Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-16


cottage, 1 may say without being too per-
sonal that shs has "den" fitted up on the
second floor of the cottage, and there she
edits 81. Nicholas, which is published away
beyond that distant mountain range. Mrs.
Dodge has always had ''den" to work In.
Hers was the first room of this sort that 1
ever saw. That was 20 years ago, when 1
lived IN Newark and she few miles out in
the country at Waverly." Dens" were not
so common in those days-perhaps because
there were fewer literary lions to occupy
them. Now every girl who writes sonnets
to the moon has "den" fitted up to write
them in,
The charm of this private resort in the
Catskllls Is that it is unlike any other
place. There you can trough it" amid re-
hned surroundings. The people who go
there do so because they want to get away
from the whirl of fashion for at least three
or four months of the year, but who at the
same time want congcnial companionship.
1t Is the aim of the organisation to suppress
any evidence of wealth on the part of its
members. The poor and proud have as
good quarters and live as well as the rich
and great, Most of the cottages are built of
slabs. Perhaps you don't know what slabs
are? L confess that / did not until visited
the mountain settlement
EVERYTHING HAS THE BARK ON.
They are the first cuttings from the log
when 1t Is taken to the sawmill to be turned
INTO boards. Every log has four slabs and
the bark is, of course, left on them for
building purposes. There are no cellars un-
der the cottages-they are not needed. The
cottages are mounted on stone legs so that
the air has full play underneath them. The
frame Is first set on these legs, then rough
boards are nailed on the frame, and over
these boards, on the outside, the slabs are
nailed; This naturally gives the appear
ance OF logs and is much less EXPENSIVE
The inside of the cottages is finished to
suit the taste of the owner. Very few are
plastered. Usually heavy terra Gotta col
ored paper, such as is used by builders, is
tackled over the rough boards, and where
the paper is joined "hoop poles'' of white
birch, with the bark on, are nailed over the
Joints. This makes a capital background
for such interior decorations as are to be
found In the mountains-wall pockets of
birch bark, filed with ferns or golden rod
or purple aster, or later on with gay colored
autumn leaves. The railing of the stairs
which run from the living room is made of
birch saplings, and the pegs to hang hats
and coats on are cut from the same material
LUXURY ENDS WITH BATH TUB.
A carpenter from Tannersville makes
tables and window seats for you with planed
board tops and bark covered legs The bed
steads and mattresses come from factory
II miles away, and are as comfortable as
you have been in your city home, and you
have an English bath tub sent up from New
York, but with these luxury ends, or should
There are some people who fit up their
cottages with bric-a-brac and upholstered
f111-, hut To 4bao oh ,1f = fho
is the absence of anything that reminds one
of city life. The entire furniture of my
cabin cost 5000, and this included every
thing but bedding-sheets and blankets
mean-and l kept house, or could have
kept house if wanted to.
What did was to have breakfast and tea
at home and take my o'clock dinner at the
club house. This enabled me to get along
with one servant, which is always con-
sideration in summer outing. My cottage
was so situated that 1 had an uninterrupted
view of the wide valley and the distant
mountain range. 1 speak of it in the past
tense, for have sold it, and it now belongs
to Mr.. Laurence Hutton, who has changed
its name from "Cloud Cabin, F." which 1 gave
it, to Lookout" the name of of his fathers
home in the hills of Scotland.
A MOUNTAIN PARADISE.
When I sat on my piazza at "Cloud
Cabin" and gazed off into the mountainous
distance it seemed to me that the only world
was the one that lay before me-the one be-
yond that range of hills was of no interest.to
me-this was Paradise-that beyond Baby
Ion, and the protecting mountains stood be-
tween US. But busy writer cannot spend
the whole day, even in vacation time, in
dreaming dreams.
In the middle of my living room huge
chimney protruded its stony breast, and on
the wide hearth fire of birch logs and pine
boughs shot out grateful flames and per-
fumed the place. In big bay window
stood my working table, and there 1 tried
to do my duty; but who can work with such
view as mine at his door and such fire as
that on his hearth inviting his attentionl
My nearest neighbor was John Brooks
Leavitt, of New York, whose family occupy
the cottage, which they call "Upenough,h
from the time the buds appear in May until
they can exclaim with Miss Thomas, as they
look out upon the red and yellow leaves.
How cold touch hath set the woods on fire.
SOME OF THE HABIrUEs.
Up a little higher, on q rock-bound
plateau, stands the cabin and studio of Car
roll Beckwith, the painter. Mr.. Beckwith
and his wife have lived great deal abroad,
and have never really kept house until they
set up their mountain home. Here they
have gathered their lares and penates about
them and they have fascinating place. In
the late exhibition of the Society Of Ameri-
can Artists was very life-hke portrait of
Mark Twain in flannel shirt and with a
corncob pipe in his mouth. This was
painted by Mr.. Beckwith at Onteora last
summer. Mark Twain had a cottage there
then, and every morniug he gave readings
from Browning Browning gfree-and-easys"
he called them, because every one in the
settlement was free to attend, and flannel
shirts were ''full dress" This year Mr..
Clemens is not at Onteora, and we mourn
his loss. He will return, however, but will
he resume the free-and-easys?
After dinner you stroll along the cottage |
bordered wall to the open beyond to see the |
sunset behind the mountains On your way |
back you stop at friends piazza and finish |
the evening among the pillows of low |
swung hammock. Then you stroll up to |
your own cabin, and if it is your first night |
at Onteora you marvel at the enormous fire. |
flies fickering through the woods, only to
learn that they are the swinging lanterns of |
,ettagers who, like you, have been spending
he evening with friends, and who, again /
ike you, are now on their way home and to
bed, where they will sleep the sleep that
,nly comes with pure air and clear con-
science. JEANETTE L. GLIDER.
.