Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/134

 126 CATSKILL MOUNTAINS CATTARAUGUS mits. But it is now well understood that the Catskills can never claim regard for the value of their mineral productions. Their chief in- terest lies in the variety and beauty of their scenery. In a field of very limited area, easy of access and soon explored, they present a multitude of picturesque objects, which have long made them a favorite resort of artists and of those who find pleasure in the wild haunts of the mountains. From the village of Cats- kill a stage road of 12 m. leads to the "Moun- tain House," a conspicuous hotel, perched upon one of the terraces of Pine Orchard moun- tain, at an elevation of 2,500 ft. above the river. Here the traveller finds a cool and quiet re- treat, and a convenient starting point for his explorations. A hotel has recently been erected on the summit of " Overlook " moun- tain, a few miles south of the Mountain house, at a height, it is asserted, of 3,800 ft. It is ac- cessible from Rondout. From these hotels are obtained extensive views of the fine country around, of the Hudson river, visible with all the towns upon its banks from the High- lands to Albany, and of the mountains of Ver- mont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The most striking features of the Catskills are the cascades of the mountain streams, and the deep gorges or " cloves " through which these find their way to the lower lands. The highest sum- mits are Round Top, High Peak, and Overlook, the elevation of which, according to barometri- cal measurements, is about 3,800 ft. The clove of the Catterskill, or Kaaterskill, which com- mences a mile W. of two small lakes, lies be- tween these and Round Top, the latter being on the S. and the lakes on the N. side. High Peak is 6 in. distant from the head of the clove, and is reached by a foot path. The clove is a ravine of 5 m. in length. At its head the rivulet from the lakes meets another branch from the north, and their united waters flow with increasing swiftness to a point where the mountain divides like the cleft foot of a deer, leaving a deep hollow for the brook to tumble into. The descent of the first cascade is 180 ft., that of the second 80, and below these there is another fall of 40 ft. In the winter the upper fall becomes encased in a hollow column of blue ice, which reflects in the rays of the sun the brilliant colors of the prism. Below the falls the sides of the gorge rise in a succession of walls of rock to the height of 300 ft. or more. Other falls are met with by fol- lowing the stream down toward the Hudson, till 2 m. above the village of Cat-kill th waters are discharged into the stream of this name. The Stony clove is 6 m. "W. from the head of the Catterskill, in a portion of the group called the Shandaken mountains ; it is only 1 m. long. The clove of the Plattekill is 5 m. S., beyond the Round Top and High Peak; its scenery possesses the same wild character as the Catterskill. Numerous side streams de- scend the steep mountain on its S. side from an altitude of 2,000 ft., leaping from ledge to ledge till they mingle their waters with the Platte- kill. Where the stream first falls into the clove it is said to descend in successive falls 1,000 ft. in a few hundred yards ; and, as stated Catterskill Falls. by others, 2,500 in 2 m. The streams which flow down the E. slopes of the mountains soon find their way into the Hudson. On the W. side the drainage is into the Schohariekill, which runs northward and falls into the Mohawk 50 m. above its junction with the Hudson. The for- est growth near the foot of the mountains is black and white oak, interspersed with hick- ory, chestnut, butternut, and several species of pine. Cedars and swamp ash are found in the swamps. The hard-wood growth of maple, beech, and birch is met with upon the better soils up the mountain sides, while hemlock, spruce, and the balsam fir occupy the more barren and rocky places. The valleys beyond the E. ridge contain forests of hemlock, with beech, birch, and wild cherry trees intermixed. CATTARAIGIS, a S. W. county of New York, bordering on Pennsylvania; area about 1,250 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 43,909. It is partly bounded N. by Cattaraugus creek. The sur- face is hilly, but there are few mountains of considerable altitude. The soil is rich and pro- ductive, yielding good crops of grain and afford- ing excellent pasturage. The Alleghany river and the numerous creeks which flow through the county furnish motive power. Bog iron ore, peat, marl, manganese, and sulphur are found in different places; salt springs have been discovered, and petroleum springs exist in the E. part. Cattle and lumber are the prin- cipal exports, the transportation of which is greatly facilitated by the Erie railway, which traverses the county, and by the Genesee val- ley canal, which extends from Rochester to