The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-13
No. 254.
ALONG THE LINE NORTHWEST.

yousbiogheny River, us SCENERY an" Us
Arrival at Pit,sburgh-The " Biackne~s oil DIRK
h'' PITTSBURGH October 27, 1851.
II the Editor of the National Era:
Sitting up all night unless where one can
oboose his own company, and that among the
6sJs sere. is "no joke" after men get to be as
venerable as you are, and rs old as | shall be
ono of these days. Nevertheless, even your
Years would leap for JOY, with as much grace as
/. cr;nnle ON crutches, to make the ride by rail-
nov from Baltimore to Cumberland on such a
o;gbt as has lust been vouchsafed to me. Cool
st;II and starry. the frost-prickles came IN
hrac;ncly at the open window Of the car, and
tbe darkness of earth was made visible by as
resplendent heaven as ever spread over the
ragion wherein the Potomac "once upon
time when the world was younger than it is
now broke through the rocky barrier of the
RIue Ridge. Could have had by my side but
One fair spirit for my minister"
7 should most individually have talked poetry
ali NIGHT long: as it was, only nodded the
hours AWAY after ~ o'clock, and suffered my
enthusiasm to vanish at the next morning
over as tough stake and as villanous q cup Of
co14ae as ever cost traveller fifty cents.
When wereached Cumberland, five of us who
wished to take the National Road and cross the
Mountain to Brownsville, presented ourselves
at the office of the stage agent and made that
wish known. That officer, however for "reasons
of stateD suppose, as he gave no other, chose to
start such of us as would 90 in the coach of the
GOOD Intent line by the plank road over
Mount Savage and sundry other aspiring hill
locks to West Newton, on the Youghiogheny:
Il x.-l,ah % 0nnI y appuOh
haps but all didn't think so, and some of the
number sought relief in the usual round OF
travellers complaints This sort of thing.
now, | never do: found long ago that It
wouldn't pay. so selected my favorite seat in
the coach, tucked my feet away comfortably,
and gave myself up to pleasant thoughts ofthe
real luxury of a taste of old-fashioned stage
travelling-such as had known but once for
twelve years.
My anticipations were more than realized.
The coaches are tolerable the drivers careful,
the scenery fine and all the feeding excellent.
This road is twenty-three miles shorter than
that by Brownsville, and must be much easier
- - The ,-holo 5istapqs from
calnoeffand TO West Newton is II mdes, Shich
we made in a little over twelve hours The
plank is down On the nead one-haif its length.
and several other sections are under contract.
That portion of the route which is not planked
Is good mountain road and when the timber
shall be laid on the whole of it. and good hotels
or eating houses shall be provided on the line
and better time be made by steamboat on the
80 miles between West Newton and Pittsburgh
this must become favorite route At present
however, from Baltimore to the Youghiogheny
river, there is no good eating to be had except
xyb a g,
yided for us, and time enough given to eat it
like Christians. The breakfasts served up at
the stage house in Cumberland, and the suppers
and beds provided at West Newton, are past all
endurance. Those interested in the Plank Road
route should look to this without delay Now
that the Pennsylvania route through York, Har-
risburgh, and Hollidaysburgh, is railroaded
nearly through, it may behoove the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company TO look to it also
Standing on high point of Savage Noun
tain. while the change of horses was going
on. and looking at the dark foliage far behind,
and bright. soft sunny, and varied landscape
before, poctical quotation, uttered uncon-
ciously. brought to my mind with painful in
terest the fame and fate of beautiful and
gifted New England GIRL who fifteen years ago
stood in 4 similar position, and poured out her
ictHhBS III somC NClsCo WibNi oiO "Oh WYNN
quoting here:
WRITTEN ON THE ALLEGHENIES.
The broad, the bright the glorious West
Is spread before me now
Where the gray mists of morning rest
Beneath yon mountains brow
The bound is past-the goal is won
The region of the setting sun
Is open to my view.
Land of the valiant and the free
My own Green Mountain land-to thee
And thine, long adieu
Il hail thee, Valley of the West,
For what thou yet shalt be.
hail thee for the hopes that rest
Upon thy destiny
Here-from this mountain height, / see
Thy bright waves floating to the sea,
Thine emerald fields outspread
And feel that in the book of fame
Proudly shall thy recorded name
In later days be read.
Yet while gaze upon thee now,
All glorious as thou art
cloud is resting my brow,
weight upon my heart.
To me-in all thy youthful pride
Thou art land of cares untried,
Of untold hopes and fears
Thou art--yct not for thee grieyei
But for the far of land leave,
look thee with tears.
80 brightly brightly, glow thy skies
In summers sunny hours,
The green earth scenes q paradise
Arrayed in summer flowers
But oh there is a land afar
Whose skies to me are brighter far
Along the Atlantic shore!
For eyes beneath their radiant shrine,
In kndlier glances answered mine
Can these their light restore
Upon the lofty bound stand,
That parts the East and West
Before me-lies a fairy land;
Behind home of rest,
Here, Hope her wild enchantment filings.
Portrays all bright and lovely things
My footsteps to allure
But diert, in Memorys light, see
All that most dear to me
My young hearts cynosurc!
So sang "VIoLA,n Laura NJ Hawley, of
Vermont) fifteen years ago, standing in her
young girlhood on the summit of the Alleghe-
MES, and casting her prophetic soul forward
into the region to which she was emigrating
Her words live in my memory, as do also the
hneaments OF her fine face: but in quiet
graveyard, near the falls of the Ohio, she was
laid to rest very few years afterwards, and
there sleeps the sleep that knows no waking
except in the Heaven provided Cor the good and
the beautiful in the great hereafter.
West Newton, where steamboat is taken for
Pittsburgh, is handsomely situated, on the right
bank of the Youghiogheny river at the foot Of
range of hills which look down upon it from
height Of five hundred feet but what in the
world travellers are kept here twelve hours for,
to be poorly fed and worse lodged, is more than
] can comprehend. This is another point to
which the officers OF the Baltimore and Ohio