New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-05-17
REAL SUMNER OPENINGS.
LETTER FROM WALT WHITMAN.

JAUNIING UP TIL. HUDsoN-rHE ULSTER COUNT
RrGIoN-sPRING SIGHTS AMID HILLS AND ROCKS
THE BIRDS; BEES; NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. On
THE RTvER-vAssAR AND MANREsA-wALikH
DUMoNT AND HIS MEDAL
To the Editor Of the TrfbHne.
SIR: As sit down to-day MAY 49, to arrange
the notes of n iust-concudcd trip no the Hudson, !
look ont of my window. at 1909 Fifth-ave., on
Natures real summer opening in full iiush, IN Dcau-
tiful Central Park. 1ree-bossoms and verdure ana
that sight love best, the emerald carpet OF the
grass, now in its richest. freshest green lhicA-
spotted over hundreds of acres, with mynads oi
golden-yellOw dandeons But to my memoranda :
COUNTLESS VILLAS AND MANSIONS.
April 23.-Leavng the hospitable, home-ilke
quarters of my valued friends Mr.. and MIS- D. IL e
Johnston-taking the p. IN. boat Oouhd up 'no
Uudsop. 100 miles or So As always, the river, ITS
panorama as 1 wend along, seems lnlmitaoie' III
ereases in interest and variety Tins time the absence
of foliage gives me better views of the countless
handsome country houses | find | never realized
how thckly scattered they are and how continuous
all the way by the banks. aud as lar back az you
can see.
Sunset and evening fine. Especially enjoyed the
bour after we passed Cozzens's Landing-the night
Inf by the crescent moon ana Venus now swimming
IN tender glory and now hid by the high rocks ana
hills of the western shore. which we Rugged close
Where ] spend the next ten days Is IN ulster
County and its neighborhood, with frequent morn
ing and evening drives, observations OF the river,
and short ramblesl.
ApriI 24-Noon-A little more and the sun would
be oppressive. The bees are out gathering their
bread from willows and other trees. watch theh
returning darling through the air or lighting on
the hives their thighs covered with the yellow Tor
age. solitary robin sings near slt Ill MY
shirs sleeves and gaze from an open bay-windoW on
the INDECENT scene-the thin haze, the Flshkll NILS
IN the dstance-off On the river sloop with slant
ING mainsail. and two or three little shad-boats'
Over on the railroad opposite, long freight TRAINS
sometimes weighted by cynder-tanks OF petroleum,
thirty. forty, fifty cars in a string, painting ana
rumblng along In full view, but the sound softenea
bv distance High up the shore, plainly, as looA'
in relief against the background OF the dark WoouS'
4 the white recan-temple-showing house OF MI
L. millionaire, of the Aston connection-the site'
on lofty bank with graceful slope Its crest line
straight and even for over mile suppose WIN
farm-lands back-certainly to appearance, every
thing grand and attractive-with the l.. family OH
to Europe. year past and, as hear, hard work to
spend half their income, they have so much
ApriI 26-At SUNRISE the pure, clear sound of the
simple. vet delicious and perfect, from the bush
sparrow-towards noon the reedy trll of the robin.
To-day is the fairest, sweetest, yet-penetrating
warmth-a lovely veil in the air, partly heat-vapor
and partly from the turffires everywhere patches
on the FARMS 4 group of soft naples near by
silently bursts ont in crimson tips, buzzng all day
with busy bees. filling their baskets with pollen.
The white sails of slooDs and schooners glide up or
down the river and long trains of cars, with pom
derOus roll or faint bell notes, almost constantly on
the opposite shore. The earliest wild flowers in the
woods and fields spicy arbutus, blue liyerwort,
frail anemone, and the pretty white blossoms of
the bloodroot l launch out in slow rambles, dis
covering them.
TURF FIREs-sPRING sIGHTs-THE BIRDS.
ASH 90 along the roads like to see the farmers
fires IN patches burning the dry brush. turf, debris
How the smoke crawls along, fiat to the ground
slantng, slowly rising, reaching away. and at last
disslpatng! | Ike its acrid smell-whiifs just
reaching me-welcomer than French perfumes.
The Birds are plenty, busy migrating OF any sort,
OF of two or three sorts, curousy, not sign, TIL
suddenly some warm, gushing. sunny April Tor even
March day-lol there they are, from twig to twg,
or fence to fence flirting, singing, some mating, pre-
pairing to build. But most of them en- pasSdnt-a
away. As in all phases, Nature keeps up
Still, plenty Of the birds hang aronnd here all
or most OF the season-noW ther l9Ve-t!me, anu era
doves black sparrows and laTks, and Tying
over the river crows. gul,s and hawks. near the
afternoon shrek Of the latter dartng about, pre-
pairing to nest. The oriole will soon be heard here
and the twanging meOeOw of the cat-bird also the
king-bird, cuckoo, aud the warblers.
CHARACTERISTIC SPRING SONGS.
All along there have been three peculiarly char
acteristic Spring songs; the meadow-lark's, so
sweet so alert and demonstrating las If he said,
Don't you see y or, Can't you understand TJ-the
CHEEKY, mellow human tones of the robln-ll have
been trying for years to get brief term or phrase
that would identify It)-and the amorous whistle
of the high-hole. Insects are out plentifully at
Iprii 29-As we drove lingering along the road
we heard just after sundOwn, the song OF the wood
thrush. We stopped without a word, and listened
long The delicious notes-a wild, sweet artlcss,
voluntary, simple anthem, from the flute-sops OF
some organ-wafted through the twilight echoing
well 10 lis from tho perpendicular hlgh rock, Where
in some thick Young trees recesSes at the base, sat
the brd-hlled our senses, our souls.
JOHN BURROUGHS's BABY.
am having good times here with my friends
Mr. and Mrs. Burroughs, at their hOspitable house
on the hill Mr.. b. works somewhat on his farm,
takes matters easy devohng his Winters to literary
work Nor must forget the centre of the estab-
lishment-their magnificent year-old baby boy.
From 10 to H. forenoon, j. b., when home, faith
fully deyotes himself to pushing or drawing this
youngster around in his carriage, especially up and
down the grass-patch. So
The baby-some fine specimen like this (but then
are they not all line specimens y as a theme for
poetry in its broader lights-is it not worth think
ing about
FROM MY BAY-wINDow.
] see my friend S. C. out in the raspberry field
carefully ploughng with one horse between the
rows The strong, 1.-the tan-faced, hquid-eyed
Young farmer! He makes quite a picture there,
walking slowly and firmly along, holding the
plough-handles. followed by his charming child
son. little blonde sweet-vOiced Channy. Then
afterward S. and j. b. with scion, saw. clay and
bandaee, perform grating operations on several
Vnu NO