USA > New York > Orange County > Newburgh > Newburgh; her institutions, industries and leading citizens, historical, descriptive and biographical > Part 58
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60
"Rich and rare were the oaths he swore, And the Kohinoor in his shirt he wore."
Because of rough water the race was not started till 6.30 a. m., Monday, September 9. Hamill led for a mile, when Brown passed him, and led by a length or two, but held the lead only for a short distance. Near the stakeboat Hamill was three lengths ahead; for some unknown reason he stopped at the stakeboat, and Brown ran into him, knocking a hole in Hamill's boat. The referee, Stephen Rob- erts, of New York, gave the race to Hamill.
In 1865, at New York, Henry, Charles, Gilbert and Josh. Ward vanquished the Stevens crew, of Poughkeepsie, and the same year defeated the Biglin crew, of New York, at Sing Sing.
In September, 1867, at Springfield, on the Connecticut River, the Wards easily defeated a picked crew from St. John, N. B., in a contest for $1,000 and the American championship, course three miles to stakeboat and return, the Wards winning in the Bryant in 39 m. 28 s.
In July, 1868, at Worcester, Josh. Ward and four of his brothers and J. L. Raymond beat the Harvard crew in 17 m. 4012 s., the fastest time ever made in America over a three-mile turning course.
In October, 1868, St. John, N. B., sent to the same course its "Paris crew," which in the exposition races of 1867 had beaten the picked crews of England and France, and now won $3,000 and the championship, covering the six miles in 39 m. 2834 s., the Wards coming in 1 minute behind. The St. John crew were afterwards beaten by the Renforth (Tyne) crew of England, at Lachine, Canada.
But on September 11, 1871, at Saratoga Lake, came the greatest international race of all. The contestants were the Ward Brothers, the Tyne crew, of England, the Taylor-Winship crew, of England, the Coulter-Biglin crew, of New York, the Pittsburgh crew, and the Stevens crew from Poughkeepsie. The Wards won, making the four miles in 24 minutes, 40 seconds.
SKATING.
It has been said that the history of skating-that is, speed skat- ing-in this country, if ever written, must be written at Newburgh, which is now, and, our oldest residents say, always was, " the head- quarters for fast skaters." About 1815-20, Jacob June, John Decker and Charles Payne (colored), were the fastest skaters in these parts. At a later period, John Gains, of Newburgh, was accounted the fastest in the United States. One of the great races of that time oc- curred in the Winter of 1839-40. The distance was two miles, and the starters were John Gains, William Hawkins, James Moshier and Charles F. June, of Newburgh; Harrison Moshier, of Breakneck, and Burger, of Albany. Burger had often said he could beat Gains, and this race virtually decided the championship of the Hudson River. Gains won the race, Hawkins second, and James Moshier and June making a dead heat for the third prize. Burger was fifth in the race. June and Moshier skated immediately afterward for the third prize, and Moshier won by six feet; time, 7 minutes, 42 seconds. The next day Gains and Hawkins skated a match race, one mile, in a circle. Gains won. John C. Stevens, of New York, a wealthy sporting man, offered a prize to any person who would skate one mile in three minutes without the aid of the wind. Gains skated for the prize, and on a dead calm day in Stevens' presence, at Haverstraw, covered a measured mile inside of the required time.
Charles F. June, at the time referred to above, was a lad of sixteen. His performances were considered remarkable for one of his age, his competitors in the race having been men. Gains took him in hand to train, and every favorable night the young skater received his lesson from the old expert where no prying eyes could see them. The next Winter June was entered in a race at Cornwall, in which William Hawkins, Harrison Moshier, James Moshier and Platt Moshier
also skated, distance one-half mile out and back; June won easily. In 1849 a match was arranged between "Wash." Moshier and June, which June won. June eventually became the acknowledged cham- pion.
A challenge was published, in 1860, in the New York Herald that he would skate any mau in the United States or Canada, from one to ten miles, for $1,000 to $10,000 a side. The challenge remained open three weeks, but was not accepted.
Another fast skater of that period was George W. Shaw, and many believed him the equal of June, but in two regular races he was de- feated by June. In 1853 Mr. Shaw skated a measured quarter-mile in 32 seconds, and once skated a mile in 2 minutes and 35 seconds with the wind. The following reminiscences are credited to Mr. Shaw by a local paper:
" We didn't skate against time those days, not much. We would match our best men, and the fastest man came in ahead-that's all. But one day 'Nat' Belknap, Captain Tommy Ring and a lot more came in the shop and says, ' Shaw, we've staked a quarter-mile out here and want to time you. Will you go? Now, in those days, we didn't follow skating as a business, and when we took a half day off to skate it meant half a day off pay, too. But, thinks I, 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,' so I says, 'here goes.' When I skated the first heat they marked 36 seconds. Says I, 'Gentlemen, I can beat that,' and I did beat it just two seconds. Says I, 'Gentlemen, I can heat that, too,' and by the great horn spoon I did, for they marked the time 32 seconds. Why didn't 1 go the mile? Well, they urged me to try it and staked off the mile. By that time I was nicely warmed up for work, and I went for the record. I knew by the clip I was making that they would mark as good time as on the last quarter. How did I make it? Well, it was in the afternoon and the tail end of the day at that. I crossed the line fairly flying, for I had a good wind with me. They dropped the flag, but it was so dark that 'Nat,' who wore glasses, or Cap- tain Tommy could not see it. No time was marked. Those weren't silver medal days, but we had the fun all the same, and in my opinion it would have made these badge fellows hustle to keep up with the procession when we boys took a day off to skate."
Cicero Gardner and " Tut" Bloomer were the principal patrons of skating races when Captain June and George Shaw were boys. In the absence of daily newspapers, they printed and distributed handbills giving notice of the races. When the people assembled on the ice to witness the races, it was customary to take up a collection, and the money thus obtained became the prizes of the winners. Captain June, in later years, frequently arranged races in this way.
In 1865 June was challenged by Timothy Donoghue, of New- burgh, but being disabled at that time he declined. When seventeen years of age, Donoghue skated a measured mile in three minutes, first in one direction and then in the other. Afterwards he skated a mile several times in 2 minutes 30 seconds, with the aid of a light wind. "I always thought," he once said, "with the aid of extra strong wind and good ice, I could skate a mile in two minutes, with a flying start." At one time William Clark, of Madison, Wis., was credited with skating a mile in extraordinary time. Donoghue chal- lenged him to skate in Madison, but Clark never replied.
" The fastest long-distance skating I ever did," said Mr. Donoghue in a letter which he wrote to the Spirit of the Times, "was in 1872, when Aaron Wilson and myself skated to Poughkeepsie and returned to Newburgh (30 miles) in 2 hours. We then, with Charles F. June, started at 11 a. m. for Albany, and arrived there at 5 p. m. We lost fifteen minutes crossing the ferry track which was open at Pough- keepsie; and at Rhinebeck the ferry was also running, and we had to walk about half a mile. Then we got our dinner, which took us forty-five minutes. That left 5 hours running from Newburgh to Al- bany. The distance to Albany is 84 miles by the Hudson River Rail- road. As we had to cross the river from one side to the other a num- ber of times, looking for good ice, I think it made the distance more. The ice was not good, but we had a strong wind."
TIMOTHY DONOGHUE, Sr., was born in Ireland, May 13, 1837, but came to this country in 1843 and settled in Newburgh. He was apprenticed to the carpenter's trade, and as he approached man- hood began to row and build racing-boats. He was only twenty when he turned out the famous Frank G. Wood, rowed bow oar in her and was captain of her crew when they won many races. Donoghue also rowed double sculls with Brown when they defeated
326
NEWBURGH.
the champion double-scullers, Gil, Ward and Hancon, in 1860. He con- tinued to row and build boats until 1861, when he joined the Union army, serving as captain in the Thirty-sixth New York Volunteers. Returning from the war he commenced his skating career by winning an open race at Orange Lake, near Newburgh (in 1864), and defeat- ing all the local champions in friendly trials. So, looking for more formidable competitors than the Hudson River furnished, Mr. Don- oghue issued a challenge to skate any man in the world, and persist- ently repeated it for years, but he failed to get on a match with any one. For twenty years he stood ready to meet all comers. Mr. Don- oghue has conducted an oar-making business in Newburgh for the past twenty-five years. The Donoghue oars have been used by all the best oarsmen since Josh. Ward's time, and have the reputation of being the best in the world.
The National Amateur Skating Association was organized in 1886, and was the first skating organization of a national character, and the first having authority to award national championship prizes. At the first meeting Timothy Donoghue, jr., of Newburgh, finished third in the ten mile race. In 1887, on the Hackensack River, at Little Ferry. Timothy Donoghue, jr., won the mile race in 3:13 2-5, F. W. Craft, of St. Johns, N. B., second; Joseph F. Donoghue, third. These three also finished in the same order in the half-mile straight-away.
On the afternoon of February 1, 1887, the officers of the National Association came to Newburgh to witness an effort on the part of Timothy Donoghue, jr., to break the mile-straight-away record with the wind. The ice was perfect and the wind was blowing at the rate of about twenty miles an hour. Charles F. June, of New- burgh, watched the start; G. A. Avery and W. S. Robertson, of New York, were the time-keepers. On the first attempt he cov- ered the distance in 2:23 3-5, and on the second attempt with a stronger wind to aid him he skated the mile in 2: 12 3-5.
At Van Cortlandt Lake, January 21, 1888, Joseph F. Donoghue, of Newburgh, won the five-mile race, T. Donoghue, jr., second, fol- lowed by F. Craft, C. Lappe, C. J. Gordon, of Montreal; S. O'Brien, Ivan De Wordt, of Christiana, Norway; H. B. Goetchius, S. D. North and C. A. J. Queckberner. Time 19 m. 17 3-5 S.
TIMOTHY DONOGHUE, Sr.
January 24, on South Cove, New York Bay, quarter-mile dash, won by Timothy Donoghue, jr., in 40 s .; Craft second, followed by O'Brien, See, Gil- bert and Gordon. One mile with turn about flagstaff, won by Tim- othy Donoghue, jr., in 3 m. 46 1-5 s .; Joseph Donoghue second, followed by Craft, O'Brien and Gilbert.
January 28, Fleetwood Park, ten mile race, won hy Joseph Don- oghue in 44 m. 41 4-5 s; Timothy Donoghue, jr., second. The other contestants were F. Craft, S. D. See and S. O'Brien.
The races of 1889 were brought to Newburgh, by the National Association, on invitation of the Skating Association of Newburgh. They were announced to take place on the Hudson River, on January 17 and 18, but there was no ice, and it was settled that the races should be held at Muchattoes Lake on February 22. The day will long be remembered by Newburghers. It was a holiday and the weather delightful, too fine for the skaters, as the ice became soft. Over 5,000 persons witnessed the races from the banks of the lake.
In the 220-yard race, T. Donoghue, jr., won in 2012 seconds, fol- lowed in the order named by Elmer Simpson, Joe Donoghue, B. Maslin and Walton.
Five-mile race: The entries were Joseph F. Donoghue, James A. Donoghue, Tim. Donoghue, jr., Elmer Simpson, Newburgh; John and Charles Lappe, of Van Cortlandt; 1I. P. Moshier, Fishkill; W. H.
Gross, E. Morgan, L. Levein, S. J. Montgomery, W. Lentilhon, New York: G. Munzenheimer, Yale University; F. Buchner, Verplanck's Point; G. Johansen, Norway. At 21/2 miles half the entries were gone, and the field left was one of the grandest ever seen in a race. The Donoghues, the Lappes, Simpson and Moshier made a great struggle for supremacy. Joseph and James Donoghue came in first and second, with Elmer Simpson third. Winner's time, 18 minutes 44 2-5 seconds.
One-mile race: The Donoghues were entered, but through a mis- understanding failed to appear. The race was won by H. P. Moshier in 3 minutes 3814 seconds, Elmer Simpson second, John Lappe third.
Ten-mile race: Munzenheimer and Johansen abandoned the race before it was half over. This left the race to the Lappe brothers and Elmer Simpson. The Lappes kept Simpson in what skaters term a "pocket," first one of the Lappes leading and then the other. The race was finished in this order: J. Lappe coming in victor in 37 min- utes 141/2 seconds, Elmer Simpson second, Charles Lappe third.
The national races of 1890 were held at Washington Lake, near Newburgh, January 29.
The quarter-mile race was called at 9:15, and the following started: Frank P. Carroll, Picton, N. S., champion of Canada; James A. Don- oghue, Manhattan Athletic club; Joseph F. Donoghue, M. A. C .; Charles Lappe, Van Cortlandt Lake, N. Y .; John Lappe, Van Cortlandt Lake, N. Y .; Louis Levien, Amer- ican Athletic Club; Howard P. Moshier, Fishkill, N. Y .; Elmer Simpson, Whittler Athletic Club and Skating Association, of Newburgh City. Moshier won in 37 1-5 seconds, Joseph Donoghue second, James Donoghue third.
Joseph F. Donoghue won the five-mile race easily, leading by nearly three-quarters of a lap on a half-mile track, Simpson second, James Donoghue third, Carroll fourth. Joseph Donoghue won the mile race in 3:28 1-5, leading Carroll, the second man, by 150 yards, James Donoghue third; Simpson did not start. The ice becoming soft, the ten-mile race was not skated.
1891, February 7. The National Ama- teur Skating races on the river at New- burgh.
One-quarter-mile race: Starters-Joseph F. Donoghue, Elmer Simpson, James A. Donoghue, all of Newburgh; Howard P. Moshier, Breakneck; W. H. Gross, New York; G. Munzenheimer, Yale College. PHOTO. BY ATKINSON. Simpson and James A. Donoghue were ruled out for making false starts. Joseph Donoghue won; Moshier second, Munzenheimer third. Time, 37 4-5 seconds. Five miles: Starters-Joseph and James Don- oghue, Simpson, Moshier, Munzenheimer, Gross and George Riske. Time, Joseph Donoghue, 15:37; Simpson, 15:52 1-5; Moshier, 16:15; the others did not finish. Both Donoghue and Simpson beat the previ- ous record. One mile: Starters-Joseph and James Donoghue, Simp- son, Munzenheimer, Gross, F. Buckner, of Verplanck's Point; T. F. Devine, Matteawan; G. W. Meade, of Matteawan. Time, Joseph Donoghue, 3:02 2-5; James Donoghue second, Meade third. Simpson fell and withdrew. Ten miles: Starters-Joseph and James Don- oghue, and Elmer Simpson. Time, Joseph Donoghue, 35:54 3-5; Simp- son second, James Donoghue third.
Joseph F. Donoghue was born at Newburgh on February 11, 1871. He was always the fastest skater among the boys of his own age. His first racing, however, was done on rollers, when the craze struck Newburgh, and he became the champion of Orange, Dutchess and Ulster Counties. His first race on ice was in 1887, at Albany, N. Y., for the State championship, where he won the mile race from a field of fifteen and the five miles from nine good skaters.
327
NEWBURGH.
In December, 1888, he went to Europe under the care of G. M. L. Sachs, of New York. Unfortunately, the Winter was an open one there and the American representative, as he was at once hailed, had only four days' practice, whereas Alexander Von Panschin, of St. Petersburgh, Russia, his principal competitor, had three months' un- interrupted skating in the north before he arrived in Amsterdam. Donoghue, under the circumstances, was badly handicapped. Von Panschin won the half mile, Donoghue striking a post in his heat and falling. The Russian also took the mile race, Donoghue finishing second. Donoghue won the two-mile race, heating the Russian seven seconds and making the fastest time on record-6m. 24s. At Vienna, Joe again met Von Panschin and was beaten one-fifth of a second in a mile, yet the latter refused to meet Donoghue in a two- mile race, for which he immediately challenged him, and Joe deter- mined to skate against the Russian's record for the distance-6 m. 41 S. -made on the same track. The trial took place within fifteen minutes of the hard mile race, but the youthful American did the distance in 6 m. 28 3-5 s. and received a handsome diamond ring from the Vienna Skating Club for his successful effort. The one and five mile races at Hamburg, Germany, were won by Donoghue January 15 and 16 the same season, and on his return to New- burgh the skating association gave him a reception and presented him a gold stop- watch and chain.
In December, 1889, he went to Minneap- olis, Minn., to practice, as there was no ice in this vicinity. He defeated F. Johnson at the Palace Rink in a three-mile race in 9 m. 50 s. on Christmas Day, and skated five miles on January 5 in 17 m. 8 s. on a track of 71/2 laps to the mile. During his stay in Minneapolis he was brought into compari- son with Paulsen, of Norway, and McCor- mick, of Canada, and no one doubted his ability to defeat these speedy professionals.
In October, 1890, Donoghne started again for Europe. His first race was a five-mile match on December 12 with Oscar Fredrik- sen, the champion of the north, at Chris- tiana, Norway, which he won with great ease, covering the distance in the fast time of 16 m. 28 3-5 s. He followed this victory by capturing the mile amateur championship of the Netherlands on December 17, the time being 3:09 4-5. The next day he won the three-mile amateur championship of the Netherlands in 9:17, defeating the cham- pions of Germany and Holland in both races.
CHARLES F. JUNE.
He next made a journey to England, and on December 24, on Lin- gay Fen, Grantchester, Cambridge, he won the great 1 1/2 mile inter- national championship race in the remarkable time of 4: 46, which sup- planted the English records, amateur and professional. The prize was a piece of plate valued at £25, presented by the late Prince Alexan- der of the Netherlands (Prince of Orange), in addition to a gold medal.
On January 6, 1891, at Amsterdam, Donoghue again put to rout the best skaters of Holland and Germany, winning the half-mile in I : 25 3-5 and the two-mile race in 6: 10 4-5. On January 7 he won the mile race in 3:00 2-5 and the five miles in 16 m. I s., which supplanted Norseng's, St. Peterburgh, record of 16 m. 16 s.
CAPTAIN CHARLES F. JUNE was born in this city in 1824. His grandfather, Phineas June, emigrated from France before the Revolution, and settled in Newburgh. He married Fannie M. Cof- fin, whose grandfather came to this country in the Mayflower. She was among the first to make Newburgh her home, where she became acquainted with Phineas June. The ceremony was performed in the old New Windsor Church in 1790. Jacob June, the father of Charles
F., was born in Newburgh in 1800, and married Maria Penny, of Newburgh, whose grandfather and grandmother came here with the first company of Huguenots that came into New York, landing near Sag Harbor on Long Island, where they lived and died, having occu- pied the one house in which they were married for the period of 86 years, he dying at the age of 105, and she aged 111. When a lad Jacob June served an apprenticeship as a boatman, and afterwards, for nearly sixty years, he conducted a hotel and restaurant business in this city. Charles F. June in boyhood learned the trade of a baker, but when eighteen years old engaged as cook on the sloop James Bennett, commanded by John Polhemus. There he learned the prin- ciples of seamanship, and afterward, when his father purchased the sloop Pilot and entered the hoating business, Charles took charge of her, trading along shore between Newburgh and Albany. Then he started a regular freighting line between Newburgh, Albany and Troy, making a trip every week. When the business was increased a larger vessel was obtained, and when there was more freight than one vessel could carry, additional boats were temporarily chartered. The line was continued fifteen years. The eastern terminus of the Erie Railroad was then at Piermont; for a time Captain June sailed a vessel from there to New York, and after- ward had charge of the Erie barges running between the two points. Subsequently he was in charge of the landing of emigrants at Castle Garden, under employment to the Commissioners of Emigration; and was next at Red Bank, where he was in charge of the piers of the Raritan & Delaware Bay Railroad. Coming back to Newburgh in 1865, he was for a time employed at the Washington Iron Works as a rigger, and subsequently as a steamboat pilot. For a number of years he was first mate on the passenger and freight barge Newburgh. From 1873 to 1887 he was in the restaurant business in Detroit, but is now one of the firm of Taylor & June, of Newburgh, en- gaged in the bond and mortgage business. All his life long Captain June has found pleasant relaxation from business and bene- ficial exercise in out-door sports, especially in rowing, skating and yachting. In his prime he was a champion skater and oars- man, and as a yachtsman he has guided many a fleet craft to victory. A record of a few of his achievements will be found elsewhere. Now, at the age of sixty-seven, the result of healthful exercise in early life is observable in his vigorous and powerful frame and energetic manner. As an officer of the Newburgh Skating Association, he has been one of the managers of the National ama- teur races when held in this city, and has greatly encouraged the pastime by precept and example. He is still a good skater, and en- joys the sport every Winter. Captain June married twice; his first wife was Margaret White; his second wife, Henrietta Chapman. He has two sons and one daughter, who is the wife of Hon. Grant B. Taylor.
YACHTING.
During the years 1873-78 many memorable yacht races were sailed in Newburgh Bay. So successful and exciting did they become, that the fleetest open yachts in this part of the country competed. The races were first held under the auspices of the Central-Hudson Yacht Club, with headquarters at New Hamburgh, but the Newburgh Bay Yacht Club was afterwards formed here under the patronage of Hon. C. F. Brown and others. Judge Brown's first yacht was the Lorelei, which participated in a number of exciting races, her most notable com- petitors being the Fidget and LeRoy of New Hamburgh. The yacht William R. Brown was built during the Spring of 1876 for C. F.
328
NEWBURGH.
Brown, William R. Brown and H. C. Higginson. She was 27 feet 3 inches in length, and built under the guarantee to beat the Susie S. or any yacht of that class. The Susie S. was owned by Captain Ira Smith and another of New York City, and, with Captain Smith and a picked crew, was considered invincible by any yacht of her inches. Fresh from the builder's hands, the Brown sailed against the Susie S. and other crack boats in the Centennial race in New York Harbor, and won second place, finishing one minute and a half behind the Susie S. In the Newburgh regatta of that year, the Susie S. was entered, but did not start. The Brown made the best time over the course, defeating the Fidget, LeRoy, Sophia Emma, Sans Souci, Cynthia, Artful Dodger and other fast craft. A series of races, best two out of three, was arranged between the Susie S. and the Brown. The first trial was made in Newburgh Bay, August 8, but after sail- ing several miles, with honors even, the wind died out and the race was put off till the following day. The second trial ended like the first, but on the third day the yachts started at 5 p. m. with a fair breeze. The race had an unsatisfactory ending; the Brown lost her jib, dark- ness came, and the wind died out. The Susie S. finished first and won the cup.
In the regatta of 1877 the crew of the Susie S. sailed the William R. Brown, and won the race from the Dare Devil, owned by Mr. Iselin, of New Rochelle. There were forty-eight entries in all classes, in- cluding the Brown, Joseph Weddle's Freak, G. W. Shaw's A. S. Ring and A. Riley's Corni, of Newburgh; and the W. F. Davids, of New Rochelle; the Journeyman, Pluck-and-Luck, and Let-Her-B, of New York; and other crack yachts. For the first time in the history of yachting a class was made for catamarans, making five classes in all. The catamarans Tarrantilla, owned by the Herreshoff's, of Bristol, R. I., made the best time in this race; the Brown winning in the first-class, the Pluck-and-Luck in the second, the Sophia Emma, of New York, in the third, and the Victoria, of Hyde Park, in the fourth.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.