The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1903-05-20
An Afternoon in the Highlands.

To avoid the powdered dust of street and
highway, took the road by the river.
So my wi eol bore me past boiler works
and ship-yard, coal docks and foundry,
along the side path to New Windsor.
/ Here are the brick yards and here live
the Italians that labor. The place is one
of historic interest and once rivalled New
burgh in business. But as it was till late
/ ly without a railroad and has no river
traffic its glory has departed though 1t is
still beautiful for situation.
The road now falls back from the shore
and crosses the estura of Moodna Creek
near mile from its mouth. The stream
still bears in part of its course the name
of Murderers' Creek, but We have not
time to recall the story of the Stacy fam
lily and old Nsomsn's iruitless fidelity.
Having a record OF four miles on the
cyclometer we take the train tor
West Point at Cornwall. On the left lies
the great river already narrowing where
near midway, like a stepping stone for
some colossal stride, lies Pollipel's rocky
islet.
The south wind sends The wavelets
glinting in the half lurid light as though,
indeed, 1t were reflection OF bright gems
from dark caverns beneath or the irrides-
cent gleam of scdly tribes that seemed to
make the flood alive, while on the noun
tains hung the hot haze that sometimes
haunts the Allegheny's hemlock hills.
So the view of Cold Spring beyond the
stream is yelled in the half light and then
in moment the blank darkness of the
tunnel near mile long succeeds and
when the train emerges, West Point sta
ton is at hand. The Hudson here lies
like a lake IN the quiet of its bordering
besuty and not waiting to record the
names of victorious battlefirlds hewn in
the vast granite wall of the mountain you
climb the steep walled way, hewn on its
face, till you reach the road leading from
West Point to Highland Falls. The dis
tance between is long mile: the road
almost level, and swept like floor on
whicn it would be a joy to wheel even
without the wonderful scenery of the
mountains about you.
After an hour spent in pleasant calls on
good friends in the mountain village, our
wheel speeds back to West Point, past
the new Officers Quarters, Hospital and
"Granite Hall" Cadets messl to the fine
Academy building.
Turning this at right angles you glide
round the plain with cadet barracks,
gymnasium and older officers quarters
on the left.
From the northwest angle of the Plain
you zig gag down by other barracks,
quartermaster's and commissaries' stores,
post eschaunge and old brick guard
house and across the hoot-stamped level
of Washington Valley to the West Shore
railroad. The space between the double
tracks being of cinder surface makes
wheeling delight and though he had Of
ten passed on either side by rail and both
ways many time by boat the wheelmen
moving quietly on or passing at will,
finds himself face to face, might we not
say heart TO heart, with Nature, where
beauty and strength combine to impress
the mind with a sweet yet awful glad
ness that cannot be expressed in words as
the scene itself may not be portrayed in
pictures.
All this and more he had seen and felt
on a trip short time previous, but is now
debarred from repeating the experience,
for he finds the space for wheeling strung
with new rails, sadly needed for the
tracks, and meeting the young man from
"the tower" learns that he must turn
back or shove his wheel over the ties the
whole five miles to Cornwall.
So reluctantly 1 turned back and
climbed the ascent 10 the Plain, expect
ing TO kill part of the time before train
would go north in riding round the level
circumference or marking features of the
landscape for which no familiarity can
breed contempt. 1 had hardly mounted
my wheel, however, when l was halted
by a sergeant who said that l could not
20 round as the cadets were just forming
for parade. So l accepted his courteous
suggestion that install my wheel by
convenient tree and view the mimic
movements of the gray clad corps, and as
saw their evolutions on the vivid green
sward while the post band of 40 pieces
made the quiet air throb with martial
strains could hardly regret the circum-
stances that bad turned me back.
Perhaps 1 enjoyed the sight all the
more because there was no crowd of Wis.,
itors as on some other occasions to divide
my interest or distract my attention of
cedets and drill-masters. AS the day
was warm, indeed, a few ladies and chill
dren of the officers families occupied
some of the iron seats along the west side
and a passing colonel paused to speak
word with some acquaintance, soldier or
civilian.
But now six officers stepped out TO in
spect arms and accoutrements, the music |
ceases and time calls to the station, fIom |
which the train now moves northwaId in
the vast shadow of the mountains, while |
all the farther shore stands glorified in |
the evenings violet glow.
ALBERT s. STEWART.
Newburgh, N. Y, May, 1903.