the year 1764 by a
Dutch navigator, from whom it takes its name. Another house used by
General Washington for headquarters is to be found near the town, as
well as St. Peter's Church, in which the Father of his Country
worshiped.
Tarrytown is another of the famous spots on the Hudson. Near here
Washington Irving lived, and on the old Sleepy Hollow road is to be
found the oldest religious structure in New York State. The church was
built by the Dutch settlers in the year 1699, and close to it is the
cemetery in which Washington Irving was interred. Sunnyside, Irving's
home, is a most interesting stone structure, whose numerous gables are
covered with ivy, the immense mass of which has grown from a few slips
presented to Irving by Sir Walter Scott.
A sadder sight to the tourist on the Hudson, but one which is of
necessity full of interest, is the Sing Sing Prison, just below Croton
Point. In this great State jail an army of convicts are kept busy
manufacturing various articles of domestic use. The prison itself takes
its name from the Indian word "Ossining," which means "stone upon
stone." The village of Sing Sing, strange to say, contains many charming
residences, and the proximity of the State's prison does not seem to
have any particular effect on the spirits and the ideas of those living
in it.
Still further down the Hudson is Riverside Park, New York, the scene of
General Grant's tomb, which overlooks the lower section of the river,
concerning which we have endeavored to impart some little information of
an interesting character. Of the tomb, we present a very accurate
illustration.
While in New York State, the tourist, whether he be American or
European, is careful to pay a visit to the Niagara Falls, which have
been viewed by a greater number of people than any other scene or wonder
on the American continent. This fact is due, in part, to the admirable
railroad facilities which bring Niagara within easy riding distance of
the great cities of the East. It is also due, very largely, to the
extraordinary nature of the falls themselves, and to the grandeur of the
scene which greets the eye of the spectator.
The River Niagara is a little more than thirty-three miles long. In its
short course it takes care of the overflow of Lakes Superior, Michigan,
Huron and Erie, and as it discharges the waters of these lakes into Lake
Ontario, it falls 334 feet, or more than ten feet to the mile.
The rapids start some
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