The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-03-05
EXCERPTS FROM TRAVELLERS NOTE pooK.l
Crossing the Alleghanies.

about hundred and seventy miles distant, and at
the eastern edge of the Alleghanies. Of course, at
THIS season OF the year, the country is not remarka
bly, fascinating anywhere; and here a very large
portion of the road is bounded on one side or the
other by cliffs and sleeps of an Ap-ke holiness.
We seemed. for at least hundred miles, to follow
the course of an interminable brook, winding with
its windngs, and twisting with its twists, in a, to
me, singular fashion. But even with many cir
cults the road had to be cut through many very
bad places; and was probably one of the most ex-
pensive railroads ever built. Itpays enormous pro-
fits, however and they seriously "talk" about
having it continued on to some place on the Ohio,
perhaps Wheeling. After talking about it"
awhile, it will very likely be done; it only wants
money enougf--and an enormous lot Of that it ,piD
want, too!
At Harper's Ferry, where they gave lis twenty
minutes to dine, the scenery stringly abrupt and
varied. Houses We're perched up over our heads
breaks in the ground-and others perched up over
their heads. and so on. The finest scenery, tho.tgh,
even here, (if it be not bull to say so) is about
half mile off. As soon as the cars stopped, a
trghtful sound of bells and dscorlant screams sur
rounded U.S. and we We're all but torn in pieces by
assault, as it We're! Recovering from the first
there several 'hotels,'' each moved by a Bit
ter rivalry for getting the passengers to eat their din
ner. One opposition house, in particular, SEEM
ed bent upon proceeding to extremities-and most
of the passengers were fan to go quietly IN. For
a good dinner here, the price was only twenty-five
cents
Cumberland, at which we arrived about sum
set, is a thriving town, with several public edi-
be found places in every western and southern COM
munty some big hotels The town has a pecu-
liar character, from It's being the grea 9:ndezvous
and ending place OF the Immense 4, ,:isy lvaaa
wagons, and lie droter3 fr.nn hun Ire i OF nliles
west. You may sec Tartar locking groups Of these
wagons, and their drivers, in the opea grounds
about,-the horses being loosed-and the whole
having not little the appearance of a caravan of
the Steppes. Hundreds and hundreds of these en-
ormous vehicles, with their arched roofs of white
canvass, wend their way into Cumberland from all
quarters, during busy season, with goods to send
eastward, and to take goods brought by the rail-
road. They are in shape not little like the Chi
nese junk whilome exhibited at New York-be-
ing built high at each end, and scooping down in
the waist With their teams of four and six horses,
they carry an almost ncalculable quantity of
freight" and if one should accidentally get in
the road-ruts before their formidable Wheels they
would perform the work of Juggenaut upon him in
most effectual order. The drivers of these vehi-
ces and the drovers of CATTLE hogs, horses, &C.. in
this section of the land, form large slice Of =" So
ciety''
Night now falling down around us like a very
large cloak of black broadcloth, fancy that figure,
least, hasn't been used up by the poets,) and the
Alleghanies rearing themselves up some pump
kins,'' Gas they say here9 right before nasal
members, got into one of the several four horse
stage coaches of the /" National Road and Good In
tent Stage Company" whereby we Were to be
transported over those big hills. They did the
thing systematically, whatever may be said else
wise. All the passengers names Were inscribed on
roll, 1--WE purchased tickets in Philadelphia, at
S13 a head, to go through to Wheeng,) and
clerk stands by, and two or three negroes with a
patent weighing machine. The clerk calls out
your name-your baggage is whipped on the ma
chine, and if it weighs over fifty pounds, you have
to pay extra You are then put in the stage, lite
rally put in, like package, unless you move quick
lv,) your baggage packed on behind-the next name
called off-baggage weighed-and on to the end
of the chapter If six passengers desire it, or any
smaller number who will pay for six they can wait
and have coach sent with them the next morning,
or at any hour they choose One cunning trick of
the company is, that they give you no check or re-
ceipt for your baggage, for which they pretend to
be not responsible. 1t is best therefore, if possible,
for each passenger to have witness to his bag
gage and its amount in which case, if it be lost,
the company will have to pay up-whatever they
publish to the contrary.
Sn thauh in, nina
souls, and we dashed through the town and up the
mountains, with an apparent prospect of as COM
Portable night could be expected considering
all things. One Or two Of the passengers tried to
get up conversational entertainment; one old
gentleman, in particular, did talk. lie resided on
a farm in the interior of Ohio He had been on to
Washington, q heard the fact at least twenty-five
times in the course of that night and the next day.
to claim certain 5000 from the Government for
capturing British merchant brig, off the coast of
Maine, in the last war. She got beealmed, or
something of that SORT and he being thereabout, in
command of fishing smack, sailed or roWed up,
captured her and brought her into port, where the
Government functionarles took possession OF her
and sold her cargo for some $4,000. Our old gen.
teman, however, mot then old, OF course,) had no
prvateering papers, and consequently was not a
dollar the gamer. lie had now been on 10 wash
ngton TO see about it, and was in hopes of getting
at least his share of the sale poor old man if
he lives till he gets Congress to pay him, he will be
mmortall This famous cid gentleman moreover
informed us that his wife had had thirteen children,
one in every month Of the year, and one over be-
sides-al being alive and kicking. He did not
exactly know what to think about the Mexican
war; but he thought Congress might at least grant
decent pensions to those who Were severely manned
in it. and to the widows of both officers and pri-
Yates who were killed. Sage and sound conclu-
sions, thought the rest Of US too. And here may
saw once for all, that, though expecting to find
shrewd population / journeyed to the interior,
and down through the great rivers, | was by no
means prepared for the sterling vein Of common
sense that seemed to pervade them-eyen the
toughest shod and toughest clad Of all. satirl-
cal person could no doubt find ample field for