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

20 in all things. his comment Is mellow,
he has ready excuse, his attitude Is
that OF the historian who must record
the fact even though he disapprove.
Tho expanded title shows how much
is covered in this volume: far more
than Is to be brought within the
compass OF any such notice IA this. A
few OF these themes may prove inter-
esting here They may serve to direct
attention upon work which will surely
he trea sured by all the wandering chill
dren OF the Chlldren's Corner and which
possesses a charm which will hold the
interest OF many to whom Undertook
is an unconsldered name
~.
II may be that Undertook means
Children's Corner. the philology Is by
no means wholly clear. but IL has been
adopted by the people % the village to
their own great satisfaction. Certainly
no other name now Of record In the
geography OF the State s older than
this. Older towns in settlement have ac-
qulred new names such as New York
and Albany. Or. Collier reads the log
Of Henry Hudson's voyage to the es-
tablishmcnt Of his discovery OF Kinder
hook, September IS. 1909. the highest
point reached 10y the Half Moon in It's
exploration Of the river and the point
whore Hudson definitely gave up the
search for The water way TO Cathay.
Here he landed. and here or net very
far away. we found very loving peo-
pie and very old men and were well
used" II was something to date back
20, for local tradition recites Of Martin
Van Buren, at the Court OF st. James's.
when Queen Adelaide asked him how
far back he could trace his ancestry.
with all courtly grace replied "as far
back as kinderhook. your Majesty" As
TO the earliest settlement OF Undertook
there remains much doubt. The author
does not attempt the solution, and now
II IL probable that the incineration of
most OF the early records in the fire at
the State House has removed all data
from possibility OF collation.. We can
attempt no more precise determination
than that offered by DR.. Collier:
Neither the occurrence OF the name
Undertook on the chart Of 16i4-l616
nor it's mention by De I.aet in 1925 OF
necessity indicates actual settlement at
the time. The only significance OF
either Is as the name OF point or
cove given, remembered and recorded.
Martin Van Buren, IL quoted as saying
that the fret settlements were about
the year 1910. They could not have
been much later. for Joost Hartgers In
1851 and Van der Donck in 1856 alluded
to Undertook as one OF The principal
settlements on the river"
Undertook was fixed partly on
grounds OF geoRra phcal convenience.
but underlying the settlement vas a
principle worthy OF consideration; Il
was in concrete form the protest Of the
dcmocratizing spirit of the liberty low
ing Batavians against the aristocratic
system OF the Dutch Republic. The
author points out the fact that as Kin
derhook was the only territory along
! the Hudson near Fort Orange where
/ land free from the control OF the pa
! troons could be obtained 1t attracted
settlers of independent spirit and Of
some means.
The problem OF the PATRONS lasted
through at least one change of allegiance
Of the Hudson River country and was
not finally settled until it led to some
show OF violence in the early years of
our republic. The powers of these po-
tential arstocrats need TO be recalled.
In 1914 the Dutch by discovery right
granted to the United New Netherla nds
| Company exclusive control OF all the
| coast line and navigable waters between
! New France and Virginia. Seven years
| later. IN 1921. this was enlarged with
| greater power as the West India Com
pany.
Then in 1929 this great company in
augurated ;he teudal!Stlc system OF the
PATRONS. BY this act any member OF
the company who within four years
after giving notice should establish COL
ones OF fifty persons over fifteen years
of age was to receive a tract sixteen
miles long on a navigable stream eight
miles II on opposite shores) and extend
ing as far into the interior az the sit
ustion Of the occupiers will permit To
these PATRONS almost unrestricted and
irresponsible power was given. They
J we're empowered 10 establish their own
civil and criminal courts, appoint their
own local officers and ma gistrates. and,
a few specified cases excepted. punish
offenders. Whatever the abuse OF power
and breach OF contract on the part OF
the PATRONS no man OF women son or
daughter, man servant or maid servant
Nigh, leave his service before the eX-
piration OF the contract time without
the written consent OF the PATRON.
However justly these feudal barons are
ga I'D to have been men OF exalted pa
trlotism infieXible integrity and Guilt
waited Intelligence; however wisely and
beneficently they ruled their vassal'
and however liberal the terms of the
contracts. il was not 10 be expected that
many OF Independent spirit and means
would be willing TO call any OF thes,
men lord and master. Most OF the IA m
lies that came both to Esopus and Kin
derhook would have none OF il. They
were freemen. not serfs. For more
than twenty years the guns OF tho Pa
troon Van Rensselaer, on Baeren lslnnC
made Undertook the head Of free nav.
igation on the Hudson, and for much
longer time II was the territory near
est Fort orange free from domination
. by any PATRON. 1t was between two
manovs.'
This excerpt establishes the condition!
, which attended tho settlement of Kin
derhook ana which established the char
acter OF community OF fine outstanding
folk, a character which We may trac,
throughout the history OF tho village
, This Is q distinction which runs through
tho history OF troubled period in tn,
, early years OF the settlement whose al
tustment was not reached for nearly