Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-01-17
A WINTER HOME ON A MOUNTAIN.
The Family n Lives on the Top OF
Overlook During the Cold Months.

II have plenty TO read mp here. and
| can't say that / get lonesome at all.
though / have no neigbbors." 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 aban-
doned a year ago on the top OF Mount
Washington Mr.. Brink and his little
family live at a higher altitude during
the cold months than any n near the
Atlantic seaboard. Mr.. Brink is in
charge of the property of the company
which owns the highest mountain
house in the Catskills. aud during the
severest winter weather. when gales
are particularly lively round the sum-
NIT of the fine old hill, he and his fam
lily are there alone in their snug little
cottage. 3, 200 feet above the level of
the sea.
About five years ago Mr.. Drinks
physician told him that II he continued
living at West Hurley he would die of
consumption. He was told he must
make a change of climate, and so
Brink made the change. Instead.
however, of going several hundred
miles away. he changed climates in a
perpendicular direction. and by max
ing his home over 5000 feet above the
sea he found the dryness of atmos-
phere that was essential to his recov-
cry. Now a more vigorous and hardy
man could scarcely be found 10 the
state. Mountain air has done won
ders for Mr.. Brink, and he is just
about TO spend his fifth winter on the
summit of Mount Overlook.
Mountaineers get so used to running
up and down Hill, that MI. Drinks
hired man thinks nothing of travelling
nearly three miles every day far down
the mountain side for the little milk
the family consumes; and, though no
one else lives on top of the mountain.
the Brink family is not deprived oil
social pleasures during the winter, for
now and then sleigh loads Of people
climb the steep ascent from Woodstock
and have a jolly party and lots OF
dancing on top of the mountain. The
snow-clad country below is plainly ia
view on every clear morning from
near Albany to the Highlands on the
Hudson. Parts of several states are
seen, and the view is as fine in the
clear air of winter, when everything Is
snow-clad. as during the easou Of
verdure. Mr.. Brink generally makes
n or two trips q week down the
mountain to the post-ofice and stores
at Woodstock. During the great biz.
card, however, he was cut of from in
tercourse 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 attention with an ample
supply of reading matter and heI
household duties. One of Mr.. Brink;
occupations during the winter is I'LL
ing the ice-house for summer use a
the hotel. He cuts the ice from a res
ervoir of water that is kept on the
mountain top, and last winter. wher
the whole eastern country feared thai
it would 0 be able TO harvest any ice
at all, he succeeded in getting his
usual supply without much trouble,
which shows that the top of Overlook
mountain, besides being Il solitary
place of winter residence. is also no.
a little colder than the surrounding
country.