USA > New York > Ulster County > Kingston > History and legend, fact, fancy and romance of the Old Mine Road, Kingston, N.Y., to the mine holes of Pahaquarry > Part 2
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SCHUYLER'S JOURNAL.
"May it please your Excell :-
"In persuance to yr Excell: commands I have been in the Minissinck Country of which I have kept the following jour- nal: viz .-
"1694 ye 3d of Feb .: I departed from New Yorke for East New Jersey and came that night att Bergentown where I hired two men and a guide.
"Ye 4th Sunday Morning. I went from Bergen and trav-
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illed about ten English miles beyond Haghkingsack to an In- dian place called Peckwes.
"Ye 5th Monday. From Peckwes North and be West I went about thirty-two miles, snowing and rainy weather.
"Ye 6th Tuesday I continued my journey to Maggagh- kamieck* and from thence to within half a days journey to the Minissinck.
"Ye 7th Wednesday. About Eleaven a clock I arrived at the Minissinck, and there I met with two of their Sachems and severall other Indians of whome I enquired after some news, if the French or their Indians had sent for them or been in ye Menissinck Country. Upon wch they answered that noe French nor any of the French Indians were nor had been in the Menissinck Country nor thereabouts and did promise yt if ye French should happen to come or yt they heard of it that they will forthwith send a mesinger and give yr Excel- lency notice thereof.
"Inquireing further after news they told me that six days agoe three Christians and two Shauwans (Shawnee) Indians who went about fifteen months agoe with Arnout Vielle into the Shauwans Country were passed by the Menissinck going for Albany to fetch powder for Arnout and his company; and further told them that sd Arnout intended to be there wth seaven hundred of ye said Shauwans Indians loaden with beaver and peltries att ye time ye Indian corn is about one foot high (which may be in the month of June).
*"Maghhackamack. This name was first applied to a tract of land in the lower Neversink valley. Subsequently that river was called the Magh- hackamack. Ack or ach was the Lenape word for meadow, or land covered with grass. M'ack-h' ach-a-m'ach undoubtedly means a plurality of meadows."
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"The Menissinck Sachems further sd that one of their Sachems and other of their Indians were gone to fetch beaver and peltries which they had hunted; and having heard no more of them are afraid ye Sinnegues (Senecas) have killed them for ye lucar of ye beaver or because ye Menissinck In- dians have not been with ye Sinnegues as usual to pay their Dutty, and therefore desire that your excellency will be pleased to order yt ye Sinnegues may be told not to molest or hunt ye Menissincks they be willing to continue in amity with them.
"In the afternoon I departed from ye Menissincks; the 8th, 9th and roth of Feb. I traveled and came att Bergen in ye morning about noone arrived att New Yorke.
"This is may it please your Excell. the humble report of your Excellency's most humble servt.
Arent Schuyler."
"In 1697, three years after Schuyler's expedition to the Minisink, a patent for lands in the valley was granted to him; also another for one thousand acres to the original settlers of Peenpack. There is no evidence that the Minisink country was settled previous to the year last named."
The original settlers of Mamakating were principally French Protestants who fled from their country on the revo- cation of the edict of Nantes. In 1697 they obtained a patent for twelve hundred acres in the Peenpack Valley at a place then called Wagaghkemek (Qu .: Maghhackamack).
"Subsequently, it is believed, a mine was opened and worked at a point north of Peenpack; but that from some cause it was abandoned."
Those who labored in the Shawangunk Mine in Mamakat-
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ing cannot be styled settlers. When they abandoned the mine they abandoned the country, leaving no enduring trace behind them. After their exodus several years must have elapsed be- fore the actual settlement of the valley began; long enough to cause the exact locality of the mine to be forgotten, other- wise it could be pointed out at this day.
"The first settler about 1700 was Don Manuel Gonsalus, a Spanish Puritan, who fled from Spain on account of perse- cution and married into a Dutch family at Rochester, Ulster County. He moved to Mamakating Hollow, built a log house and entertained those who carried wheat to the Kingston market", so says an early writer. Others do not agree, it being claimed that he was neither a nobleman nor a Puritan, and that while his name is mentioned in Kingston records as early as 1689, he did not come to Mamakating until after 1728, good reasons being given which are not copied here. It is not even certain that he was the original white settler, al- though such is the universal tradition.
The Old Mine Road terminated at the old copper mine in Pahaquarry a few miles above the Water Gap, and here we will leave theories and start with the main business of this book- a record of a tramp or tramps over the old and modern highway.
However there is one more document to be quoted, and then we are through with that sort of filling and can tend to the wild flowers and legends.
Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf came to this country in 1741 and founded the Moravian missions in Pennsylvania which were soon spread among the Indians in various direc- tions. The Count in the course of his travels had occasion to cover the Old Mine Road and his journal referring to that
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part of his trip is given here, it being a "Narative of a Journey to Shecomeco, twenty miles southeast of Rhinebeck, N. Y., in August, 1742", and is taken from the Memorials of the Moravian Church.
MEMORIALS OF THE MORAVIAN CHURCH, Vol. 1, Page 47.
Narative of a Journey to Shecomeco, twenty miles southeast of Rhinebeck, N. Y., in August of 1742.
Count Zinzendorf, his daughter and Anton Seyffert left Nazareth, Pa., for Shecomeco. An old Indian trail led over the Blue Mountains through Tat's Gap into the Minisink; this led to Depue's ford over the Delaware River. Only such of the journal as covers the Count's trip over the Old Mine Road is given herewith :-
Aug. 11, 1742. "In the evening we reached the bank of the Delaware, and came to Mr. De Puis who is a large landholder and wealthy. While at his house he had some Indians ar- rested for robbing his orchard."
Aug. 12, 1742 (Sunday). "His son escorted us to the church and in course of conversation put a number of indif- ferent and idle questions on religious subjects. My inability to answer him gratified rather than chagrined me, and was. I thought, altogether an advantage on my side."
"We dismounted at the church, and were compelled to lis- ten to two sermons, which wearied us.
"In the morning the heat had been overpowering. In order to avoid being drawn into religious controversy, I went into the woods and read Josephus. The Dominie came to me and
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annoyed me with questions and remarks. Although my curt manner provoked him, it served to bring him to reflection, and he sought to propitiate me afterwards by riding with us for several hours. He is the well known Caspar from Zurich, a well-meaning man, I must confess,-one of the so-called 'Convictionists', without much conviction, however, and yet efficient for good in his denomination."
The river is fordable at the head of De Pew's Island, a lit- tle above the house. The old homestead, thirty-eight miles below Port Jervis, is still in the family.
Aug. 13, 1742. "As we rode along, we were joined by a man who complained of the burden of his sins, and who inquired of me what to do to be saved. From his remarks, during the conversation, I failed to discover any solid ground, in his religious experience on which to erect an abiding su- perstructure."
"On passing a house, a female stepped out, spoke to us, and after the interchange of a few words, asked us to dis- mount, adding that her son, she knew, would be pleased to converse with us. We were unable to gratify her wish as we had purposed passing the Minnisinks, and through half of the widerness beyond, and there was a journey of thirty miles be- fore us. When we reached the house that stands in the heart of it, night had already set in and it was dark as pitch."
Aug. 14, 1742. "Set out early in the morning; rode through the remainder of the wilderness, and reached Mom- bach and Marbletown. (Passed the night perhaps at the 'Jagd-house', half-way between Port Jervis and Kingston, or at Emanuel Pascal's.) We were much annoyed by the ill- natured questions that were put to us at a house at which we dismounted. Rode on through Hurley to Sopus. Here we
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met Sr. Anna and Christian Frohlich and his wife. I dis- patched Christian to the Delaware to be with them at their festival, and retained Mary.
"In the afternoon we resumed our journey, crossed the North River, and halted for the night. The people here re- garded us as Saints."
(Conrad Weisser, in his Journal to Onondaga, in August, 1750, gives the following stations and distances :-
Aug. 17, Came to Nazareth
Aug. 18, To Nicklas Depuy, in Smithfield, on Delaware
39 miles
Aug. 19, To Henry Cortrecht at Meniss- ing .25 miles
Aug. 20, To Emanuel Pascal, "The Span-
iard"
·35 miles Aug. 21, To Kingstown (Sopus) 44 miles)
"On the 24th of August we set out on our return home."
Aug. 25. "Crossed the North River. Sopus being the Sodom of New York we resolved to pass through, and not spend Sunday within its borders. This prolonged our jour- ney into the night and we barely succeeded in finding lodgings on the other side of Hurley."
Aug. 26 (Sunday). "I spent the whole day out of doors, and although I kept myself in the woods, I nevertheless got into difficulty. It was beyond my control to escape what the people here were determined to inflict on me. For in the even- ing, as Benigna (his daughter) was writing by candlelight in our lodgings, a Justice of the Peace came into the room and forbade us in the King's name. He then left in a storm of rage. Next morning at 5 o'clock (we were scarcely out of bed) a constable sent by him arrested me, Benigna, and An-
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ton, and led us back to Hurley. Here were examined by the Justice in public; and without a proper hearing were con- victed, and fined 18s. for Sabbath breaking. He then dis- missed us with manifest regret that it was not in his power to impose a severer punishment. I really believe it would have afforded the people extreme pleasure to have seen us bound as scoffers of God and the King and taken down to New York. One of our Indians on being asked whether he wished to look on at the examination, rejoined saying: 'Why should I look on at such a malicious proceeding?' This answer vexed the bystanders."
Aug. 27. "Reached Minnisink.
Aug. 28. Came to the Delaware, across which we swam our horses."
"Deposition-Budingische Sammlung Part XV., No. 18?
"On the 26th of August, 1742, about 9 o'clock a. m., we, the undersigned, and three Mohican converts, sat down near a thicket, a short distance on the other side of Hurley. Soon after, our Brother von Thurnstein came to us out of the woods, and asked us whether we intended traveling further. We told him we thought of doing so. Hereupon, he earnestly advised us that it was Sunday, that the Presbyterians took offense at Sunday travel, and that on this account he had thought proper to make a halt. From regard to him we did as he bade us. He remained the greater part of the day in the woods (as was his custom), although it rained incessantly, and about candlelight returned to the house where we were lodg- ing. Seeing his daughter Benigna seated at a table, he handed her a poem on the Indians he had composed a few days ago and asked her to copy it. She being unable to do it at once, he engaged in conversation, and spoke with much feeling
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of God's gracious dealings with the Economy at Halle, in the welfare of which institution he always took a lively interest."
"In the midst of the discourse a messenger entered the room and inquired whether any one of the company present had known the late Isaac Ysselstein of the Forks of Delaware. As Dominie von Thurnstein had had little acquaintance with him, and as he was always averse to engaging in any conver- sation with people on Sunday, he referred the inquirer to Dominie A. Seyffert. Dominie von Thurnstein now handed the poem to his daughter to copy and at the same time began to write in his memorandum."
"Although he expressly requested that no one should dis- turb him that day, several persons nevertheless entered the room and sat down. It was always left for him to conduct the religious discussions which usually followed the arrival of obtrusive visitors; but on the present occasion he con- fined himself to his writing, appearing disinclined to speak in the presence of the Indians, who all understood Low Dutch. Accordingly, he took no part in the conversation (there being some five or six of us, enough to answer all questions) until he was addressed personally. He had just finished his memo- randa, and the Countess had completed the copying, when one of his visitors, who appeared to be the leader, remarked to him that he, the Dominie, seemed to be very industrious. 'Not at all', said the latter, adding, at the same time, that he was merely noting down a few thoughts. To this the man rejoined, saying that it was Sunday. Hereupon, Dominie von Thurn- stein wishing to avoid useless controversy, observed that probably they differed in their religious views, but that, ac- cording to his belief, such writing as he had been engaged in was not unlawful on Sunday. 'The King', said the other, 'has
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ordered that Sunday be strictly kept in every particular, even in the face of the religious liberty which prevails in the land.'"
"This remark as well as the speaker's statement that he was a Justice of the Peace, and had spoken in the King's name, induced the Dominie to address a letter to the Governor in New York, in which he related what had happened."
"He took this step with the presumption, that in case the Justice were acting illegally in the premises, it would bring him to reflection; in case, however, his course was lawful, the Governor's endorsement of it would screen himself and his followers from slanderous reports. As often as this letter was presented to the Justice for delivery he persistently returned it with coarse invective; and early next morning, as we were about to resume our journey, a constable, sent by him, came to the house and arrested, with his tipstaff, first the Countess Benigna and next Dom. A. Seyffert. Dom. von Thurnstein ac- companied them without compulsion, and hence the officer need not have touched him with his staff, and made a formal arrest. What else transpired, these deponents say not."
"We learned subsequently that the three were fined for Sabbath breaking, despite their protestations of innocence, that the Justice had alleged the Dominie's incivility to him on the previous night as the cause of his arrest and that he had returned the letter written to the Governor for the last time, in a passion and with threats."
"The bystanders on asking our Indians, after the arrest, whether they wished to be presented at the examination, the latter replied, that they took neither interest nor pleasure in such a malicious proceeding."
"Above deposition, although not made before a magistrate, we, the undersigned, eye witnesses of the occurrences therein stated, affirm to be strictly true. N. N. and N. N."
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KINGSTON.
It will be noted that our amiable friend the Count has .called Kingston "the Sodom of New York"; just why he did so is not plain, but I take credit to myself for a discovery made during the Fall of 1906, and that is that this same Sopus or Kingston is the site or immediate vicinity of the Garden of Eden, thus utterly refuting the slander that our missionary friend has placed on this beautiful city. The proof of this lies in the fact that Mother Eve is buried within its precincts as all may see who walk along the Fair Street side of the burial ground. Another interesting point developed is Adam's chris- tian name, if early man can be said to have had a christian name. We all know that in the early days people were no- toriously careless in regard to names, and while it is possible that the full name of our common ancestor is mentioned somewhere besides on the tombstone of his Eve, I have over- looked it, if such is the fact. It now seems that Adam was a Tenbroock and evidently a good Dutchman, and that ac- counts for another matter that has always been a puzzle, which is the evidently Dutch contour of the Prophets and other early Bible characters as illustrated on old blue tiles; in fact, I think I recall having seen on such a tile a portrait of either Adam or Noah waving the Dutch flag. It is astonish- ing how simple the most knotty questions become when sud- den inspiration unlocks the door.
The City of Kingston celebrated the two hundred and fif- tieth anniversary of its founding May 30th to June Ist, 1908.
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KINGSTON.
On the 30th the inhabitants were so pestered with rain as to remind one of the same trouble the Dutch experienced two hundred and fifty years ago, when the floods prevented them for days from following after the Indians and their captives.
The remains of Governor George Clinton, which through the exertions of Mr. Benjamin M. Brink and Chaplain Randal Hoes had been brought from Washington, were reinterred in the Dutch churchyard in the afternoon, but the speechmaking by ex-Governor David B. Hill was adjourned to the court- house because of the storm. In the evening Major-General O. O. Howard, Judge Clearwater and Judge Hasbrouck delivered addresses.
Sunday, the 31st, was dedicated to memorial services in all the churches. At the Dutch Church Major-General How- ard gave an interesting talk on Lincoln, rightly claiming that no patriotic celebration was complete without mention of that great patriot.
Dr. Van Slyke announced from the pulpit that on the fol- lowing Sunday, June 7th, Chaplain Hoes would deliver an address recounting the attack on Wilt-Wick which opened the second Esopus war and read part of a letter from Domine Hermanus Blom, in which he craved permission from the Director General and the Honorable Council for an annual celebration by fasting and prayer to commemorate on each June 7th the event, and to give thanks for their preservation from the heathen.
June Ist was the grand day of the celebration. Here were parades and Indians and speeches, an attack on the stockade by the noble order of Red Men dressed as aborigines, while the night was illumined with fireworks.
I am reminded of a remark attributed to General Horace
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Porter at the celebration of Kingston, October 17, 1893, to the effect that the Sons of the D. A. R. liked to place themselves on a plane below the Daughters of the A. R., partly from modesty, partly that we feel ourselves a little lower than the angels, and partly that we may obey the scriptural injunction which commands a man to set his affections on things that are above.
Kingston, with all its old stone houses, that are as at- tractive pictorially as they are from an historic and romantic point of view, offers wonderful possibilities for a fruitful imagination. There should be a dozen or more good ghost stories and romances waiting for some one to garb them be- comingly for company. What a troop must cling around the Hoffman house, that stretches from the palisaded village to the days of the trolley, and how many romances have dated their opening chapters from the old ball room of the De Waall place.
It is no fault of the Dutch Church that its steeple has spells; certainly this beautiful, slender spire points the way to Heaven as both the architect and the builders intended, and yet there is a mysterious something, as one stands below and gazes to the diamonded shingles and small windows, that gives the imagination play.
It was well known some forty years ago that a spectral painter worked on this steeple of stormy nights, and then there is the hobgoblin's cap that was discovered one fine morning perched on its highest pinnacle-possibly it is some trace of one or other of these visitations, possibly of some long forgotten bewitchment; it is not for me to say. I can but report in good faith what has been told me, and leave the matter to the judgment of those better versed in such things.
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KINGSTON.
Something like forty years ago it became necessary to paint this tall spire, but only one painter was found with nerves steady enough to undertake the work. This man, be- ginning at the base worked steadily upward until he reached the small windows, when he was suddenly stricken and died shortly after being helped to the ground.
There are those who claim that the workman died of painter's colic, but it is a singular and startling fact that he was not affected until he reached the level of the small win- dows mentioned above, and which are readily seen from the street. Now, such research as I have been able to make leads me to believe that that same hobgoblin, before referred to and about which we are to learn more shortly, had in some way been imprisoned among the rafters and there held by the holy spell and, lying in wait for the painter, had made faces at the man through the glass of a window and scared his breath away.
It must be admitted that this is largely theory, with little proof beyond the fact that the painter died.
Now comes the strange part of the tale: It seems that shortly after the death of the painter some citizen whose word was unimpeachable (some award the honor to Mr. Samuel Paulding, but there appears to be no positive means of identi- fication) had revealed to him by a flash of lightning (or in- spiration) one stormy night (or possibly it was through the bottom of a glass darkly-I am somewhat baffled here) the figure of a spectral painter high up on the steeple and hard at work.
The report spread quickly throughout the town and there was much excitement. While it was only given to certain elect brethren to see the spectre, there were yet enough to
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firmly establish the fact, as is evidenced by the current files of the local papers.
So far as can be ascertained, at this late date, this con- tinued for but two or three years, and it is believed that the purpose of the spectre, whatever that may have been, having been accomplished, it repaired to some other job. The mys- tery has never been explained.
And now for the hobgoblin: In days of old, when sermons were long and church-goers were early risers, peculiar noises were commonly heard during the time of service, which were unkindly attributed to the throat action of certain wor- shippers, but which, in view of late developments, it now seems probable were ventriloquistic waves sent down from the steeple to bring unmerited shame on such good brothers as were wont to close their eyes for the purpose of more pro- found meditation. Be this as it was, these strange noises were heard regularly on Sunday mornings for many years, but are practically never heard to-day. I say heard on Sunday morn- ings; it is more than probable that had any been present dur- ing other days of the week similar or other noises might have been heard, but naturally no record could be kept of such-at least on earth.
It seems that some one of the old Domines had on a cer- tain occasion made a journey to New York, and while returning on a Hudson River sloop with his good wife, a monstrous hob- goblin was suddenly discovered perched astride the bowsprit, much to the mental anguish of the lady and, in fact, of the en- tire crew. But our man of learning soon put the hideous crea- ture to flight with an exorcism known only to himself and, strange to relate, the very next morning the cap of this same goblin was discovered hanging on the highest point of the
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Domine's own church in Kingston and for many years there- after these strange noises, already referred to, became mani- fest.
Presumably this goblin, in his violent efforts to recover the cap, became in some way incarcerated within the steeple and, being on holy ground, was deprived of his evil power; thus he was only able to vent his spite by such petty annoyances, until in an untoward moment his baleful influences were re- turned to him while the painter was at his work.
I understand that at Harvard has been established a chair of psychology, which undertakes to investigate well authenti- cated incidents of this sort and, so far as possible, explain them on scientific principles. It would be interesting to get this matter before the learned professors, and it is hoped that some one will use his influence to this end.
Here is a story taken from a book entitled "Rachel Du- mont", and as most of my material is taken from the most reliable sources, I do not see why it is not permissible for me to give this tale just as it came to me :-
"Cæsar was an old colored butler in a Kingston family. He wore his hair braided on one side. The corresponding portion had been cut off by his nephew, Pompey, one day when the old man was asleep. Pompey's father caught him in the act, but old Cæsar always claimed 'it was dem rascally Britishers dat wuz tryin' to scalp him', and he was quite proud of his one- sided queue.
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