New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-21
AROUND OTSEGO LIKE.
A PILGRIMAGE WITH GLIMMERGLAss ON ONE
HAND AND LOVELY LANDSCAPES
on THE OTHER.

&c ooinr for the sinecure of his profession let him
map out as his daily journey the road around oeso
Lake. IL there be any couple who on tler "eu'i"r
tourney would fee Niagara Falls and parlor-cars, let
them try a horse and buggy and the mghiahus 'i''V
10 ohont tho sonrces of the susquehanna. What
could be more sensible than such a honeymo a
good horse, sound conveyance ana pochc'-i"'p -
show the roads and ths OUTFIT Is compete Oo'p0i'
town and Richled Springs are the op!ccuve PoiiS VI
many coaching parties. They are Ideal places ior
pilgrimage, provided one does not seek ghosuN sn'''
There is altogether too much Of flesh ana Diooo ar
about the region for any such disembocicd spectacle
The atmosphere Is too fresh, and the sun sh'leS wv
brightly for the Indulgence OF any NOTIONS hoV YIN
ducive TO a good appetite and becoming snoo'"i
OF ones hair. Just enough of history and MAYOR Oh
romance cIngs about the place TO season the Pie"'
ure which comes from looking from these HIS sur
rounding Otsego Lake But 1t is not the eye OF INC
circuit rider much less the single thought sprung iVh
two souls on a wedding journey, that now hoverS over
these hills and this paper. Richfeh visitor wants
| a DAYS excursion and finds 1t on Otsego LAKE.
Otseco is the gimmerglass" Of Coopers NOVELS ana
~ one is TO believe the natives. and there Is no re"o
wbv he should not for they seem Trustworthy pee-
nle who give good measure In selingt ps ana 90 ho'
water the milk that they give you LOT DreaAi"S'' Wv
| ,.bo Is rightly named cooper named that there
lake lust right" said one hopyan veteran '"'iS
the time I've seen 1t when 1t looked for all the "ou
like glass When there an't no wind which Is pretty
shore' .,.
| At the north end Of Otseso Lake is steamboat
| landing which Is about seven miles ron hlohneia
Springs and that seven miles makes rs pretty "'o'
ing drive as "any anywhere" IT goes over hiiis anu
through hopyards. between little lakes ana al ''ie
opd comes in sight OF a steamboat which soon goes
| nleasantly though pondercusly putting. away down
the lake the nautical counterpart OF Maauiey as nv
appeared to Sidney Smith, though 1t Is by no means 10
he inferred that that this craft Is at all peculiar IN .e
construction OF its hull On the contrary the Nat'y
Bumppo is q well and properly conducted boat ana
tr,e 10 her grammatical gender would scorn ~ wear
trousers.
Otsego Lake Is really OF rare beauty. IL has not
been spoiled though It's shores have been settled Tor
hundred years. Civilization Is everywhere IN s'eh'
Int never obtrusively present Just enough OF inc
bIsides have been cleaned TO give pleasing variety
TO the picture. All the buildings are thcky clustered
about with foliage and the tops OF the hills arc nearly
all well wooded.
II is almost impossible to buy any land on O'sego
Lake and this is the one disagreeabe feature aoo"'
IT, After looking at every wooded point ana every
hafcleared hillside with a view 10 eAPehoihs 'o''
spare cash In a few and building COOL rooh''
summer retreat on than 1t is somewhat dscouragAg'
not 10 saw unknd, to be told that you cannot nave
~ Int that soullcss millionaire after the manner OF
his kind insists keeping you slave 10 toi' anu
board ne house and holding the land hhtcl' i"o"s!'
this is unpleasant far rs your comfort Is cohceI"u'
n Is GOOD for he landscape Nearly all the Eind VAhg
owned by men who will not sell, the Lake shore Is not
dlsfgured by cheap cottages Win u'ir accompanying
clotheslnes and tomato cans.
Otseeo Lake IS nine miles long. and Captain WATKINS
with the Natty Bumppo pakes several trips a On! De-
tween Cooperstown and the landing on the roan ~
Richfeld. To generalize from one obscrva"oh' lis
patronage is good The Natty Bumppo and another
small steamer which plies on the lake are most ac
commodatng boats. A signal displayed at any m''"
ING will induce them tn stop and take on the way
Messenger. So however secluded people may seem 10
be up on these hilsdes. they have no dimcu'V IN
eating 10 a railroad. For there is railroad up IN
This region 1t Is spur railroad most roads are up
her. Cooperstown like Rchfeld springs. reaches thc
outside world by track laid to junction some mics
| AZ While the natural outlet OF Riclneld springs Is
| "a Utica and the north from Cooperstown The Fui
road reaches out toward Binghamton and down the
Susquehanna Valley.
! rhe lake trim is an exceedingly pleasant one. Cap
tain Watkins may not have been Oh the lake beiofe
the arrival of first settlers and 1t Is possible th't
h xxas not the source whence Cooper derived his IN
formation about the Indians, and their dolngs around
@GlimmergIass,' but he knows quite as much about
many an interesting story can he tell .r., ,.,o,.
Tor T rSSRed ma" Two st
near and amuse themselves and others by pct or less
Intelligent comments OF me scenery an1 Oh to ,hs
lapse into silence and deep thought "hich Is broHch
at res1lsr nscaims q in Solemn and exprcsoness
voIce ~ Fenimore Cooper" The ghost OF cooper
i aoeS aU SheaTedness in failing to appear de
voted an adn.irer Is IA sad damper to nero worship
aSSnacbes bringing clearer View q the pretty town
almost hid in foliage and locked by the hlilS Al some
an. lax. Is IS % monument which towers the
greater number Of stones that surround IL. ncre -
NV the citizens Of the novellsts home. But his body
does not lie there II is In the village nearer his old
hos Some miles north Of the town on point OF the
eastern shore stands stone tower which Is puzzle.
tower shond have been built there Is not apparent,
and Captain watkins throws no hight on the question
ri Then he will tell you how man named Clarl-by the
way, sewing machine man who was partner WIN
singer when the sewing machine was new thing ana
! made money out Of this little novey-had summer
house there once and set all the country ~
folly as that He finally confessed TO the CAP
tain that It's only object was to please the eve: M
1t does admirably and stimulates the curiosity al III"
Refore taking a dozen steps on the wharf at Coop
ersown the carriage taken at Richfed and left at The
landing drives up ready TO 60 through The town And
comfortable pretty town 1t U.s. WIN biHIa ana s w
The business streets look though everybody was VOL
Of and , 0' S"p sys &y fcr. A good ffs 1r
this since hops are the taple OF the country ihon9h
hem farmers RI there nsed to be- stu they admit that it
is possible ~ raise and sell them at II cents pound
seem to be a fair measure Of profit in the crop.
The failure Of J. Fenimore Cooper 10 reepoHd TO The
of his atUircr on tHe boat nfceSbllatN u Nslu
to his grave This Is In the Episcopal ehurchyard,
quaint old place apparently not much changed IN
FeniInore Cooper and his wife, who Of the
DE Lancey family and sister of the bishop Of that
name are side by side and their tomb, almost
alike Each is a long Stub lying Nat and raised by
solid walks two three feet from the ground. The
ipscrip Ons are simple and In the centre NJ each slab
rs carved a cross. Net flower grows mar
and only a few blades OF grass, but whether
FMS Is for the discontinue Of relic hunter,
or due TO their excqtions does not appear. II
is pleasing t. be able to relate however. that the
~ nh
sight breaking ut tho corners which BE- due TO
the NATURAL dsnegrahon OF the marble rather than
10 ghoulsh depredations. Otsego Hall, the Cooper
residence once stood where now is street at the Side
OF the churchyard. 1t burned many wears ago
and nm inscp tion on q rock fenced on from the drive