Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-07-18
Some Things About the East.

strange announcement and we reallZe
that at last we were down East. Sine
boyhood we had been accustomed
look Oh the vast prarIe or the new settl'
meDts Of Iowa where everything thf
civilization has brought is new. an
where no historic surroundings exis
We had longed to see the rivers and hill
and buildings. the silent witnesses
the deeds Of colonsts and Rey0luiionar
statesmen and heroes. When the cal
to charge cars for Boston" was mad
We awoke from a reyerie and realize,
that we were already in the land flleC
with historic interest.
The day had been spent in ridins
across the great state OF New York oil
the New York Central. This is the fam
GUS Vanderbilt road 1t has four tracks
two for freight and two for passenger
service. Its system appears to be quite
perfect. 1t has an immense business
and deserves it, The road runs through
Rochester, Syracuse and other large
cities. There are lots Of people here
II differs most from Iowa in two things
more big cities and less good farming
Manufac uring is the chief business
Apple orchards abound. The app lie
trees do not have to be planted out like
ours, every few years. Those big spread
ing and towering and bushy apple trees
look like they were fly years old. But
they can't farm there. Hav'nt the soil
to farm. Its most all stone and stumps
and poor clay. II they don't pick the
stones off they nearly cover the ground,
varying in size from silver quarter to
a big grindstoue. The stone fences and
the stump fences make picturesque
scenes out of the little three or four
acre fields. The farmer with his one
horse shovel pillow is cultivating the sor-
ry looking corn and two or three men
are little way off hoeing the corn.
That is farming there. We would't dig.
nifty it by that name out in Iowa. But
then rethere lots of nice things about
that old country with it's little fields and
crooked roads, and big orchards. 1t has
nice big farm houses and capacious
barns. They have made some money out
of something sometime.
The New York Central follows along.
side the noted Erie Canal and we catch
glimpses of canal boating. A large
amount of freighting is done between
New York and Buffalo on the Hudson
aud the Canal. Then we run along the
Mohawk river noted in history and song
1t is pretty and picturesque. Before
we get to Albany the outlines of the
Catskills come into view dimly in the
horizon.
Albany is quaint old town. Some
of the streets are very marrow and wind
ing and are paved with cobble stones.
Many residences are set out against the
side walk, with their straight brick walls,
their broad chimneys built in the end Of
the house and the little window panels,
show the town to be connected with the
past. 1t was quiet and restful under
the elms along the street. The state
house is at the head of q broad avenue
leading up from the dock. 1t is reputed
to have cost twenty-four millions, and to
be the grandest state capitol in the
country. Itlooks it. Massiveness, piles
on piles of granite columns, and steps
and piers and terraces.
just word about the Hudson which
Mrs. Mott has already described through
these columns. We fully appreciated
the great stream with it's rich historic
associations, it's classic literary sur.
roundings. its gem-like settings among
the PALISADES and Catskills. We have
seen good many rivers Of this country
and have seen but few that equaled it
in beauty. One Of its charms is the
placid surface. At some places it wild.
ems out to perhaps two miles in width.
Once we didn't know the Hudson is an
inland bay from New York to Albany,
but once we didn't know much, and
really know but little yet. But this
much we do know now, that the tide
sbbs and flows clear up to Albany.
This more we know now. too, that that
ice trust. OF New York City, has built
numberless big ice houses along the
Hudson river shore, thus marring it's ap-
pearance, for what is there historic, or
artistic or poetic about big, coarse ice
house? But then they help to relieve
human suffering in those overcrowded
sections Of the city these torrid days, so
they Of much practical value in this
utilitarian age. d. G. NJ.