New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-07

LAKE GEORGE AND LAKE CHAMPLAIN
TIE Var Trail Of the Mohawk and the Battle
ground q FRANCE and England in Their Con
Max Reid With 81 jllustrat tons from photo
E-4ghs by John 1 Arthur Nancy and ? maps
The author Of this book, a merchant of Am
s-ardam y Y. has made a hobby Of the study
Of The Lake Champlain Valley. Lake George and
the region roundabout, and this interest OF his
has already produced several books. He is more
or q compiler than an original investigator, and
this : perhaps inevitable. His field has been
ezaausrlvely explored by other historians, and
as lie says in his preface the difficulty has not
been lack Of material but rather the wealth
If grewsome episodes" He has gone 10 the au-
tEd1tlc accounts Of these and many other Incl
dents. and his condensations thereof make en-
r---a5uing reading. though they would have
been improved # Mr.. Reid had called in a pro-
tsssiOnal hand to edit his pages.
The facts are here however. and with them
many local legends. The record begins with the
coming Of Cartier. Roberval and Champain.
Usually embracing some notes on the earlier
history Of the aborigines. The struggles be
tween French and English, the part played by
The Indian ii the conquest and settlement Of the
region and the conflicts of Revolutionary days
are all duly traversed. We have sufficient
sketches. too, with the appropriate anecdotes. OF
such types as Ethan Alien. Benedict Arnold and
Burgcyne and OF such stored sites as Ticon-
deroga and Fort George AS he rambles on the
author brings in many a fragment Of tradition,
and is not averse from straying into those by
Ia1hs which hide the minor celebrity Wherever
he goes he finds picturesqueness. and especially
that richness Of color which seems somehow 10
belong 10 all collisions between the forces OF
civilization and those Of the untamed wilder
ness.
Take. for example, & typical seventeenth cen
fury conflict between the French and the Mo
hawks Il was in 1906 that the latter murdered
The Sieur Chazy nephew OF the Marquis de
Tracy one first sees that redoubtabIe lieuten-
er- general Of Canada surrounded by all the
ga~Secusness Of French military life. But fol-
loving The murder We look upon very different
r5er1-e. full Of the lurid glamour Of saTagery
Thus he contrast Is indicated:
n 1855 T-acv landed il Quebec in great -Po5nP
.-.zz -l-----s-r ne streets Of the Young city
t4 zap of the drum. led by the CaTls1Il-S1-leres'
56lier and shouIdered frelock -hey formed gilt
rer-ng pageant suel a TIE HtT y ORG 4 IG ne q
grand council Of peace was held with the Iro-
ys-e5 soma - NohavE chefs 10 dine with him At
Chazy. a chief named Ag-arl-ata al once htia
Out his arm and hOastInElE said TINS IS the
i-7o5 san lever XII any one else" exclaimed
lie horror-srricllen -racy and ORDERED me 1llso
ero- IN sight Of his comrades Of course, peace
,ras 10 longer thought Of. Tracy made haste 70
----rT AGAINST the Mohawks with all OF the forces
- his command
zZf-f7 dramatic stuff Of this sort TO exploit MI
Reid Is fairly readable, for al that he has done
lis work with no great degree Of literary skill
He does. too possibly as well as could be e1-
1.e--ed considering his limitations, IN celebrat-
ing the natural beauties Of the regions oe-
.rbed The truth Is that It requires a bTlllllAfll
In 70 DO justice To the e1qulslteneSs o. l-@ife
George and the wild nobility Of the mountains
go :, - bosorl His Illustrations il may
l. a4=a6 are Of exceptional merit.