Evening star., 1909-07-14

winter 1t is very dull. but In summer
every house fills up with families from
the city. summer residents and boarders,
and more delightful place 1t would be
difficult to find.
The first settler and the PATRON Of this
region was William Beekman-the father
of all the Beekmans-who came from the
banks of the Rhine in 1647, purchased 30.
OOO acres of land from the Indians and
established a colony of German peasants
upon it. He gave the river landing and
his own home the name of the fatherland,
and the mansion which he built before
the year 100 with bricks imported from
Holland is still standing and an excel
lent example of the Dutch architecture
of that period. The round port holes un-
der the caves indicate the necessity of
precautions against attacks from the
Indians.
In this house were held the first public
religious services in this section Of the
country. The settlers gathered there to
worship God every Sunday morning from
their arrival until ITO. when they were
able to build a church. The epitaphs upon
the stones in the graveyard upon the
brow of the bluff along the river date
back as far as 1903.
The Beekman estate now belongs to
descendants of the PATRON: and it has
never passed out of their possession.
Occupies a Noble Site.
the Hudson, two miles south OF Rhine
cliff is Ellerslie. the country seat OF
the Hon. Levi P. Morton. one of the
first citizens of America-formerly COVER
nor Of New York. ambassador to France,
representative in Congress, Vice Presi-
dent of the United States. and for fifty
years as prominent and influential in busi-
ness community as he has been In pub
lie life. Mr.. Morton can look back upon
career of usefulness and honor that has
been granted to but few men.
Ellerslie is comparatively modern. It
was a part of a grant given to Henry
Beekman son of William, the PATRON,
for an extensive tract of land in Dutchess
county. and the present mansion was
built by William Kelly of New York. It
occupies the summit of a knoll, two hun
dred feet above the river, and commands
a splendid view of the Hudson for more
than fourteen miles. the Fishkill noun
tans. which are thirty-five miles to the
southwark, and the Catskill. which are
Immediately across the river. Ellerslie
is ninety miles from New York, and the
demesne contains about 100 acres, front
ing a mile and a half along the river.
More than 100 acres are under cultiva-
ton. and Mr.. Mortons dairy is
undoubtedly the most perfect and costly
in the United States, If not In the world.
He has large herd of registered cattle,
and supplies milk. cream and butter TO
several of the principal clubs and hotels
of New York, which is shipped on an
early train every morning. His green
houses, graperes. rose garden and fruit
orchards are beyond comparison. and the
park Immediately around the villa-about
300 acres in extent-shaded with groves
of ancient trees. is equal to any
public or private park in the world. The
landscape is more rolling and the woods
are wilder than those of Mr.. Vanderbilt
and Mr.. Mills.
Mr.. Morton spends great deal of
time here He takes a personal interest
in the gardening and the dairy, and knows
as much about his cows and his flowers
and his fruit as any of his dairymen or
gardeners.
Above Beekman Manor House.
A mile or so above the Beekman Manor
House is Wilderclff. or Wilder klippe-
a Dutch word signifying wild mans
cliff'-the former home of the Rev. Free
born Garrettson, an eminent Methodist
preacher who married a sister of Chan
cellor Livingston. 1t is now called
Clifton Point. and is woned by Louis A.
Ehlers. The mansion is modest in pre-
some of the other seats in the neighbor-
hood, and is in accord with the simple
tastes of the original proprietor. Wider
clin has many associations connected
with the early history of the Methodists
Who came TO this country al an early day
10 escape persecution for the same rea-
son that the pilgrim fathers came Mr.
Garrettson brought a colony of non
conformists at his own expense and
attJward assisted many emigrants of the