The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-08-07
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
FROM SCRANTON to CLIFTON SPRINGS
Beautiful NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and its
Salt Works-A Great Railroad-A
Glance at Saratoga and It's Grand
Hotels-Judge Hilton's Park
Mount McGregor and it's
Charming Scenery
Clifton Springs, &c.
CLIFTON SPRINGS, N. Y, August I'd, Is

from this hive of smoke, dust, dirt, enterprise.
push and marvellous energy up the Lackawana
creek, through mountain gorges and then overthe
summit Of the mountains, all full of picturesque
beauty and interest, and 81 miles northeast of
Scranton we reach Binghamton. 1t is beauti
full town with its broad Streets fine residences sur
rounded by grassy yards and blooming gardens,
its graceful churches and thriving business places
1t sits charmingly on the Susquehanna near its
source. The river here is but a narrow stream
winding in serpentine grandeur among green
meadows fanked by the sloping foothills of the
Alleganies. We follow up the stream with the
valley, the charming meadows, the hills with their
fertile sides and wood crowned submits until we
reach its source-Lake Otsego, which covers a
space of few acres only, perhaps so acres. Rich
fields comfortable farm houses, sleek herds of
cattle, agricultural thrift and prosperity are
stamped on every homestead. This is the char
acter of country that marks your progress for so
miles until you reach the magnificent city of
SYRACUSE, N. Y.
This city sits composedly on Saline lake and
has the most extensive salt works in America
Several thousand acres running on one side nearly
into the heart Of the city are covered with the i'm
mense salt watts and other machinery used in its
manufacture. They have about 900 feet for the
salt water and pump it up by powerful engines,
whence it runs in troughs until it reaches the pans
where it is distributed for evaporation. The pans
are arranged in rows several hundred yards long
and beside each row of pans is wooden shed
or cover set on railway track, SO arranged that
they can be run off the pans at pleasure. 1t
spoils the salt to have rain it after the process
of evaporation begins, and yet the business re-
quires that it shall have all the it oan get in
the shortest practicable time. You readily see it
becomes necessary in days interpreted with sun
shine and shower to run the covers on and off
quite frequently. Extensive stores, fine churches,
commodious hotels and palatial residences adorn
this thriving city. Here I take the New York
Central and Hudson River railroads. great rail-
road corporation indeed. 1t has four tracks from
Albany to Buffalo. There is no necessity for any
delay or interference with either passenger or
freight trains. The passenger trains east take the
south track, those west the north track The
freight trains take the intermediate tracks in the
same order. Running through this great State
truly an empire in itself-is the New York Cen
trail road. Along side of it is the West Shore road
with double track from New York to Buffalo,
and the Erie Canal and it is marvellous to see
the traffic they control One can scarcely look
from the car windows without seeing long train
on the West Shore or number of boats laden
with produce on the canal. And all along the
line of these great channels of traffic are towns
engaged in manufacturing enterprises. They are
too numerous to mention in this connection. But
there are agricultural implement makers, silk
factories, carpet manufactures, needle makers,
etc. One firm at Amsterdam-Kellcgg & Miller
manufactured last year 81, 800, 600 worth of nseed
oil. After three hours ride on this road we
reach Schenectady, where is located Union Col
lege. We change cars here for Saratoga. A few
miles only convinces us we have struck very
different country. 1t is sandy, sterile plain from
Schenectady on past Saratoga to Schuylervie.
SARATOGA 4E7
is about 30 miles narth of Schenectady and con-
tains about 5000 population when stripped of its
summer resort folks. It's hotels are on a grand,
commodious and stylish plan. Like the articles
at an auction sale they are too numerous to men,
ton. Congress Hall, Grand Union, United States
and Delpha are the leading ones. The Grand
Unions capacity is $500 guests and occupies a
whole square There is universal complaint this
season of the lack of visitors, the registry list in
some of the hotels not being more than half the
usual size. I have been informed by visitors of
long standing-among them Hon. Washington
Booth, of Baltimore-that the accustomed prone
nades in the evening show very perceptible de-
crease of visitors, though the town certainly dis
plays a gayety and variety of dress and an at
tractiveness of turnouts ON the principal avenues
that are graceful, rare and pleasing in the ex-
treme. Each pair or four in hand you meet seems
to out-do any previously seen. At night blazing
chandeliers throw their dazzling briiancy cover
fair women and brave men," and all is as "gay as
marriage bell" Faultess carpets, soft as satin,
the rarest designs of furniture, immaculate adorn
ments on ceiling and wall, from the skill of art to
the brush of genius attract, charm and fascinate
all who enjoy them in the dazzling blaze of cleo
trio light, beauty, grace and wit. The pyrotechnc
display in the park of Congress Hall at night sur
passed in brlliancy and grandeur anything |
itseIt was the productIon OF a master MIND sKiIed
in such things. The contrasts made by the taste
full commingling of a variety of coored lights and
Chinese lanterns could not fail to excite admira-
ton of the beautiful. Springs are numerous
Some free and some not. The water is brackish,
approaching brinshness.
THE PARK
of Judge Hilton is very attractive feature of the
place, containing 900 acres, and is laid out in
pleasant drives and shady walks, adorned with
fountains, statues, flower beds, vases, and com
Portable and commodious cottages, several in num-
Der, for the accommodation of the members of his
family and that of A. T. Stewart, deceased. The
woods are clean and grassy and the lawns closely
shaver. 1t runs close up to the confines of the
town and is entered from Broadway, which is
lined with handsome cottages you approach
the park. Nothing but pleasure carriages are al
lowed to enter. The gates are watched constant
ly. 1t contains also a farm house and premises
and the farmer cuts several hundred tons of hay
annually. Strange to say the Judge has but two
cows on the place. Every building on the prem
Uses is painted red and trimmed with jet black
Ten miles away ia
MT. M'GREGoR,
where the greatest man of this generation, the
ilustrious Gen. Grant, departed this life little
more than a year ago. One hours ride on mar
row gauge road puts you on the summit. The grade.
gR the mountain is claimed to be the heaviest in
you can hardly sit straight in the seat. The
Mountain House is magnificent Aotsl with a
capacity of 400. The cottage where Gen. Grant
died is kept just as it was at his death. All the
furniture, &c., is in the same position when he
died. The keeper let few of us in at time at
one door and out at another. The view from this
feet highs grand and i'm
posing beyond description. The Adirondacks
stretch away to the west and north in undulatng
grace and statelness, four lakes dazzle in the
shine before your vision, the Hudson river winds
in semi -circular curve away at Glen Falls and
disappears from view, far away on the eastern
horizon the crest of the Green mountains scrapes
the sky, mingled with the blue haze that floats
around the submits. Between you and the green
hills Of Vermont, distance of rs miles, vast
panorama OF woodland, field, meadow and farm,
farm house, village and town spread out before
you and enchants you with its bewtching charms.
The monument that commentaries the surrender
of Burgoyne is ~ miles away and can be seen
quite plain, but it is IL miles from Saratoga and
is at Schuylerville. Why history should tell us
Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga when he did
not is something I don't understand and have
asked residents and others for an explanation and
get none. It was one of the decisive battles of
the world. 1t secured the aid of France for the
American colonies and ultimately our indepen-
dence. Why should the historian put it in the
wrong place? ride from Schenectady to Clifton
Springs on the great N. Y. c. & II. R. R.-which
takes hours at good speed, covering q distance
greater than that from Baltimore to New York
,ity-only helps to enhance ones idea of the in
iustry, wealth, prosperity, greatness, power and
astonishing energy and enterprise that character
ze this great State. You observe from the car
window both sides fine farms, commodious
buildings, sleek cattle, frisky horses and pushing
men. The farms are neat and clean and bear
evidences of good culture. They improve as you
20 west. Villages and towns greet you at almost
avery step, busy with the hum of spindIes the
puff of steam, music of saws, the ring of the ham
ner from establishments that show at glance
heir enormous business capacity.
CLIFTON SPRINGS
s the child of DR.. Henry Foster, founded by him
lbout 36 years ago, and is to-day a monumental
of the power of single individual to
10 great deal of good by constant persevering
fort directed to q definite end. The sanitarium
with the annex, over 400. 1t is
applied with facilities for every species of bath
to benefit the human race with seven