The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-16
RAMApO'S M%0UNTAINEERS.
SOME OF THEM NAVE NEVER SEEN
a ROAD OR 4 sCHOoLHOUSE.

Tovnship, N. J.-Ths wild Mountsi
Rsgion where the Jackson white
Live-Rsvoiutiorary Episodes Recalled
Carrot Valentine, tax collector Of Hohoku
township, N. j., is q man with genius for hi
duties, and this Is the reason his neighbors per
sist In retaining him In the Office year after
year in violation of all rules of rotation. He
hokus is the largest township in Bergen county
and one Of the largest in New Jersey. 1t in
cludes the villages of Allendale, Ramseys, nn'
Mahwah on the Erie Railway; the great noun
tainside farm of Theodore A. Havemeyer, ant
that OF his neighbor, A. b. Darling. Whei
Garry-everybody calls him Garry-has com
pleted the delivery of tax bills to constituent
in the more p~opul2us portion Of the township
he devotes one day TO distributing similar
favors to the mountaineers, TO make sure the
proverb that nothing Is surer than taxes
and DEATH 1t was to the titheman
on this mission that William M. johnson, Q
Hackensack LAWYER and q Sun reporter,
met him at Oakland. noted as the home OF
Swearing Jim" Van Blarcom. The collectors
lively Deucalion mare was making an excellent
pace toward the hills when he pulled her up
suddenly and exclaimed:
lido believe that's Mary Post coming down
the road, and I've got u bill for her."
Mrs. Post was n tall and muscular woman,
plainly but comfortably clad. with traces Of
early beauty on her weather beaten face. She
ia q war widow receiving a pension. and Is house.
keeper for Gen. Frank Price, son of the late ex-
Gov. RodmanM NJ. Price. Having paid fifty cents
tax for the privilege OF keeping a dog, she said
well, l must get down to Oakland, for | hear
John Ziek's to be tried. lie deserted his wife
and then came back and sold the COW, and she
was throwed on the town, and the poormaster
nabbed him. II he was my husband I'd hang
him."
- Xaa and aha uvnttlJ TIM " 1,r,a rl,J ,h. al
)ector. as he drove on. A quarter of a mile
further another halt was made in answer to a
hearty hail:
How DIDO, Garry. I s'pose you're out col
lectin'H Well, you stop at the house; II she
amt home you'll find her over at Simm's in the
swamp, understand And don't leave without
the money. I'm only an outsider. you under
stand. Ha, ha She's the financer OF the house.
Ha-ha! Good-by, Garry | Git up, Jim
That's John Frazier" explained the col
lector. Hes a peddler who owns a little piece
of land right in Havemeyer's estate. He wanted
four or five times its value and the sugar man
wouldn't offer him more than twice what it's
worth. so he keeps it,"
mile further on the road to the mountain led
of from the house of ex-JudRe Aaron q. Gar
praises of nature and his neiEhbors In graceful
rhymes ,indited in copper-plate penmanship.
white hat from the barnyard, shouting:
"This is my weddin' hat, gentlemen. / think
visit from. Andrew Snyder. and they're taikin'
The Judge and his guest were met on the
bridge, endeavoring to decide whether a pair of
talons they had taken from n dead bird found in
the woods belonged to a hawk. or an eagle. The
collector in Jersey Dutch dialect, the party TrtIyr se tse
continuing lin 'G until he reeachedf the fse w ssien' ss sha
dies, where the road became rough and steep.
said. His son started h %G%% Har With fI1' the he ri Ho
and the mountain journey was begun on foot.
co Ine stony stony ROAD tSd Wound Upward in serrpentine
cones forming the rugged Ramapo range, lead
ing By a turn of a few hundred feet from the
broad panorama of fnrm-dotted valley, bor-
dered by the swift -fiowing river, to n wild forest
scene, whose sombreness was relieved only by
lily brushed ravines. After climbing about a
mile, the collector delivered one tax bill; and
indlstincily visible on an opposite
See that house over there2 Well, that's tho
way we go. Gen. Price and Mrs. Post live there.
Here we leave the Wynockie road and take the
And that was the last glimpse of a civilized
road seen during the next five hours. The course
to the house OF Gen. Price was almost a half cir
Gle, with an intervening quagmire that threat
but. the collector threaded the dangerous way
with ease, made a short cut across a bog to the
house, and was greeted with the suave
courtesy that was so marked a characteristic Of
he SON. Gem. Price is s.T vetsrsn rea Of ths eiv II
in which he won his star by bravery on the
% the pension they receive, having been SO seri-
pnsly wounded AS TO be iIncapacited for work.
he war. is a plain two-story structure in the
wood free from paint and architectural
over hundreds OF feet, With hers and P pSeSs
5harles Egbert Cradd9cE's; old BaiiSy.""''
After a refreshing draught at the Generals
pring and leaving the titheman's card" the
proceeded up the trail until a suitable
pot was found for luncheon, This was a bit OF
where the sun poured in and dried the
forming a couch as soft as "A Turkish dI-
loise attracted the attention Of the collector
M soon a young man was seen driving through
trees, over boulders, and across bitches.
MS was George De Gr3at q type of the :. Jack
Snn Whites mites who TSsv in ahsS nsr these mountains for
egEoes' and Indians, who fled to the hills
istinct families .se t6e be Gro aae red ar, Are two
ms, and in the more remote sections, reached {
either by the tax g%atherer nor by any other ,
found living in dmgouts and log huts Of The !
ndest description. They live a wretched hand i
mouth existence, their chief occupation be- i
Collector Valentine was very glad to meet 5
unity to send bills TO several relatives OF the q
Dung man, and thus save a mile walk. George
ssqming a monrnful air. asked: ANU 'u'ue"iS g
You don't happen to know nobody It's got u t
pup, 40 you now, tarry Cause | lost I
line this summer, n | want one bad" a
and the Young man leaned forward with a
'ing,ng look on his copPeT-colored face. I
wen, no, George, | don't know OF any one n
Dw; but may hear OF one and will send YOU :
ora. replied the benevolent collector as he Il
~ the young man gOod-by. n
Up wound and turned the way over stumns ii
ees, and rocks; then down through a defle u
here "A noisy riyulet tumbled over tiny prrci- q
ces and settled quietly in a distant slough; n
zen up again, across a short divide Of irregular i
trace, ana up once more to a level plot three b
four acres in extent, where a miserable, tum- a
shanty of patchwork design indicatcd q
habitation. The space around the building n
as Uttered with all manner of refuse. Three a
llldren, the youngest about three years old II
ere playing with n young fOxh0und, the Il
iartet scampertng on at sight OF strang- nj
:. A short distance in front OF HE s,
Yelling a little man, bent With years and toll II
as saving a heavy chestnut log with a common
Indsaw, while a strapping young man, his son, al
A. carrying a pail OF water from the spring "
IlleGtor valentine delivered his deprecatory ID
eech with the inevitable tax bill: b
= Well, Charley, I'm here again, you see. Ol
we 10 come and see you once a Year. and sc
Won l. nnVV what - n ,aFa