Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-08-12
correspondence ofthe Public ledger.


picking his cabin, and following his baggage a
cross the green to his tenement, is TO ask "for
the Springs" and start off down the slope to-
wards it. Now there is but little need to ask
,ohere is the Spring, for il within hundred
yards of it, only "fo,iow yorr nose and vou
come to the spot. "First impressions are stron-
pest," il is said. IF so, mine were pery strong:
when brought up at the elge, and looked down
into the pure and limpid basin, verify
thought had trodden into nest Of added
eggs! Most portentious and diabolcal Of smells
is sui phuretted hydrogen You have ridden
however, four hundred miles to get at this res
ervoir Of sDeeis; and with grim desperation
YOU seize the rattan dipper with tumbler in
the loop, and plunge it in the spring; as you
bring up the !umbler to your mouth, the indig-
nant nose curls upwards-you force an agon-
zing griu-there are half dozen seasoned
boarders watching your fsce--you give one des-
perate gulph, and down slides the water Pah
Gun barrel rinsings are palatable to this; "Some
civet, good apothecary." You feel like chew
ing piece Of assafUtida 10 sweeten your breath,
and you pclt headlong up hill, in horrid con-
sternaton at your fate, Of being doomed TO
drink such "damnable decoctons." And ths,
oh reader, is your first drink at the White Sui
phur.
II comes to pass, however, and it is refresh
ing illustration Of that novel remark, "that
tastes differ" that at your next trial, you find
under the dome a group of ladies. See abso-
lutey, that delicate girl has tumbler full at
her mouth, and with the crook of the elbow, in
passes, "'twixt her peary teeth" the sulphur
water. What, again! Even so; another dip.
and another guaffing. and then rich-rnging
voice peals in your ear-"how refreshing it is!'
If every feminine here be not "Brimstone
Bess" there is no virtue in sulphur, and all
matches matrimonial, here made, are blessed
by Lucifer, past doubt. Strange as it may
seem, in some three days time you take to the
water, or rather it takes you, and from thence,
henceforward, you suck in the distilment like
mothers milk to the rate of some dozen half
pint tumblers per day.
Next to the water in strangeness, stands the
"band" what does the harmonies. AS Dird in
tiicy hiS ulSul puSscu. HlI tIIc DullS
Of Bashan, with each his particular collie, could
not SO roar and groan like that trombone AMI
horn. Banks blow up so do steamboats,, and
ditto locomotives "bilers" have been known to
"bust," and history records an exploded frog,
but that leader cannot blow out! They play
you into dinner too for the express purpose, no
doubt, of setting your teeth on edge. | have
heard many melodies, but never, until of late,
did l hear Jim Crow, Hail Columbia, the Cra.
covienne and the Marsel'es Hymn, mixed up
like chowder for an original melody.
Touching the table and fare-the great re-
source of this pleasurc-hunter-I am constran
ed to say ii is very bad. This failure in eat
ables has always been the fault of this place
and, so long as it remains in its present own
orship, will probably always continue The ole
Mr.. Caldwell gives no attention, and his seuer
sons, having each his particular hobby, appea
to regard the Springs as established for tn,
purpose OF finding them in company and pocke
money. The cooking is Misunderstanding
well boiled, baked or roasted, that | have We
found, and no variety. We have no venison
but plenty ofhot bread, tough beefand mutton
with potatoes, form the standing dishes. Th
tables are clearly served, and ihus far there ha
been enough, such as it's. The pastry is he
pies, of green apples and dried peaches, wit
star-tormed chunks Of stubborn paste, scared O
their tops with a drop of sweetmeat and cal
led taris. The crying evils however, are tn
priudte servants and private dishes-two shame
ful abuses at public table. A wealthy inva
lid brings his servant with him at his chair bacl
and the sole business of this harpy is to pillag
the table of its best viands for his masters ber
eft Those who bring no servants soon disco
yer "this won't do, and bribe the waiter in the
vicinity, who runs off to the kitchen, select
dish, brings il before you, and the dish is yoU
"priVate property" being specially paid for
and you are justified in "kicking up shindy
with any interlopcr in your mess. Beside
these, there are a set ofyoung pert, and imp
dent mulatto girls, who cater for TIE varol
inmates of the cabins who do not choose,
cannot come to meals and these damsels RAJ
about the dining loom, emptyng milk pitc
er here, carrying off butter plate there, al
fomging in all quarters for their walters, wh
you soon perceive balanced on the head, a
crossing the green. Now if man does 4
bribe or behave like wolf, and snatch a
growl while he is eating what becomes hin
advise no dispeptc to come here unless