New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-18
,,.,, Of an american 1r0Oeller an
ths Eighteenth Century

ar Fo.R GREAT RIVERS; I ra.6 nf,I-
mSccANK s5s - tl4 4SaT ms e ~ Richard
kWAis6s Ht-riington, New Jersey, halss9. VII -
ort History q ne I.-b So,,T rsps snd thirty
FraaeiIs' ,,str5iions. Svo pp XIV ~ Nlaiiss
s-ibnsrs sons
..,-,ev undertaken by Mr. Rieharo
1hs huntington, y. =, IN 1T69, although
friih ,,usual one for those days, took him
lns = u, sasrlv well explored II little setlleo
nf ETis Grand was the delimitation OF the
'ss-..ss ana the investigation OF the eharae-
- and capabilities OF grant OF uS'"''
ia'-'s ,,re now known as the Otego patent
INNER susquehanna. south OF The NO
o. ~ which ne and others were inieres1eu
-.--ss.o-s. In company with certain OF ~
q 80 ha travelled from Burlington 70 Nc"
-, t- The regular post road ard the fe~'N-
-. .s-rv: sailed UP the Hudson 20 Aloai'y -
-. followed the wagon road through ''i'
- valley 10 the head OF the Otsego A-aAe,
AoI- --.se ms way partly by batteaus ana
- ard partly by land 20 the indian Was
= o-.v-ara- on the SusquehanIa- tooA -
.-su N CooLooze nov Depositl, on 'l7
$50 and from there padded o'"n nv
- as home AZ burlington. round TIP o.
- man ~ exceptional education ana
w - chose rfnoes-he was a brother OF
g., c--i-b rhe author OF g valued history OF
T.-s.v.-l,is account Of his trip Is marked
,s-ssuf precision OF statement aIo oy many
80 and thoughtful observations on the
-. - the country through which ne
- F7e was especially interested IN the
I'D customs OF the Indians, and was
..---ste in having as a guide through me
- whore they abounded the celebrated Jo-
p. R-,r- the Indian brother-in-law o. sir
vulsr Johnson
- s,-,-n Gives curiously Ineffective deserip-
- -l-e Palisades Of the Hudson, is disap-
- IN she scenery 81 the Highlands no'eS
= -be natroOn. or manor, system aloh5 llV
= bad retarded its settlement and oeFelop-
=. remarks with pardonabls local PRIDE lha'
a. Jersey boots and shoes are for sale n Al
~ and considers fl worthy Of mention that
: ,.., ci-v ..there IS a Town Cloc which strikes
regularly" .,,.-,,
T5e Indians whom the author saw II Aloany
.,s An their own villages had $50 often visited
=. Whites" thar "their manners seem 10 diner
-. .,,-, those Of our lower class Of People"
=. sovr5 them extremely lazy and indoienI'
- -,-ionaf costume cor lack of one) varie-
led with ODDS and ends of the apparel q civil
- ..son,e % the Chiefs. however, initiate
rrr
!, .ui- Of blue Broad cloth. as his Wife was in
,calio,e OF Chintz Gown" Writing Of the tribal
o-zanizaton Mr. smith states
-,,,- Government Is known 70 be democratic, de-
49,. IN H1Ie from state OF Nature COURTS
s-s F.risfers al Justice they have none 10 Law
~ Lawyers they are strangers, nor are crimes
es-er committed. Debts ana LaeIt seem 70 oe
S.--5sf unknown among them, Property oelng IN
sous Degree common 20 az. ~ w -.loS--9
j.. Ter-s. be answered We 80 70 The Debtor and
20 svrv his Gun or envy Tn-nS We can ma De
longing ~ him.
All The Indians encountered by the author
,-sre ronuaHy Christians. Those Of Ahquhaga
t0gauaral were Presbyterians, because a
Minister Of that Persuasion has happened 70
fe established there" Mr. Smith. who attended
some o. the services. reports that they under
stood Psalnody Fery well" He adds. however
thar -tho they attend very seriously 20 the
Preacher English or Indian. yet the Matter OF
,ta Sermon makes as little Impression on their
Lives and Conversations as Sermons usually do
on roiter Consre-a-i1rs" The traveller was
little impressed with the "Habitati0ns' of the
Indians sfx or eight families crowding into barn
Ike structures twenty feet wide by thirty 70
FRY fset in length. and Allied too often with
sgualoT Nasrness.'
The editor az the volume has written an
elaborate introduction. treating Of the pioneers
a the four river valleys traversed in part by
Nr Smith and setting forth their political social
Ind economical development AZ the time OF the
Tour" Frequent fo0tnotes serve TO elucioate
ard % elaborate casual references in the text
~ Halsev has accomplished his task in PAINS
taking fashion. bur r cannot be said that either
" Smiths Journal" or the labocs OF the com
nsntstor have added any important facts 10 our
l-oEledge Of conditions existing in America al
;lf cate