The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-06-16
RIP VAN Wrinkles ROCK
THE ALLEGED SLEEPING PLACE OF
IEFING'S NERO.
Tho Picturesque sleepy Hollow OF tho
Cstskils-Jhe Domiciie OF the ra-
nous sleeper.

-
Even In our age OF I'm de steele enhsh'eh-
nent there exists IN every human heart
"a dceo.rooted interest In the impossiOili-
,,ce Of legend and folklore. Ii Is most
Noticeable in the child who. letter by let
fer. spells out the tales OF genii ana
fairies and shudders with vague terror at
In. aresidc story Of ghost or goblin. Yet
thcre arc time-houorcd myths entertain
cd almost believed, hy men who would
yl8lcule aladdin" or "Sinbad the Sailor.
CHIEF among these is the story OF KIP van
Wrinkle. immortalized by the pen or nv
inc. and ondcarci TO the hearts OF the
people hy Joseph Jcncrsons inimtaDle
impersonation.
Tive OF Rips life. his shiftlessness; his
Unsuitable thirst, and his wlfe's shrewish
temper. These. however, are but mo
rorrb settings 10 that jewel o. mythical
history, his twenty years sleep upon the
mountain. Though no tourist OF intsHs
cuce believes that this sleep ever occurred
thousands look with superstiiions awe
upon the great whltcwashed stone WIN
SIS scrawilug inscription. KIP ROCK,
and touch with reverence the suspicious
lv modern looking pewter soup-ladle and
The rusty carving knife blade win us
two-year-old hickory handle used py
Rip"
THE ROCK.
The "Rock" projects from The cht near
The RID Van Wrinkle Hotel on the noun
tain road. twelve miles from the village
a. Catslii II is about ten feet square
and IS overhunc by maple ard hirch trees
and surrounded by a tangled network
az bushes and wild grape-vines. Above
this rock. and extending 10 the LETT IN a
great scmi-circle. tower perpendicular
cu0s 10 the height OF over two hundred
feet From this vast ampithcatre rushes
a mountain stream which tumbles down
a million sylvan cascades, through the
picturesque Sleepy Hollow OF the cats
kills. until It's waters mingle with those
Of the lOrdly Hudson. fifteen miles below
The stream passes beside one-room
hovci. whose messy wcathcrhOards are
cut and slashed with the initials or in
Vulnerable visitors. This hut. resting IN
the very shade of Rips stony sleeping
Mace is about twenty feet square and Is
now used as "A bar-r0Om. u would pass
unnoticcd but for the assurance OF the
resident oracle that IL had been the
domicilc Of the henpccked baCChanalian,
and that frequent repairs on the install
ment plan had brought IL 20 it's present
condition. a dozen worn-eaten boards az
the rear Of the cottage are pointed out
20 authenticate the story. Washington
Irving and the aforementioned local au-
thority differ In the location OF this cot
taee. but as the discrepancy is matter
OF only a few miles. 10 is seldom con-
sidered by the average tourist
MAGNIFICENT VIEW.
From this point. nearly 1000 feet above
sea level. the view is magnificent. Set
like "a beautiful picture framed by the
gigantic elms ovcrhanging the Hollow"
the valley Of the Hudson, with its pas
lures and wooded hills. and silvery threads
OF tributary streams. sOftened by the
'nchau'mcnt OF distance. stretches for
many miles as far as the eye can reach.
Against the eastern horizon, stand out in
clear relief the far away peaks OF the
Berkshire and Grey Mountains Of Massa-
chusetfs and Connecticut.
At night. particularly II IL he moon
rght this fctitiOusly historical spot wears
an air Of romance distinctivoy its own
Many stories OF tragedy, love. and pathos
ar. connected with f. The sane stars
vhici might have looked down upon the
famCd slumbcTcr OF two decades have
witnessed the tcndercst scenes in the
drama Of life. from the stammering
llushing declarations Of the rural be-
trothl. &C. the pnghting Of the VOWS OF
those who slipped away from the dancers
and stood above lovely mOonlit Sleepy
Hollow while tho rythmic rise and fan
OF tN' '"ii7l" 'ii iHNNi' Hlhhl'H WIN ii"
lnurnui OF the mountain stream. playing
a soft accompaniment to the "sWcctcsI
stCiy ever told
Tho speculative bleed thc-tourist atmo-
spi.tre surrounding many summer rcsp-ts
= lot very conspicuous here. and the sui.
ooci air seems laden with - delicious
scmnoience akin 10 that which lurked IN
IT, depths Of Rips magic hagon r.
rlp Van Wrinkle is but the mythical hero
cl aa impossible tale, the decaying house
lui commonplace shanty. dnd the for
est lowered Rock. but a fragmen, srom
the n, wning precipCe. III only for tho
-es' rs place of some stray hunting Cog.
Truly, the American people have not yet
outgrown their infantie delight in fables.
FRANK j. CRAlG1E. JR