Hotel Kaatlrskill C-A-T-S-K-I-L-L M-O-U-N-T-A-I-N-S, N. Y. GRANDEST & LOFTIEST HOTEL IN AMERICA, 3,000 FEET ELEVATION, 90 MILES OF HUDSON RIVER VIEW; DIRECT RAILWAY ACCESS. DRUG STORE, LIVERY, GOLF LINKS, TENNIS, BOWLING ALLEY, GERMAN RATHSKELLER. K-A-A-T-E-R-S-K-LL-L C-U-I-S-I-N-E, famous the world over; K-A-A-T-E-R-S-K-l-L-L S-P-R-I-N-G, purest drinking water; K-A-A-T-E-R-S-K-I-L-L O-R-C-H-E-S-T-R-A, under the direction of Prof. Julius Simonson; K-A-A-T-E-R-S-K-l-L-L P-A-R-K, 10 miles of drives; 20 miles of walks; The famous road to Palenville. K-A-A-T-E-R-S-K-l-L-L L-A-K-E, 10 minutes from the hotel, boating, canoeing, fishing; K-A-A-T-E-R-S-K-I-L-L F-A-R^M, fresh vegetables daily; K-A-A-T-E-R-S-K-I-L-L D-A-I-R-Y. guaranteed milk, cream and fresh butter; K-A-A-T-E-R-S-K-I-L-L F-I-R-E B-R-I-G-A-D-E, organized service, fog horn signal, steam fire engine, watchmen on each floor all night. O-P-E-N-S F-O-R S-E-A-S-O-N, 27TH O-F J-U-N-E, 1903. For rates, how to reach and other details write to H-O-T-E-L K-A-A-T-E-R-S-K-I-L-L C-O., K-A-A-T-E-R-S-K-I-L-L, N-E-W Y-O-R-K. Copyrighted By W. R. HEARST 1903 NILW YORK AMERICAN System of Information Bureaus CENTRAIi BURKAU. BROADWAY, COR. ETTH STREET. N. T. HARLEM Bl RKAU. 237 WEST 125TH STREET. NEAR 8TH AVENUE. N. Y. IN BROOKLYN, N. Y. 298-300 W.\jSHIN6T0N iSa'REET. .S23 325 FULTON STREET. NEW JERSEY COAST BUREAU, ASIBTRY PARK, N. J. NEW ENGLAJ^TD STATES BUREAU. BOSTON, MASS. CHICAGO, HEARST'S EXAMINER AND AMERICAN OFFICE, SAN FRiANriSiOO. THE EXAMINER OFFICE. DEPARTMENTS SITMMER HOMES FOR RENT. SUMMER HOTEI.S_^ BOARDING AND FARM HOUSES. SUMMER RESORTS— WINTER RESORTS. TRAVEL— TOURS— TRANSPORTATION. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ^nd TEACHERS. NEW YORK CITY HOTELS. HIGH CLASS APARTMENT HOUSE VACANCIES. BO.ARDING .VND FURNISHED ROOMS. ANNUALS AND HANDY GUIDES ISaUEO BY THE N. Y. AMERICAN INFORMATION BUREAUS ANNUALS N. Y. AMERICAN'S SUMMER' VACATION MAGAZINE. N. Y. AMERICAN'S EDUCATIONAL MAGAZINE. N. Y. AMERICAN'S WINTER RESORT MAGAZINE. APARTMENT HOUSE VAOANCIEfl CATALOGUIEi. MONTHLY REALTY RECORD MAGAZINE. SECTIONAL DIRECTORIES OF SUMMER HOTELS. HANDY GUIDES SW¥oT sale at all New York American Information Bureaus, or mailed on receipt of remittance at American's Central Bureau, Broadway, corner 37th Street. New York. VISITORS* aUIDiE TO NEW YORK. 80 PAGES WITH MAP, 15 CENTS. GUIDE TO CATSKILL MOUNTAINS, 15 CENTS. GUIDE TO ADiRONDACK MOUNTAINS. 16 CENTS. NEW JERSEY SEASHORE GUIDE. 15 CENTS. TROLLEY TRIPS AND EXCURSIONS. 15 CENTS. GUIDE TO WHITE MOUNTAINS. 15 CENTS. WATEIR EXCURSIONS FROM NEW YORK. (In I'repwation.) GUIDi: TO THL CATSKILL MOUNTAINS FOR VACATIONIST And TOURIST By HOWARD HENDRICKS nrTtEN GIANTS ISSUED BY THE System of Information Bureaus CLNTRAL BURLAU: BROADWAY, Cor. 37th STRLLT NLW YORK ILLUSTRATIONS A ICAATERSKILL COACHING PARTY f**6 A SPRING IN TETB CATSKILLS 11 A TURN OF THE ROA i » 21 ELM AT KINGSTON. 250 YEARS OUD 30 ENTRANCE TO STONY OIvOVE ^OTCH 29 HAINES FALLS DAM 32 HOTEL KAATERSKILL, REAR VIEW 34 HOTEL KAATERSKILL. FROM HUDSON RIVER 34 JENNIE JUNE'S COTTAGE, TWILIGHT PARK 31 KAATERSKILL FALLS 38 LEAVING NOTCH. LOOKING SOUTH 30 LEDGE END, TWILIGHT PARK 37 LOCK MARIAN AND TRAPPER S LODGE 28 LOCKWOOD'S CUT 12 MAP OP CATSKILL MOUNTAINS 24 25 MINNEHAHA GLEN 19 OBSERVATORY, MT. UTSAYANTHA, STAMFORD 20 OLD RIP VAN WINKLE TAVERN 7 PINE HILL VALLEY 18 RED FALLS, NEAR PR.\TTSVILLE. N. Y 22 RESIDENCE OF SAMUEL D, COYKEKDALiL. KINGSTON 14 BANTA CRUZ, TWILIGHT AND SUNSET PARKS 30 SCENE AT STAMFORD 26 STONY CLOVE NOTCH 2t SUMMER HI M \ STAMFORD 27 THE WITTENRERG'S DEEPEST SHADOWS 22 TWILIGHT AND SUNSET PARKS 85 UPPER KAATERSKILL FALLS ' 38 UPPER KINGSTON, CATSKILL IN BACKGROUND GENERAL INDEX Page. Alder Lake 20 Alligator Head 40 Andes 19 Albany Day I-ine 7 Annuals and Handy Guides 2 AppaJachian Mountains 6 Austin's Glen 10 Beach, Charles L 45 Bell Ayr Mountain 16 Big Indian 14 Birch Creek 15 Bishop's Falls 11 Brodhead's 11 Brown'"! 11 Burnt Knob '^0 Bushnelvllle 13 Catskill Evening Line 10 Catskill Landing 10 Catskill Mountains 5 Catskill Village 7 Central Information Bureau 2 Chimpion, Simon B 2<> Chichester 30 "Colonel's Chair" Peak 33 Delaware River 15 Delaware Valley 18 Devasego Falls 23 PownsTille 19 Druid Rocks 40 Drv Brook 18 Eagle Rock 40 Elfin Pass 40 Elka Park 33 Efeopus Creek 9, 13 Furlough Lake 19 Grand Gorge Station 22 Grand Hotel 16 Griffin's Comers 18 Guide to Adirondack Mountains. 2 Guide to White Mountains 2 HallcotvUle 21 Harding. George 46 High mount Park 17 Hotels in Catskills 27 Hotel Kaaterskill 7 Hunter 32 Jewett Heights 33 Kaaterskill Scenic Features 39 Kaaterskill Clove 34 Kaaterskill Lake 36 Kaaterskill Mountain 7 Kelly's Comers 21 Kingston 12 Kingston Point 7 Kirkside Cottage 21 LanesvUle 30 Page. Lemon Squeezer Mount 40 Lexington 13 Margaretville 18 .Mountain Laurel 30 Mount Lincoln 35 Mount Pakatakan 18 Mount Pleasant 12 Mount Utflayantha 27 Necrological 45 N. Y.. Ont. & Western R. R. . . 9 Olive Branch 11 Onteora Park 33 Overlook Mountain 11 Overlook Mountain House T Over the Siimmit 18 Palenville 35 Palisades 8 Panther Mountain 16 Peakamoose Mountain 15 Pine Hill 15 Pratt's Rocks 23 PrattsTille 22 Pudding Stone Hall 40 Rip Van Winkle 40 Route to Slide Mountain 16 Roxbury 21 Santa Cruz Park 35 Senate House 9 Schoharie Manor Park 38 Shandaken 13 Shavertowa 19 Shokan 11 Slide Mountain 14 Snyder Hollow 13 South Gilboa 23 Spruceton 18 Stamford 28 Steeple Mountain 30 Stony Cove 12 Stony Clove Notch 29 Sunset Park 35 Table Mountain 15 The Finny Streams 43 The First Hill 11 The Sphinx 40 Twilight Park 36 Ulster & Delaware R. R 7 Up Kaaterskill Mountain 37 Visitors' Guide to New York. ... 2 Walkill Valley R. R 9 Wett Hurley 11 Westkill 13 Western Catskill 17 What it costs 42 Winnesook Ledge 14 Woodstock 11 The Summer vaca'tlon !s no longer a fad, but a necessity; no longer a mere luxury for the rich, but an Inestimable reality for the poor. No man or woman vyjll care to contradict these state- ments in these opening years of the new century. From every point of view they will be freely conceded. To ignore the fact is madness that can be indulged in only at tlhe peril of the trans- i,'ressor. If such a vacation a hundred, or even fifty yeais ago, was less important or imperative to the people of that period, it was because of the different conditions in social and business life that prevailed in those days of moderation and comparative composure. No such tension of human existence, no such hust- ling competition, nor any of the hot conflicts that now dominate the efforts of men and women in every walk of life were even ilreamed of In the days of our ancestors. Nor is the average man or woman of to-da.v more liberally endowed with strength or resistance than at that time. Neither in brain nor physique do we find any material change In normal conditions. We niu«t, therefore, meet the exigency of the situation by the conservation of forces. There must be a time for rest and relaxation, com- plete and unreserved; a period in which to regain and build up lost energy and vital force. This is the sanitary aspect of the vacation on its practical and serious side. Natural laws cannot be set aside with impunity. •But there ie also another ptoase, and it pertains more directly to the aesthetic side of our natuie. We need change, and can- not live on monotony or sys-tematic routine. Every one of the five senses needs a new diet and a change of regime. This can- not be had in the atmosphere or liorizou of the town home, even with an entire cessation of worli or business. Ml must be changed — the air. the scenery, the environment, the room, the food, the people we meet, the sounds we hear; all these must be different, to make the rest complete and secure the benefits de- siied. These things we have learned during recent years, and there are still other lessons in the ethics of a Summer vacation which are being studied by careful otwervers and scientists- Just where it is best to spend this vacation and the reasons* for It, or in what particular month it should be taken, and how long it should last, are juatters not within the purview of this book. Assuming here that the reader of this Guide wants to go to a mountain resort, the Catskill Mountains e.speclally, and is not wholly familiar with the region, ihe effort will be to assist him by giving needed lufoi mutton. He wants to know where and what they are, what they look like, and how to reach the leading points; what can be seen there, and where to look; what U -costs to ftay a week, or a month, and. a host of other things which are so often hidden by interrogation points to the inquiring new visitor. Information of this character will be found interspersed between the haud/some pictures of this Guide. There is no more picturesque mountain region on the globe than these romantic Catsliills. No matter in what land the search Is made, the verdict must be the same. On the west bank of the Hudson ^River, and some ten or more miles away, about ninety miles north of New York City, some of the n^ore promi- nent crags of the eastern pait of the range come into view, tow- ering abruptly from their base far up into the sliy line. The bold slopes in the distance, rocky and well wooded, here rise to the height of nearly 4,000 feet in some cases, most of those in sight being over 3,000 feet in the air. That the Catskiile are a spur of the great Appalachian Moun- tain System, which extends from Maine to Alabama, need hardly be stated for the information of the reader of average intelli- gence. They cover a superficial area of 2,400 sauare miles. There are peaks innumerable, three of which are over 4.000 feet high, and many others over 3,000 feet. These individual peaks differ in physical structure and plastic form, and present eriatic geo- logical features not found in other mountain formations. The Tock is piled-up strata in the original horizontal position, Instead of the usual folds or segments. This has given rise to a vast 6 amount of theory and speculation among geologists and other scientific men as to the method of formation. But the best au- thorities are inclined to agiee that they are due to the action of water and the erosiye forces of glacial action rather than vol- canic upheaval or eruption. The tirst glimpse the traveller gets of the Catskllls, coming up the Hudson, whether by boat or train, is at Kingston. Then these prominent peaks loom up in the western sky for twenty- five or thirty miles, extending somewhat above Catsklll Village. He will now see three large white structures near the creste of as many different peaks. The one on the left, furthest south, is the once famous Overlook Mountain Hotel, which stands over 3,000 feet above tide, and commands one of the most extended views of river, valley and plain to b,e found In the range. But the house Is no longer open, because of the difficulty of accese — uot because It Is more difficult to reach now than It was twenty years ago, except for the neglected roads approaching the crest; but In these days of railroads visitors will no longer ride in stages, even to mountain resorts. Some day not far in the future, when the steel rails are stretched over these eight miles from the Ulster & Delaware trains at West Hurley, this famous mountain will become the most popular Summer crest In the Catskllls. The larger building, or group of buildings, seen next toward the right Is the great Hotel Kaatersklll on Kaatersklll Mountuln; almost a village in itself, and the largest mountain hotel in the world. This Is one of the most famous resorts In the Catskllls, a biilllant scene of gayety and fashion, with every modern ap- pliance for comfort, pleasure and luxury. The third structure Ls the old Catsklll Mountain House, that pioneer of all mountain resort**, which now 0"ens for its eighty-first season, and is known all over the world. It is a familiar white landmark, with Its tall Corinthian columns, as seen from the Hudson for over three- quarters of a century. These houses are In full view from Kings- ton Union Depot, and also from the river above Kingston Point. If the tourist has journeyed ud the glorious Hudson by eltheh of the palatial steamers New York or Albany, of the Day Line, which left the city after breakfast, or by that fleet river grey- hound, the Mary Powell, which arrives at Kingston early In the evening, he will la either case take the mountain train for tbe hills. -'■ '^-^^^.^^-^ ^ -^' "^j/ ^//^^^ In befhalf of the sail on the river, it should be said that it is the finest inland water trip to 'be had in the wide world. The broad, deep flowing river, with its unceasing panoiama of scenic- beauty on either bank, the trim lawns and magnificent villas of millionaires in every mile, its cities, villages, hamlets and facto- ries, the far-famed Palisades, and anon the rocky grandeur of the erratic green Highlnnds as they arise abruptly toward the sky, almost from the vessel's keel at times, the sinuous course of the channel, and later t!he more genia' and sloping margins with the sunny and fertile orchards of the choicest fruit farms in Amer- ica—all this and vastly more is freely spread in this Summer feast before the admiring traveller on these breezy Hudson River decks, "While he drinks in the invigorating air. This river trip to the Catskills covers the moet interesting part of the Hudson. The stream above Catskill is less impressive and the banks lose scenic interest. Those (having fewer minutes to devote to these intervening miles, or more scanty admiration of nature perhaps, will save time by travelling in the trains, and satisfy themselves with car-window glimpses. This would be more endurable if the air was not vitiated by the consumption of bituminous coal in the locomotives. But whether one lands at Kingston or Catskill the mountain train must pull him up among the hills of the sky- Starting from home in the cars, he may remain seated without change, if the pioper train has been selected, even until his destination has been reached, unless it be a stage ride away from the rail- way. This is, however, possible only by the Kingston route, and the trains on the Ulster & Delaware System. The trains from Catskill Village and landing involve several transfers for the higher resorts. The choice between these routes is an open question which need not be discussed here. Much depends upon the particular point of destination and various other conditions; and the traveller, having the facilities of each route set forth, can best decide for himself. \Both routes are favored, and the old-time animosity has now settled into good-natured rivalry, lesultlng in a fair and legiti- mate division of the traffic, to the comfort and convenience of visitors. Those desiring to prolong the river sail will land at Catskill. For parlor cars and through trains Kingston must be the diverg- ing point. starting fraiii KiiiiivSton Pulnt, wlie:e tlie ^tcallle^ has beeu left, I lie Ulster & Delaware mountain train Is found waiting with a full modern equipment for comfortable travel. Passing up to the maln- iiid and through the most unattractlre part cf Kingston City, tlie tuion Depot Is soon reached. Here the Ulster & Delaware inter- sects the West Shore and the Wallklll Valley railways, making tills the liveliest and most important station on the entiie ILne "f the West Shore road. In addition to these trains from the river, there are others which are transferred directly from the West Shore to the Ulster & Delaware track, and are taken up solid, without change. The time of the be.s.t trains from New York to Kingston Is about two and a quarter hours; thence to the Kaatersklll it takes about one hour and forty minutes more, only forty minutes being required to reach Phoenicia. Railway men tell us this time could be reduced witli a train of oidinary length, but they are obliged to so arrange their schedules as to cover the longer trains that must be hauled during the mauntain rush. UPPER KINGSTON— CATSKILLS IN BACKGROUND. Taking our scat in the Ulster & Delaware train at Kingston, we are soon speeding over the rlih lowlands Ixirderlng the Esopns Creek In the northern limits of the city, getting a ha.<orate control. Tlie wallis are nicely flagged, with an abund- ance of Maple sliade; the many cottages are neatly designed and surrounded hy wfrll-Iiept lawns, and all the 'buildings are at- tractively painted and dec( rat d. Theve are five pri'tty churches, a Seminary, gas and electric lights, public water and sewer systems, and two weelvly newsp pers. One of these, the Stam- ford Miri'or, is among the oldest in the State, and is still edited, owned and published by its founder, Simon B. Cham- pion, wlio was the first to publish what is now Icnown as "local newc." It v/as in the Mirror office that Jay Ooujd served foi a time as an apprentice in his youthful days. The financial magnate was a great friend of "Champ," as he is familiarl.y Isnown to all newspaper men, and he maintained these intimate relatione with him, which since his death have been fostered by his dauglitor Helen. lu tliose early days of newspaper making the bulk of the news published in the New York daily papers was from London, I'aris and other foreign countries. Domestic affairs were regarded of minor importance. "Champ" reversed this order and began 26 « A A t JI/'Ms'S^I K- ^TT. SUMMER HOME, STAMFORD. to print local jiossip, inciii riiij» the eniuity of his lu'i^hltoiv at first. But very soon the reaction came, and his little MiiTot attained a circulation that outstiippecl most other country week- lleq in the State. There are many iiirfre Srn/nier liotcis in tliis charming vil- la.iie. some are elaboratelj- fitted with every modern ajipliance, and all are attractive in dcsijin, neatly jiainted and surrounded toy well-l5 fet^t hiirli, which _rises almost from the village streets and command.-* one of the most extended views in tliis por- tion of the range, including twenty thousand square miles of mountain teiritory, with thirty prominent peaks. From its ob- servatory tlie visitor may look into four different States, and For special Information and full details regarding Stamford aildri'ss aiiv of the houses named here: Rexmei e Churchill II.ill. Hamilton House. Grey court Inn. Kendall IMace. I Grant House. Westliolm. Madi:jon. Atchinsim House. I Cornell House. Ten-y Homestead. Far View House. InglesJde. Greenliurst. Maple Uest. Lawrence Cottage. Manor House. Delaware House. Powell Farm. Cedarhuist. Ward well Farm. Utsayanilia Lake House. I'ark Cottage. (Jregory Cottage. Hoyd Cottage. Hosemont. Mayn.ird Farm House. Maple Lane House. The Cornell House. LOCK MARIAN AND TRAPPER'S LODGE. get a glimpse of Albany and Sclienectady on a clear day. The crest is reached by a s'.ort and easy carriage drive. The Loco mobile lias just been introduced in this charming village by a local company, and visitors may now enjoy the novelty over these Undulated and scenic diives of mountainous Delaware. 28 Keturiiiii;,' now to I'liociiicia, in tho Ulster luiil Delaware Valley, we may continue our mountain journey to the other and more eastern soctlou of the range, where visitors ateo congregate In largo nunil)ers. Tliis will Include the older Greene County region, where the Summer boarding business began many years before the Ulster and Western section was known at all, except to tanners, barkmen and woodsmen in general. The only connec- tion between these regions is through the famous mountain pass kr.own as Stony Clove and Notch. This is a wonderful canyon to which pages might well be devoted. No visitor can afford to miss a trip through it, whether it be by train, carriage or bhycle; either of the latter being preferable under suitable con- ditions and circumstances, if the purpose be pleasure or liivestigaUon. Cur\ing gently over the Esopns from the main line of the railway, and through the little iamlet of I'hoenicla, it will be oliserved thei e is a steady ascent in grade, and this continues until the Notch itself is reached. Some of the heaviest grades of the rails will be found on this division, and with the little engines of the old narrow gauge track used in .former years It was often a serious struggle, attended with problematic results. For it nr.ist be remembered that the maximum elevation Is now to be atiained. This altitude in the Notch is 2,071 feet, 1,273 feet of which must be made In ten miles. After the first two miles a little manufacturing hamlet is seen far down In the valley on the left, where the native woods are converted Into 28 fliairs. offico fnrnituro and fine cabiuet work- Chifhester is the name of the place, in honor of that family whir-h emigrated from Wales. And here in midsummer we find tlae Mo intain Laurel (Kalmia Latifolia) in all its glory, tlie entire slope of tlie mountain being a solid mass of this g)rgeou6 pink 1 1 wm, whcli i?; also abundant ^a other parts of tlie range, the time of bloom depending on tlie elevation. Other wildwood flowers and plants abound all through this valley in great variety, and the air is often filled with the mingled fragrance, as the varieties bloom in succes- sion. In the bottom of the narrow valley, which is now always on the '.eft, is the Stony Clove creek, babbling its merry way in gentle rifts and cascades toward the old Esopus, and cov- ering a goodly supply of trout. Theie is an occasional mill, pretty farm houses where boarders are entertained, and neat little churches and schools at intervals. A fair wagon road winds along in harmony with the stream, from which the steep and stony bits of meadow slant intensely upward, and there is beauty all the way. Lanesville is the next little group of houses wheie a few visitors gather to enjoy the Summer in a modest and quiet way, fishing and loafing at leisure, with scant regard to style or formality. There are no regular hotels in this valley. The mountains now become higher, more rugsred and grand. Over acrosi? the valley aie Steeple Mountain and Burnt Knob, trending backward and upward from the stream with tJieir gigantic vertebrae of rock piercing the clouds. One after an- other these soaring crags now come into view, with gorges deep and dark" all between. Now and then far back in these lavines, where some courageous mountain farmer has cleared a strip of land and carved out a bit of meadow, we see his liumble dwelling and little barn standing out like dice cubes against the masvsive green slope of the mountain. At length we pull up at Edgewood, just below the entrance 30 to (he Notch, and at tho liond of (lie valley. The nnnaliis of an old chalr-stock factory, a saw mill and ; not or sin ill group of houses are about all wc soc to the credit of man. and it will ho seen that thiougliout this valley the siiblim(> suprcmioy of nature has been little disturbed. We are oft now for the final 280 feet of the ascent, with >• hit over a mile to do it in. The famous Notch is just ahead and the nionntaiii slopes aie rapidly drawing together. The car h '^^^S^::^^;:^^^^^^^ JENNIE JUNE'S COTTAGE (■ --* w.r^ t e « ) TWILIGHT P/X R (A finally roaches the siinmiit level in the srcat ;;ap or crevice. ■\A'e iiinst liudi !s 'been able to despoil or deface the mighty chiselliugs of Nature in this groat Clove. We stand nearly 2,OiJ0 HOTEL KAATERSKILL, FROM HUDSON RIVER, 34 feet above the sea. nnd from this dizzr preoipico the mountain water plunjres In foaniin? grandenr and beauty flown >1G0 feet, and then goes on turalilinjr lower tliroujrh the bottom of the gorge by a series of caseades and rapids, d scendlug 1.200 feet more in four miles, to Palenville at tlie entranoo of the €love. Concerning the trip down tlie road lending through this Clove tbe reader can be safely left with his imagination. iFIalf way down it^ a lateral gorge, through which the Kaatersklll stream tumbles joyously and finally joins the waters from Haines Falls. The mighty crag of Mount Lincoln, which rises like a titanic buttress to the sky on the light, 3,664 feet In the air, forms the south wall of the Olove. (Here at Its base, just across the Falte, are the noted Parks of Sunset, Twlllgbt and Santa iCruz, located In this order along the slope of the gorge. The numer- ous attractive cottages, casinos and club houses contrast beau- tifully with the mountain setting !is seen from the train. These parks are always filled with Summer residents, among whom are many prominent and wealthy people in society and ■busine<^s circles of New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and other cities. Housekeeping cares and the mandates of fasbion are largely avoided and evaded In tbese rustic mountain homes, and life is highly enjoyable, with the proper conditions of rest, change of air and scene most happily combined. All about this historic locality are hotels, large and small, tlie Antlers being among the more capacious and modernly fitted. Sunset Park 'Iiin was built last year and is one of the finest and most com- pletely apiminted hotels in that section. It stands on a mag- nificent site above Haines Fails and will this season be man- aged by that noted boniface, Mr. C. E. Leland. Now, after two more of these charming miles, which, by I the way, cannot be fully enjoyed in the train, we are at the old Laurel House, at the head of Kaatersklll Fall*?, that "best 1 piece of work in the woods," where artists of renown have \ vainly labored for a century to encbain the picture upon canvas. The house Itself Is mainly Important now by reason of the hallowed associations that cluster about the spot. Tbe genla'. and popular old landlord has gone to his reward and few changes In the resort will be noted. But the Falls, the Gorge, the mountains and the massive green slopes, all these are just as wonderful as ever, just as supremely beautiful today as they were a hundred years ago, barring the unfortunate ravages of a forest fire three years ago, which are now disappearing. We can still go down the hundreds of steps, wallj behind the foam- ing cataract as it leaps from the rock out through the air and down ISO feet, and then takes another plunge of eijrhty feet. There we may look throu'^h the mist and spray aud see the rainbow at midday. Then, on our return, we can stand on the platfoim at the top and look down the entrancing gorge into tlie KaatersklU ClOTe and over against the massive breast of Mount Lincoln, getting another view also of the park settlement. We now have the choice of continuing in the train to Its eas^tern terminus on Kaaterskill Lake, or walking up Kaaters- klU Mountain by path or road, or driving thither, as may be preferred; for the Hudson River valley and plain is surely the object of our vision at this stage of the journey. The path is less than a mile, if you don't lose your way; the road one-half more, and the track also a short mile. At the end of the lat- ter, 2,141 feet above the sea, is the pretty Kaaterskill Lake, so much enjoyed for its fishing and boating facilities by thou- sands every Summer. 36 .-•^I'/iKvv A short ride from the lake, Uioii,i;h intensely up-hill, and shoiter still by the foot path, brings us to the great Hotel Kaaterskill, that mammoth mountain resort of the world, which attracted so mucli attention when it was built, twenty j-ears ago, because of the magnitude of the enterprise and the bold- ness of its consummation. In a single season this vast hotel and Its complement of buildings were begun and completed on this mountain top, the crest being cleared and graded, and a complete system of roadways constructed. It took an army of men and nearly a million dollars in money to get the resort open for business in the Summer of 18S1. The project involved al«!0 a carriage road up the front face of the steep crag from ralenville on the river side, there being then no railroad in that portion of the range. This of itself was an engineering feat over which celebrated I'hiladi'lphia engineers struggled for a- time and finally gave up as Impossible, the work being completed in brilliant style by a native mountaineer, unlim- ited means being placed at his disposal. This famous road is tO'day regarded as a triumph of mountain engineering, althooigh It Is no longer used to convey guests to the hotel, having been superseded by the railways. And yet every visitor is advised to make a trip down this celebrated Harding Road, where the grandeur and beauty of the Kaatei skill canyon is seen at it.i bust. The hotel will accommodate over a thousand guests, and it is fuJIy provided with modern appliances for comfort and luxury, having a large Opera Hou.se, immense dining room, electric lights, etc. The view is unobstructed and most ex- 37 IHi^ — ^ 1 ■^c ^ ^^^S mS^^^^^^^^^'-,^.., ^ m^m^ .--tr- :"^^ -- ".."« ' '^^ter- ,. : I ./;lj ■^ i;3^j 11^^51;] UPPER KATTERSKILL FALLS. tended. 'The river g'leams like a silver ril)bon in the distant sunlight and moonlight; cities, villages, liamlets, lakes and farms dot the valley and plain for fifty miles and moie in pic- turesque variety and beauty. The entire mountain is embraced in Kaaterskil.' IPark, having a complete system of drivefs, road- ways and paths which are kept in good repair. The air is ex- cellent, and it is the coolest resort now open in the range, the elevation being about 2,500 feet. It is the centre of fashion and gay Summer life in the iCatskills, and it still remains under the general supervision and management of the Harding estate. Mr. George Harding, the distinguished projector and owner, having died last Fall. Many improvements and ■c'hanges will be noted at this famous resort this season, the hotel liaviug been thoroughly renovated throughout. The rotunda has 'been enlarged and piovidod with a huge open fire-place^ which, is also a new feature in the great parlor. An attractive Raths- keller will replace the old barroom, and in addition to the dally concerts and weekly liops there will be a series of vaudeville performances. New tauitary open plumbing and improved ath- letic grounds are among othei new features. 38 ^w^lj^U m From this airy suniiiiit tlioro ;iro n iMrge nnnibor of clolislilfnl moiint.-iiii imllis r.tdial iiifr in all dirootioiis anil covering a varl- oty of sfcMiio features. TIio patli lonfling to tlio famous Sunset Kocli slioiild not be missed liy any visitor. The deseont is short and gentle, l)eing partly by th(> road if desired. Standing oii X\\\e, overhanging i oek, with the yawning chasm nearly two thou- sand feet below, one may look away to the head, of the Clove and see the foaming JIaines cataract in Its emerald setting of mountain leafage and rugged rocks, and the fringe of -tusllc cot- tages. This view .it the •sunset hour is a picture of entrancing l)eauty over \\lii<'li artists have raved and labored to repro- duce. Another favorite r.imble is out to the "Kowlder," a gigantic rock on the forefront of tlu" mdunt.iin. From this the view of river and valley is superb. The famous old Catskill Mountain House Is about a mile to- ward tlic northeast, and there are many charming paths leading over the mountain to it. That a!ong the front edge of the crag, with the lovely valley continually lu vl w, Is. of coirse, the most favored. There is a road iiart of the wa.v, and soon after leaving this a series of rock strata juts out over the valley, hang- ing almost in midair at times at thus dizzy height, fiom which the Inspiring view challenges description, (he altitude being over 2,500 feet. Many wild freaks of nature iu the way of rock forma- tion and fissures will be found on the way as the historic old re- Bort I3 approached. In fact, it is a veritable rock garden, with the conglomerate stnieture always piedomiuatiug, clearly show- ing the action of water during tie dlluviau epoch, If not prior 39 thereto. Some of th.se features are locally known as the "Lemon Squeezer." "Alligator Head," "Elfin Pass," "Druid Rocks," "The Sphinx," "Pudding Stone Hall," "Eagle Rock," etc. A sharp descent at last brings us to the Old Mountain House, on that famous table rock which overhangs the valley. Here it was that "Shandaken," the old Indian Chief, once had his wig- wam and dwelt with his beautiful daughter, "Lotowana." We stand In fiont of this ancient pile, with these great white columns so plainly seen from the river now at our back. 'We look down, down and away in every direction, and feel that in spite of the graphic rehearsals of eighty years, and all the inspirations of poets and artists, the half has not been told, and never will be. We see in the immediate foreground an inclined railway leading up and down the steep face of the mountain, with an oc- casional bit of the old stage roadway here and there in the foiest slope, and are, perhaps, disturbed by the inharmonious feature. But we must content ourselves with the sacrifice upon the altar of practical necessity. Here, year after year, we have seen that venerable old pioneer of the Catskills, Mr. Charles L. Beach, white and bent beneath ninety and more Winters of earthl.v existence. But he will be missed now, haviug been called home. Talking with him, we found a mountain enthusiast of the most dogmatic type, with a vast fund of reasoning for the supremacy of the Catskills over every other and any other mountains on the globe— a man with a most interesting history. Journeying mouutainward from Catskill Landing, or Village, there is much of interest in and about the old town itself which ehould be noted. On a sightiy bluff near the Point landing is the large resort known as the Prospect Pai'k Hotel, standing in an extensive park of cedar and other trees and shiubbery. The house is capacious, though somewhat antiquated now, but the location is very desirable, and there are excellent facilities for boating and ali other outdoor sports, with the full village equipment right ac hand. The old Giant House, on the heights above the village, is an- other large resort greatly favored by quiet loving visitors, who prefer to rest amid distinctively lural features and surroundings, it is situated on a bend of the Catskill Creek, and overlooks the village and river in a charming way. There are also smaller re- sorts, both in the village and its suburbs, and the Summer population of the place is always largely increased. Of course it was here, "Just On the edge of the sleepy town. In a tiny cottage timeworu and brown. With a scolding wife and a fair-aaired child," that old Rip Van Wiukle spent the historic j-ears of his marital Infelicity, and to this spot he returned, tottering and uukuown, after his loug mountain nap. But the visitor wiil liud other and more modern objects of interest about this traditional old Dutch village of Catskill. Among them is a finely equipped Y. M. C. A. building, just complfted through the munificent liberality of one of the older Summer citizens who belongs to an honored Catskill ancestry and was once a poor Catskill bo.v. Proceeding up this railway we find also that many leave the train at Leeds and other way stops for the quiet, intervening sec- tions dotted here and there among the foothills. At South Cairo a branch line leads to the Cairo sectisn proper, and this iu fact is the only practicable route to that well-known and long-favored 40 old boarding region where so many hundreds gather year after year; as It Is also for Durham, Fri'ehold, Gayhead and other ad- jacent points below the mountain In that part of Greene County. Following the main line of the railway, however, wo next ar- rive at the station for the Otis Elevating load. at the baee of South Mountain. Those destined for the higher resorts must there take the inclined car up the crag, assuming that few will care in these days to make the long and tedious ascent by stage, which years ago was the only method. Arriving at the top in ten or fifteen minutes, the passenger must again change oars for the Catsklll & Tannersvllle Railway, unless he desires to reach the old Catsklll Mountain House, wbich is only a few rods up the slope, by a series of easy stairways. Hotel Kaaterskill may also be reached by this route after a two-mile stage drive, mostly uphill. Haines Corners and Tannersvllle are the leading stations on this narrow gauge line. The termination of the railway at the base of tbe mountain Is at Palenville, the entrance to Kaaterskill Clove. And for this populous and charming Summer section this Catsklll Mountain Railway is the only available route. Here we get a view up the great canyon. The little hamlet has a loyely environment, and many hotels; with a flue public school building, a cozy little church, built In the midst of babbling brooks and foaming cas- cades, and a wealth of other attractions for the Summer loiterer. EJntlcing paths lead upward to various points fabled In the roman- tic legend of Rip Van Winkle, and other mountain lore, including the spot where the happy old soul took hitj long sleep, Fawn's Leap, and other places of local renown. ^^^ The cost of this outing among the Catsiiills depends so largely upon the conditions and circumstances governing the requirements and notions of the visitor that no definite figures can well he given. Some general data that will assist in the formation of an approximate estimate can, however, be set forii). Those desir- ing the special rates of board at the different points, with fu" details as to rooms, accommodations and entertainment, will do well to make early application, either in person or by letter, to some one of the "AMERICAN" Information Bureaus, where booklets and circulars of the various resorts and railway and steamboat lines are freely furnished, and all quegtlons aie courteously answered. The fare on the West Shore and New York Central railways Is two cents a mile. On the Ulster & Delaware system, from Kings- ton, it is three cents a mile to all points in the range reached by this line. By river steamboat the fare vaiiee slightly in accord- ance with the line selected. The steamers of the New York & Albany Day line have a schedule rate of $1.25 to Kingston Point and $1.50 to Catskill, with round trip tickets at $2.25 and $2.75, respectively. The excursion rate to Phoenicia via Ulster & Dela- ware is $3.95; to Kaaterskill, $5.10; Grand Hotel, $4.75; Pine Hill, $4.65, and to Stamford, $6.75. Passage on the Mary Powell to Kingston costs $1, with a round trip rate of $1.50. By the Kings- ton night line it is 75 cents, and $1.25 both ways. Landing at Catskill from the Day Line steamers and thence by the Catskill Mountain Railway, the excursion rate to the Otis Summit at the Old Mountain House or Tanuersville is $4.85; to Cairo or Palen- ville, $4.75. By the steamers of the Catskill Evening Line the fare is somewhat less, and by rail all the way from New York It is considerably more. The cost of board varies so gieatly that only a general idea can be conveyed here. All the way between $4 a^d $30 per week the figures will be found. The higher prices prevail at the large and fashionable hotels located on the higher mountains, and the lower prices in the plains and valleys, with corresponding accom- modations as to rooms, furniture and hotel equipment in general. Good plain, simple board may be had even at $5 a week, with plenty of good, wholesome food, well cooked, and fair sleeping facilities. But of course there will be no style or formality in the service, and the rooms will not be large. But the air is usually good, though not so cool and strong as at the higher alti- tudes; the scenery is abundant, and the "extras" will not pile up so rapidly as they do at the big resorts. This cos-t of a Catski" sojourn depends almost entirely upon what the visitoi requires or thinks he must have for himself or his family. Private baths, line furnishings and fancy dinners, with a vast variety of special difihes and a formal table service, miust be well paid for here, as elsewhere, and generous "retaining fees" to waiters, porters, beli boys and chambermaids can also be indulged in by the rich and affluent. But one may also live at the best resorts at moderate cost, and get the best air, eat the best food, enjoy the best scen- ery and have the best rest, if he so desires, and use a little com- mon sense. 42 The purling streams of sparkling water make an ideal home for the Drook trout, that princely member of the finny realm. The slopes and valleys are profusely threaded with roaring creeks and murmuring brooks, In which the speckled beauties disport with abounding joy and content. Much has been said and written of fishing In the Catskills, and the average angler may come here, enjoy the sport and tell of his success with less of lense to his conscience and more pride perhaps than would be possible In most other fishing regions. There is a goodly supply of flsh under favorable conditions, and the fact that they are wary and gamy will not be questioned. One may cast his fly or "chuck his worm" here with such success as his skill and pa- tience warrant. There are miles upon miles of good trout water still outside the domain of the rapacious sporting clubs, where «ven the mountain lad astounds the scientific disciples of Walton by his "luck" with his bent pin and vile earth worm at the end of a bit of twine. Biscuit Brook, the Neversink, Head of the Rondout, the East and West branches of the Delaware, the Beaverkill, Dry Brook, Bushkill, Watson Hollow Brook, Emory Brook, the Esopus Creek, Stony Clove Creek, Mink Hollow Brook, the Big Indian Valley streams, Kaatersklll Creek, Haines Falls Water and the rollicking Schoharie — who has not heard of these famous streams? But the successful angler mnst bring skill a« well as fancy rods and a gorgeous array of flies and other paraphernalia. The trout Is keen witted and shy, and he mnst be captured by deception and combat. The careless, bungling, happy-go-lucky wharf fisher better stay out of the woods or come prepared to buy hi« flsh. It is skill, not luck, that counts along these brooks. If the theo- retical city fisherman Is often surprised and disgusted with tie catch of the barefooted mountain boy who has grown up along these streams and has learned the habits of trout, knows where to find them and how to deceive them with the least fuss and commotion. It Is simply the result of his superior skill, that's all. The lad never gets excited at the supreme moment and rarely loses the big Qeh which are so apt to escape the complicated de- vices of the enthusiastic angler. Water which the latter has whipped for hours and abandoned as flnless will often yield a fine string of fish under the primitive methods of the native fisher. But all this adds a keener zest to the efforts of the vis- itor, who studies these native methods with peculiar Inteiest and soon learns that skill Is the prime factor of success. In any event, unlimited exercise Is assured, and If the novice fails to fill his creel with the savory victims of his patient efforts he is sure of receiving therapeutic benefit, which may be of even greater importance. Trout aie supremely happy In very little water, and fine, big flsh are often found in very small brooks. But they are even more wary here than In the larger streams, and the fisher must 43 get in Ills hook with extreme caution because of the transparent water, and woe be unto him who maizes a noisy misstep or craek- llng sound amid the overhanging branches. The large hotels are not open at the early fishing season of April and May, but good food and comfortable beds can usually be found at the smaller houses and even some of the farmhouses. With a well-fitted tent and plenty of warm clothing and blanlj- ets, one may camp along the stream. But in that case a hamper of plain, substantial food in concentrated form is always desir? ble, as well as a few cooliing utensils. The flesh of a brook trout Is of the mosj; delicate texture, as every sportsman l^nows, and for this reason the fish is never so delicious as when cooked in the woods fresh from the stream. Since the publication of tliis Guide in lii02 two of tbe most noted and liistoric personages identified with the history and de- velopment of the Catskills as a Summer resort have been removed by death. Both were men of distinction and prominence, and they were alike enthusiastic and zealous in their admiration of the Catsklll Mountains and their boundless advantages and poesl- bilities for Summer life, Summer rest and Summer enjoyment. The one was doubtless the pioneer Summer mountain landlord of the woild, with an undjing faith in the virtues of Catsklll Mountain air, and their scenic supremacy. The other, just as strongly imbued witii the beauties and advantages of the region, evinced the sincerity and courage of his convictions in the bold- est and most energetic manner, making it possible for thousands to enjoy the native charms of these glorious mountains who might otherwise never have visited them. That these two men should pass from earth away within a few weeks of each other may be regarded as a strange coincidence. MR. CHARLES L. BEACH. This veteran boniface of the mountains, who died last Octo- ber at the age of ninety-four, was the pioneer landlord of the Catskills, and the proprietor of the far-famed Catsklll Mountain House, which now begins Its eighty-fiist consecutive season. He began the entertainment of guests in that Pine Orchard hos- telry long before mountain hotels were thought of. Only a few friends of the family visited him at that overhanging rock In midair at first, and these came by Invitation. His house ^na small and not much like a hotel at that time. Artists and au- thors of note were conspicuous among the-;e earlr visitos. They came to sketch and describe the scenic chaims, but they lingered to become entranced and enchanted with the grand old crags, the primeval forests and the sublime waterfalls and canyons. Thesje visitors soon Increased so rapidly that Mr. Beach was compelled to build larger and make a business of this Summer entertain- ment, adding to his facilities in various ways. Ho built the first fine mountain road up the face of that vast South Mountain crag, ■winding it in and out to avoid the radical grades as he owned al- most the entire mountain. Finally he established a stage line in Summer from the river landing at Catsklll Point to his mountain botel, and his guests soon began to come in hundreds instead of scores. This was then the only practical route to the moun- tains. The house was again enlarged from time to time, until the present dimensions were attained, which was nearly fifty years ago. Mr. Beach drove a coach to the Mountain House on July 4, 1823, which was his first visit there. In that year his father, one of the first white settlers in the region, had organized the Cat- skill Mountain Association, which at once erected a rude shanty 45 upon the site for the accommodation of visitors and began the building of the Mountain House, which was opened to the public in 1824. This was leased by Mr. Beach in 1842 and purchased by him two years later. Since then the property, which now in- cludes nearly 3,000 mountain acres, has remained in his posses- sion uninterruptedly- Mr. Beach was a man of rare intelligence, with a goodly fund of general knowledge pertaining to his time. He was closely identified with staging in New Yorli State in the early days of long distance stage travel, which was then the only method of travel bj' land. In his younger days he drove a stage from Ithaca to New York, and was a noted whip years before the advent of railways. The details of that traffic were related to the writer for publication by Mr. Beach in a giaphic and most interesting manner some years ago. He always attributed his health and long life to his yearly sojourn on the mountain. iHe kept the mountain forests inviolate and would not permit the cutting of a single tree on any property under his control except when abso- lutely necessary, regarding the despoliation of the primitive wood- land as an act of vandalism. And to him the Innovationa of the incline railway up his mountain, and other changes demanded by the increasing population of the rebion, seemed a desecration of nature to whicli he never became fully reconciled. He was a man of strong individuality and great self-reliance. During hie active control of the Mountain House he would not permit his agents at Catskiil Point to influence visitors to enter his stages In waiting there. Their Instructionss were to say merely, "This way for stages to the Catskiil Mountain Houfie," and this wa.s the policy pursued in the management of the resort. MR. GEORGE HARDING. This distinguished lawyer and capitalist of Philadelphia was a man of a different type, and in some respects quite the opposite of Mr. Beach in his views. While his respect for and admiration of nature were fully as strong, he believed in progressive devel- opment and the full utilization of these transcendent charms and advantages of nature in the highest degree. Having great force of character and indomitable energy, he was a man peculiarly fit- ted for the planning and consummation of large projects. H's professional career as a noted patent lawyer fitted him for the de- velopment of large enterprises, and his methods were bold and brilliant. Having a well-matured plan, he would lose no time tn carrying It forward. It was simply a question of men and means, and these he employed without stint. But for his friend Mr. Beach Mr. Harding may indeed never have come into the Catskills at all. His attention might never have been directed to the rare advantages of these mountains aa a Summer resort had he not become a guest of the Catskiil Moun- tain House over twenty years ago. It will thus be seen how difCl- cuit it is to estimate the precise share of the Catskiil develop- ment which belongs to each of these noted men. But it is not necessary .to divide the honors so carefully. Mr. Harding took a more liberal view of the possibilities of the Catskills than any other man. And when he purchased Kaaterskill Mountain and so many other large tracts of wild land In that wondrously picturesque vicinity in 1880 there was a project m his mind the unfolding of which dazzled the commun- ity with its boldness and magnitude. In nine months the ^ild and rugged crest of that mountain 46 was cleared and an Immense hotel erected, with a large number of other necessary structures. The mountain was laid out as a Park, with a complete system of roads and drives, and the won- derful Harding road np the eastern face of the crag from Palen- vllle was built. It took an army of men and almost a million dollars to do it, as all the material had to be drawn up the as- cent of over 2,500 feet by teams, there being no railroads. But the great mountain resort was opened to the public early In July, 18S1. Mr. Harding had an abounding faith in the power and influ- ence of the public press, and he believed in the judicious use of printing Ink. To him, more than any other man, credit is due fop the fame and popularity of the Catskiils as a Summer resort. He employed every legitimate means to bring the beauties and ad- vantages of the region to the notice and attention of the public far and wide. And in these efforts he was most heartily sup- ported and assisted by the newspaper press generally, which has been a much greater factor in this Catskill development than is usually accorded to it. Visitors came by thousands, a large majority of whom had never before heard of the Catskllls. The great hotel was thronged with guests, and the older houses were also filled with new visi- tors. New hotels were built at various points and most of the older houses were enlarged and improved. The railway through the Stony Clove to Hunter, and subsequently to Kaaterskill Lake, was soon constructed, largely through the efforts of Mr. Harding, and the demands oIoni) ' • •oTuplete list of IiofelM and lioarclingr ln> ^. A. SIMS. General Pas.seii«er Agreut,