The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 34

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823-
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company
Number of Pages: 1098

USA > New York > Jefferson County > The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894 > Part 34

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The Crossmon's surroundings are attractive. Every crevice of the immense rock upon which its river side rests is adorned with a bed of flowers or a small shrub. On the street side are graveled walks and drives, and a circular plat for out-door games, with easy benches protected by a canopy. Stretching eastward from the hotel is Crossmon's Point, with its broad, level lawn, bordered by the docks and landings for steamboats and skiffs.

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THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.

A T night the Crossmon, in-doors and out, presents a scene of brilliancy. Rows of colored lights illumine the verandas, and shine from its many towers, shedding a wealth of color upon the water. Tbe drawing-rooms are filled with guests engaged in social pastimes, and all about the place there is light and life and gayety. The arrival of the steamers at evening is celebrated by a display of fireworks in front of the hotel and on the neighboring islands, making a picture indescribably beautiful.

In speaking thus extendedly of "The Crossmon," we have really been illustrating the successful efforts of Mr. Crossmon him- self, for his hotel was his life, and upon it he lavished all his energy, and it rewarded his honest faith. No trouble was too great for a guest ; the sick had all the care possible if by chance they fell ill there, and the result was that every guest became a personal friend. In that way "The Crossmon" has enjoyed a steady return of its old patrons year by year. Indeed one patron has spent thirty-eight con- secutively recurring summers there.

Personally Mr. Crossmon was unassuming, earnest in his friendships, steadfast in his purposes, and loyal to all those that aided to develop Alexandria Bay. In the midst of his complete success he was called away to another country, leaving a name unblemished, and a memory sweet and grateful.

The elder Crossmon having died in 1892, Mr. Charles W. Crossmon succeeds the firm of Crossmon & Son, whose management bas made this hotel noted throughout the world, and the favorite headquarters in later days of such men as President Arthur, Gen. Sheridan, Cardinal McClosky, Herbert Spencer, Charles Dudley Warner, B. F. Reinliart, Will Carleton, and other notables, whose spoken and written praises have added greatly to the popularity of the islands and the Crossmon.

THE THOUSAND ISLES.

By H'. .. Croffut, in " The Continent."

My wandering soul is satisfied ; I rest where blooming islands ride At anchor on the tranquil tide.

The sky of summer shines serene, And sapphire rivers flow between The thousand bosky shields of green.

And so I drift in silence where Young Echo, from her granite chair, Flings music on the mellow air,

O'er rock and rush, o'er wave aud brake, Until her phantom carols wake The voices of the Island Lake.

Beneath my skiff the long grass slides ; The mascolouge in covert hides, And pickerel flash their gleaming sides,

And purple vines the naiads wore, A-tip-toe on the liquid floor,

Nod welcome to my pulsing oar.

The shadow of the waves I see, Whose silver meshes seem to be The love-web of Penelope.

It shimmers on the yellow sands, Aud while, beneath the weaver's hands It creeps abroad iu throbbing strands,

The braided sunbeams softly shift, And uuseen fingers, flashing swift, Unravel allithe goldeu weft.

So, day by day,"I drift and dream Among the Thousand Isles, that seem The crown and glory of the stream.

" CASTLE REST."

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

OOKING northeast from the Crossmon, the traveller beholds Bonnie Castle, one of the most picturesque spots upon the river-preceding by many years some more pretentious residences, but none more elegant. Here the distinguished Dr. J. G. Holland founded his summer home, and adorned it with his best treasures. Hither he came gladly year after year, but leaving the place reluctantly. His was a nature that could drink in and appreciate such a spot, its picturesque and restful beauty, its flow of waters, its genial sum- mer visitors. But there came a spring when he came no more, for he had gone upon a long journey, preceding by a few years the great throng whom he will welcome when they in turn journey to his new-found land.

2.DAVIDSON

M.C

BONNIE CASTLE.

"THE SEVEN ISLES"

Is the name given to a cluster of seven islands and islets, contiguous but separated only so slightly by the waters of the river as to be readily connected by light rustic bridges. They are in the direct American channel, about a mile and a half above Alexandria Bay, which is the central point for pleasure and cottage residence upon this noble river. These islands are so situated that, with proper wharfage, the largest vessels could readily land and depart, without any material change in their direct course. They are only partially improved, are exquisitely picturesque and in keeping with the natural beauty and seclusion so observable upon the St. Lawrence, and afford by all odds the most desirable location for a hotel or place of public resort.

VIEW IN SEVEN ISLES, PROPERTY OF GEN. BRADLEY WINSLOW.

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THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.

A Rainy Day at the Islands.

S UNSHINE and daylight are at their best among these islands. But even a rainy day has its compensations. Then the men stay around the hotels, and devote themselves to the ladies, who are not so much given to fishing as are their escorts. The book that was but lately cast aside for something promising greater zest, is now resumed at the turned-down page, and the promised letter is thought of and leisurely written. The ladies gather upon the wide verandas of the CROSS- MON, and with crocheting and talk and exchange of experiences, pass away the time. Many predictions are made as to the duration of the rain, and with friendly chat, not disguising an occasional yawn, the hour for an early dinner soon arrives, and after that comes the afternoon nap, the early tea and then the pleasures of the evening. Some dance, the young brides and the other bright ones who are very willing to becomes brides and share in the happiness they watch so intently, these steal away to the darker corners of the verandas, where confidences and an occasional pressure of the hand (possibly a kiss) may be indulged in without too much publicity. So, almost unlag- gingly, the day passes away, and John, the oarsman, promising fair weather to-morrow, stillness and sleep creep over the happy company, who are willing to declare that even a rainy day is enjoyable among the Thousand Islands, where the soft outlines of the ever-varying shore are half-hidden, half-revealed through the rainy mist, as if wait- ing for the sun's enchanting power to develop their hidden mysteries and reveal their entrancing, restful beauties. This is indeed that "Port of Peace," into which, when once you have sailed your boat, you are glad to stay, and you leave the spot with sad regrets, to be remembered always as the place where the soul is lifted up to God in glad thank- fulness that He ever made such a resting spot for His weary children, who, through many pilgrimages in many lands, at last find here a spot that fills the hungry soul with satisfaction.

Now, as to health. All who have ever remained here for a week, are conscious that after the third or fourth day there is a peculiar change in the system. If you have been troubled with insomnia, it begins to leave you, and natural, restful sleep asserts its sway. You like to sit and rest, your legs become lazy, and you are not at all anxious for long walks. The CROSSMON's shady settees have become matters for consideration; you conclude, after much argument, which is the easiest one, and best protected from the sun. You yawn often, and wonder what has come over you. You can lay down and take a nap at al- most any hour after 10 A. M. You languidly push aside the newspaper whose leaders only last week were read with the most intense interest. The spirit of Rest creeps upon you al- most unawares, for your system is being fed upon the ozone of this health-giving spot. The very air becomes an active ally in behalf of your overworked nerves, and before you are aware of it, you begin to fill up with reserve force, that shall stand you in good stead in the city's heat and push.

These beneficial influences are within the reach of all. There are now hotels and hoarding-houses at Alexandria Bay, the Thousand Island Park, at Clayton, and Cape Vin- cent, at Westminster Park, and at nearly all the other resorts, where the poor man can find entertainment within his means, and the rich man, too, much as he is criticised, may also find comforts adapted to his desires. In former times there were only the more expensive resorts, and that kept away the middle class of summer tourists. That is all changed now, and every condition except the chronically poor can find boarding houses within their means. It will not be long before this great national Vacation Park, 38 miles long, will be eagerly sought by all conditions of society, from the skilled mechanic to the millionaire.

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

THE VALUE OF REST.

M ANY people make the mistake of supposing that a summer vacation is not complete unless devoted to various sorts of physicial exercise. It seems to be taken for granted that the energies of body and mind cannot be recuperated except by trips and di- versions that call for muscular effort. Summer resorts that do not offer such opportunities are often thought to be wanting in proper attractions. There is another class of people, such as artists, teachers and clergymen, who seek places where they may pursue their usual work amid new surroundings. Under suitable restrictions perhaps no harm comes from this. Change of air and of diet are beneficial, and new faces and new scenery tend to break up the monotony of all toil and care. There are not enough people, however, who appreciate the value of a period of absolute rest, an entire cessation from activity. Just as land is better for being allowed to lie fallow, the physical and mental energies of man are better for being allowed to repose for a time. Nothing is lost by permitting mind and body each year to indulge thus in a few days' slumber. A short season spent in lounging about the Thousand Islands, watching the shifting water, or in idling in the woods and fields, with their fresh odors and changing views of hill and dale, light and shade, island and shore, as they intermingle and then separate, will often fill the frame with new vigor and the mind with new impressions. Particularly is such a change beneficial when the thermometer is up among the nineties. Then, if ever, the energies should be carefully husbanded. The English philosopher who asserted that Americans work too hard and take too little leisure, stated a truth which intelligent foreign visitors have frequently noted. This warning has a special timeliness just at present, and the seeker after a spot where the very soul may rest will find his El Dorado among the Thousand Islands.

Perhaps these islands should not be dismissed from consider- ation without more extended mention of the Mississagaus, last of the aborigines who inhabited the archipelago designated as the Thousand Islands. This harmless and friendly tribe inhabited, also, the islands in the Bay of Quinte, that beau- tiful land-locked sheet of water southwest of Kingston, Ontario. Johan George Kohl, a distinguished European traveler and author, in 1854 visited Northern New York, including these islands, and left upon record many interest- ing reminiscences of his visit. He is a genial, acute and observing writer, and we venture to spare a small space for him. He says : "It was the practice among the Missis- sagaus, at certain times of the year, to leave the islands to their young people, and make great hunting expeditions northward into the interior of Canada, and southward into New York. My informant had visited them once when he was a young man, and being hospitably received, had afterwards repeated his visits, made acquaintances and friends among them, lived with them for weeks, and shared the joys and sorrows of a hunter's life. Once, when he had been on a . journey to Niagara and

J WALTON CELY

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THE THOUSAND ISL.INDS.

the West, and had been a long time absent, he could not desist when he passed the Thousand Islands on his return to his native town, Brockville, from making a call by the way on his Mississagua friends. They recognized him immediately, gave him the warmest reception, and carried him on their shoulders to their Chief, who made a great feast in his honor, and canoes full of Indians came gliding in crowds from the islands to see and welcome him. He had to pass the night among them ; the squaws prepared his couch, and two of the Indians insisted on serving him as a guard of honor at his tent-door, where they camped out and kept the fire. ‘I was almost moved to tears myself, sir, on seeing my half-savage friends again. Believe me, it is a race very susceptible to kindness, though at the same time certainly very revengeful for injuries. They never forget their friends, but are very terrible and even treacherous against their enemies. We call them poor and miserable, but they appear quite otherwise to them- selves. They are proud of their prowess and animal daring, and of the performances of their forefathers. In fact they think themselves the first race in creation.' They have been scattered like the chaff ; their fisheries and their hunting became continually less productive; the villages and towns of the whites grew up around them ; they began to feel the pressure of want ; their race died away like the fish in their waters, and at last the few who remained accepted a proposal of the Government, that they should exchange these islands for a more remote habitation-I do not myself know exactly where."

A HOUSE BOAT, Where people live with their families. When they get tired of one place they hire a tug and move on.

The Folger Steamers.

The many residents as well as the travellers among the Thousand Islands are fortunate in the Steamboat service upon the upper river. It is perhaps not generally known that the Messrs. H. S. & B. W. Folger, are Jefferson county men, their father having been a resident of Cape Vincent in 1842-48. These young men commenced their business career in King- ston, Ont., many years ago, and are now the largest vessel owners on the upper river. Their commodious steamers, formerly known as the "White Squadron," consisting of the St. Lawrence, Empire State, Islander, Maynard and Jessie Bain, connect with all Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad trains arriving at and departing from Clayton and Cape Vincent. En route between Clayton and Alexandria Bay they make stops at Round Island,

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Grenell Island Park, Thousand Island Park, Fine View Park, Jolly Oaks, St. Lawrence Park, Point Vivian and Edgewood Park. At each of these points tourists will find fair hotel accommodation. The large Hotel Frontenac, at Round Island, is one of the prom- inent objects down the river after the steamer leaves Clayton. Round Island, the first stop, is a fine summer resort, the Island being dotted by numerous pretty cottages. At the next landing, Grenell Island Park, the Pullman House is located. The new Columbian Hotel at Thousand Island Park, is built upon modern plans, lighted throughout by electricity, and equipped with every convenience for the comfort of its guests. The Fine View House possesses a splendid location on Wellesley Island, five minutes' run below Thousand Island Park. The Grand View Park Hotel also occupies a prominent position at the head of Wells Island, and is reached by a small ferry steamer from Thousand Island Park. The Cottage Hotel, at St. Lawrence Park, is situated in a fine grove and attracts patrons. Edge- wood Park possesses a very comfortable hotel, and is a secluded, restful spot among the Islands, within a short distance of Alexandria Bay, which is the last stop. The Crossmon House, managed by Mr. Charles W. Crossmon, has a delightful location upon the river, undoubtedly the finest hotel in Northern New York, and secures each season a majority of the patronage at that point, its patrons returning year after year.

The Westminister Park is about one miles from Alexandria Bay, and is reached by a ferry steamer making hourly trips in connection with that point. It is a picturesque spot. The steamers of the Thousand Island Steamboat Company also ply between Cape Vincent and Clayton, making two round trips daily, and calling at the romantic and historical Carle- ton Island-the location of several prominent clubs. This Island possesses one of the most interesting ruins, in the form of an ancient fortification. Carleton Island boasts of one of the finest fishing grounds upon the St. Lawrence River.

Frontenac ; A Sketch.

READ AT THE CAMP-FIRE, SHADY LEDGE, AUGUST 6TH, 1889.

MODERN bumorist has written of this region :

" Here the red injuns once took their delights, Fisht, fit and bled ; But now the inhabitants is mostly whites, With nary a red."

It is a peculiarity with the American people, that as a mass we care but little for history, especially for that of the land in which we live. As boys and girls we imbibe a strong and lasting prejudice against it at school. As men and women our faces are ever turned toward the future. Let the dead past bury its legends and its musty tales of marches and counter-marches. We are busy making the history that will be studied by our children. Such is the spirit.

And yet I have to deal with the past, and if you will bear with me for a few minutes, taking your medicine gracefully, I will give you a bit of history wherein I will try to answer the question so often propounded, "Why was the hotel named Frontenac ?"

Passing from comedy to tragedy, I may state, right here, that two hundred years ago to-night, a camp fire occurred upon the St. Lawrence. It was attended by a greater throng than that now encircl- ing this little camp. Men were there who had fought their way for months through dense forests

THE CHIMNEYS-CARLETON ISLAND.

GEO. M. PULLMAN'S CASTLE REST, AT ALEXANDRIA BAY.

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THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.

for the occasion. Their faces were not the faces of kindly and indulgent friends and neighbors, but of demons. Their songs were not those of peaceful revelry, but were the fiendish death-chants of the implacable savage.

Their fagots were human bodies and their feast the hearts of the unhappy Canadian frontiersmen. Two hundred years ago to-day, at four o'clock in the morning, an alarm-gun

was fired from a little fort in the environs of Montreal. It aroused a small army of sev- eral hundreds of French sol- diers of the line, and volun- teers, who had slept the night through while the dreaded Iroquois were en- gaged in the slaughter of the helpless people of the vil- lage of Lachine.

All of the day of August 6th, 1689, both invaders and beseiged lay stupefied. The VIEW ON CARLTON ISLAND one partly from the vast quantity of rum captured in the village, the other from the almost untellable horror and panic caused by the scene that met them as they came upon the ruins of Lachine. That night the Iroquois army, carrying along one hundred and twenty captives, retired across Lake St. Louis, and at Chateaugay, within sight of the people of Montreal, burned the greater number at the stake, a few being thoughtfully saved to be sacrificed for the amuse- ment of the squaws left behind in the Indian villages of Central New York. This black event undoubtedly led to the re-instatement, by his royal master, Louis XIV, of Count Frontenac as the head of affairs in the struggling colony of Canada.

After an absence of seven years he returned to find his work of former years undone. Those Indian tribes whose favor and good will he had so long won and held in behalf of the French, were either alienated or driven away from their old haunts. The powerful and cruel confederation of the Six Nations held mastery of the St. Lawrence, and dictated terms to the commandants of the remaining and feeble ont-posts. The important fort and trading post at Frontenac (upon the site of Kingston) was destroyed. The navigation of the lakes was cut off from the French traders. The wily Dutchmen of Albany and the progressive Englishmen further south kept the Iroquois well supplied with powder and ball and with gaudy trinkets. It was the same wave of selfishness, intrigue, cruelty and devastation that surges in every age over all lands where the European gains a foothold, and where new races contend for the heritage of old and less aggressive peoples.

Count Frontenac is described by Parkman, the able historian of Canada, in the following ; terms : "Fontenac has been called a mere soldier. He was an excellent soldier and more besides. He was a man of vigorous and cultivated mind, penetrating ob- servation, and ample travel and experience."

Withal, he is said to have been of imperious nature, his anger often bridling his better judgment. His bear- ing and features were strongly patrician. His moderate fortune was wasted in his earlier years in the lavish en- tertainment that obtained about the royal court of France in the palmy days of Louis XIV.

His contentions with the Order of the Jesuits, then all powerful in Canadian affairs, form an interesting page in Canadian history.

The region of the Thousand Islands was often a de- batable ground among the Hurons, the Iroquois, and their weaker red brethren of dependent tribes. It was

THE OLD WINDMILL BELOW PRESCOTT.

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

in the highway of predatory travel and the favorite water-lane of native barter. Frontenac pushed his forces up from Montreal through the maze of islands upon errands of treaty and persuasion, just as he sent his soldiers and their red allies down Champlain to plague the people of Schenectady and Albany. He was untiring.

Taking the field himself, he sometimes inade arduous voyages up the rapids of the St. Lawrence, and at the camp-fires of great chiefs, lighted beneath the grand old pines that then bordered these myriad isles, made new treaties, joined in the red-man's rude amuse- ments, and laid deeper the foundations of the far-reaching inland commerce which then extended even to Mackinac, a valuable system of traffic which the French had not the wit to fully appreciate or the nerve to adequately protect.

With all excuse of probability, we may well imagine the flotilla of the adventurous Frenchmen after toiling up yonder American channel, and encountering the baffling winds and rough waves of the open lake now gleaming in the moonlight before us, seeking gladly the shelter of this ever hospitable island, and by a moderate tension of fancy we may con- ceive the barbaric scene, the brilliant costumes and arms of the Europeans flashing in the light of the fire, the skin-clad, feather-bedecked braves, and the swarthy beauty of the squaws lurking upon the edges of the conference.

Weighing all the testimony of credible historians, and there are many great and small ; sifting the comment pro and con, made upon the deeds of this aggressive leader, it appears that he was a man who was happily fitted to deal with the events of the unsettled times in which he lived, and that to him, more than to any other pioneer, the valley of the St. Lawrence has owed its rescue in behalf of civilization.

As far as I have been able to discover, there is no stigma upon his name which should make us hesitate to bestow it upon our summer abiding place. FRANK H. TAYLOR.

Skiff Sailing and Building.

BY F. H. TAYLOR.

" Why should we yet our sail unfurl? There is not a breath the blue waves to curl But when the wind blows off the shore, Oh ! sweetly we'll rest on our weary oar."

E VERY visitor to the Thousand Islands who is at all au fait in the matter of sailing must admire the grace, speed and capabilities of the St. Lawrence skiff, and no less the skill and daring with which it is handled upon the breezy and often tempestuous open waters between the islands. If the stranger is observant, he will notice these beautiful skiffs have no rudders. They are propelled by oars either way with equal facility, and when the boatman has his party, generally a lady and a gentleman, stowed away comfortably in the chairs, which are a proper and indispen- sible feature of every boat here- abouts, and his sail shaken out witlı "sprit " all fast, you will discover that the waterman is handling his boat entirely by the "sheet" or line holding the sail in leash. By this he will guide his obedient craft upon any wind, as surely and safely as a trainer upon the race-track controls a spirited steed. A longer acquaint-

SKIFF WITH BUTTERFLY SAILS.

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THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.

ance with the ways of the boatman develops the fact that when a flaw careens the craft, he not only loosens the sheet slightly but lays forward, and if his guests are both gentlemen, and he wants to go about in a stiff breeze, he does not hesitate to request them to "lay for'ard " also, thus depressing the bow of the boat and allowing the stern to swing free.

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The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 34

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823- Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company Number of Pages: 1098

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823-
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company
Number of Pages: 1098