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TOWN WEEKLY MAGAZINE "SECTION
il
if
I
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thing in t h e world for her to
have an absorbing interest."
"Restless, is she? Know
why?"
••No. I thought at first that
It was the result of her disillusion about her uncle. Then I
wondered if she missed Jefferson kilburn.. When >he visited
u s before his name was always
on her lips. 'Jeff wants me to
do this,' 'Jeff thinks," etc."
"Doesn't she talk about him
now?"
"I can't remember that voluntarily she has mentioned hit
name once during the month we
have been together. Something
must have happened between
them."
"Hmp!! Something has."
"What? Jock, you haven t
been putting a finger in their
affttirs, have you?"
"There, Dorimla, there, of
course I haven't. I felt that
there was a rift in their friendship when I saw th«n together
this afternoon. I thought it a
pity. That's why I asked Jeff
to stay\vlth us. I -"
Eve entered the room and
•topped.
"Oh, here you are, Eve. Talk
about angels—"
"Were you talking about me,
Uncle Jock?" she asked. .
MY ROBIN ,
The lark belong'* to the sunrise.
Thf bluebird's « bit of ther-skrr—*
But my robin'* m part of e-"ryday^lije
A
*
tear and a untile and a si/tn;
For though he ring mt twilight.
In sunshine, in wintl or rain.
/V«>
matter how deep wiy hearlacha.
1/ is song-will lessen the pain.
-GRACE
"What modesty! You have
the gayest HtUe laugh, honey.
When 1 hear it this topsy turvy
world steadies. . Tou said you
wanted a job.- Rather work for
me or for Alvarez?"
"You, of course. But you
have t h e priceless 8kinner."
OUHA
A0 4MS
"I'm thinking of letting her
.
"Hooray! Does .the colonel
know?" ." ''
."So he has been talking to
you too, has he ? You will have
to worV under Vera Skinner for
a week or two. Eve, while you
it to Miss Travis a few
learn all the various angles."
moments ago—why waste tirne
"Oh, no, she won't. Mr. Senacoming here?1*
tor!" The red-headed woman
The woman tilted her chin
in the, doorway contradicted
with the air of an impertinent
sharply. "I hand in my resignation" to take effect this mo--, red-headed woodpecker.
• - "TBlought I'd give you
ment."
chance to show that you ar
Jock Holden's eyes contractbig enough to do as you like
ed.
I don't have to work, no one
"Why are you here, Miss
• knows Better than you that I
Skinner?"
am well fixed financially, Mr
" 'Miss Skinner!' Getting forSenator, but Alvarez lias made
mal, aren't you. Mr. Senator,
me a .grand offer. I am to have
and perhaps a little deaf? I
charge of his private* business
told you I am resigning my poon the side. He considers-that
Hition with you. • Renor Alvarez
my experience in managing
has offered me a job at his Emyour affairs could be of great
bassy and I'm taking it."
help to him." "What's back of this theatrical claptrap, Miss Skinner?"
"I get you. You'y sell information, will you? Go on. Be
Something in Jock Holden's
sure that you are selling the
voice sent little chills creeping
right thing. You see. I hav«
along Eve's veins.
known of your friendship with
"It isn't theatrical claptrap,
Alvarez for some time and have
Mr. Senator. I heard this mornsuspected treachery."
ing from excellent authority
that you had been ordered to
Amazement, incredulity, vmput the skids under me. I've
dictiveness, followed each other
beaten you to it. that s all. Of
with lightning rapidity in Vera
course, if you are brave enough
Skinner's eyea." Her fingers
to tell the person who laid down
fumbled at the clasp of the
the law to you that you are
pearls about her neck. The softcompetent to manage your own
ly glowing string swung from
business -"
her extended hand.
"When I heard I was losing
. "That will do. If you agreed
already to take the job Alvarez
has offered by the way, he ofContinued On I'tujr Id
TOWN HISTORY:
WHITEHALL, N. Y., BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICAN NAVY 150 MILES BY AIR LINE FROM SEA
,
MRS. E. F. ROCHE
PuMUher
WHITEHALL TIMES
NESTLING IN A fertile valley
between two foothills of the
Adirondack Mountains lies the
birthplace of the American
navy 150 milea by air line
from the nearest salt water.
This is the distinction held
by Whitehall. New York, founder I in 1759 on the shores of Lake
Chaniplain by a British soldier,
Colonel Philip Skene.
Born in Ixmdon. in February. 172.r>, Skene early- cherished an ambition to serve in
the army of his king Through
the influence .of his uncle. Captain Andrew Skene, he entered
the First Royal Regiment In
17:i6 a soldier at the age of
eleven'
Kagerly the youngster abBorheil the fundamentals of sol•liering, profiting: by the wisdom
ami experience of his distinguished uncle.
He so distinguished himself
in the battles of his regiment
that in 17T>6 having attained
the rank of captain., he wan or-,
derrd to Amerira to serve un. der Lord Howe in the attacks
at Tx-ondeiogn and Crown
1'nint in the Fr<-nch and Indian
War
HIM knowledge of the Ijike
Champhiin country won for
Skene an assignment from I-ord
Amherst. commander of the
British forces, to establish a colony on the lake Amherst believed that such a base would
strengthen the British hold on
newly-conquoreil Canada. Lake
Chaniplain wa« the only inland
gateway to the colonies frcun
the north and Amherst knejw
if the British controlled it tiO
invasion from that direction
could be successful*
Thus thirty - four - year - old
Skene. nccompanied by thirty
families, established the first
civilian settlement on I.ake
Chaniplain at South Bay and
^^^VSHtaiBBI^BBV^B"*"^"l*"*^Hlvai«^l^lVBS11*Hl^B^BBB^BSBB>a^B^Bl^l^"^^v^"*^MV^Ml^^^^^M«lVHHBSft'"**^T^BW
The basin where the. "Liberty"
k at
the falls of Wood Creek In
April. 1750.
From the beginning the village, then called Skenesborough,
flourished under the guidance of
the gallant young soldier. He
built a saw mill, grist mill,
woolen mill and others.
He
erected forges for smelting the
iron ore he discovered at Cheever, which is now Pfert Henry.
He constructed and sailed veisels on the lake. His "Liberty"
was the lake's first schooner.
Nameil governor of Crown
Point and Ticonderoga with the
rank of colonel in the army, he
also became colonel of the local militia, and served as judge
and postmaster of t h e area
Peace reigned and each day
brought n e w prosperity to
Skenesho rough.
Then came the shot at Lexington that was heard around
the world
The colonies were
at war with the mother country.
Twenty days after the clash
at Lexington, the Green Mountain Boys, led by Colonel Herrlck. seized the village. The
capture of Skenesborougrh on
May P. 177.r), was the first military movement in New York
State in the Revolutionary War
Skene was in Fngland at the
time of the capture. His son,
Andrew Philip Skene. and the
colonel's -two daughters, were
captured, at that time and sent
to Hartford, Connecticut.
V<i* built as it is ttxlay.
On the arrival *of Colonel
Skene at Philadelphia in June,
he was seized and put under
arrest. I<ater he was exchanged
and returned to Kngland. He
came back to America with
Burgoyne and acted as that
general's guide in the campaign
of 1777.
Following, t h e capture of
Skenesborough. t h e patriots
commandeered Skene's "Liberty," j^hlch eventually became
one of Benedict Arnold's fleet
of fifteen vessels with 811- men.
Thus Skenesborough became the
birthplace of t h e American
Navy
With the "Liberty' and fifty
recruits. Arnold sailed to St
John's on the Sorel River, outlet of the lake, and captured
the British sloopyif-war, George
III, mounted with sixteen guns,
on May 1H. I7~r>,
Arnold came to Skenesborough early in 1776 and began
building a fleet of vessels in
Skenesborough Harbor, using
the trees which were cut on
the banks of the lake around
the harbor. With this fleet he
met the British at Valcour, near
Plattsburg, on October 11. 1776
he was defeated, but this action
prevented the British from coming down the lake to Crown
Point and Ticohderoga that
year
The "Philadelphia. " one of
the gondolas that comprised the
fleet, was sunk in the battle of
Valcour Tn August. lP.'t.V this
Battle of Skenesborough took
boat was raised from the botplace July 6. 1777.
tom of Lake Y'hamplain and in
The British were in control
September,
lP.".fi. after
160
of Skenesborough until after
years, returned to Whitehall.
the Battle of Saratoga, when it
its home pott
The boat is now
came again into the hands of
a floating museum, moored at
the Americans. In 1780, a force
the State Reservation, Crown
of t British and Indians from
Point. N Y .
Canada came down Lake Champlain and captured SkenesborSken<\oame aghin to the setougjf, burning and utterly detlement he had fourfded with
stroying the town and mills.
Burgoyno's army in 1777.
The Americans undertook to
But Whitehall was rebuilt
stop Burgoyne's advance down
from the niins and prospered
the lake at Fort Ticonderoga,
again. Once the largest lumbut were forced to.retreat th<ber market in the United States,
able-bodied noldicrs by l a n d
it Is today a progressive comthrough Hubbnrdton. Vermont.
mnrrtty of diversified interests.
and the ships and batteaux to
While its nearness to South Bay
Skrneshnrotigh
T h e y were
best fishing grounds on I-ake
overtaken there and badly de- / Champlaln makes )t n mecca
feated hy Burgoyne s navy This
of sportsmen from-a widesarea.