Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-04
NO LACK OF ROMANCE
Literature and Legends of
the Hudson River.
COMPARED WITH THE RHINE
Distinguished Writers Who Have
Lived on Its Banks.
SOME STORIES OF THE VALLEY
Former Home Of Forrest, the Actor,
Most Conspicuous Object Between
New York and Yonkers.
SOME STORIES OF THE VALLEY
By WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

By WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald
YONKERS, July 3. 1909.
In discussing the comparative attrac-
lions Of the Hudson river and the Rhine
we are usually reminded that the former
lacks ruins and romance, but people who
say that cannot be familiar with the
early history OF New York and the lit
erature and legends of the Highlands
and the Catskills; and one has poor taste
who prefers the roofless and crumbling
walls of medieval castles to the SPLEEN
did homes that beautify the banks of
this noble river. We are attracted by
the ruins of Europe because we are un-
accustomed to them: because we do not
have such picturesque ornaments In our
landscapes at home. We are more IA
miliar with the legends associated with
them because we have read them In the
guide books: but If you will read the
Leather Stocking Tales Of Fennimore
Cooper, Irving's Sketch Book or the hun
dred and one volumes that relate the ex-
citing experience Of the early settlers Of
New Amsterdam: the CORY wars between
the Mohawks and the Mohegans: the
massacers that occurred In the seven
teenth and early part of the eighteenth
centuries; the legends of the Catskills
and the exciting incidents that occurred
along the Hudson during the war of
the revolution. you will change your mind
about the relative interest of the litera-
ture OF the two rivers.
There Is nothing in the romanceS of
the Rhine that will surpass the story of
Rip Van Wrinkle or the Headless Horse
man or the other narratives of "Diedrich
knickerbocker." which was a monde
plume of Washington Irving. No story
of the Rhine will surpass or even equal
in interest THE Last of the Mohegans."
ana there Is no character In the Rhinesh
literature that will surpass ''Natty
Bumppo" or Leather Stocking" The
Devils Dams Hammer which took place
was as fierce as any tale that was ever
told of the COLLINS on the Rhine, and 1t
has the advantage of being true, because
the Indians actually met on that little
practiced their revolving mysteries.
Literature Of the Hudson.
There is no romance Of chivalry more
inspiring than the story Of Gen. Mont
gomery and his bride, and the love af-
fairs Of George Washington and Mary
Phillipse at Yonkers; the storming of
Stoney Point by Mad Anthony" Wayne,
the treachery of Arnold and the fate OF
Andre, the conspiracy at Newburgh to
make Washington king, the attempt to
kidnap Washington by enticing him to a
dinner at farmhouse on Murderer 8
creek, which was defeated by the loyalty
of pretty maiden: the forging of the
chains that were stretched across the
Hudson to keep the British ships at bay:
the story of "Yankeedoodle,' which was
written at the old Van Rensselaer, man.
sion on the bank of the river near AL
bany: the careers Of the Livingstons and
the Astors. the Van Courtlandts and
other descendants of the patroons-where
can you find anything SO full Of dramatic
action and human interest in the litera-
ture of the Rhine
And where is there a fairy story
less bet. While Drake and party Of
young friends in 1903 were walking
over Gro Nest, just above West Point,
they got into an earnest discussion con-
one of the par remarked that it
would be impossible to write a poem
that was purely imaginary without the
introduction of human characters or
drawing from human experience. Drake
denied the assertion. and the result was
The Culprit Fay the story of a
fairy tina stained his wings and lost
the light of his torch by falling in love
with NOR al maiden. The decree of
the king of the fairies compelled him
d
water caught in the cup Of a flower
from the spray thrown up by the leap
of u sturgeon, and tina the torch must
be relighted by a spark from meteor.
The story tells how all this was done.
Literary Men of the Valley.
Fitz Greene Balleck, the poet. was
brakes most intimate friend. and his
sweetest lines were a tribute to the
la ter's memory. Halleck was the au-
thor Of that stirring poem. Marco Boz
zaris."
James *. Paulding, who belonged to
one OF the oldest of the Dutch families
in Duchess county, was widely known
seventy-tive years ago. because of his
prose and verse, although nowadays his
volumes are found only in the old libra
ries. He wrote novels. histories, poems,
fables and allegories. and was joint au-
thor with Washing on Irving Of the
"Salamagundi Papers" which were read
as eagerly in those days as the philoso-
ply of MIR. Dooley" or Mark Twain
today. Paulding was son of the man
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