New-York tribune., 1901-12-01
QUAINT KINGSTON'S TALES.
STORIES OF THE EARLY DUTCH DWELL
ERS IN "OLD SOPUS" ON
(
THE HUDSON.


THE HUDSON.
IN all this State 1t would b difficult to find town
more Dutch than Kingston. The Dutch founded III
1914 and Dutch it has remained even to the pres
ent day. Most Of the inhabitants are of Dutch de-
and proud Of it-so proud. in fact, that many
OF the legends of Old Sopus. the town is called
by older residents still held as sacred fam
lily history. aad cannot yet be told to the CURIOUS
outsider.
The beauties of Kingston discovered by Hud-
son and the crew OF the Half Moon when sailing up
the river search OF the Northwest Passage II
was not long before settlers came from Holland ano
built quaint stone houses on the plateau pe'"eoi,
the streams Of Esopus and Rondout. The Catshlli
Mountains lowered of behind them. the ehtife
range from Pine Orchard. in the north. to Peeka-
moose in the southwest. being visible. They warred
with the Indians in those early times, as olo tne
other settlers but their wars were paIueaiars @ S t
noted for the extreme cruelty dispsyeaa agonon oy rhe
tribes Il was in Kingston that Governor General
the Irdians and the Dutch and celebrated 1T by
Kingston was behind none in fostering revolution
ary spirit and when the time came for the colonles
out its ful fighting force. 1t welcomed the Con-
tnenta after the 6rsn hss had I Iate
the States hrst lawmakers drew Up the consttn 9a
Senate House. which is sun standing. the property
Of the State and well vel filled wh eoTS Gnten
was installed the first Governor of the State IN
s6c sf f6s aeS That ea Sir " william
Kingston
having Sir John Vaughan burn the town
For many days before the fatal day in October.
HI repeated messages from friends within the
British told of the prospective burning Of the
town. When at last the British approached there
a wild scramble into the interior with all pos
sessions which could he moved. In spite OF the eX-
citement. many interesting incidents of the burn
ing were remembered and have been handed down
from generation to generation until they have be-
3ignifed legends.
There is the story of two Dutch farmers who were
working in their field Armbowerye. on the
edge Of the town. They had heard nothing OF the
coming of the British and worked away until sur
rounded by redcoats Their fright made them
speechless for a time. but the older finally managed
TO cry for mercy.
Me haave oop!" he is said to have shouteo 10 'he
approaching soldiers.
ELK oke," cried the other. and both proceedeo 10
acknowledge themselves good subjects OF hlfs
George
Concerning this event there is a bit OF Dulch
doeesreI which Is still repeated In Kingston. which
runs thus:
koa9ns kGSD 5onssn5 sssas dc 5e0P; aassn ss R00'e
EooE de paerde en- Wy ma
Which. according the translation of the local
historians means: Run, boys, run. 1he reocoais
are coming, Harness the horses before the wagon
and TO Hurley ride" Which the Dutchmen would
have done had there been time
Then there is the hard luck" story OF MIS-
a
trust in the British and was grieVousy olsdP
nointed A week before the town was purhea
stranger came her door riding on a oiach morse
He said that he sick and asked shelter- ms
face was pale and the woman could not re1use hii'
though she suspected him of being a BRUSH spy
Che aven went 90 far as to nurse him. althoush
the husband protested against IL he lalheu II
over with the neighbors and they aeeioeo 10 a
of telling his wife
..f3ec,v ne said as soon as he had returned from
tbe meeting. they ar. going to arrest mat man
as 2 spy in the morning Leave the oaeh ooo u''-
locked, for they come early
Becky Low was much distressed and even more
.-orblad whom her husband decided that he would
MT eo TO sleep He took her dress for covering
and law down on the floor to wait until the eltSsa iI
Should S a Soe vide In a4ake NO e carefy taking up
dress She @ Ppsd 5 ab IT he n aaq HrangeP M She found
awake and fully dressed He was "flulls 5 au ae a
tables on which lay his pistols. and his SWORD was
aGS NY good little Dutch woman. he began when
heard what Your husband told you and will get
away 4eeved ee BECKY for she liked scky
stranger but IL did not prevent her from making
0'if promise me won't let the British burn
..Furn kingston? said the spy with smile Are
going TO 1o do & that2 y fn, sPog4 house SO W o
be burned nor your family injured
In the morning when the citizens f5s 5nes tRe e spy 8
Harlev with the rest of the townfolk but on the me
oye- her property the head Of the burning
ncrty which she encountered on the edge or the
fowr rode the stranger she had cared for 1et
phar@ she reached her house Il was in ruins .
s.T fo,d Won So" said the husband but the VIE
answered hack: He tried 20 save the house put
n caught from sharks , :, .-u
81 the Bowery. was the only Iesidenss sran IN
KINGSTON which rot burned TkeTe are thiee
distinct traditions told in that city to-day as 20
how IL came hc SHARED One person VIII teii
Won that a rrominent Tory woman lived there, ana
a course the British would not burn the mouse
Others who hate the British more thoroughly; say
tba+ the troopers burned houses the heads of
Prffish officers wives. ard that the Van Steen-
hergh house was fred. but slaves put out me
roroes after the recall sounded. stu another STORY
oft no is that the house was USED as n
ho1el and thae slave rolled out barrel OF rum
ard treated the soldiers II is toss UP Which
of the three but Il does not matter ne
fact remains that the house still stands anG that
Kingston.
There are girls Kingston who have cried over
little Margaret Fiero, whose cruel Dutch father
whipped her in order make her remember GER
tain things The little girls Of to-day say that
they would not remember anything IL their parents
whipped them after the Dutch fashion but IL
proved effective in Margaret's case She told the
story herself after she had grown up and as she
told II has IL been handed down.
she was looking for her pet cow one summer
CAV out in the woods near the Steen Haert spring
when her father found her. He seized her by the