Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1882-12-05

wArERroRp, sARArooA Co, N. Y,
November %. 1882.

A few details az 10 our present. where
abOu,s may not he uninteresting to your
readers, innocent perhaps, az was a mohsh
ago Of such place. II is not "equidis-
tant from Albany and Troy" nor between
them, as | at fret thought from Brother
Thompson's letter Of Invitation. But Il is
on the right bank Of the Hudson River 4
miles above Troy, which Is on the left
bank and 10 miles above Albany which Is
on the right bank. Just below Waterford
the Mohawk River empties into the Hud.
son. We are therefore, on the point be-
tween them. The Mohawk contributes it,
full waters to the lovely Hudson, through
three mouths, one bearing the name Of the
river aud the other called the sprouts"
The base Of the delta thus formed is about
two miles, and at The apex and lately
in The Islands formed BY the various streams
lies the City Of Cohoes-populstion Of
about 10000 across the Hudson from Wa
terford and Cohoes and stretched along the
bank till its limits meet the Troy limits
ties the city Of neutrality-suspicious.
1000. Troy has over 10000, Albany over
100000. Little Waterford has about 1000
So you can see what nest Of populations
we have fallen upon; the fact being that al
though under different corporations, il is
almost one continuous city on both sides Of
the Hudson, perfectly accessible day and
night in all parts by steam and horse-cars
A little world Of rush and roar and whiEr
Of steam and clatter Of wheels and busy
manufactures and streams Of restless men.
As we came in on the train last Wednesday
afternoon, crossing the Mohawk, just below
the Cohoes falls, l recognized the locality
in flash, though a mere ribbon Of water
here and there was tumbling over the black
rocks, where l had seen handsome eatar-
act Of roaring waters. The rivers are all
low just now, hereabouts.) Yesl forty.four
years ago passed this place on the Erie
Canal, that yet is the great trade artery o
the Empire State. Mother, sister, Lote
and | we're going to the great New York
City on visit to mothers rich Kin folks
all well-known by name and description TO
us children through years Of repetition
from mothers lips, proud Of her kin, as she
always was. They were all grsndeurs to us
then, and would have remained 90 had we
never seen them. How limp and COLLAPSE
ed their stately figures are now, after the
knowledge Of years and Of other people have
brought them to their true level. Well |
on that never.to be-forgotten trip, both be-
cause ii was cheaper and pleasanter than
any other route, after visiting Niagara, we
embarked at Lockport, the Western termi-
nus on Lake Erie, on the good packet Mo-
hecan, and went all the way to Troy on the
Hudson, the Eastern terminus. We were
perhaps, a couple Of weeks on the road,
running fierce race all the way with ne
val boat which / remember was named
Redbird. What between contentious for
freight and passengers, as we passed and
repassed each other, il came at last 10 cut
ting tow-lines and then TO blows, In which
Captains and crews joined heartily. This
elimination occurred near the city Of
Rochester and 1 recall the fact that we
were detained whole day there in law
suit in which the passengers figured as Wit
nesses OF sundry assaults and batteries,H
all of which was intensely horrifying as
we'll as interesting to US boys. OF course
we warmly espoused the side Of our ipjur-
ed CAPTAIN and crew and looked upon the
Redbirdites as little less than buccaneers
who wished to rob US Of our rights When
we reached Troy, our Captain told us we
had passed the Redbird in the night and
beaten them TO the terminus. But as the
rival boat was certainly ahead when We
went TO bed that night and her villainous
Skipper had all along come out "frst best"
in our squabbles by the way, and was GER
tainly not the sort of man 10 be caught
mapping and overhauled on the last quar-
ter stretch, am afraid our beloved Cap
tain told US benevolent lie, wishing us to
have the Joy OF being On the winning boat.
And we were willing to believe him and /
never dreamed Of the probable deception
until close acquaintance with the ways of
men slowly sapped my confidence in our
little Captains statement 1 feel sure now
that the Redbird beat US badly.
men are Only Dogs bfONh talit
Hearts don't change much after ALL"
How often since then have been easily
deceived because / wanted TO believe things
that were not true. And how often since
then have become a red-hot partizan with
as little real reason at the bottom Of it as
my zeal in behalf OF a canal boat, in which
l happened to be q passenger.
But | have run away from the Cohoes
Falls. | remember, as we passed near
them, the Captain halted the Mob ecan a
few minutes until the passengers ran over
TO see them. There was not a shadow Of
the city Of Cohoes then. ALI has been built
since Waterford and Lansingburg, are old
towns. Troy ia comparatively new though
long since distancing its slower neighbors
in the race OF improvements.
Waterford has a good deal Of wealth in
il, being the residence Of many prominent
business men. The old Bank Of the place
doesn't look as If il had much in It, but
some Of your readers may remember il az
having been robbed OF 100000 some years
ago, only portion Of which was recovered |
by a compromise with the thieye.
The bridge that spans the fddson be.
tween Waterford and LansingBbrg is very |
ancient; not far from 100 years old, and IL
good for another hundred, N one may
Judge from the stout old timbers ~ yellow
pine, massive, wonderfully braced and
sound as when first put up. The soldiers
Of the war Of 1912 marched over II and
the legend remains OF how they were bro
ken into small squads in passing over il,