Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-11-11
Beecher's Clearing.

" Baec:lgs's Clearing on the lower
CatskilI range in Ulster County. These
Baechcr's are the Rev. Thomas and the
Rev. James, one pastor at Elmira and
tho other formerly at Ponghkeepsie
They found beautiful lake il Tie
woods and settled there. James re-
signed the pastorate of his Pcughkeep'
sic church, with its salary of So COO, and
made the place his permanent home, it
Il cottage erected By himself. Thomas
goes there every year to join his broth
err. James now has twenty acres under
cultivation, which affords the nucleus
of a good stock farm in the near future
At rurnwool Z, seven miles away, he
gets the null once a week, and what
with farming, fishing, boating, grouse
bunting, etc., time passes rapidly.
Every other Sunday Rev. james, who
is highly respected by the scattered
settlers in the out of-the-way region
goes from his mountain down to Shin
Creek on tue B4sverkill and breaches a
sermon. which people come from miles
and miles to hear. lis mama i'll the
wilderness fer them. No whisky is
sold in Hardenbergh Township, unless
by stealth, and Sunday fishing and
hunting are prohibited. l suspect
Rev. james has had considerable to do
in bringing about this desirable state Of
things.
A few rods drive from the bridge
over the lakes outlet brought us to the
dwelling. Rev. Jases stood greeting
on tho porch. Bronzed features, full
! flowing beard, sombrcro. checked shirts
aud pants carelessly tucked into capa-
cious loot tops impaired decidedly
frontier aspect to TIE hermit preacher.
"Tais," said Rev. james, twas at first
my main building. Originally l began
with fly tent. 1t was supplantel with
wall tent the next season. The fol-
lowing year decided to leave Pough-
keepsie and reside here the year
around, then | built this, what now
appears as All extension, and subse-
ouently the main habitatlOn. | have
doue all the work myself. A sailor by
nature and minister by grace. love
TO sit here by the hour" said Rev.
james, and look out upon the sur
roundipgs. They are source of never
ending enjoyment. Daring the winter
months am still more fond of this re-
treat, for as the beautiful snow lies so
still sGd quietly about us. there is moth
ing to either disturb or discolor it.
Here is true repose and communion
with nature. have not read book
in a wear or moro and should not miss
the papers were they not sent to me.
My expenditures. including my build
ings and improvements, etc, have not
averaged more than $500 or $500 a year,
and with these buildings completed, as
is now the case. can obtain more real
enjoyment and comfort here with $500
q year than with So 900 in New York"
In reply to a suggestion that Brother
Henry Ward ought to enjoy summer
here as change from the Fishkill farm,
"No," said Rev. James, "he is too
fond of @sthetical surroundings for
this spot. He wants too much bric.a-
brac about him, which l do not care to
lumber up my rooms with"
Ratfacing our steps to the house. we
followed along the lake shore to the
tents, marvels OF nestness, occupied by
Rev. Thos. X. Beecher and his lady.
Brother Tom, let me Introduce you
to So-und.So," Rev. James, and
d" Brother Tom" rose from his novel
easy shair, after the manner of DR..
Livingstone in tine Viii forest, when
Stanley came suddenly upon him.
brother Tom," in physique, flowing
beard, dress and general appearances
is the double of Brother jim" He
laid down his briarwood, requested
Brother Jim to 60 inside and bring
out some more pipes, and then motion
ing us to homemade csmp-ohairs, We
were soon seated about the camp fire
for a talk" The scene was pictur-
esquo and charming in the extreme.
The lake murmured at our feet and rip
pied against the sides of a miniature
hat-boat. A dense forest formed u dark
background and rich carpet of green
spanned the intervening space. Over
shadowipg naples tempered the rays
of the sun, which fairly flooded the
near range of wooded mountains and
gilded the distant peaks. Huge
boulders here and there stood out in
I hold relief as if stranded on these
mountain sides in the grand "ebb and
flow of nature" Who, thought to
myself, would not gladly exchange for
such fairy scere, for such charmed
existence, the intense life of businetB
centers, the brain racket of law, jour
nalism or politics-at the risk Of hav-
ing your friends or the world say, you
are queer, off your balance, are vege-
tatiEg, have buried your talent, or gone
into -ental bankruptcy?
HAD RATHER BE KICKED."-Physi-
clans frequently send patients to take
riding lessons. particularly persons
whose occupations are Of sedentary
character. One stout, red-faced mer-
chant, little past middle age, who
was SO recommended by his doctor,
came up to try the prescription one
morning. He had not been on horse
since he WAS boy, he said. They put
him On an easy-going, tractsble horse,
and he logged about the ring for one
hour faithfully. Then he dismounted