New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-31
A CATSKILL NEED.
THE PRESENT GUIDEBooK TOTALLY m
ADEQUATE.
A COMPLETE AND ACCURATE GUIDE DEMANDED
MOUNTAINS THAT ARE NOT APPRE-
cIATEp-A VISIT TO SLIDE.

Ono who has travelled through the White Noun
tains having AS his companion the convenient and com
plete gudebook which should have place IN TIE
portmanteau Of every traveller Is gricvousV ulsaP
pointed going to the Catslls or IN making ready 20
go thithcr to find that there is no similarly mn anu
satisfactory guidcbook for that region to be obtah'
The want Of such gudcbook must have been long reH'
.dut rralv Surprising that earnest effort to supply
II was not mt forth long ago. 1t certainly seems to be
profitable field for some one to Work thoroughly anu
the writer is hopeful that what he says may nave some
oroc. in bringing about what Is greatly needed by
every one who wishes to obtain thorough knowiedee
NJ this beautiful mountain region, which Is almost
suburb OF New-York.
rho only cuidebook which can be procured by the
sac,cr for information may have been adequate In the
DAYS when the old Mountain House ana the region
thereabout comprised practically all OF the 'atSRS 50
far as the world at large was concerned. for 'h''
quarter the maps descriptions are complete cnou@h
10 answer all requirements but. speaking generally
he rest OF the mountains have hoen omitted altogether
T ha sure there IS list Of the loftlcst mountains.
with their heights which. by the way, do not always
correspond with the figures elsewhere given IN inc
text there are maps-one OF the Catsii region III
general with the roads, distances between villages
etc. and one giving a birdsrye view OF the mountains
with their respective hechtS-whlch. 50 far rs tho
writer was able to Judge are fairly accurate 1here Is
a,so an excellent outline sketch Of the numerous peaks
n ho seen from Black Dome. the third highest Of the
Catskills and paving additional price yon can
procure a fine folding map Of the view from the hghce
peak Of ALL Slide Both of these profles are true 70
nature and is able to pick ont every mountain III
sight from the SUBMITS named without the slightest
difficulty.
In tact there is an excellent skeleton for guide
hook such as is obviously required but the guide
book itself vet IN make its appearance Inc present
gridcbook seems to have been put together mainly as
medium for largo number OF advertisements or poarn-
ing honses and hotels. and In some quarters II IS ih
mated that the importance OF any particular object OF
interest was ganged IN the eyes OF the compiler by rhe
amount which the proprietor Of the nearest hotel was
willing to nav in the form Of advertising. Then 100
this cuIdebook Is paperbound-a mere pampniet-ahd
carving It in ones pocket or bag for few times
SUFFICIENT to break mp IT. unity or course any DOOM
designed for such usage guidebook Is almost GER
tain TO get should he bound strongly In hexhie covers
70 visitor in the Catsklll region depends on INC
| natives for information to the names OF noun
ains for instance he is pretty sure TO be led astray or
TO got in answer to his questions abundant chnnRs o
vagueness. Originally, 1t seems, every mountain "aS
differentiated from it's neghbors by being called Noth
or South or East or West but that Inevitably leu 70
| vast deal OF confusion and now every weu-defned
summit has a distinctive name. Some OF the names
relate to localities others individuals and Others to
natural features. Unfortunately rev OF the MUSICAL
| Indian names have been preserved. ,.. .. o,so
There are curioSteS of nomenclature here as else
where Turning aside from mountains for moment EN-
and ventnrng outside OF the real mountain region the
utter recalls village much resortcd to by summer
hr,rders and known as Oak Hill. The newcomer nat
nraiIv expcctS to q town situated on an emincncc
and shaded and surrounded By magnificent OAKS. WI
The contrary he finds the village In valley ana tneic
| is not solitary oak IN sight. IL endowed Wiln
CURIOSITY he haSicns to inquire the meaning OF TINS
nhenouenon whereupon he is told that Oak Hill is so
called beca,ise among the early settlers there were 2
| family named Oak and another family named Hil ana
thai they took this bewilderng method OF perpetuatng
One recent visitor the Catslls has become CON
,inccd that these mountains not appreciated as
! maintains had looked upon them as hills only,
he remarked in conversation with the writer oay or
| two ago al regard them differently now. maze
davis trip to slide Mountain, and speaking with the
fu recollection that spent considerably longer ume
| IN Monnt Washington In the summer Of 1889. am
frank TO admit that the view from Slide, the highest Oh
| The Catskll Mountains Is the finest mountain view II
has ever been my privilege " witness. INC STRIKING
| dderence between the Catsks and the White Noun
tans is that the former are lower and are wooded 70
the ton On Slide you are In the mast OF mag
nfcent wild region, and by tho aid Of the prohe map
in which every depression and almost every tree are
given Won pick out at least fifty peaks WIN case
Everybody who Can should by all means make trip To
Slide Mountain. 1t is an easy climb-ony thrce miles
@Sex TO Slide in height is Hunter, but after seeing
the former was somewhat disappointed in the latter
| II Is a fine big fellow, though really q magnhccnt
| mountain: but II does not command the views that
Slide affords. had It on my programme to make the
ascent Of Dlack Dome No. 3 In height, but was not
sbe 10 effect It, friend who went there Is enthusas
fc over the fine view. which he describes as much
more satisfying than that from Hunter which he also
Climbed / have Black Dome In reserve and ain
certainly going to Slide Mountain again.