The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
THE DUKE OF PRESIDENT.
a ANGULAR MAN AND HIS Estate
IN TIL Dir REGION.


In Vain for the People 20 Flock There
They we're fishing In a little trout stream
that was thiokly overRrown and that ran int
the Allegheny River in the Pennsylvania OF
ras1oh. The man who had insisted upor
BRINGING a fancy split bamboo pole Into q
PENNSYLVANIA forest we'll supplied with under
brush had been the victim OF a multitude o
petty tribulations that daT. He had broken
the tin OF his pole. his luck had been bad. and
now a vicious. low-hanRing bouRh deprived
him Of his spare tin and left a red mark across
she stubby eNpAnse Of his cheek.
Don't you care" replied his companion.
The well-iilled creel OF the speaker contrasted
In a peculiar way with the plainness OF his at
tire aud the lack OF display about his pole. 1t
was Just a simple fishing pole made to catch
nsh with. and not for show 20 the farmers in
habiting the borders OF all well. regulated trout
streams.
Don't you care repeated the COMPANION.
as he snatched a trout from the stream as n
last act OF devotion to q sport which. In view
OF his companion's misfortune. he felt he
must abandon for the day. The bouEh that
brought you grief grew upon the estate Of an
American Duke"
An American Duke2'
Yes. an American Duke"
"Oh. comet What do you mean by 'Ameri-
can Duke'2 Did some EnElishman come over
here and buy this solitude. or did 1t belong to
some heiress whose death left her ducal hue-
band ineumbered with that not unpleasant
possession. an American estater"
Neither: an estate OF 800 acres. OF which
these woods are a part. came into the possess
sion OF a simplo American gentleman"
And yet you called him Duke
And Duke he was called by the few In
habitants OF this section. l am in a measure
your host to-day. and I will conduct you over
the duchy of the only American Duke. We
came In back from the river. We can go
through the duchy. cross the Allegheny and
catch a train for home this evening""
A walk of i've minutes brought them to a
road at one OF whose visible ends n modern iron
bridge spanned the winding stream they had
Just deserted. The man from whose case the
broken tin protruded uttered an
OF surprise at the contrast between the perfect
condition OF the roadbed. with it's iron bridge
and the entire absence OF any sign Of human
habitation. No prosperous farmholds were
TO be SEEM There was little evidence Of rural
travel. in shor, nothing to indicate that this
road had been luilt to supply an agricultural
demand. Indeed. q mere passing examination
OF the soil woull have convinced even an ANA
teur farmer that this was not and could not
be a farming country.
But the visitor could CLEAN nothing from his
guide. New objects were constantly present
ing themselves to excite his surprise. AS
they proceeded along the road. tall poles came
into view with directions painted upon the
siRnboards at the top. Each mole indicated
q decreasing distance to THE President Hotel"
Over each signboard was a little roof. evil
IDENTIFY to prevent the washing away OF the let
tering. At regular intervals high troughs.
from which a horse could drink almost with
out being unchecked. we're placed by the road
side. and fed from the hill springs. The
troughs bore the lettered devices. Horses
.l,-h NJ I ,, ..tIa.ao,t n.I;-lt Nc . - T.
Within a few minutes the passage Of another
iron bridge brought che men within sight OF
the beautiful upper Allegheny. Between them
and the river there was a wide margin OF
cleared land. A few old oaks were left stand
ing to give a picturesque effect. Across the
green river the hill rose sheer up from the
water. At the foot, a railroad ran along a
the river. From the last bridge they had
crossed an elevated board walk ran to the
summer hotel. Beyond the hotel was a clus-
Ter Of Dniidines, amonE them dwelling houses use
could 09bs BE- rssd. 0 Iooke wn9 Ike a0S Soun tgs' general emSs
store. except that the usual thronG OF loiterers
S Tas nGs oaks On s'g q little Nes sehoelS Sndes Z ia ssGve ih 90
river beyond the hotel. At, a place on the river
front directly in front OF the hotel a ferryboat
ton to the railroad across the river. Nearby
q fleet OF. rowboats tugged at their mornings
tall derrick like structure served as a lofty
terminus Tor a wire GABLE. along which a rope
attached to the ferryboat ran with a creaking
pulley when the boat crossed the river. There
wa ac0 no ONE NTH IN n sight in ,,t al kN M1T S ; adid K. guide
land as our sport in a measure Is interrupted
III explain, to you the mystery OF this peaceful
But this apparently, deserted hotel. Those
years r"G ago al all I" this eouat n ia cam came into nSei the
possession Of an Edward Clappp: AZ that time
that hotel was simply u beautiful spot upon
the Allegheny; Clapp vas an ODD gnnlus. He
did not desire money. He wanted, to make
this place pa si q sumner UNI SG, resort y With ths e. end In
where to this hotel. They were simply drives.
woods are filled with iron bridges similar to
the TWO we saw. That ferry. built TO carry
over the river the guests OF the new hotel. cost
THE years went by. Only an occasional
Clapp called his place. You see the resort had
noierritory to draw from. Oil City people did
miles away from bone. and there was no
other, city OF any Importance near to the place.
peiSh99rhood. Clamp didn't seem to realize
this, When no one came to his hotel he nicely
ins bridges HmonS others lie made dsu a road
leading 70 the regular routes 70 on City. but
al II al ssin' the Yh nosS 4 Msre T KS MRiGm ,souEhS you
A horse should ,always be comfortable
when It drinks said he. and he had tropghs
ASb
Horses Delight No. L. &c. Tho sign posts
were one OF his improvements.
Most OF the sign posts in the country are I
obliterated by rain he said. and then he built
Q little roof over each sign. That high board I
walk there was to be the promenade of the
Fashionable who should be attracted here from {
But why do you call him 'Duke?" !
Il was coming to that. In order to keep his {
place up. that IL might not TALL into ruin pend I
Ing the arrival of the first summer guest, {
Ciapp kept a large force of men constantly at /
work. They were vi all trades. Some tuilt &
roads and cut timber. for. as you soc. there Is !
plenty Of Il on the dnchy and others ran the !
blacksmith and several CARPENTERS. These
upon ClapL's land. right mere within siGht Of !
the hotel. The houses he built for them they I
occupied free from rent charges. He had a l
storekeeper. who was also Postmaster. In s
this store was u great variety OF goods. and s
men who wore here at the time the store was O
opened have told me that an article scarcely v
has ever been disturbed in the store. 1t is an !
INTACT stock. though parhaps shelfworn. I
You see here. OH TO the right. Is a school I
house, 1t was erected at u cost OF So. and /
an AgnapsiyA fnnphAF UNA hiTaH ThAea \