The morning call., 1891-01-02
WINTER HOME ON A MOUNTAIN.

The Family That Lives on the Top of
Overlook During the Cold Months.
u have plenty to read up here and | can't
say that 1 get lonesome at all. though have
no neighbors," said Mrs. Charles Brink the
other day in her cottage on the summit of
Overlook Mountain, in the Catskills. Since
the winter signal service station was abau-
doned year ago on the topof Mount Wash
ington MI Brink and his little family live at
higher altitude during the cold months
than any one near the Atlantic seaboard.
Mr.. Brink is in charge of the property of the
company, which owns The highest mountain
house in the Catskills, and during The
SeyereSt winter weather, when gales are
particularly lively round the summit of the
fine old hill, he and his family are there
alone In their snug little cottage, 5000 feet
above the level of the sea.
About five years ago Mr.. Drinks physician
told him that if he continued living at West
Hurley he would die OF consumption. He
was told he must make change of climate,
and so Brink made the change. Instead,
however, of going several hundred miles
away, he changed climates in perpendieu-
lar direction, and by making his home over
5000 feet above the sea he found the dryness
Of atmosphere that was essential to his re-
coyery Now more vigorous and hardy
man could scarcely be found in the State.
Mountain air has done wonders for Mr..
Blink and he is 1uSt.ab0ut TO spend his fifth
winter on the summit Of Mount Overlook.
Mountaineers get SO used to running up
and down hill that Mr.. Drinks hired man
thinks nothing of travelling nearly three
miles every day far down the mountain side
for the little milk tie family consumes, and
though no one else lives on top of the moun-
tain, the Brink family are not deprived of
social pleasures during the winter, for now
aud then sleigh-loads OF people climb the
steep ascent from Woodstock and have
Jolly party and lots of dancing on top OF the
mountain. The snow-clad country below IS
plainly in view on every clear morning I[o.h
near Albany to the Highlands on Inc HUI
son. Parts of several States are seen, ana
tina view is as fine in the clear air of winter,
when everything is snUw-clad, as during the
season of yerdure. Mr. Blink generally
makes one or two trips week down the
mountain to the poS;oflice and stores at
Woodstock. During the great blizzard, how
ever, he was cut off from intercourse with
the rest OF the world for about two weeks by
the impossible nature of the roads.
His wife is very fond of reading, and
though her little daughter is away from her
at school, she finds plenty TO occupy her at
tention with an ample supply of reading
matter and her household duties One of
Mr.. Drinks occupations during the winter
is filling the ice-house for summer use at
the hotel. He cuts the ice from reservoir
of water that is kept on the mountain top,
and last winter, when the whole Eastern
country feared that il would not be able to
harvest any ice at all, he succeeded in get
ting his usual supply without much trouble,
which shows that the top of Overlook
Mountain, besides being solitary place of
winter residence, is also not little colder
than the surrounding country.-N. \. sun.