The sun., 1908-05-17

view, so that from the houses one sees
merely the sloping green hillside. the placid
little river oyerhung by trees and bushes,
and in the distance broad band Of blue
marking the western slope Of the Palisades.
The three closely related VILLAGES form
rather straggling settlement, free from
overcrowding and the usual monotonous
rows lof suburban villas found in small
towns. Instead the houses are roomy,
rather old fashioned structures, with
spacious grounds. rows Of fruit trees and
occasional gardens.
The most attractive feature of the region
is the presence Of the Hackensack River.
in its upper reaches clean, swiftly flowing
streem, ideal for the canoest or angler. and
an entirely different water from the hro&
sluggish river that further on unites with
the Passaic to form Newerk Boy Below
the town of Heckensack the river is as
unpreposseesing as any river could be.
but above that point its appea re nee gradiI-
ely changes. The intervening meadow
lend narrows down and at last disappears
The banks grow higher and more shelving
and are topped with green grass, alder
thickets and clumps Of willows, with here
and there thick grove Of woodland. The
stream hows deep. smooth and tranquil
between steep, grassy banks overhung
by dropping elms and willows. For much
OF its length it winds through thick wood
land and rich farming country.
Below the dam at New Milford the water
rises and falls with the tide: above that
point it flows like big brook with falls
and rapids and shelving sand bars alternat-
ing with long quiet reaches. One may
it's devious, course in the midst Of almost
a primitive wilderness before shallow water
ia reached.
Above Oradell the river leaves the rail-
road tracks and bears OF to the northeast
ward. disappearing from view in tract
nf woodland Tho train fhrnt,0b
three or four miles Of open country. about
evenly divided between woods and fields
dotted with cedar trees and interseoted by
numerous brooks.
Westwood is rapidly growing. modern
settlement that has sprung into promi-
nenoe as high olasa residential community
through the activity Of several big develop
ment companies. Like other towns Of that
type 10 is symmetrioally laid out with broad
macadamized streets and paved sidewalks,
All the important oonveniences Of a modern
city have also been installed.
Hillsdale, Woodclif, Park Ridge, Mont
vale and Pearl River are country villages
with large percentage Of commuters.
Along the crest Of a steep ridge to the left
Of the railroad are scattered the homes of
a few New York business men. commanding
an outlook over the Saddle River Valley
to the westward and the Hackensack Valley
to the eastward.
At Manuel Junction, short distance
above the dividing line between Bergen
and Rockland counties, the New Jersey and
New York Railroad turns westward along
the Piermont branch Of the Erie, which
connects Piermont and Nyack on the east
with Sufern on the west. follows the branch
as far as Spring Valley and then strikes
northward to Haverstraw Another branch,
four miles long! runs north from Manuel to
New City. the county seat.
Manuel, New City, Spring Valley, Mon
sey and Tallman lie in a stretch Of open
rolling country part farmland and part
forest The region resembles vast amphi-
theatre hemmed in on three sides by noun
tains that extend in a great ssmicircle
from PoInpton Lake and Suffern on the
west to Hook Mountain and the high peaks
along the west bank of the Hudson River,
to the rear of Nyaok and Rockland Lake.
In this region are many small farms and
country places all within easy driving dis
tance Of either the West Shore Railroad or
one of the many branches Of the Erie. Land
is comparatively low in price and it 10 pos
sible to buy good sized plot or few acre
for moderate sum.