The sun., 1908-07-19
In TIE RAMAPO MOUNTAINS
PICTURESQUE HIGHLAND SUB
URBS OF NORTH NEW JERSEY.

Most OF the Committing stations on the
susquehanna Railroad Beyond Ridge.
wood Are Quaint Old Country villages
without Factories or Tenements.
That part OF northern New Jersey which
is served by the New York, Susquehanna
and Western Railroad is beautiful region
Of mountain peaks and wide sunny valleys.
intersected by rivers and strewn with deep
placid lakes. It is the genuine country.
inhabited by people who make their living
| from the soil. A few New York business
| men have established homes in some OF the
more important towns, but their term OF
residence is limited to summer months.
Other parts Of suburban New Jersey just
| as far removed from New York and no moro
favored In natural beauty or healthfulness
have been transformed into fashionable
resorts or populous committing towns.
but the Ramapo Mountain region has thus
far preserved it's original seolusion, possibly
because 1t lies outside the hour limit OF
travel. North Paterson. its southern out
post. is little over sixty minutes ride
from Jersey City; Butler. the terminus OF
the suburban service maintained by the
Susquehanna, is an hour and twenty
minutes distant by express and two hours
distant by local.
The New York, Susquehanna and Western
Railroad in the forty miles between this
city and Butler traverses great variety
Of country. From Jersey City the railroad
strikes northward across the Hackensack
meadows, passes through Hackensack.
an important business centre. and Paterson.
one of the largest industrial cities in the
State. enters a stretch OF rolling farm
country and climbs steadily UP grade
through the foothills and into the Ramapo
Mountains.
The railway follows the east bank Of the
Hackensack River. running for part Of its
length close to the base Of the western slope
Of the Palisades. The first stop Of i'm
portance is made at Little Ferry, modern.
finished settlement with wide streets and
we'll built, attractive looking houses Little
Ferry is really a southerly extension OF
Ridgefield Park. the two settlements uniting
to form q continuous community that
occupies a narrow triangular strip OF land
between the Hackensack River and Over
peck Creek Both bodies OF water are
sluggish tidal streams lined with piers
and boat houses.
The original settlement OF Little Ferry
was established almost hundred years
ago. 1t consisted then Of two or three
small houses along the waterfront near the
landing stage Of the diminutive ferry from
which the town took its name. The mod
ern residential district Of Little Ferry and
that Of Ridgefied Park lie along the crest
Of the ridge some distance from the water
front, commanding a view Of the western
slope of the Palisades and the distant Orange
Mountains. Their rise to importance as
| Ln. ,f
recent date, due largely to the activities Of
| suburban development companies and
speculative builders.
Bogota. on the continuation Of the ridge
about two miles to the northward Of Ridge
field Park. Is almost entirely q residential
| community. The winding. shaded streets.
the roomy houses and the'general appear
ance of the village are strongly reminiscent
Of the Dutch colony days.
Just across the river and connected with
Bogota by drawbridge lies the town Of
Hackensack, one Of the strongholds Of the
early Dutch settlers. The Hackensack Of
to-day is an old mixture Of the old and the
new. Rows Of shops and markets and
Office buildings have grown up In the heart
placing the quaint high sssGop rn dweinEs ,s q
| ness section contrasts strangely with the air
| Of seclusion Of the village green and the
little graveyard by the ancient Dutch
church. To the north and south, along the
| New Jersey and New York Railroad the
business district is quite extensive, but as
| one travels on the Susquehanna the town
rapidly thins out and in a short time the
| open country appears.
| To the left are thick woods, with here and
there few houses or a stretch OF farm
land through which flow the Saddle River
| and number Of tributary streams. To the
| right extends the Hackensaok golf links,
| embracing several hundred acres OF care
| considerable distance through a pic
| turesque upland region OF woods and open
| fields, then crosses Dundee Lake, an ex-
| pansive body of water formed by damming
up the Passaic River and enters the city OF
| Paterson.
In its thinly settled outskirts and In the
heart Of its manufacturing district PatarSon
| is decidedly unprepossessing. but In the
better residential neighborhoods the town
| is attractive enough.
| 1t is essentially manufacturing and in
| dustrial centre, however, and its population
is made up largely Of working people;
| The New York. Susquehanns and Western
runs for three miles through the city. max
| ing stops at four important points, then
| crosses the river on a second bridge at the
| bend of the river and strikes northward
| along the course Of Goffle Brook, following
| close to the foot Of the mountains.
Paterson, rise three distinct ridges. each
one topping slightly its predecessor. the
| three uniting to form continuous range
| that extends north and south for twenty
or thirty miles. The first ridge, a northerly
tains, rises steeply from the banks Of Goffle
Brook and the Saddle River Valley. Inn
mediately to the westward are the Freak
| ness Mountains, a continuation Of the Second
Watching range. They consist Of a series
) Of lofty peaks extending in a sweeping
| curve from the loop OF the Psssaio River at
Paterson northward to Pompton Lake.
Behind the Preakness Mountains rises the
| Packanack range. the third tier OF the
| system.
| The Ramapo Mountains. the most i'm
portant range in northern New Jersey.
stretch from the lower end Of the High.
| lands OF the Hudson River southwestward
! through lower Rockland county, past Pomp-
| ton Lake Boonton and Morristown.
Between the lower end Of the Ramapos
and the western slope Of the Watching
Mountains lies big inland basin, through
which flow the Pompton and Rookaway
rivers and the headwaters OF the Passaio.