Page:History of Hudson County and of the Old Village of Bergen.djvu/40

32 First Voyage of the Clermont, 1807 From the Lunette by C. Y. Turner, Hudson County Court House Paulus Hook, and he was firm with passengers. They had to arrive from New York the day before. Between sunset and sunrise Cornelison considered the river officially closed.

Paulus Hook also had a race track. It was established in 1769 by Cornelius Van Vorst and it was pounded democratically by the hoofs of blooded horses belonging to New York sports and by the larger hoofs of the corpulent steeds belonging to the countryside. There was a noble race in 1771, "round the course at Powles Hook, a match for Thirty Dollars between Booby, Mug and Quicksilver, to run twice around to a heat, to carry catch riders." In the Bergen woods, the gentry had regular fox hunts on horseback in English style.

No greater things excited these peaceful people till the time of the Revolution. Then, though that country was spared any great battles, it had its share of marches and counter-marches, skirmishes and alarms. It was a raiding ground, for