The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-03

for a score Of later years, was one oil
its physicians. DR.. John p Beekman.
To the ministry Kinderlnook contrib
uted at least fifteen of the sons Of the
town. Few OF these have come to pre-
ferment or acquired more than local
repute, though there is a name on the
list which awakens memories OF a slim
young student at college who tootled
sadly on the flute most mournfully for
the enjoyment of his leisure hours. One
figure. however, in the clergy list Is
commanding. known in a wider field OF
usefulness than Martin Van Buren, him
self This is Cornelius Van Allen Van
Dyck. who died just twenty years ago.
the translator OF the Bible into Arabic
for the American Bible Society Dr..
Collier first Introduces him to notice
as running with the machine when
the village volunteer fire company was
started. lie passed soon to the Wild r
field. at first as a medical missionary
in Syria, founder of the boys seminary
on Mount Lebanon, ordained to the
ministry and eventually director Of the
mission press al Beirut. and a profound
authority on the Arabic.
In single instance we find the ro-
nance Of Burke and Debrett in this
distant village. In 1912 there lived
in Undertook a Mrs. Hozier. in cir
Cumstances so reduced that she was
the village seamstress, and thus sup
ported her son and daughter, William
and Clarissa. Suddenly word came by
the hand Of the British Consul that her
long absent husband was dead az a
sailor. that her father-in-liw was also
dead and that by the laws of primo
geniture and entail the village boy
william was become Sir William
Io2ier, Bart. with a rent roll which
put I'm among the landed gentry.
Undertook did its duty in the wars
OF the country. In the French and
Indian War We note a record Of an
ensign appointed to lead his force of
three men at am. to do battle with
the Mohawks. A hgure Of the second
quarter Of the last century was Gen
Charles whiting. who had reached his
rank on no fed more deadly than
general training, but still enough of
q soldier to satisfy peace loving COM
munity. Later a second General came
to Undertook to carry on the mill
tary tradition, Major-Gen. Morgan III.
Chryser of the civil war. But the most
lively recollection OF the fighting men
il that Of Rear Admiral John Wood
ward Philip, who fought the Texas in
the battle OF Santiago.
Nor should We allow to pass UNI
noticed two OF the most distinguished
citizens OF Undertook. two who were
not to he found on any property roll
by the tax gatherer, not recorded by
any census enumerator, yet first ci;i-
zens OF the world with a sure reputa-
ton. These are Ichabod Crane and IA e
trina Van Tassell. This village is not it.
self the real Sleepy Hollow, albeit quite
as somnolent, but It was in Undertook
chat Washington Irving found his
originals. Ichabod Crane kept a
school on one of the roads leading out
into the country and on the site the
education OF country children stu goes
on. The original OF rhe character was
Jesse Merwin, and Katrina Van Tas-
sells homo Ia still pointed out IN the
old Van Allen homestead. Nor were
these two the only Undertook popula-
ton of Sleepy Hollow. for the originals
of Brom Bones and Dirk Schuyler were
| familiar village celebrities.
Other towns must have equally in
teresting histories II only some one
could be induced 20 write them 80 af-
fectionately as DR.. Collier has done for
Undertook. To him II has been a
labor OF warm affection in his declin-
! ing years, yet in his happy style and
often vigorous phrasinR Il would be
! Impossible to find evidence that he is
"79 and his pen is wearing out"