Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-04-29
Correspondence Of the Lewisburg Chronicle.
HARRISBURG, April, 1858.

Correspondence Of the Lewisburg Chronicle.
HARRIsDURG, April, 1858.
Mr.. EDITOR: The Legislature has ad
journed; the Members and Officers an
also outsiders are Fastening homewards
and Harrisburg is getting decidedly dull
But it is beautiful Spring day; an,
if you are not too busy, we will take al
hours walk upon the Turnpike leadin;
to Hummelstown, Lebanon, and Reading
True to the ancient error, our road lead
orer hills which could be passed arounc
with much more ease and within as shor
q distance Science can certainly max,
better roads than tradition, as a compari
son of this old route with any modern
toll-taking highway,will abundantly prove
Yet you will find hundreds of honest anC
Independent farmers, toiling Up and dowI
these hills year after year, who will stur
Oily maintain that their fathers made mucI
better roads than these "book Learned
youngsters can do with their instrument:
and their paper calculations"
Most beautiful is the face of nature this
afternoon-broad these promising and nu-
merous fields of wheat-ncat and well
white washed or painted the houses aud
out houses of these highly cultivated farms
Surely, if happiness depends upon exter-
nal circumstances We may look for it here.
On our right, good distance from the
road, appears the residence a rich family,
who have very large farm, abundance of
barns and sheds, and house-room enough
to entertain scores of way -flrers at a time
But no, these are the domains of the
poor Instead of the rich Of the land ; it is
home furnished by the county for the
homeless, the friendless, and the destitute.
And when you hear Dauphin county
farmer fairly exult in the happiness offered
the needy in that retreat and express his
regtut -. sAAiug other like
sold to the lowest bidder for keeping, we
may say nothing, but We can not help
thinking that it is strange the genci Gus
farmers of Northumberland, Union and
Lycoming counties so steadily vote against
the system of furnishing the helpless Of
every couaty with a permanent and COM
Portable home
But, passing along the road so well lined
on the south with the locust tree-a shade
while living, and highly valued for its Ion
gcvity when dead-within about two miles
from Harrisburg we see on our left, near
ly half mile back from the Turnpike,
the object Of our searcL-tLe old Paxton
Presbyterian Meeting House. In its grove
of native oaks on the hillside, this plain,
unpretcnding limestone fabric makes no
challenge of regard. Its steep roofs aad
small, square window paucs, alone give
evidences of age 1t is believed to have
been erected (on the site Of a log frame)
about the year 17i0. The building is not
large, but is entered by two doors. For
mcrly, the pulpit stood in the middle of
the house, fronting the southerly door
The old pulpit became a receptacle for
squirrels and hornets before it was removed;
but all is now renewed, and the room fur
nished in the neatest style. Here, for over
one hundred years--perhaps for one hun
dred and thirty-has the Gospel been pro-
claimed. To this wooded temple formerly
came multitudes from the region round
about, even from beyond the river. Other
congregations have since been formed, cir
cumscribing the boundaries of the church
worshiping here; yet Sabbath meeting
of substantial professors of their fathers
faith, is here regularly sustained.
At the southwest corner Of the church
building, is log house, about twelve feet
square, long time used by John Elder,
(the preacher for the Paxton church for
ffty-six years. as his study, but since then
often as a school-house. From this house,
Parson Elder would march to his pulpit,
his crowd OF hearers parting Tor HIM to pass,
without his speaking a word to them-so
digni6ed was his sacred Office esteemed
In this house Gas well as in New EnglanD
trusty firearms were taken for some years,
while engaged in worship. On one occa-
sion, it is said the willy Indians had calcu-
lated on reaching the Paxton church, and
gatheringa a rich harvest of scalps, on a
sabbath day; but By mistake they came
on Monday, and before the next Sabbath
they were discovered. (By-the-way, the
custom Of seating women at the inner end
of slips exclusively, is said to have origin
atedin those times when men were REQUIRED
t9 be ready to spring to the doors, gun in