the White Noun
tains, with Mt Marcy looming boldly up. There Is
another fine walk up TO the top of Black Mountain,
whence the view IS only less fine than that from
Prospect Mountain.
But after all the chief pleasures at the
lake are connected with the water. Every
hotel or clearinghouse has its hotila Of
small boats, and nearly everyone Is a deyotee of
Neptune. The fishing Is capital The game laws
are strictly enforced for is not the Sheriff himself
a famous fisherman n, and as a result, the lake Is
richly stocked with lake trout, bass, pickerel and
other fish and the disciples of Izaak Walton have a
fine time of 1t. Nor is the fishing confined TO the
lake. for the neighbOrng mountains are tul OF good
trOut streams, that the gentle angler Is, to mix
metaphors a little, " IN clover" The sailing ought
TO be good too. though some OF the members of the
Canoe Club told me that the wind was full of flaws
and very chan geable, and Of them sand that he
had had two squalls hit his boat from opposite d.
rectIOns simultaneously. This, however may have
been To excuse himself for lgnOminious upset
which he found might lower HIM the eyes of the
fair ones of the lake who happened TO
witness If. However, the wind is Ger
taluly a bad one, and any one VINO