Year: 1875

!


Cornwall has a number OF charming drives, but
rule they too short Art has done but little toward
their Improvement except in raro instances but beauti
fu nature has bestowed upon them weird picturesque
surroundings that compensate for all deficiencies Of art
First Of the drives in point Of beauty probably Bay
View avenue, which commands throughout its entire
length fine view Of the Hudson and pleasantly winds
up an easy grade to the OF the Storm King
Upon this avenue many very beautiful summer cot
ages Next comes Champlin way which leads from
the main thoroughare 10 the Mountain House. and
thence by bride path to the top Of Crows Nest Noun
tain deep yawning chasm bounds Il on one side for
quite distance and overhangng treetops while not OBJ
sructng any of the views shield the travellers face
from the burning The West Point road is another
very pretty and popular drive and also abounds in de-
lightful scenery The drive from the landing TO New
burg, distance of Ave miles, skirts the Hudson for
almost its entire length and would be charming road
were it kept in proper repair but in many places has,
through neglect become almost dangerous to travellers





of Cornwall OF order either in point OF size
beauty although the unapprecative title OF pond,
coming down from olden times still clings many The
principal ones known by the uneuphonious names
of Bog Meadow Pond Long Pond Round Pond and Pop
lopen Pond They lie among the high hills and some
of them stretch away into other townships The water





is spokenof as very good.


TIIE MOUNTAINS.


Among the chains of magnificent peaks that greet tho
eye in Cornwall the Storm King, before mentioned
stands pre-eminent From the river at its base to its
cloud capped top the distance is about 500 feet The
ascent be made only from the via the Champlin
bride path and even this is by means safe easy
path but the top attained all the difficulties and
dangers experienced in the journey are quickly forgot
ten and amply paid for by the gorgeous scenery pre-
sented TO view every side.


On clear day one can distinctly see from the sum
! a
Mountains in all their splendor loom up in the north
apparently touching the sky the steamers ploughng
the waters of the winding Hudson in the dim distance
appear like miniature yachts West Point distant FIVE
miles appears TO lie at feet and the music Of the
military band be plainly heard The church spires
and higher buildings Of Poughkeepsie not far
away and Newburg, removed six miles, is apparently
within rifle reach. When the sky the south is per-
fecty free from clouds 1t is said that the shipping in
New York harbor distance Of nearly sixty miles can
be plainly perceived; but this cannot coqPoratc from
actual oRseryaton, as such state of the atrnos-
phere has presented itself during my stay Ex-
cursions to the summit of Storm King Notwithstanding
the steepnes Of the accessory pers are of
frequent occurrence and than fair city BELLE
bent country froc has reached the top legend
here that the romantic name the storm King bears was
given it by the poet Willis because of It's remarkable
barometer accomplishments. Mr.. Willis often remarked
that by glancng at the mountain he could foree the
state of the weather. If at early morn its peak was
robed in clouds a storm imminent and whenever at
the same hour its head stood clearly defined in the blue
Sky, fair weather throughout the day a certainty


The next mountain in size is Crows Nest situated
short distance south of Storm King Its is
paratively easy but the view from its summit is not
extensive that from Storm King, being obstructed
side by the latter Breakneck Roundtop and Grand
Lookout Mountains also come in for share of favorable
notice


1pLEwLp


Descriptions OF Idewld late the home OF the lamentcd
Willis, have so often been written that shall content
myself with auson to the place Its picturesque
ness and beauty have not been overstated. could
they well be, for it is indeed beautiful spot There
are numerous estates on the Hudson that far
artificial beauty is concerned far surpass Idlewd; but
there very few that equal it in natural loveness
Every variety of pcturesqueness appears to be repre-
sented. There Is the deep precipce, the ravne the
gorge, the ripping mountain stream the undulating
plain the wild forest of hoary oak the rugged danger
descent the natural bridge fallen across the
flowing brook-in Short the diversity of picturesque
scenery is remarkable.


Add TO all this beautiful vine clad cottage with fne
broad lawn in front shaded the other sides by abun
dant foliage and commanding fine view Of the Hudson,
and you have fair idea of famous Idlewlld The his
tory of Idewd dates further back than twenty-five
years ago At that time it considered tract
unfit for cultivation. One morning in the autumn of
1850 n p Willis, then soiourning in Cornwall passed
through the estate and struck with its richness Of
natural beauty He inquired about its value of friend
and met with the dscouragng response that it
almost valueless--a nero idle wild soon after Mr..
Willis purchased the property and baptized it dlewild
Here he lived and died After his demise 1t passed out
of the hands of his heirs and it is now owned and
cupied by Mr. Courtney, the President of the contem
plated West Shore Railroad.


A TRIP TO MOUNTAINS


In company with party Of gentlemen took horse
back ride early this morning through the mountains.
We assembled the SUBMITS OF several of the highest hills
and viewed the glorious panorama from various stand
points. From the top of the Grand Lookout the view
was the erandes | ever experienced The entire coun-
try to the north almost the Catskills seemed like
continuous beautiful garden. Nature has indeed
been lavish in her gifts to this section of the country


HOTELS.


There several very good hotels in Cornwall among
which the most prominent are the Mountain House. the
Genridge House the smith, the Lawrence, the Linden
Park and the Clark houses.


The first Of these situated about 700 feet above tho
level Of the and commands magnificent view Of
the surrounding country. Attached TO the hotel is
large pavilion, where excellent music is discoursed and
nightly hops take place. Among the New Workers
stopping at the Mountain House Jacob Halstead,
Tracy II. Edison and sisters the Polhemus family, of
Brooklyn William A. Boyd the counsellor; DR.. James
T. Fitch and family Robert Jeffrey, cashier of the
Bank of North America, and Mr. NJ j. Head, the artist
The Hon. Mahlon Chance United States Consul Mas
sau, N. r., is also soournng here Many well known
citizens OF New York and BROOKLYN have cottages
scattered throughout the place at which they quietly
spend the season. Josh Ward, the famous oarsman,
the champion OF the international 1871 is also
here and keeps modest little hotel near the landing,


BITS OF ROMANCE.


Everything about Cornwall appears 10 have a romantic
history. The most prosac looking houses and places
where romance would never be looked for have found
inquiry 10 be allied in way with the romantic
An old decaying mill which passed on my drive to the
hotel thought surely could have nothing of note about
it, but was mistaken, for learned afterward that
i've years ago dastardly murder had been committed
within its walls. young and prepossessing lady was
entced into the MILL and there outraged and murdered
Her dead body found several days AFTER terribly
mutilated and the cowardly murderer remains 10 this
day at liberty. A romance Of the exact op-
posite nature stands recorded of a little
barren island In the middle Of the Hudson
nearly opposite Storm King, known Pollypels
Island. What an odd name, | remarked to my com
panion while viewing it this morning, whereupon my
charmed with the delicate romance of how
sweet poetical young lady, number of years ago. de-
clared she would be married to her true love
other place in the wide, wide world than that parc-
ular island circumstances were in vain, and he
rone married IN the spot of her choice The nice
young ady's Miss Pcl-Mss Polly Pell-
hence the of the island.


THE HERALDs SARATOGA TRAIN


find that the Saratoga lightning express enterprise
commended
On Sunday morning they tell me- the guest who is
found with his HERALD at breakfast looked upon with
grave astonishment.


The weather here has been very rainy Of late As l
write it If the 1oodgates Of Heaven had
been opened


WATERING PLACE NOTES.


Aristarchi Bey, Ottoman Minister, is at Newport