Jervis McEntee Diaries

Thursday June 2, 1881

Jervis McEntee Diary Entry, June 2, 1881, from the Jervis McEntee papers, 1850-1905, in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Thursday, June 2, 1881 Staid over night at Schutts and this morning drove home via Stony Clove. It rained in the night but the clouds rolled off and their shadows on the mountains, the fresh June residue and the lovely air made it especially a day to drive among the hills. I stopped and saw Mr & Mrs. Roggen. They have a large house entirely changed from what it was. I was surprised at the number and size of the new homes all looking fresh and indicating prosperity. Nearly all the old weather-stained houses are gone. Through the Stony Clove we saw the indications of the coming rail road in the line of trees cut by the surveyors. Stopped and saw old Mr. Connelly. He looked very old and told me he was 86 in January. I asked for Mrs. Connelly and he said she was in her grave, had died only about three weeks ago. At Lanes we stopped a few minutes. Mrs. Lane was cleaning house, whitewashing, but I went in to see her telling her I knew how to white wash and had often done it. Ed was there, slow and hospitable as ever. John and I made an arrangement to go out there on Saturday to fish for a day or two. The rail road is nearly all graded to here and a mile from Phoenecia we saw the locomotive and some freight cars on the track bringing ties and rails. We drove down to Ashokan, at Briceville having to go over the hill on account of the washing away of the road, but it was lovely up on the hillside overlooking the valley & mountains. Drove to [?] at the station for dinner and then home where we arrived about 7 after a most charming tour which has revived to me in a strange sweet way much of the past and of my first stay in the mountains. Found a letter from Miss Ford and one from Mary also one from Mary Gifford who has just returned from the Hot Springs but who is not very well.

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