The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-08-20
PLEASURES OF THE cArsK1LLs.

Interesting Description by the Courier
 Correspondent-Bea Walks and
 Drives in the Mountains-Trees and
 Wild Animals of the Catskills.
 The Catskills, Aug. 12. The stock question, "Is it hot enough | for you?" is changed up here among the mountains to We never before saw | it like this why, ten days ago we need | ed fires But General Humidity does not marshal his forces here, and so the dry heat is far more endurable, espec- ially as every evening is deliciously cool. One enjoyable feature of recent evenings has been the watching of the magnificent lightning playing about the distant peaks and listening to the | rolling thunder-"the rain wagon one old farmer calls it, but we prefer to think Hendrick Hudson's crew are still rolling their nine pins to attract unwa- ry Rips. In this connection a good story occurs to me, which really oc- cured in your own city not long ago. A clerk in a we'll known bank stepped | forward to wait on a gentleman who | NdHlGu d CIlGCh SeSiiVo. O POl etShlilS who could identify him, the clerk was amazed at the answer, Perhaps Schneider my dog, can' An, you are MT. Jefferson!" Yes with his own genial smile. and all other Identification was needless.
 Walking about the hotel piazZas at such resorts is always pleasant to me; one catches such pleasant little snatch es of talk and has such good opportuni- l ties to study human nature. Here an artist is making a clever study of a l elematis spray, there a group of ma irons sit, exchanging ideas as to em- broidery. Next we hear a few sen tences from John Burroughs, who has much to tell us of nature among the Catskills, and ever and again we hear the refrain 16 to 1, with constant dis cussions as to gold and silver basis But one wants to see more of the beauties of nature hereabout, so we start for an early drive through Hunt CT, which reminds us of lovely Bethle- hem street, though there is no frown- ing Presidential range. Instead there are green, fertile valleys with rolling hills and higher mountains rising in long chains of prettily rounded though not sharply defined peaks. Directly in front of the town is the "Colonel's Chair" peak not high, but beautiful fly sloping, with a plainly defined seat, back and foot-stool, only he must needs be a Goliath of colonels who could sit there. Hunter mount, the second high est peak of this range, somewhat over four thousand feet In height, hides it. self behind lower peaks, and we can rarely catch glimpse of this mon- arch. This mountain and town re- ceived their name from the fact that this was long famous hunting region, the Scoharit Creek or Kill being mo- ted resort for deer, wolves, partners and bears. and many are the stories told of great hunters. Those who have stopped at the well-kept Hotel. Katz- berg may like to know that it stands on the site of hemlock grove in one of whose trees a panther was shot within historic times. Bears are still killed in these mountains, and more rarely wild cats In front of one cabin hangs 8 bears paw, the only trophy left by Bruin, who ate off his own foot rather than remain in the steel trap Which nad captured nlnl.
 In these hot days one delights tc have the horses turned towards Stony Glove, which is always deliciously cool for here the mountain summits almost touch each other forming wonderful Iy picturesque ravine, just wide enough for the road while high above us speeds the railroad train, climbing its steep grade of nearly eighteen hundred feet in ten miles. Within the ravine is a spring of most deliciously cold water Indeed, these mountain springs form g most refreshing feature of this section In a short walk last evening we passed several springs, drinking from three each seeming colder than the last one These sombre woods of bass, beech maple and birch trees show many shades of green and afford rare studies for an artist. We notice the fondness of the birch for clinging closely tt rocks and logs. Here Is an old los , whereon two birch trees seem trying tt play see-saw, each balancing each end Again 8 rock has been split by tree at which we cease to wonder, whei Burroughs tells us that many growing trees exert pressure of thirty pound to the square inch.
 Just after passing the widest part 0 the Notch we come to a. rough, i'm , mense slab of stone, set up on end ant | called "the Devils Tombstone" Sub stantial as it is, methinks it has faile' , to hold him in his grave. Very anus ing to us is the fact that on this tomb stone" is whitewashed an advertise , ment of Peck & Parker, New Haver | Conn. How came it here? echo asks. f Passing the Glove we come in view o more distant blue summits, Panthe . and Wittenberg. Peaks forming tn F center of the group, and as we admir- f their silence and grandeur we say wit the poet,
 "They come! the gladsome months tha
 bring thick leafiness to bowers; Up, up, my heart! and walk abroad , fling work and care aside;
 Seek silent hills, and rest myself wher crystal waters glide;
 Or underneath the shadow vast of pa triarchal tree;
 Seen through it's leaves, the cloudles
 sky is rapt tranquility"
 LOCKWOOD.