The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-08-26
THREADING AN INLAND WATERWAY
Dangers and Delights OF VoyaRing on n
Little New Jersey Canal.

Littis New Jersey tanni.
II there Is any map published which shows
the little canal running In or out Of Lake Hopat-
cong THE SUN reporter, who grew dlstractedly
weary looking for 1t, was not able to find II.
There are little lines on the map of New Jersey
marked varIously " Morris Canal" y" Morris and
Essex Canal" and Essex Canal" but when
those lines meander up in the vicinity Of Lake
Hopatcong they either loose themselves In a
maze Of other lines or fade away in q miserable,
vague way until the searcher after exact in
formation foreswears all maps. THE Sun man
would have been willing to swear that there was
no such canal had he not just returned from
riding on II, and that Is what this story is about.
You can go To the lake som other way, but II
you want to experience the most placid and
least rapid transportation imaginable, leave the
train at Hopatcong station any day you happen
to be taking a run up that way. cross the rail-
road. and there you find q sure-enough canal,
map or no map.
Perhaps 1t Is q branch or feeder OF the Morris
and Essex, for 1t connects at its upper end with
the lake, and perhaps II Is the main canal; but
you do not get any impression like that when
you first see 1t, It is so small. seemingly not
more than ten or twelve feet across, whereas to
hear an old Jerseyman talk Of the Morris and
Essex you would think the Hudson must be o
trout stream in comparison.
Any way. there it is, zigzagging like a silver
thread through the valley. and the dusty
traveller Is glad to DO assured by the Captain OF
a little launch that he carries passengers TO the
lake. On this occasion the passengers, besides
the reporter. were two men and a dog, and q
woman. The dog Is mentioned first because he
took the softest and most desirable seat, and re-
quired more attention than all the other passen-
gers and tho boat. He was "A pleasant enough
choice s% seat had hhe he not tide Developer eOpsfu the az habit hseR n of
first dropping his tail over the side of the boat
until l. hung into the water and then violently
swinging IL about In an excess OF Joy until he
impartially sPrinkled everything and everybody
within a radius Of twenty feet. Then he was
The canal Is so narrow that as the launch
slowly steamed mp the placid, tve-foot deep
could be touched by the Hands, but padding the
hands in the, water was more fun. After pulling
barge moored TO the bank taking on a load Of
rocks. A little distance beyond 1t the engines
Of the launch suddenly stopped, and the crew,
consisting Of two boys, uniformed as sailors. and
the male, passengers rushed astern TO see what
with q long stoking iron and fohnd that the
n which 1t had wound Itself securely.
Just what should Be d done. and am they ali ala" talk sGG at
once about It. They were In the heat OF discus
sion, the launch meanwhile drifting, when sud
denly a boy dressed In overalls and shirt took a
header from the barge, and In a few moments
affairs was explained to him he dived under and
seemed 70 remain ten minutes. Then he bobbed
up ~ ~ u u hlT. was uOWn again. ana SOON
bits OF rope ioated out on the water. In about
fifteen minutes he had the propeller clear.
seemingly none the worse FOR his work under
ths water. He was about to swim back when
the engineer scr discovered that As bad dropped his
covered, as he did a dollar bill tho woman pas
ssnSsf % sf IRE Io or Che The, w g.sS. for for him We soon
{ hsIRs sSse & sG Knows M1s; al YAK about ls &c e fro 1ssf Ts.d GRs
but this must have been another kind of a lock,
or, perhaps, the absence OF Diekensh characters
Of masonry walls about ton feet RIIs;E
as you enter II. When We reached
s as. lG saan sss c sSsin and sSf0 SiDS:saA 's are: snt rs. sSd Fate @s
tSona6 oG 96 soSSm SSssd 1P ph In b = space 5Sst large
Then the flood gates on the further side we're
opened and the water poured In, gradually lift
Ing the boat. The sensation was something like
going up in a slow elevator that was not prop
erly balanced. When the top OF the walls were
no longer aboyeu Us the further gates were opened
leaving the canal below.
1t was Just at sunset and the panorama OF
foliage on the banks. and the lights and shades
on the water made q picture beautiful Ia the
travelling is that passengers have time to enjoy
the beauties OF scenery, and there are no In
foliage to black barns covered with yellow let
tiers, directing Distracted attention TO the beau
The launch was not a Through boat" in the
sense that IL neglected any station or post en-
route. But these stops are not unpleasant IL you
nave any other object In travelling except 20 get
there, After leaving a demiJohn at one camp
and some letters at another, the launch was
about 10 pass a third when a fat matron from
under q distant shade tree theoretically shook
parasol, fan, and handkerchief, screamed at the
top, OF her voice, and gave other feminine indl-
cations OF a desire to detain the launch for a
small chat OF some other purpose. The boy
captain obediently, stopped the engine, and the
fat matrOn approached slowly. When she WAS
within iong-distance hafing she inquired: " Got
that baby carriage 2"
The hoy purser eHamInad all Al. t.otoh =
GLIDING the dog. and said he was shy on baby
carriages Then the. matron thought a long
time, ana next shouted; "HOwis Hiram p
Inc purserS answer appeared 20 relate 10 Hi
he's comm on" ''
Then We went on peacefully, quietly.