From the New York Times, September 12, 1884
PRESIDENT ARTHUR'S
VACATION
THE CORDIAL RECEPTION EXTENDED HIM IN THE
CATSKILLS
MARLBOROUGH, N.Y. Aug. 11 - President Arthur will probably remain
in the Catskills the greater part of the week. He will, it is
general anticipated, take a trip to the Grand Hotel some afternoon
and return in the evening on a special train over the Ulster and
Delaware Railroad furnished by Mr. S.D. Coykendall. When President
Arthur returns from the Catskills he will probably come down the
face of the mountain and so to Catskill village. Whether he will go
down the Hudson River by the Day Line of steamers or not has not
been decided, but he will either go that way or by the West Shore
Road. It is quite possible that he may stop in Kingston over night
as the guest of General Sharpe. If he should do so, his visit there
will be a quiet one. Mrs. McElroy, the sister of President Arthur
and the mistress of the White House during the Winter Season, is
stopping at Lake Mohonk. The arrangement is that Miss Nellie, the
daughter of the President, and Miss Jessie McElroy, the daughter of
Mrs. McElroy, will stop at Kingston, and from this place go to Lake
Mohonk and remain there with Mrs. McElroy some weeks. General Sharpe
will see the young ladies safely to Lake Mohonk, going by way of the
Wallkill Valley Railroad to New Paltz and up the Shawangunk Mountain
in stages. President Arthur has visited Lake Mohonk before.
The daily routine of the President's party at the Kaaterskill
House is as follows: The young ladies have early breakfast every
morning and an early dinner, and spend most of the day walking and
rowing on one of the pretty lakes. General Sharpe usually
accompanies them on these trips. Very often the younger members of
Mr. Harding's family also accompany them. The President remains in
his own room, receives his mail, and works with his secretary, F.J.
Phillips, until 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The he goes out riding
with Mr. Harding's private team, Mr. Harding generally accompanying
him. The drive ;asts about three hours. About 6:30 o'clock he dines
in a private dining room with Chief Justice Waite and wife, Mr. and
Mrs. Harding, and other invited persons sufficent to make a party of
12 each day. After dinner he spends an hour in the parlor with the
ladies, and finishes up the evening by smoking a cigar on the front
porch.
Secretary of the State Frelinghuysen, with his wife and daughter,
reached the Kaaterskill House on Satuday, as geneally understood,
going on official business. They dined with the President Saturday
evening. It has been noticed in THE TIMES lately that France and
China have manifested a willingness to refer the differences betwen
them to the arbitration of the United States Government. The
appearance of Mr. Frelinghuysen in the Catskills so soon after the
announcement of this diplomatice event gives rise to the suspicion
that his visit there is to confer with the President on that
question. It is thought that he will remain at the Kaaterskill House
several days.
The visit of the President to Hunter on Friday last was a
pleasant one. The party consisted of the President, his secretary,
F.J. Phillips, Mr. Harding, and General Sharpe. The distance is 10
miles from the Kaaterskill House. They were raken there in open
carriages, drawn by splendid horses, which carried them that
distance in one and a half hours. On the way the party stopped at
Tannersville, the President having received an invitation from Mrs.
Roggen. The Roggen House is the largest in Tannersville. There were
a number of guests there. Many besides these had assembled from the
cottages in the surrounding country. The President was welcomed in a
short address delivered by a minister, a guest of the house. He then
entered the parlor, where he was introduced to Mr. Roggen, who is an
invalid, and had quite a char also with Mrs. Jacob Hardenburgh, of
Kingston, (the President having been an acquaintance of Senator
Hardenburgh during his life, and with Mrs. James M. Van Wagonen and
others). The party then started for Hunter. Between Tannersville and
Hunter there is a large number of boarding houses and cottages,
which were decked as though it was a gala day. Col. Mason, who the
President went to visit, had taken pains to have it known that the
President was coming to Hunter, and all the guests of the different
cottages were grouped upon the lawns in front of them waving flags,
and with the word "Welcome" in evergreens displayed on the front of
the houses. As they neared Hunter village they found the residences
deserted. They were handsomely decorated but the people had gone to
the Hunter House to be present at the reception. Hunter has one long
street, and it was one succession of festoons, decorations of
bunting and flags, flowers, and evergreens. The party were received
at the Hunter House by Col. Mason and the committee of arrangements,
and took lunch, after which there was a formal reception. In front
of the Hunter House is a large suare with a grove of trees. Here the
people gathered with many of the old soldiers and a band of music.
In fron of the hotel was a platform elaborately decorated with
bunting. The piazza and balcony were filled with ladies and childre,
handsomely dressed. In all there were perhaps 3,000 people present
to welcome the President. The exercises were in excellent taste, for
they were short. Col. Mason made the address of welcome, after which
President Arthur said that he appreciated deeply their kind greeting
and welcome, voiced by Col. Mason, who had been his trusted friend
fro a quarter of a century. After Gen. George H. Sharpe had made a
very witty speech the President held a reception in the parlor. One
of the pleasing features of this reception were the many handsome
and prettily dressed children who were brought up to greet the
President. Several of the pretty little girls he took in his arms
and kissed. The party were escorted back throough the village by
members of the Grand Army, the band of music and a number of people
in carriages. While the procession was forming the inmates of the
different cottages along the atreet returned to their dwellings, and
when the President's party went slowly past they gave him such a
greeting as any one might well be proud of. In front of every hosue
the guests formed in groups, the children in the front rank, the
young girls next, and the older persons in the rear. The girls were
all dressed in bright, Summer dresses. On the roof of the porch of
one house were three young ladies, graceful and pretty, one holding
a red parasol, one a white, and the other a blue one. At one cottage
a number of the young ladies sang the "Red, White and Blue" as the
President passed. At another cottage a group of pretty girls, with
rich, fine voices, sand the rollincking song which has for its
chorus "He is a jolly good fellow."
The President was very much pleased by these acts of attention
and friendship, and said it was such a delightful trip that he
should remember it for many a year.
HOTEL KAATERSKILL, N.Y., Aug 11. - President Arthur did not
retire until after 1 o'clock this morning, passing the time until
then with Minister Kasson and young Mr. Frelinghuysen in the hotel
corridor in conversation. However, he arose earlier than usual,
eating breakfast about 8 o'clock with keen relish. On the arrival of
the New York papers he became deeply absorbed in the account of the
earthquake shock, which seemed to have been generally felt, although
not the slightest jar was observable here. Miss Emily Harding had
the President's company in a drive this afternoon, on which occasion
Mr. Arthur submitted to having a tin type take of himself seated in
the phaeton of Miss Harding. Only four pictures were taken, one of
which the photographer tried to capture, but was unsuccessful. The
roads being in a heavy condition after a hard rain, the Overlook
drive was postponed until tomorrow. Tonight the President enjoyed
the music with the guests on the front piazza. Minister Kasson left
here today, sailing on Wednesday for
Berlin.
