Newburgh Evening Union – June 1, 1909

Orange Lake As Ye Scribe Saw It

After a Tortuous Passage out on the O. T. C.

Big Crowd Was There

Newburgh Evening Union – June 1, 1909

Armed with sufficient means a reporter for The Union went to the corner of Second and Water streets, determined to get to Orange Lake by means of patronizing a common carrier know as the Orange County Traction Company.  At the corner two cars were found, both packed to double capacity.  Women were huddled together like sheep undergoing shipment in a freight car.  Babies were in the arms of their mothers; visitors from boats and trains were climbing aboard.  The capacity of the cars was so small and the crowd so large it made one wonder what attraction would cause a person to voluntarily suffer himself to undergo such hardship and annoyance.  With iron determination to see the thing through the scribe clung to the guard at the rear of the open car and set out for the mecca.  Pretty soon a man with a sap-a polite fellow too- came along and took the 25 cents appropriated for the journey.  He gave in return a ticket marked “B 59047.”

Going out Broadway all was smooth sailing, but pretty soon the track was not double and then there were switches and turnouts without number and delays.  According to the paid announcements of the common carrier the running time from the ferry is 35 minutes, but this does not take into account the endless waits at the switches.  Cars returning from the lake, empty or nearly so, held up the loaded cars from five to twelve minutes at each switch.  Strange as it may seem the empty cars were late and the loaded ones on time.

After more than an hour of life in a sardine box the lake was reached.  Happy thought!  Others had gone on before and there was a large crowd present – somewhat less than a milling in numbers.  Former Gov. Odell was there.  He has a state reputation and many from New York who had seen his pictures during the campaigns of 1900 and 1902, recognized him in a second.  By the way, he did not ride out to the park in a trolley.  He was a passenger in an automobile which kicked a lot of dust into the eyes of those who had paid money for tickets.

The park is a wooded place with plenty of grass and the “dearest little lake” on earth.  There was a vaudeville show, plenty of ice cream, peanuts, dancing, roller skating and row boats.

The crowd was most orderly- no drinking of intoxicating liquors, no fights- nothing but well behaved young and old people.

To get there, they had a long ride and it was a relief to get a place to sit down.  There was plenty of grass for that purposes as well as benches here and there.

Remaining until 6 o’clock there was another crush to get into a car, but once in, the standing was good and as it was down grade, it did not take much longer than the advertised 35 minutes to make the run back to Newburgh.

By all means if anyone has never been to Orange Lake go at once.  It is a good place to take the children, the lake is pretty and the ice cream cold.  There is ample police protection and all those in authority season justice with mercy.  If you are too anxious to catch a car before it stops in order to get such a thing as a seat you may get your neck broken, but what does that matter so long a you get the seat.  As summer resorts go it is a mighty cheap place.  You can get a dinner for 50 cents and spend the afternoon in the Penny Arcade and hear all there is going on the market for less than a quarter.

Newburgh should be thankful that nature dished up the little lake so near the majestic Hudson and should also express gratitude for the fact that some one conceived the idea of putting up pretty buildings so that those in humble circumstances as well as those who possess wealth can have a place to go.

Score a point for Orange Lake, its attractions, and the common carrier that will take you out there.