Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-24
NO. 3O7.
Dailu Kennebfr .JournaI.
| PREACHERS HERMITAGE-LIFE AT
BEECHER LAKE.


Rev. James Beecher, in 1874, was the
popular Pastor of the Poughkeepsie Con-
grcgational Church at a large salary. He
was allowed six weeks vacation every
year. and being great lover OF the wild
in nature, he chose the most isolated and
solitary spots among the hills of Maine
and in the Rocky Mountains for the indul-
gence of his passion. The enjoyment of
these resorts. however, was attended by
an expense that he did not feel able to in
cur, and he looked about for spot that
would combine wildness with small out
lay. A number of prominent sportsmen
in Poughkeepsie owned large tract of
wild land in Sullivan county, traversed by
the Willowemoc creek and other streams
of the celebrated Beaverkill region. On
the banks of the WillOwemoc they erected
a fine clubhouse, miles away from any
sign of civilization, The Willowemoc
Club, as it was called invited Mr.. Beecher,
in 1874, to spend his vacation with it. He
accepted the invitation, but found the To-
cality too tame. He remained in the Bea-
verkill country one day, and then, Shouts
dering his knapsack, he babe his compan
ions goodbye, and f6a them he was GO
ing to look tor lodge in some profounder
wilderness. After weary tramp OF sew
eral hours, which carried him high up
among the hills covered with virgin forest,
Mr.. Beecher came to spot overlooking
large lake. encircled by high and densely-
wooded peaks. Mr.. Beecher says that as
his eyes fell on the scene that lay before
him he felt that all his longings were to be
satisfied there. He had wished to stand
in primitive forest and commune with
the wild and picturesque scenery OF tum-
bled nature, but never before had he found
it in such perfection. He encamped on
tie shore of the lake. which he ut once
believing that he had the right of dis
coverer-chrstened Beecher Lake, He
remained fishing and hunting during his
entire vacation.
After returning to Poughkeepsie the
yearning for the ideal wilderness was SO
irresstibly strong that he resigned his
pastorate. made a search through the
records of Ulster county at Kingston, un-
til he ascertained the owner of the tract
upon which Beecher Lake was situated,
purchased the lake and mile square Of
land of which it was the centre, and lost
no time in returning to the mountains to
prepare place there for the future abid-
ing place of himself and his family No
|
nine miles to Beecher Lake. Not a tree
had ever been felled npon the Beecher do
main. He cut down with his own hands
trees enough to make a sufficient space in
which to build house. The nearest saw
mill was nine miles away.
lie purchased the lumber for his house
at that mill. and in order to haul it TO the
lake a road had to be cut the entire dis
tance through the woods. The lumber
cost Mr.. Beecher 80 thousand at the
mill, and the transportation for the nine
miles cost just as much more per thou
sand. Besides being preacher. Mr..
Beecher is a carpenter, blacksmith and
glazier. He did all the work on his house
himself and before cold weather set in had
completed it. 1t is Il story and a half
high. with veranda fronting the lake,
andcontaining parlor, sitting-room, kitch-
en-, and several bedrooms. HIS family.
which consists of his wife and an adopted
daughter II years old, did not join him in
the wilderness that year, and he spent the
winter entirely alone, in the midst of
solitude the awful profoundness of which
can only be described by those who have
visited these almost uninhabited portions
of the Catskills
In the spring of 1875 Mr. Beecher was
ioined by his wife and adopted daughter,
and the three have lived there ever since,
not only contented, but positively enchant-
ed with the wild, free life. The nearest
postoffice is nearly ten miles away from
Beecher Lake For months Mr.. Beecher
tramped once week through the forest
to the postoffice, where mail arrived
every Friday The few and scattered in
habitants of the neighborhood finally came
to know and love the eccentric pastor and
his family, and they went to work-gath-
erng from ten miles about-and cut
wagon road for him from his house to
Turnwood, the postvillage. To pay them
for their work he furnished and put win
dows and doors in their cabins, and patched
up dilapidated places. There are two
school houses in the Beecher Lake neigh
borhood Mr.. Beecher got the mountain
GERS to turn out of Sunday to listen to
him as he expounded the gospel, and now
he has a regular congregation in both of
the school houses every Sunday.
He has never missed but one appoint
ment. and the natives give an amusing ac-
count of how he CHANGED to overlook it.
1t was his habit at first, to cut notch in
a stick as the days passed, in order to keep
run of them easily. As he was going to
one Oh lne ScuODl HOUSES W pIcdCH HIS
usual Sunday sermon, he saw, in passing
the cabin of one of his most devout con-
verts, that the good wife was busily en-
gagged at the washtub. He reproved her
for thus desecrating the Lords day. She
looked at him in astonishment, ia! Mr..
Beecher.n she exclaimed, this amt Sun
day. This is Monday" After the
amused pastor was convinced that the wo-
man was right, he said, ''Then I'm the
culprit, for did the biggest days work
ever did, Mr.. Beecher returned home
and fond that he had missed notch on
his stick.
After the road to Turnwood was built.
Mr.. Beecher purchased horse and abuck-
board wagon. He never uses the latter
himself, but makes all his journeys in the
saddle. Mrs. Beecher drives the buck
board to the postofiice every Friday. The
nearest railroad station to Beecher Lake is
Morston, on the Midland r. r. This is
twenty-five miles distant, but so pure is
the air of these mountains, the sound Of