Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-12
'sODUs BAY.
A beautiful spot-Some Reliable
Fish Stories.

Correspondence OF the Dlspatch.)
LAKE BLUFF HOUSE, SODUS BAY.
| N. Y, September IL have belonged In
years past, to the noble army of stay
at-homes, and know from experience how
pleasant 1t is, when. in the dog
days we have missed from our hot streets
| the familiar figure OF some frieno, TO
| learn through your columns where he is
disporting himself In pastures green. off
somewhere toward the North Pole. ''in
the COOL" But apart from this. l feel
| / am doing a real service to overworked
men needing rest, TO lovers OF beautiful
scenery. and to young and vigorous peo-
| pie fond of fishing and boating, in calling
attention to this exceptionally interesting
and delightful spot.
| IL you will take the map OF New York
and run your eye along the southern
shore OF Lake Ontario, about midway
between Oswego and Rochester. you will
note little indentation marked "Sodus
Bay" 1t is one OF the very few bays
on the southern shore OF this lake which
contains an island, perhaps the only one.
and Is some four or five miles long by
two or three wide.
This hotel stands on the mainland and
crowns a bluff which was once, probably.
the eastern boundary Of the mouth OF
the bay, rising almost perpendicu-
larly from the surface OF the
lake. say a hundred feet or more.
The table-land on the summit
contains some fifteen or twenty acres
and is finely timbered, the hotel and a
dozen private cottages being prettily
scattered through the wood. At the foot
OF the cliff this great inland sea beats
with surf and roar almost rivalling
the great ocean himself on our own Vlr-
ginia beach.
From the left base OF the blun there
stretches away westward for mile
and half a barren horseshoe beach,
covered with rounded and polished peb-
bles OF various colors, and ending in n
little elevated plateau Of five or six acres,
beautiful with terraces and trees and
tasteful cottages. Beyond this the gov
ernment has built a long break-water,
against and over which during a north
east wind the surf dashes continually
in white breakers. Between this break
water and pier stretching out from the
west shore OF the bay there is left but
narrow entrance marked by light
house.
Behind all these projections sleeps the
beautiful Bay OF Sodus, gemmed with
Win IitlAy tDN-
tages, peeping out here and there from
the original forest growth. Between and
among these islands and the peninsulas
jutting out from the mainland two lit
tie steamers ply all day long, while
graceful sailing yachts and trim row.
boats bear pleasure parties and Usher
men at viii.
The fishing is a great feature OF the
place. Last year saw string of
pickerel. the catch of one boat in one
evening, which must have weighed
nearly. II not quite, a hundred pounds,
and this week / have seen two OF these
splendid fish brought to the hotel which
weighed. one OK them nine and the other
nine and threo quarter pounds. / am
assured they have been caught here
nearly double that weight.
Add TO all this, air so pure and dry
and invigorating that physicians AFFLICTED
with hay-feyer come here themselves |
and send their patients suffering with
that unspeakably annoying disease. and
they all appear to find unspeakable re-
lief. One OF them tod me yesterday
that the second night he spent here was
tho first night for three weeks that he
had gone quietly and comfortably 10
bed and stayed there and slept. An
other said he would build a cottage |
on the bluff II he could procure a lot,
and would gladly subscribe $1,000 to the |
stock OF a company TO be organized |
with capital sufficient 10 develop the |
You will naturally ask how and why |
natural advantages such as / have de- |
scribed have failed TO make themselves |
known. and to demand and secure pro- |
per development and patronage. The |
agement sadly lacks capital. and the |
railroads seem 10 discriminate against |
he place, as TO connections and facill- |
lies for reaching il, some OF them. / |
im told, because interested in rival |
places OF resort on the shores OF Onta-
10. But these difficulties must be over
,ome In time. Lake Bluff and the love-
y Bay OF Sodus undoubtedly have a
dture before them.
We have just come from the fairy /
and OF the Thousand Islands and do
lot hesitate TO say that this spot Is In
advantages and attractions
,qual to anything we saw there. Ma
ure has done much there: but money
md art much more. Nature has done
here: art and money COM
,arativeIy nothing. Even this majestic
Blum is not secure, but is being under
nined and washed away year by year.
Ne can even notice the encroachment |
4 the lake since last summer, and per-
ons who have been here several sea-
ons say It Is not only apparent, but
farming. What is required 10 make
his one OF the most attractive and
resorts OF this country Is the
OF appreciative taste and
dequate resources. over and over We
ave said TO each other: III our friend,
laior Glnter, had but laid his magic hand
pom this spot ten years ago. II is diff
ult for the imagination to picture the
arsdise that would crown this height
o-day."
Last Sunday evening. as we lay on
be grass on the crest OF the Bilff. |
azing out seaward toward the setting
un. the scene was one or unearthly |
esuty. First. the gorgeous cclors. and
hen the paling tints OF the sky-the
palescent, varying hues on the bound
.ss expanse OF the gently heaving
-aters Of the great lake-the exquisite
orseshoe beach. and behind Il the
merald isles reposing On the quiet
osom OF the silver bay. We gazed and |
azed. till the sun sank in the bosom
beautiful Ontario. and the stars came
az. and the moon rose and followed
"a golden display OF the sun with all
er silver witcheries. None or US spoke.
az / am sure we all felt that earth
as too exquisite 10 be the appropriate
ONE OF sorrow and OF sin.