The sun., 1904-06-12
DELIGHTS OF THE CATSKILLS.
THINGS THAT MAKE THEM A
GREAT SUMMER RESORT.

a Charming Combination Of wilderness
and Civilization Near the City--MOun'
tain Scenery and Rich valleys In Rip
Van Wrinkles Land-3ea Drives.
The Adirondack rooter, the man whose
skin has been bronzed by the Adirondack
sun, punctured by Adirondack bugs and
flies and invigorated by Adirondack ozone
isn't retiring or modest, when 1t comes 70
telling which he thinks is the best place 70
spend the summer vacation. He'll taiK
to you all day about the picturesque beauty
of the mountains, about the pure, lie
giving ether, about the fish he has caught,
and the fish that he's heard that other
men heard that other men caught. Yes,
he'll talk to you about the Adirondacks
all night, too, II you'll let him, and then
beat you to breakfast In the morning.
But have you ever heard the Oatskin
man--the fellow from Rip Van Wrinkle
land? As an enthusiast he will soar. II
you'll let him, and he'll pull you along with
him.
He'll take you up the Hudson almost
within sight of New York, and, plunging
out OF civilization, will carry you over
Ulster, Delaware and Schoharie counties
over dragged mountain peaks, dense with
timber, over low-lying valleys, soft and
green with meadows and dotted with dairy
farms, over streams Of clear, cold spring
water, now dancing down the mountain
glens and now flowing deep and sluggish
in the valleys-he'll take you over all these,
showing you the COWS in the meadows
and giving you a drink OF fresh, warm
milk; and finally, when he's exhausted,
he will bring you down with thud to the
grimy present and ask you simply and
sincerely il you don't think it's the best
place ever.
The chances are that you'll agree with
the Catskill man-that is, If you aren't
an Adirondack crank. If you really go
to see for yourself, you're sure to agree
with him.
The 1900 square miles covered by these
mountains probably afford summering
place for more New Workers than any other
region of equal area. Within few hours
ride of the sweltering city, it presents
charming combination of wilderness and
civilization.
The mountains, many Of them rising
nearly 1000 feet in height, not only possess
q wealth Of timber, but are OF the ra g.
gedeet and crageiest sort. Hundreds OF
mOuntaln DrookS, 1aIneo tne couueiy oSoI
for their trout--Biscuit Brook, the Never
sink streams, the Rondout. the Beaverkill,
Esopus Creek and the branches OF the Della
ware-tumble down from the mountains
in the most picturesque cascades.
But, beautiful as the wilderness Of the
region is, it is the rich valleys that make
the section the great New York city vacation
place that it Is. In the valleys are hum
dreds of dairy farms-the air of the region,
the Catskill man will tell you, is fairly sweet
with milk-and it Is on these farms chiefly
that New Yorkers turn themselves loose
and try to get fat.
The Catskills are not lacking. either, in
historic and romantic features. The real
sure thing Catskill man can show you where
Rip Van Winkle slept, not to speak Of the
pine stump at Big Indian in which Joe
Bundy put the body Of the seven-foot Indian
chief after he had let daylight into his heart.
The Indian chief ran of with Joe's wife,
you know.
But the chief advantage which the Cats
kill enthusiast will urge over the Adiron- |
dacks is that there are fine roads in the
region and splendid drives.