National Republican., 1882-08-24
THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.
On the ~. bAwrenos-'A Thing OF ncnuty
ana n JOY Forcycr''-Au Sable River.


specla; Correspondence of THE REru uaLtoAS.
THOUSAND ISLAND HOUSE, ALEXANDRIA BAY,
Aug. 2O.-A Persian fable tells of an old fellow
who had lived in one place for seventy years,
stepped In the very dregs Of poverty, awakening
from dream and finding himself floating In fairy
land. the story run the other way, intimatlng
that the follower of MUhammed had been n
wealthy "cuss," I could believe that he had
dropped in from Persia Mt the Thousand Island
House. Poorpeoplo do not drop down here. Mil
lioniares like myself do, but they go away lighter
in purse as welasin spirits. This is themos mag
nhcent spot on earth. / would like to empty
an almshouse here or bring to the shores of the
ST. Lawrence blind asylum aud then have the
power to open the eyes of the desolatc ones TO the
grandeur and beauty Of the place. No pen has
ever described it, and shall not attempt 1t. A
passing glance, as far us the eye can reach, tells
that there nro some things in nature we know
nothing Of because no language has yet been
constructed that give Its glorious details, aud
no painter has yet appeared who could gather in
spiraton enough to transfer It's beauties to canvas
WHEN THE MAJESTIC RIVER BROKE
through the rocks at Niagara centuries ago and
brought with it from the lakes thes, island gems,
dropping them here and tHerG for the wonder
ment of man. 1t is the grandcst procession in
nature. There are nearer two than one thousand
Islands from Cape st. Vincent to the Rapids. Biz
and little, rich and poor in natural gatniture,
they costly nestle in the clear blue running
Island Wanderer, II little steamer, mcanders
filled with delighted tourists looking ut the
pretty sights and ondeavOring to catch the iunr-
iculdte story OF n guide on the upper deck, who
talks through his nose, gesticulntcs with n long
bony arm, aud sells you book for ten ceuts that
tesa about it in better English than his. But TO-
body wants to read while III this earthly heaven.
Human ingenuity has aided natu c in Eemmng
the river with beautiful homes. The men WHO
count their lucre by millions have bought island
nlter island i'll fec simple and erected charming
residences upon them, surrounding them with
grassy slopes, towering tres, aud II shrubbcry 10
be enviGd. Cupnlos aud minarets
PEEP OUT ABOVE THE TREES,
while here aud there can be seen floating from q
flag staff the prettiest national emblem on earth,
The flag Of periidions Al6ion, or the tricolor Of
SchOoners, and battcauX are plying everywhere.
Big steamers, loaded with wonder-siruck people,
pass swiftly by. Prcttily-drcssed ladies, merry.
chirpng girls, and romping, venturesOine boysuie
out in Trim little gig, some pulling the oar lor
themselves, Others depending on tue waterman,
aud he ON their pocket books When daylight
shuts out the glores of the Thousand Islands the
hand of man exhibits II panorama OF unsurpassed
loyelness As the shades % Of night , f9:s hr 9rGumd
spring up in rapid succession from every concciy-
able quarter.
HERE A BRILLIANT cross,
formed of gas.icts, is projected against the dark
sky looking pretticr and bringing less fear to the
souls of those who witness it than the alleged
omen that startled Constantine Opposite ON
Jumbo peeps out from the tops Of the trees flash
ing hambeaus, twinklng jets of flame, the brill
| Liant glare of the electric light ana thousand
Chinese lanterns of every COOr swing to a"d fro
| on the rocks among the trees anCh down by the
wnter's edge The water catches up the reflections
of the lights, the stars glance oIt of the blue SPACE
| overhead, the NOON Struggles through the snow
| like drifts now and then, trying with its sickly
yellow light to rival the bottled lGc;ricily OF man,
| strains of music from the hotels and cottages oil
all sides please the enr, aud you float lazily along
| pretty well satisfied that this is
ABOUT AS NEAR HEAVEN
as some people, including newspaper men, will
| ever get. The proprietor of the Thousand Island
| House at Alexandria Bay informed me that 10000
tourists pass over his front dOursill i'll good sea-
| son, and he counts this good one. Tney come
| from everywhere, and increase i'll numbers each
| year. After gazing at the majestic grandeur of
| Niagara, feasting on the beauties of the Thousand
| Islands, and shooting through the Rapids t. Mon
tCeul and Quebec, one should return to the States
| by way of the Lake Champla!n route. The old
| naval hero, McDOuOugh, awUke the echoes Of the
| hills OF New York and Vermont On the placid
walers of this dividing line of the two states in
1872 II was as beautiful then, and is now, MS the
| great river that separates us from the Dominion
| and 1t is also
GEMMED WITH INNuMERABLE ISLANDS.
Au Sable River emptying into 1t near Port Kent is
| the objective point Tor those VINO love SIMPLE
| grandeur. The water scarcely wide enough in
| many places 10 admit a small uatteau has driven
| its way through towering rocks iur miles, forming
u Chusm of surpusSin2 beauty, with perpendicular
walls u thousand feet i'll height LAKE View
| House. at Au Sable, is three and half miles from
| the lake. From its windows one can see Me lake
| and the Green Mountains of Vermont, aud beyond
| In the rear the Adirondacks kiss the clouds
| Down along the lake toward Saratoga II is said
| that the eye feasts on loveliuess everywhere
| When that haven OF the wealth, talent, and
beauty of the country is reached shall probably
take drink two of salty bootleg wafer, discuss
politics awhile, and then pass on to the best winter
or summer resort III the ecuuntry-Washlngton