The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1882-10-06
miscellaneous.



Mr. EDITOR: Permit one to whom the hills
and homes Of Hartford are dear, to present
your readers few impressions made by a
sojourn of some months in the sister State of
New York Not only its wealth and popu-
lation, but the grandeur of its scenery, the
magn1icence of its public buildings and its
influence in the nation, justly entitle it to be
called the Empire State" The Hudson
river, familiary called
THE AMERICAN RHINE.
presents crater variety of views than any
river in the world. Saysa well known author,
mo European river is so lordly in its bear
ing, none flows in such state to the sea-"
The grandeur of the Palisades, natural
wall of basaltic rock, two or three hundred
feet in height and fifteen miles in extent,
rivals the famous Giants Causeway of1reland
The Highlands, with their "hills rock-ribbed
and ancient as the sun" are indeed sublime.
The picturesqueness of the Hillsides and the
beauty of the Catskills are the favorite theme
of all who have beheld them. A tourist upon
the hurricane deck of the Albany" the fin.
est steamer on the Hudson, exhibiting, it is
said more taste and beauty than any steamer
in the world, imagines himself in fairy land
Everything upon which the eye rests is of
striking beauty Aside from the poetic
and historic interest connected with nearly
every scene this being the home of many
authors and poets and q locality rich in Re-
evolutionary scenes, the vast wealth of New
York city has been laYishly expended by its
citizens in building summer homes and other
wise identifying them. Perhaps no strip of
territory in the world has had as much
money expended upon it as a strip one half
mile in width along the Hudson. The many
summer hotels in every village and town and
upon every hill and mountain top are always
crowded in their seasons and the many boats
well filled with passengers.
West Point, the noted fortress and its far
famed Military Academy, has one of the
most beautiful situations in the world. Long
does the traveller gaze at the charming heights
The magnificent steamers ALBANY" and &c.
Vibbard" leave New York every morning at
$50 making the trip to Albany in nine
hours To so great an extent has the "Ful-
ton Folly" gone. When the old Dutch
burghers used to ask for the welfare of their
neighbors, the reply almost invariably was
CAN bonnie" Hence the origin of the
name of the capital. We advise some of our
Hartford friends, who will soon be taking
their wedding tours, to include in their pro-
gramme trip up the Hudson and, as all
others, visit
THE NEW CAPITOL,
situated on high plateau at the head of State
street. 1t is open, free to all, from nine in
the morning until six. When fully complet-
ed it will be larger than the Capitol at Wash
ington and will probably cost more than any
structure on the American continent, having
cost already $15,000,000, and though rapidly
nearing completion it will cost more money
than Congress squandered in the infamous
River and Harbor Steal, as more than TWEEN
ty millions will be necessary TO complete the
building and lay out and beautify the Park
which will surround it, The new Capitol at
Springfield, of which much has been said, and
a graphic description furnished recently TO
the readers of The 4bgtS by Rev. w. r. l..
Keffcr, cost three and one half millions. The
United States Hotel, Saratoga Springs, one
hours ride from the Capitol, covering seven
acres, six stories in height being the largest
hotel in the world cost only one and one
half millions. Thus an idea can be formed of
the great cost of this structure. The Capitol
is built of Massachusetts and New Hampshire
stone, in the Renaissance style. The Ameri-
can eagle the emblematic bird of our Coun-
| try" cut from solid stone, and weighing
several tons, will be raised to the top of the
| lofty dome, when erected, where he will spread
his pinons and rear his beak five and one
half feet from his proudly perched talons.-
| The vast building contains about 300 rooms,
sufficient for the accommodation of all officers
| of the State, from the Governor downward.
| The Hall of Representatives the finest legis
| lative room in the world, is in the form of a
| quadruple arch, resting upon four pillars,
each of which is composed of four shafts of
| solid Scotch granite, sixty-tlve feet in height
and four feet in diameter. Its walls are de-
corated with two famous paintings, repre-
senting the "Discovery of America" and the
| n = 80 Go; haxya hoo
pronounced the best specimens of the art ex
tant and were painted by the late VIM M.
Hu t, for which work he receive $4,000. The
Senate Chamber, Governors Room and Court
| of Appeals Room also attest the greatness OF
the Empire State 1t requires one.fiftieth of
| the income of the State to heat, light and
sweep the Capitol. The grandeur of the
structure will repay visit, and TO all
| who have the opportunity we give the scrip
tural invitation to ''come and see."
THE SCHOOLS
| of a well established State are the best stand
dard by which to compare the general charac-
ter of its population. New York can not be
said to have public school system in the
sense that Maryland has. In fact it has dis
trict schools, without any well developed sys-
TEN at all. Each school district being SUI
premc in itself, it can levy whatever amount oil
money its directors see fit and keep the schools
open three months or ten, so that the State
has as many systems as school districts. This
| of course gives every conceivable grade Of
school, Teachers are not required to be ex.
amined, as in Hartford county. The School,
| Commissioner satisfies himself of the candi
dates fitness by oral or written examination
or in.whatever way he thinks, best and grants
a certificate accordingly. Many persons are
thus approved, who are poorly qualified tc
teach. No standard of salary is fixed. Many
/ cchnnla nre awarded to the lnwnst hinder =