Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association with the Quarterly Journal (Volume 14); 2nd-21st Annual Meeting with a List of New Members (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1915. Excerpt: ... THE HISTORY OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE MOHAWK VALLEY. Lieut. William G. Mayer, Waterville, N. Y. The primeval forest How easily we utter the words How glibly they fall from our lips And yet, how little of understanding do they convey to either speaker or hearer; how little of adequate realization can we of this day and generation have of its majesty--of its grandeur--of its beauty--of its immensity--and above all, of its awe-inspiring silence and solitude--not even the stillness and solemnity of death more profound When this great State of ours was in its pristine glory of trackless wilderness--when not a single one of its myriads of giants ever bowed his head or was laid low except by Divine command--when neither brook nor stream had learned to do man's bidding--when river's breast had never pillowed keel--if then, you or I could have taken "the wings of the morning and remained in its uttermost parts," what a vision of beauty, and of majesty, and of immensity would have been spread out below us No deft Oriental fingers ever wove a carpet of more wonderful design--more brilliant coloring. And when these marvelous variations of hue and figure were outlined and accented by glistening threads of silver streams and shimmering blues of pool and lake, how exquisite the picture and how incomparably above all we of today can either imagine or know Climb today some lofty summit of the Northern hills and look out upon mountains and lakes and rivers and woods, and the heart is thrilled at the sublimity of the sight, but it is only a faint replica of the original Made and fashioned by the same Almighty hand, but marred by man's impious touch and baneful presence. If this can lift us to & higher plane and a closer communion with the Infinite--that must have brou...