New-York tribune., 1907-12-08
A CRITIC In UTICA, N. Y.
Some Things He Sac There Worth
Writing About.

Copyright 1907 by Dodd Mead 6 Coz
r. The gentle put sophisticated reader may express
surprise that I should write Of Utica, N Y Why
Utica, n. Y? The place is one Of a hundred un-
distinguished cities, the very names of which are
usually learned from railway timetables 1t has
played part in history 1t is too young TO
possess Colonial associations II IS too old TO stir
that sort of ina gination which is fired by many
Jack-and- the -Beanstalk cities of the West No
one visits il for pleasure TO see its sights. 1t
is only dot upon the map
Quite true Yet these are just the reasons why
i wish TO write of Utica, n. Y. The truth is that
] am innocently proud of knowing Utica, n Y. If
j had explored the sources Of the Nile. or prowled
around Uganda. entered the Forbidden Palace
at Pekng. sneaked up into Tibet / should never
mention it. Other persons have done these things
and they have written books about them. which
you can procure at any library. But, SO far as
can find no one has ever written anything about
Utica. N Y, from the point Of view of an appre-
ciative wanderer.
And YOU are not to imagine that there is any
thing at all usual or tame commonplace in jour
neying Utica II you have sporting blood, let
me tell you that it involves the piquancy OF peril
In going thither you shall experience the delight
full inconvenience Of barbarous travel. You shall
be afflicted with uncertainty and apprehension 1t
is not for every to &C TO Utica. any more
it used 20 be fof every one to go TO CorII'th
Utica lies in that vast and fully subjugated prov
ince which pays tribute to the New York Central
Railroad. To reach il you must travel on the New
York Central Railroads trains: and i assure you
that if you went in paanquins or on the humps
of dromedaries you would experience no such vics-
situdes be grievously uncertain as to when
you would arrive
The New York Central Railroad the
model railway Of the United States. But that was
when its chiefs who knew their business.
In these days. judging from a large array of con-
facts. il has been given oVer-I cannot tell
by whom-to a lot Of merry boys, who think il
fun TO play at railrosdng. 1t may be fun for
them, but it is from fun the poor passenger
who lets himself become subject for their cheer
full irTesponsibility. Take your ticket for the En-
pire State Express but at the time make
your peace with heaven and get policy of acci-
dent insurance 1t may be that only freight trains
will Be smashed that day. and that you will escape
unscathed; but you viii probably he several hours
late; you will not make connections; your luggage
will be dumped off at station other than the
you checked it 10. II you find that lug
gage after days of telegrsphing and complaining
YOU will be asked TO pay the company for having
stored il for you at the place to which you didn't
IL sent. Experto crede Roberto.
But. after all. here is where the romance of a
voyage 10 Utica begins. Utica itself is loyal to
the New York Central Railroad It received long
age railway station. which is dilapidated
the last degree; but Utica is loyal It hugs it's
chains and deeply reverences the satraps Of the
Central And perhaps wouldn't wish this SEN
timent TO disappear, since from It springs curious