ADIRONDAC. 93 



The Adirondac Iron Works belong to the past. Over 

 thirty years ago a company in Jersey City purchased 

 some sixty thousand acres of land lying along the Adi- 

 rondac River and abounding in magnetic iron ore. The 

 land was cleared, roads, dams, and forges constructed, 

 and the work of manufacturing iron begun. 



At this point a dam was built across the Hudson, 

 the waters of which flowed back into Lake Sandford, 

 about five miles above. The lake itself being some 

 six miles long, tolerable navigation was thus established 

 for a distance of eleven miles, to the Upper Works, 

 which seem to have been the only works in operation. 

 At the Lower Work's, besides the remains of the clam, 

 the only vestige I saw was a long low mound, over- 

 grown with grass and wdWs, that suggested a rude 

 earth-work. We were told that it was once a pile of 

 wood, containing hundreds of cords, cut in regular 

 lengths and corded up here for use in the furnaces. 



At the Upper Works, some twelve miles distant, 

 quite a village had been built, which was now entirely 

 abandoned, with the exception of a single family. 



A march to this place was our next undertaking. 

 The road for two or three miles kept up from the river 

 and led us by three or four rough, stumpy farms. It 

 then approached the lake and kept along its shores. 

 It was here a dilapidated corduroy structure that com- 

 pelled the traveller to keep an eye on his feet. Blue 

 jays, two or three small hawks, a solitary wild pigeon, 

 and ruffed grouse were seen along the route. Now and 



