Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-12-13
THE GOLDEN GOOSE.
A CHRISTMAS LEGEND OF THE EARLY
DAYS OF NEW YORK.

A CHRISTMAS LEGEND OF THE EARLY
DAYS OF NEW YORK.
In the year 1909, two hundred and
seventy-two years ago, and eleven
years before the Mayflower landed the
Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, Henry
Hudson, an Englishman, in command
of the Dutch ship Half-moon, entered
the magnificent harbor of New York,
and was the first European who nayi-
gated the beautiful river now known
by his name. The history of his
voyage up the river to the present site
of Albany is too familiar to repeat
here, and it is sufficient to say that his
discovery resulted in the Dutch claim
ing the territory which they named
New Netherlands, and the present site
Of New York they called New Am
sterdam. The growth of the colony in
New Amsterdam was not rapid; SO
that in 1864, when its name was
changed to New York by the English,
who had taken it from the Dutch,
there was a population of only fifteen
hundred people, and speaking eighteen
different languages; and now the popu-
ation is 1,265, 900, and all the known
tongues of the world are spoken here.
The prosperity of New York dates
from the arrival in 1917 of the brave
and honest Peter Stuyvesant, the last
Of the Dutch governors.
Among the many Dutchmen who
came from Holland was one Peter
Van Arsdaie. fur trapper, with his
wife and a daughter, whose name was
Wilhelmina, fifteen years of age, and
instantly acknowledged to be the very
prettiest girl in the settlement. Van
Arsdale was an independent and eccen-
trio man, and though poor, was very
honest and very religious, and all his
interest seemed centered in the happi-
ness of Wilhelmina Soon after his
arrival he purchased from Governor
Stuyvesant tract of land lying beyond
the creek or canal, which is now Canal
street, and erected a substantial log
nut upon the exact spot where the st.
Nicholas hotel now stands. Peter Van
Arsdale pursued his vocation as trap
per of beavers along the creek and the
shores of the Hudson, assisted by the
beautiful Wilhelmina, who was his
constant companion, unmolestel by
the Indians, who were his only neigh
bors, for his hut was far away from
the fort and the settlement of New
Amsterdam, which in those days did
not extend beyond Bowling Green.
When Peter had accumulated beaver
pelts enough to pay for the trip, he
would go down to the settlement with
them for sale or traffic for whatever he
stood in need. On these trips he was
generally accompanied by Wilhelmina,
who bad attracted the attention Of a
young New Amsterdam merchant, and
who had fallen desperately in love with
land uponthe declaration of his ardor
was delighted to find that it was fully
reciprocated by the lovely girl.
Matters had progressed for some
time between the young lovers, when
Peter Van Arsdales was informed of
the affair, and instead of raving, as
some fathers would have done, he took
a very sensible Dutch view of the case,
and finding that the young merchant
was worthy of Wilhelmina's affection,
and that they really loved each other,
he consented to their betrothal; but he
was compelled to postpone the mar
riage for an indefinite time, for the rea-
son that under the old Dutch laws no
maiden could be married unless
she was possessed of dover,
and Peter Van Arsdale had no
dover to give his daughter except an
uncertain lot of beaver pelts, and they
were not sufficient to comply with the
legal standard of the Dutch doWers.
This obstacle was distressing dis
couragement to the young lovers, but
none whatever to the sturdy old trap
per, who said he had faith in his patron
saint, who was none other than ST.
Nicholas Cor Santa Claus }, to whom he