New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-19
4 CORNER IN THE CATSKILLS
PRATTSvILLD AND ITS FAMOUS ROCKS
ZADOCK PRATT,S CAREER.


Is Devasego Falls, miles below the Village on to
Schoharie, which here assumes the dimensions Oh
res spectacle river. though 1t Is still known hVa"S NJ
the Schohare Kill or Creek. The falls are well wor'"
an inspection. though they are not immature
Niagara asserted the other day by an en'h"s''
astic woman boarding in the neGhborho"d sun s"o
saw them after a heavy rain, when the srhoharic was
swollen as II not often is during the II rises
Quickly and falls with almost equal rpiditv ON inc
fourth day after the rain It Was asserted By the well
lpformcd-ths was at the time OF my vist-that '"e
river had already fallen three feet 1t Is easy 10 'c
that three feet would make good deal OF d'"efehoe
In DevascgO Falls.
Thc water tunlblcs down pretty horseshoe nv
cording to the very inadequate uidebook which is inc
on,v hing available for the Catsk region. the height
~ the falls Is fifty feet take the liberty OF ooup'-
ing the accuracy Of the gnidebook on this polht. ~
is an EASY descent 10 the foot OF the falls ~herc'
Of course the best view is to be had Here 'o
NJ the water In wearing away the rocks Tor consul
cradle distance and forming picturesque sorso
plainly apparent. Further down the river. however.
there is not much worth seeing and ono can exhaust
the falls in half an hour so without making III!
narticular effort would not be understood as dep'
rccatinc them for they really interesting tno"Sh
not 10 he compared with the much higher ana horo
picturesque falls in the kaatcrskill Glove region
And lust here should lkc to say word about tie
habit which the owners OF these falls-thc kaaer'kn
and liatnesS-laVe OF opening U"Hb "h"
the water when visitor has paid the requisite t"oh'
AZ. ccnts In order to sec the beauties OF nature IL
has becn ENORMOUSLY said that In the CstsKiis si'
20 he seen some OF the finest waterfalls whic" ''o
hand Gilman has ever devised. 1t is tI7ie that man
assists nature IN this matter; but his assistance Is ''
to DO de>psed. In ordinary summer Aea.'"' Wv
streams on which these falls arc nearly dried up
and only a tiny thread OF water nnds us way o'e'
+h. rocks in the natural course OF things. ny da'
ming back the water and then lifting gate ana alo"
ing II to rush out and down nne enect Is Pro4' ou
This was especially tho case at liancss faiiS WIG"
had occasion recently 10 visit Them Ihe 'o''"o VI
water at a moderate calculation was increase" .o',
times over when the food cato was lftcd over '""'
which tricklcd down without the assistance OF man
rovor fc,, sur.r I'm nv life Of having got twenty-five
co,+s, worth for an Investment OF twenty-five Genus
than whom the torrent subsidized and IT vas poSsioe
70 rccro>s the stream and climb 'he lo' 'rp' "''
lead TO the top. ~
But this /, only bv the way. In addition I" I've
yaseco Falls everybody who VISITS Pra'tS'i"e tc, "
see the Pratt Rock>at least everybody oncht TO- h'
there are people living only a few miles away oo
r.s,d.nts I mran-evcn relatives Of Eldo"k lratt VINO
h,x. rcv.r visited the rocks which are his ear'hS
monument and which he mado famous. Hair century
AGO or "A little less. and for con>d"r'h" P'r"u wv"
after Zahock Pratt dominated this place ana an NV
r.sor roundabout. III the words OF one OF III" "u
,s,dcrts inst referred to- lie WAS the King be" oil
"
Bic /. said 10 have been the first man r. use heino'"
J., III tr ,li, purin>r There can b. n" dombf 'ha' NJ
and his imit,tors 81 whom he had many, used IL cS''i
siyelv There Is hardly h"n'"h Tree w" "
fund on the mountain 'ide> OF ''r"'h" 'o""N ~.
-, .,v,nns In numerous places, though. q, yon 'k
n the mountains. you viii ~" P'''' ""'
~. tree. urc.cut Tie appearance 81 being "i h'''
r,or.h than those beyond and af"uh' t"m' '"'''
arc the .pota where tho hcnIlo'kS w"r" 'n' GOWN ~
n,,,ih , ,uprly Of tanhark for Pr'i'> i'iInriF ""n
all the other tann"ri"~ wh"h "''" '
,ors,hou, Iui there no tanHcr'"' here now '"'
industry has died ont. The h'Inl"" oar" "'' w
hausted and there vas n"'hiI; l." 'a"' w r
Long before he thought Of engaging III 'h' '''.'"h
,u.,,..s zadock Pratt began life Us mrh"'''nahe'
NM as a Young man ne lad thoughts ana Asp'raao"'
,.,.rd that humble industry. ara ne H'"d " DC ."
,,rh man certainly H. riches 81 III IL community! '
,h,s.nd also T., wri,r before hi name Inc 't~ 'o'
t'Irs,es Grant T. not the "i'v tanner WI" "
famous ladock Pratt r'pr"Srh''a ''~ "'''
'.on.r..s ,r ,,ro terms about hall century ago
IN vas also A member OF the stat" >rnl" AN" IVA
presidential elertor. II" founded Inc N"i's" Vi
,,o,, ,,. which has tho reputation OF ben: Oh" 81
~. prc.,est villages Of the fat'skil REGION anu ~
carved his name and achievements hp"" Wv
Polka SO that they will endure i"r 'oh>u''""''
ue-od AZ least The ancient worthy derhren ''A' Nv
lad erected 4 monument more lasting WA" o'"''
- may bc doubted whether zad"ck Pratt has done
that bnt his memory Is certain " '''' W ''' "
cali,v fr II good many wears
r,. pratt Hocxs are oni, few rods diNiiif from
,hc village aud their general features can be d'>'rr"
from the road that leads from Pi"'tNN''c 70 "'
rh,, load. by the way, J. the '"'NRn III" "'''
,r,,,lc and toll houses are still maintained upon ~
,Lc NINA, Of The tat, Hill Mountain road. u j VII
,,n, and 1, afford, n no.i interesting ana picturesque
.,,t u, o,o.r 10 SEQ the Prat; Rocks. however
90, ,,,., l.,vr yUur ,alriag" and ascend me 'h''
,,,h which lead. 70 them. Along Vie WAY w" WIN
find comfortable seats cut ont "i tp r"'"N' INV
,,, par, of Mr.. traits WORK. 1T n "'ue' '"'.
n, mean, 10 have his monument af"N'''"' ~ '
.,.r,s A. you approach t, rocks ,"'T nttch''o"
4, arrested Ly two huge faces which appear Oh '''
front Of a gigantic wall Of rock. and "''o 'v "a,
49,. -, , horse The face, those OF Mr. Pia't a'"
b.. son George w. Pratt. who WAS killed early III '.'
C,vu War They are cut In. or Out o. inc roeh'
aud present white appearance AZ uo"h' P
r,,.v arc kept In good condition. Not lar ii"'h 'r
are numerous inscriptions IN reference NANNY ID '"'
Of Zaiock Pratt. Ia great letters appear
,,s aup name; Zadocl Pratt. Born oct ~ i'So'
rh. da,c Of hs death In 1871 Ia not given 'hdrr"e.
his name on enc side Is the figure OF "a manu. w"
,nc nuccr extended. bearing this ms riptioh I"'s
,ra far nv country On he other Is u SCROLL par
TALLY uurollcd. with hAiih upon IT, VIM
,, 90 these word, on the scroll "l:nran %
P ,,, ,.aA Ncnr the hand for nv country Is
-. ov.I mace In the top Of which appears hcm'o'H
,c, which Mr. Pratt appears to have I"earued ~
~. macmillan emblem In the lower part "i tue Oval
a.. ,no,t, "Do we'll and doubt not the lct''F'
being placed 50 close together iD this fA'h'""
n.ryrI.LANpDov BT HOT"ihat 1t requires scrohd
=, third inspection to show you that II not "ei'h :"
some other outlandi.h tongue The inscription III '''"0r
Of tho son is as follows;
Hon q. ". Pratt PID
toI Xxx Rcgt ~ y. ;. Muster 60
Borr april IL. I.bo
Wounded Aug. 10 IN the I'd Battle OK
Manassas Va, Died o
Al Albany. y. y. sept. H. 1b"2
Good brave Honorable
TO the right of his own mcmoriai N'' TrA'' p'"'e"
mi. IN honor OF his children:
GEORGE ". PRATT
JULIA ". PRATT.
Let virtue be your quiet care
And study yonr delight
SO will your days be- ever fair
And peaceabls your nights.