Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-08-27
INTERESTING TROLLEY TRIP.
Ride by Electricity from Ansonia to
Tarrytown, Home of Millionaires.

TarrytoWn, N. Y.
Editor of the Democrat:
Dear r-Washington's sense of
beauty must have been well developed
when he made this place and it's vi
cinity the theater of many of his most
effective operations against the Brit
1sh. Poughkeepsie is said to be the
Queen City of the Hudson" but it is
doubtful ii she has a warranty deed
| to the title. If every eye forms it's
own beauty, there is beauty for every
i eye hereaboutS, and more money than
| one would care to begin to count and
could not count We're he to begin. Here
nature and millionaires go arm in arm,
and what nature could not help herself
to or lacked when she came, the mill
l1onaireS love to most bountifully give
her. Between natural and artificial
grandeur, money and marble, brown
stone palaces and places of great his
toric associations little else is to be
seen. This town is built on the Hud-
son, a few miles south of where the
revolutionary forces placed a chain
across the river to trip up any of King
Georges vessels that might. be passing
that way. With this introduction 1
| will tell your readers how to get here
They can go either by rail or trolley.
The first is the most direct; the other
| is easy, but clean and pleasant, giving
plenty Of time to the observing optic
to take in the delights of the passing
scenery. The reader, If he pleases,
can go direct to New York, or stop off
at Mamaroneck and by trolley cross
the beautiful hills Of Westchester.
Supposing, then, he lbs time and he
| has his sketch book with him, he might
aS well pack his buds into as small a
receptacle as he desires, take the 6:35
a. m. train to Ansonia, and here the
trolley trip begins.
Presenting he is blessed with good
weather he takes in the beauty of the
Housatonic river in Shelton, for it is
from the coarseness and disagreeable-
ness of the Naugatuck The country
smiles on him and in every smile there
is tonic. The car takes him to
Stratford where he changes for Bridge
port. The trip is II miles, the ride
an hour and the fare 20 cents. The
smiles Of the river and it's constant
cry who's a tonic" accompany you
all the way. The guide book says the
beauty is finer than that of the Wort
chester Hill or even that. south of
Larchmont, N. Y, but travellers doubt
it. You pass through delightful seen
cry no doubt, but sometimes a creepy
feeling overcomeS you as you see the
car gliding along the steep cliffs.
Pine Rock Park is said to be the finest
spot on the route. This is a favorite
picnic place for the manufacturing
towns up and down the river. No
doubt the trip is familiar to most OF
the Democrat readers, so we will spin
along to Bridgeport and take the Fair
field, Southport and Westport car at
the depot and on you hurry through
Fairfield avenue. Rapidly city inf1u-
ences and aspects glide to the rear and
in a few minutes you are racing
through an avenue of splendid trees
cap on his head, the man at the motor
does the same You are at the top Of
a long, we'll graded-ineline and the
bracing air rushes past. You take off
your hat for safety, and tie down your
hair and you begin to think the car
has got beyond the control of the mo-
torman when the houses of Westport
begin to rush past and the car slows
up and the salt of the sea greets your
nostrils. The sensation Of the ride,
when you know the conductor does not
lose his senses, is exquisite.
At Westport you change cars at the
bridge, stepping from one to the other.
Now you are bound for the Norwalks.
The scenery is not so open as it has
been. You rush through woods and
hamlets, which eonfine the view. In
half an hour, or a little over, the car
begins to slow up, and you are in
South Norwalk crawling over a
broad street that spans river, or an
intrusive inlet OF the Sound. You at
first think you are in Meadow street
on rainy day, there is so much dirt
everywhere; or perhaps Canal street or
Bank street approaching the depot, for
the sidewalks are lined with second
hand stores and inferior grade saloons.
The litter on the street was frightful.
Probably the street inspector was not
up. But after passing under the rail-
road bridge the town brightens up con-
Siderably, and the conductor makes his
second round for tariff on the scenery.
You have so far contributed 55 cents;
to the trolley companies, and changed
cars three times.
Soon after leaving Ansonia one thing
will be impressed on you; you will
either change cars at every bridge or
the conductor will take some of your
change: and be ready with 1t, for he Is
always ready with information for you
about points that will not fail to at
tract your attention. There are many
interesting places about the cNorwalks.
They are very ancient towns, but very
soon all the old landmarks will be OBJ
liberated; only the cemeteries, that seem
to be everywhere, will remain.
The red brick pavements Of Norwalk
are soon in theerear. Handsome resi-
dences fly by; you are in the country
on the trolley company's own right Of
way, through avenues of trees that
seem endless. You fly through ROTOR
Point and into Rowayton. A large and
beautiful hotel engages the vision here
while awaiting for no apparent reason.
The engineers of the trolley company
seemed to have gone out of their way
to reach it, but it is presumed they
knew their business. There Is an appar-
emily unnecessary wait of fifteen min
utes here, but it gives one time to re-
fresh himself with a view Of the few
millionaires that are always waiting
for car One of them, no doubt mis-
taking me for one of his own ilk. be-
came quite affable to me and told me
he was never SO happy in his life,
though he looked to have had a bad
night, because his coal bin was filled
Jrxr hot