The Ordway new era., 1909-09-10


New York has but recently discov-
cred a new summer resort right with
In the metropolitan district. and II Is
only Just beginning TO utilize II. This
Is the Palisades park. which belongs
Jointly TO the states OF New York and
New Jersey and stretches for miles
along the western bank OF the Hud-
son. The ground from the top OF the
cliffs TO low water mark and several
places at the top OF the cliffs were ac-
Quired Ave years ago in order partly
to stop the destruction OF the Pail
-sades by stone quarters and partly to
prevent this. the choicest spot around
New York. from getting into the
hands OF real estate dealers. and so
being cut up into budding lots and
thus taken away from the general
public.
A commission. consisting Of 10 New
York and New Jersey business men.
was appointed to look after II and one
or more OF these visit the park every
day.
New Workers have just discovered
what an ideal spot this is for camp
ing. All along the shore are tents. in
which boys and men and often wom-
en-. too. are living close to nature. The
debris washed down from the Pali-
sades by the waters Of the ages has
formed a bench. sandy and smooth in
some places. rocky and overgrown
with trees in others. Upon this beach
q ifrb In, n
few choice spots. where a small fee is
required. but II is necessary for all
to obtain a permit from the commits
sion and also to obey the rules that
are laid down by 1t.
The beach Is reached by boat easily.
but one can walk along the shore from
the Fort Lee ferry. or. better still.
take a trolley car to the turn at Main
street, Fort Lee. and then walk about
a mile along the road in a northwest.
erly direction and down a flight of
primitive stone steps. There are also
other points further north at which
one can descend the cliffs. Along this
stretch Of beach the campers may be
found. Their tents and fires are WIS.,
ible from the far upper west side OF
Manhattan. say from about One Hun
dred and Seventy-second street up to
Spuyten Duyvil. In some tents are
whole families. the father going to
and coming from business in a motor
boat and rowing across to and from
Manhattan or walking to and from
Fort Lee or Coytesville. N. J. In 9TH
ers are parties Of young men. In
one group is a band of volunteer life
savers, who keep a beacon burning at
night and encourage the boys Of the
other camps to learn to swim and
dive. There are boats that may be
hired by the day. week or month.
There is excellent fishing for eels and
crabs; the water, while not quite as
salty as the sea, is more than brack-
ish and the river in many places is so
shallow that at low tide one may walk
half way across to New York.
Franklin Hopkins. the broker. Of
No. 25 Broad street. is one Of the most
active men on the commission that
has charge Of this strip of park and
has really made II his hobby. A few
days ago he took the writer in a mo-
tor boat for a tour of the camps.
Two years ago these hills we're in
very. very bad condition" he said,
as he pointed out their beauty. Camp
ers used to come over in whole fami-
lies, set up great tents and take in
boarders The sanitary conditions
were appalling and the conditions Of
morality we're little better There was
really canvas tenement district here
in the woods and vandalism that
showed only too plainly that there
would be few natural beauties along
the shore left II these people were
permitted to go their own way. To
stop this It was made law that a
camping permit must be obtained and
that no tent could remain up for more
than four weeks out Of any year. II
certain rules and laws were violated
~ campers must 80, permit or no
permit
we have picked six men who havs
Iiyed unAeF the Palfia1ss nearly III
lhsis lfves e - NE patrclihs ard de
]. !! n a !; =.